Category Archives: Staff Member

I am a licensed psychologist and provide comprehensive psychological evaluations and psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adult clients. I have extensive experience working with clients dealing with a wide range of pathology including mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, personality disorders, and trauma. I provide comprehensive psychological evaluations including diagnostic, psychoeducational, pre-adoption, disability, and clergy evaluations.

With a robust background in individual, family, and group therapy, I bring unique experience and cultural sensitivity to the mental health landscape. I have previously worked in a non-profit outpatient setting, where I navigated the complexities of providing therapy to individuals and families of various cultures and backgrounds. My expertise extends to working in a hospital-based intensive outpatient program where I provided mental health services to adolescents and their families, facilitating therapeutic interventions within a group context.

While adept in addressing a spectrum of ages, my passion lies in working with adolescents and young adults, guiding them through the complexities of this transformative life stage. Grounded in experiential therapy modalities, such as Emotion-Focused Therapy and Internal Family Systems, I integrate empathy, cultural sensitivity, and experience-based techniques into my therapeutic approach, empowering clients to explore and heal from within.

Co-Author:

• “The Impact of Immigration-Related Separation and Reunification on Children’s Education: Evidence from the American Community Survey 2010-2018” by Cartwright & Chacón
• “Body Composition Outcomes of Healthy Fit and the Role of Acculturation among Low-Income Hispanics on the US-Mexico Border” by Huerta, Chacón, Vasquez, & Brown
• “Take Off Pounds Sensibly: A self-help and mutual support organization” by Chacón, Corral, & Brown

I have over 25 years of clinical social work experience assisting individuals, families, and couples to find peace within themselves and their relationships.  Through extensive training and expertise, I enjoy helping clients empower themselves in successfully resolving issues related to: trauma, attention deficit, anxiety, relationship discord, depression, OCD, and emotion regulation. I integrate the following evidence-based treatment modalities as needed: Emotion Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Stimulation, and Trauma Focused – CBT. I also provide presentations on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

I strive to establish a powerful, therapeutic, nonjudgmental alliance built on compassion and respect which in turn helps the collaborative process be much more individualized and strength-based.

With mental health experience working with a multitude of populations, I currently am accepting clients with all clinical issues. I have enjoyed working with adolescent clients in the clinical and school settings, dealing in large part with school-related anxiety, and adult clients as well. My professional passions include individual, couples, and family therapy. Employing evidence-based practices, I frequently utilize cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy, to best suit my client’s needs. 

In addition to my schooling and ongoing training, I am receiving weekly supervision from a clinician who specializes in aging populations and grief work, which has been an invaluable resource.  

I have been in practice for over 30 years treating individuals and couples. While I specialize in working with those struggling with depression and anxiety, I also enjoy working with couples who are experiencing conflict or want to enhance their relationship. My Ph.D. is from Loyola University-Chicago with a heavy emphasis on theory, especially psychodynamic, narrative, and family systems. However, I am very eclectic in my approach and can use behavioral and cognitive approaches as well as a depth psychology approach that seeks to heal underlying conflicts or ambivalences that are fueled by unresolved feelings and needs.

I have worked in a variety of outpatient mental health and treatment programs, including St. Anthony’s Hyland Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and I was the director of the FlexCare Treatment Program. In addition to maintaining my practice at West County Psychological Associates, I was an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University before retiring in 2019 to devote more time to my practice.

As a former teacher, principal, and assistant professor, I work with schools who would like to strengthen their school environments in a variety of areas. I provide educational consulting services and professional development for principals and faculty, and workshops for students and parents. Workshops and professional development are tailored to meet the needs of individual schools. My training includes cultural competence, parenting cafes, and suicide prevention, to name a few. I am presently working on combining my previous educational experience with the world of social work.

I earned my Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology and am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri. I specialize in working with couples on relationship concerns, as well as sexual addiction, infidelity and sex therapy. In addition, I work with clients experiencing eating disorders, issues post-bariatric surgery, depression and anxiety. My philosophy involves welcoming clients into a comfortable therapeutic alliance infused with respect, trust, compassion, and a bit of humor. The therapeutic techniques I use include cognitive behavioral therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), motivational interviewing, and family systems therapy. My passions center around collaborating with clients by supporting them in gaining more adaptive and healthier coping skills to pursue greater happiness and control over their lives.