Clinical Director

Denene Lewis, LCPC

What got me interested in becoming a therapist

In my twenties, I realized just how much I really enjoyed talking to people about what they were truly thinking and analyzing those thoughts and offering support to help those around me. Up until my second year of college, I had always dreamed of being a Pediatrician, and I started out down the Pre-med path as a Biology major as my undergraduate degree.

In my second year, decided to take a Psychology class, just for the fun of it, because it sounded sort of interesting. I found it to be absolutely fascinating!! I switched my major to Psychology and that was the end of my Pre-med days and the beginning of my path to becoming a Counselor. I noticed that humankind is ever-changing and I wanted to have the pleasure of providing a service that helps them grow and be mentally healthy by imparting valuable counseling to clients based on their mental health needs.

Types of clients/issues I most enjoy treating

I believe in meeting clients where they are emotionally and helping them find the tools to become as mentally and emotionally strong and healthy as they possibly can be. I recognize the complexities and sophistication of today’s society and the diverse residents living in it, therefore I am able to discern that each client is unique and requires to be met with an approach based on where they are in their situation and lives. My versatile approach, therefore, is key in restoring clients’ confidence, core values, and competence.

Education/Experience

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor that specializes in providing Counseling to adults and teens and their families. I received my Masters’s in Human Service Counseling at National Louis University in 2003. My experience includes working in community outpatient, hospitals, police departments, and school settings. I have extensive counseling experience working with adults, teens, and children that are in a mental health crisis and assisting in the stabilization of these clients.

My approach is client-centered and individualized to meet my client’s needs. My goal is to assist clients to reach their potential and well-being through education, teaching, and modeling skills while assisting them to identify barriers that prevent change. I provide empathetic and compassionate listening during sessions while assisting clients in creating positive changes. My therapy approach is guided by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as a variety of other Evidence-Based Therapy Modalities.

If you find that you feel stuck and feel that you want to help to move from that place to a healthy emotional place in your life, I want to help you get where you deserve to be in your life. I specialize in working with teens and adults. . I have been working in the mental health field for over 25 years and I have been providing counseling services for over 15 years.

 I also have specialized training, certification, and counseling training, in working with survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse. While these are two areas of specialty I provide, I also provide counseling services to all those in need of seeking to become emotionally healthy.

Specializations

• Individual therapy for adolescents and adults with a variety of mental health needs.

• Trauma-informed treatment.

• Specialized training in sexual abuse and domestic violence treatment.

• Christian counseling by request.

• Couples and Family Therapy

Insurance Accepted

• Aetna

• Anthem

• BCBS PPO

• Cigna

• Life Synch

• Multiplan

• United Health Care

• UMR

• Optum

• BCBS CHP (Medicaid)

• Molina (Medicaid)

• Youth Care (Medicaid)

Clinic Practice Manager

Pam Richardson

Bio Coming Soon

Intake Coordinator

Kelsey Aleksiun

India Blakely, Ed.D, LCPC

From childhood, I knew I wanted to help people get well. Until about the age of 16, I thought it was as a medical doctor, but then I took my first psychology class and realized I wanted to focus on the soul. It has been over 30 years since that discovery, and it has never wavered. As a mental health therapist, I have the privilege and honor of meeting those who know there is more to living but are having difficulty accessing it. I get to come alongside my clients to help them attain and maintain a greater sense of wellness.

For the 19 years, I have been a mental health therapist, I have used a variety of styles, tools, and techniques (including Cognitive, Behavioral, psychodynamic, Humanistic, Trauma, and Biblical). I have extensive training and experience in community therapy and leadership that allows me to provide traditional and non-traditional mental health services to a broad audience (adolescents to seniors). Although early and middle-aged adults are my most serviced population, I have experience working with ages 12 and up as individuals, families, groups, and couples. I have served clients with various emotional, traumatic, and behavioral disorders. My education includes a master’s degree in counseling, a doctorate in education, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and four years of Bible college. I thoroughly enjoy helping others see and reach for things that seem out of reach.