Meet the team
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Deciding to take the next step and participate in therapy can be difficult—but it can also be one of the most rewarding choices you make, especially when you have someone who can hold space for you with care and compassion.
As a Black woman who was raised in a religious home, therapy was never presented as an option for Candace. Looking back, she now realizes that this was a significant missed opportunity. Life brings challenges at different stages, and no one should have to face them alone.
Candace would be honored to walk alongside you as you navigate life’s difficult moments. She believes in meeting clients where they are and working collaboratively through the healing process. She sees each person as unique and tailors therapy to best fit your needs—drawing from approaches such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Psychodynamic Theory.
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With over six years of experience in the mental health field, Simmi is a compassionate, trauma-focused clinician dedicated to creating a client-centered, nonjudgmental space for healing and growth. She holds a Master’s degree in Military Psychology from Adler University and is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Simmi’s approach is rooted in trauma-informed care, ensuring clients feel safe, respected, and empowered. She has extensive experience working with trauma and PTSD, OCD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
In addition to EMDR, Simmi integrates CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and ACT to support meaningful, lasting change. Her goal is to help clients build self-awareness, regulate emotions, and strengthen relationships—with others and themselves.
Fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi, Simmi is committed to providing culturally sensitive care. She believes healing happens at your pace, in your own way, and is honored to support you on that journey.
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Therapy should be a space where you can show up exactly as you are—even when you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or still figuring things out. Taylor’s approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed, with a focus on helping clients feel seen, heard, and understood.
Taylor works with children, adolescents, adults, and families navigating trauma, relationships, family concerns, adoption, major life transitions, and experiences with domestic violence or DCFS. She also has experience supporting youth involved in the criminal justice system.
Taylor integrates evidence-based approaches including CBT, NTI, ARC, TBRI, and Theraplay, along with psychodynamic and narrative perspectives. Rather than simply providing a list of coping skills, Taylor believes therapy is about getting curious together—exploring clients’ experiences, relationships, identities, and patterns while developing practical tools to help them feel more grounded and connected to themselves.
Taylor’s goal is to create a supportive space where clients can better understand what they’ve been carrying, discover what they need, and begin moving toward feeling more like themselves again.
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Essence is dedicated to creating a warm, safe, inclusive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel free to be their authentic selves. Her goal is to help individuals gain autonomy while equipping them with tools to better feel, understand, and manage their emotions.
Recognizing the importance of cultural competence, Essence approaches each client with sensitivity and respect for diverse backgrounds, values, and beliefs. She strives to meet clients where they are and work collaboratively with them on their journey toward healing and growth.
Essence supports children, adolescents, and adults who may feel stuck, anxious, overwhelmed, or are navigating life transitions, chronic stress, low self-esteem, relationship or family challenges, trauma, or grief. She works through a trauma-informed lens and integrates approaches such as CBT, person-centered therapy, somatic techniques, and psychodynamic therapy. Essence also emphasizes the mind–body connection and aims to support the emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of her clients.
Essence holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, criminology, and law studies. She has diverse experience working with youth and families involved in child protection services, the juvenile justice system, and various school environments. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University, with a specialization in children and adolescents.
Clove Counseling
75 Executive Dr. Suite #447
Aurora, IL 60504
331.701.7930