Aspen Counseling, a behavioral health group of Rosecrance Therapies

Lynn Wheeler has worked in psychiatry for nearly 40 years, primarily in direct patient care but also in nursing administration, beginning as a registered nurse and later as an advanced practice nurse. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science degree in nursing with a psychiatric nurse practitioner specialization from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her American Nurses Credentialing Center board certification as a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2010. She has worked in the Rockford area through the years providing mental health care across the lifespan in multiple clinical settings: inpatient, outpatient, residential substance use treatment, and private practice. She has experience working with individuals ages 5 to 65+ with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), trauma, OCD, behavior disorders, and more. Wheeler embraces a comprehensive and collaborative partner-with-patients approach to healthcare with an emphasis on health promotion and risk prevention. She incorporates evidence-based practice with a holistic biopsychosocial approach to clinical management. In her free time, Wheeler enjoys being with her family, friends, and her menagerie of pets. She also enjoys road trips with her husband, especially cross-country touring on their Harley-Davidson.

Karissa Schilling coordinates transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and Spravato treatments at Aspen Counseling, a behavioral health group of Rosecrance Therapies, in Rockford, Illinois. She specializes in guiding older adolescents and adults through advanced treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since beginning her mental health career in 2019, she has diligently progressed to her current role as Coordinator of Advanced Neurotherapies, aiming to improve the lives of those seeking innovative therapies. Schilling earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Northern Illinois University, with a minor in sociology and a certificate in criminology. Her care approach is rooted in compassion, advocacy, and hope. She is committed to enhancing accessibility to evidence-based treatment options for individuals with treatment-resistant disorders/difficult to treat depression and actively collaborates with colleagues to expand community awareness of advanced neurotherapies. Dedicated to providing individualized care, Schilling works closely with clients to navigate their treatment options, ensuring they receive the support they need on their journey to wellness.

Holly Brun is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Marquette University. She has worked in the behavioral health field since 2010 and has experience treating individuals throughout the lifespan in various settings, including jails, hospitals, residential facilities, outpatient centers, and crisis centers. Brun is experienced in providing individual, group, and family therapy, as well as crisis intervention services. She has specializations in trauma-focused therapies and pediatric mental health and has many years of experience working with children and adolescents who deal with trauma, anxiety, depression, behavioral concerns, ADHD, and autism. Brun enjoys utilizing art and play in therapy to foster connection and teach therapeutic principles. She acknowledges each client as their own unique self and, while always leading with compassion, empathy, and a bit of humor, tailors an integrated therapeutic approach to each person’s individual needs. Brun believes in empowering each client to identify what positive change and growth looks like for him/her/themselves and supports her clients to embrace this change to truly bloom wherever they are planted.

A graduate of Aurora University, Teisha Hoppe is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who currently splits her time between the school setting and private therapy. She has experience working with preschool-aged children through adolescence, adults, families, and couples who deal with anxiety, major depression, trauma, oppositional defiant disorders, ADHD, bipolar, and Autism. Hoppe utilizes various therapy modalities in her work, including CBT, REBT, EBT, play therapy, mindfulness, and grief therapy. She helps her clients develop coping skills and mindfulness techniques to self-regulate and find calm in difficult situations. She also has experience as an adjunct professor in Aurora University’s graduate social work program. In her spare time, Hoppe loves hanging out with her puppies while training them to become therapy dogs.

Locations – Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL 

Kathleen Kruse is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers. She graduated with her master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois, where her education emphasized mental health services and program administration. Kruse began her career with high-risk adolescents who had behavioral and psychiatric issues. She has served as the clinical director in two residential facilities, providing services to adolescents and their families. In the last 15 years, she has worked in private practice with adolescents and adults. Kruse has extensive experience and is trained to provide individual, group, family, and couples therapy. She is also a Qualified Substance Abuse Provider (SAP) for DOT client and a Medicare provider. She enjoys the diversity of her work and the opportunity to help her clients address their specific needs. “I consider it an honor to assist others in improving their emotional/mental health, relationships, and quality of life.

Locations – Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL

Lori Martineau is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. She employs such therapeutic interventions as CBT, DBT, grief counseling, solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness techniques. Martineau is experienced in working with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, anger, and stress management issues; she also supports individuals and families in hospice care. She is a graduate of Aurora University. “My goal is always to empower clients and focus on their strengths to help them live their best lives.”

Locations – Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL

Jennifer Olson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR). She earned her master’s degree in applied family and child studies with a specialization in marriage and family therapy from Northern Illinois University. Olson has experience working with children, adolescents, families, couples, and adults in crisis and with less acute symptoms. She works with clients from a strength-based and systemic perspective. She acknowledges the power of the mind-body connection and incorporates this into her work. Olson works with a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, mood disorders and other mental health diagnoses, self-esteem/self-empowerment, grief and loss, and relationship/family concerns. Her creativity, compassion, and sense of humor help her connect with the people she works with, and she partners with them on their journey of healing, change, and self-expression.

Locations: Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL

Keo Phasouk is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with clients of all ages in many different settings, such as hospitals, clinics, crisis centers, group homes, and classrooms. She has a master’s degree in social work from Aurora University. Phasouk has extensive experience and training in individual and group therapy using many different modalities, such as CBT, DBT, mindfulness, solution-focused, and grief therapy.  Currently, she works with adults struggling with various mental health concerns and enjoys educating her clients about their mental health diagnosis. She seeks to assist clients in developing healthy coping strategies to manage their symptoms in day-to-day life settings such as relationships, parenting, and occupational and financial stressors. “I enjoy teaching DBT skills individually and helping clients learn to self-regulate their emotions, set boundaries, and manage their interpersonal relationships effectively.”

Locations: Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL

Kathy Terzinski is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), National Certified Counselor, and a fully trained eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. She earned a master’s degree from Roosevelt University. Terzinski specializes in trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, addictions, fears, guilt, and a range of life adjustment issues. She works with individuals to help make sense of the past and to understand and neutralize the negative influence it has on present functioning and relationships. By clearing up the “debris” from the past, we can fully focus on being our best in the present and in the future. Inspired by experiences with trauma, Terzinski focuses on learning effective interventions for those traumatized by nature or by other people. EMDR is the foundation on which she helps survivors of child abuse, sexual abuse, guilt, and negative beliefs. She strives to help people fully process and definitively overcome the past.

Nathan Whinnery is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Northern Illinois University and his Master of science in mental health counseling from Walden University. He has been in the behavioral health field since 2002 and has extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, and their families experiencing mental health and substance use disorders. Whinnery approaches each client as an individual but always leads with compassion and empathy while utilizing an integrated theoretical approach to fit individual needs. He believes in empowering individuals to embrace their ability to change from within and enjoys using humor and metaphors to bring normalcy and enjoyment to the counseling process. He also serves families in Rockford, Illinois, as a photographer with the Haven Network, an agency that serves families experiencing perinatal loss.

Locations: Rosecrance Virtual and Aspen Counseling, a division of Rosecrance Therapies, Rockford, IL