Who am I?

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Dana Jay LCPC

 

Dana is a licensed clinical professional counselor who graduated from Governor State University in 2019. She received her Masters In Counseling where her coursework and internship focused on working with women and trauma.

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Dana is deeply passionate about walking alongside women as they reconnect with their strength, voice, and sense of self. She brings extensive experience from her work at Pillars Community Health, where she served as both a therapist and clinical supervisor supporting women who have survived sexual assault and interpersonal violence. During her time at Pillars, she also pioneered the implementation of an EMDR-based trauma treatment program for clinicians and the care team, expanding access to evidence-based healing for survivors of sexual violence.

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Her work at Pillars profoundly shaped and reinforced her feminist-based approach to therapy, as she witnessed firsthand the pervasive ways patriarchy, power, control, and systemic oppression impact women’s mental health, sense of safety, relationships, and identity. This lived clinical experience informs her commitment to helping women reclaim autonomy, agency, and embodied self-trust.

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She specializes in working with survivors of trauma and is also experienced in supporting individuals navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship challenges, and self-esteem concerns. She is especially devoted to building authentic, empowering connections with the women she serves and creating spaces rooted in safety, collaboration, and choice.

Her goal is to provide a warm, welcoming, and emotionally safe environment where clients feel truly seen, supported, and understood. She has completed advanced training in domestic violence, sexual assault, and EMDR therapy, and her work is grounded in a compassionate, trauma-informed, and feminist lens.

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Her therapeutic approach blends person-centered therapy, mindfulness practices, and EMDR to help clients gently process painful experiences, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect with their innate resilience. Above all, she is committed to meeting each person exactly where they are—with empathy, authenticity, and genuine care.

Whether you are healing from trauma, navigating mental health challenges, or simply seeking a supportive space to grow, she offers thoughtful, collaborative, and compassionate care every step of the way.

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🌿 EMDR Education & Training Center  - EMDR Basic Training Levels 1 & 2 (November 2025 )

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Contact information: dana@empowerwomencounselingil.com

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