About Me:  I was born in Nashville, Tennessee but moved after a few years to the eastern coast of Florida where I spent most of my childhood years.  I grew up in a small, beachy town and have many fond memories of the sun and ocean air. In 2005, I moved from Florida to Illinois to pursue graduate work at Wheaton College.  Throughout my time at Wheaton, I sought a broad variety of clinical experiences including working with college-age students at a college counseling center, providing psychological assessments for adults, adolescents, and children, as well as adult, family, and couples therapy within an out-patient setting.  My pre-doctoral training took place at Meier Clinics where I had the opportunity to work within their partial hospital program and outpatient clinic. My most recent training has focused on the intersection of physical and mental health including the treatment of chronic medical conditions and infertility. Currently, I am the Director of Training at The Illinois School of Professional Psychology at National Louis University.  My husband and I are the owners of The Sirona Center. We have an amazing teen-age son and house full of animals, including our therapy rabbit named Winter.

Specialties:  My areas of specialty have changed over the years. Currently I specialize in helping women who are going through assisted reproductive technologies, like IVF/IUI or are dealing with infertility concerns. I am very open in sharing about my own infertility journey which has included IVF cycles, loss, and success. I find that it is so helpful to have a therapist who intimately understands the complex nature of fertility treatments and the profound impact this time can have on you and your partner. 

I also see a limited case load of psychological testing for both children and adults. We offer a variety of testing services at The Sirona Center, including bariatric (gastric bypass) evaluations, ADHD or learning evaluations, testing for mood disorders or to provide a more clear diagnosis of mental health concerns, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and others.

Therapy Style:  I take an integrative approach to therapy, meaning that I seek to understand my client’s individual needs and styles. What works best for one person, might not necessarily work best for another. In general though, I believe that change primarily happens through the therapy relationship itself. Having a witness to your pain or struggle is invaluable. I believe we are all shaped by the events and relationships we have experienced and we tend to find ourselves in the same patterns over and over again, even if they hurt us. In therapy, we get the chance to explore these patterns and make changes for a better future.

Fun Facts: I’m an avid CrossFitter! I love the challenge of our classes and the sense of community at my gym. I’m a sucker for most decent sci-fi books and movies. I dabble in photography on the side and have an art background. You can check out some of my work on instagram @juniperfreeway. You can also follow my professional feed @drkristinewberry