Our staff is highly qualified, with the most up-to-date training and education. We can guarantee it, because we are one of the premiere sources of training and education for professional counselors!
Dr. Giordano has selected each Veduta Consulting staff member from the hundreds of professionals and students she has mentored over the years. Only the best are asked to work with her.
Scroll down and meet our Counselors and Staff…
Counselors
Morgan Kinney,
MA, LCPC
mkinney@vedutaconsulting.com
“Individual diversity is at the center of my practice. There is no single, ideal way of being, because there is no single, normal culture, gender or neurotype; every life is unique, and every life deserves individual attention. Working together in nonjudgmental acceptance and collaborative exploration, we will find your own version of a healthy and meaningful life.”
Morgan Kinney is a clinical counselor, supervisor and consultant at Veduta Consulting. He has been a therapist since 2011, working with diverse populations in all manner of settings. He looks forward to sharing his success in helping people of many different backgrounds overcome trauma, discover their individual identity and establish meaningful personal relationships.
Counseling Specializations:
Depression and Anxiety
Trauma
ADHD
Autism Spectrum
Alienation and Identity work, addressing personal struggles such as loneliness, low self-esteem, life direction, relationships or burnout.
Consulting/Coaching Specializations:
Life and transition coaching
Career and direction coaching
Relationship coaching
Neurodiversity coaching/consulting
Healthcare providers
Experience:
Morgan has broad clinical experience, from his work in acute treatment settings, in crisis response and diversion shelters, and in homes and neighborhoods in the community. His expertise is in depression, anxiety and neurodiversity, with an emphasis on ADHD and the autism spectrum. He is active in research, integrating new modes of therapy and treatment into future psychotherapy.
Licensing:
Morgan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois and is a board-certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.
Education:
Morgan received his MA in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Southern Maine in 2011. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Counselor Education at Adler University. In addition to traditional therapy, Morgan has trained in a variety of modalities, with an emphasis on Compassion-Focused Therapy.
Insurance:
Morgan is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Aetna and Cigna.
Laura Connor,
MA, LCPC
lconnor@vedutaconsulting.com
“My approach to therapy is focused on cultivating a strong interpersonal relationship with my clients to work toward change. I value understanding my clients within the sociocultural and relational structures in which they were raised and currently live. My style of practice involves using insight, humor, somatic experiencing, and supportive guidance with my clients.”
Laura Connor is a licensed counselor and supervisor at Veduta Consulting. Laura specializes in treating women from diverse backgrounds that lead traditional and non-traditional lifestyles. Laura comes to Veduta with past corporate professional experience in public relations and speech writing.
Counseling Specializations:
Depression and Anxiety
Family of origin issues
Perfectionism
Grief and loss
Autoimmune/health-related disorders
Personality disorders
Issues related to high emotional sensitivity and emotion dysregulation
Complex Trauma
Experience:
Laura has extensive training in psychodynamic therapy and completed four years of intensive training in full protocol dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), radically-open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT) and mindfulness at The Family Institute at Northwestern. Her overall approach is feminist and trauma-informed, which comes from experience in various clinical settings including community mental health clinics, group practice and private practice.
Licensing:
Laura is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Laura holds an MA in Counseling from Northwestern University (2017), and an Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri (2009).
Insurance:
Laura is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Cia Souleles,
MSCP, MSCC, LPC
csouleles@vedutaconsulting.com
“I believe that many of the emotional challenges we face as adults are rooted in how we were treated as children. Childhood and adolescent traumas can remain with us as adults, bringing confusion and a lack of self-control. Anxiety, depression and relationship issues often unconsciously stem from such experiences. I look forward to helping you understand your feelings, overcome the problems that have disrupted your life and achieve resolution and serenity.”
Cia Souleles is a clinical counselor at Veduta Consulting.
Counseling Specializations:
Family dynamics
Family trauma
Relationship issues
Attachment issues
Male depression
“Failure to Launch” issues
Experience:
Prior to her work at Veduta, Cia has had extensive experience in the foster care system. She has instructed prospective foster and adoptive parents in caring for children with special needs, facilitated family reunifications, and protected children from unsafe environments. Cia gained clinical experience working with adolescent girls in a private psychiatric hospital, treating survivors of trauma with a broad range of psychiatric disorders. Cia has also worked in mental health administration, administering psychological evaluations and interviews. This extensive mental health background informs her expertise as a therapist. At Veduta, she works with families, couples, and individuals, specializing in adult relationship issues.
Licensing:
Cia is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Cia holds a BA in Psychology from DePauw University, a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Xavier University (1994) and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Northwestern University (2022)
Insurance:
Cia is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cigna and Aetna.
Nerissa Tucker,
MHA, MA, LPC
ntucker@vedutaconsulting.com
“Maybe you are searching amongst the branches, for what only appears in the roots.”- Rumi
“We are often afraid to explore the roots of our issues, but that is where all meaningful change in your life and relationships begins. I know from experience how challenging that exploration can be. Let me help you get to the root of your issues and develop the skills you need to achieve the meaningful, fulfilling life you want.”
Nerissa Tucker is a licensed professional counselor specializing in couples and relationship counseling. She is a Level II Gottman-trained therapist and a Premarital Counselor certified through Prepare-Enrich. Nerissa works with adults, adolescents, couples, and families.
Counseling Specializations:
Couples counseling
Teen issues
Depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues
Personal and racial identity
Attachment issues
Family counseling and parenting issues
Multicultural issues
Pregnancy and post-pregnancy issues
Career transitions
Grief
Experience:
Nerissa’s clinical experience includes working with adults and adolescents, resolving relationship and family issues, and helping clients with mood disorders, anxiety and depression symptoms, and self-esteem issues. She has received specialized training in relationship counseling and in pre- and post-pregnancy issues.
Nerissa has extensive experience in business and administration; she spent the first half of her career as a consultant to a large healthcare administration system.
Licensing:
Nerissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Nerissa received her MHA from Pfeiffer University in 2008, and her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Liberty University in 2018.
Insurance:
Nerissa is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Cigna.
Rick Calabrese,
MA, LCPC
rcalabrese@vedutaconsulting.com
“Facing our challenges is part of the human experience, but you don't have to face all your challenges alone. Working together, through kindness, compassion, honesty and even humor, we can clear a way for you to move forward. Together we can build a more fulfilling path for your life.”
Rick Calabrese is a licensed counselor and consultant at Veduta Consulting. Rick specializes in treating anxiety and depression, and has extensive experience working with older adolescents (ages 17 to 18) and their parents. He is also an experienced couples’ counselor.
Counseling Specializations:
Depression and Anxiety
Relationship issues and life changes
LGBTQIA+
Personal and career transitions
Executive functioning
Consulting/Coaching Specializations:
Life coaching
School counseling
Career coaching
Grief work
Organizational learning and development
Experience:
Rick Calabrese has broad experience helping families, couples and individuals cope with anxiety, depression and conflict, as well as adjusting to life changes including school, career, personal relationships and loss. Rick's work as a high school counselor for 3 years makes him keenly aware of the challenges older adolescents and parents face during this important and often difficult transition. He is an avid advocate for and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Rick combines his strong foundation in psychodynamic and interpersonal-process approach with practical application of ACT, IFS, and EFT therapy models, providing a broad range of tools to best help his clients.
Licensing:
Rick is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Rick holds an MA in Counseling from Northwestern University (2018), and an MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (2009).
Insurance:
Rick is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cigna and Aetna.
Deanna Chrones,
MA, LPC, CH
dchrones@vedutaconsulting.com
www.ChronesCounseling.com
“The connection between client and therapist is the most healing part of therapy; I empower my clients through the devoted, caring relationships I create with them. I also provide the most up-to-date psychoeducation to further that healing. Through therapy and the most innovative techniques and exercises, I enable my clients to calm their own nervous systems, learn how to regulate their emotions, and create new and better ways of approaching and living life.”
Deanna Chrones is a licensed clinical counselor, consultant, and certified hypnotherapist at Veduta Consulting. She comes to Veduta with additional experience in organizational development and marketing. Deanna is certified in EMDR--eye movement desensitization and reprocessing--a first-line treatment for PTSD. Deanna has developed a new, eye-movement-based treatment for traumatic, depressive, and anxiety disorders; her new treatment is now under study at Northwestern University and the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. As a therapist, she brings creative insights and cutting-edge techniques to her warm and inviting presence. Deanna works with adults, adolescents, and children, and she specializes in treating trauma, depression, and anxiety.
Counseling Specializations
Trauma and complex trauma
Depression
Anxiety
Attachment and Personality disorders
Relationship and Life-transition issues
Hypnotherapy for habit change and relaxation
Consulting & Coaching Specializations
Life coaching
Grief counseling
Organizational development
Experience:
Deanna has successfully treated clients with a broad array of issues, from bipolar disorders to ADHD to personality disorders. Her therapeutic approach is psychodynamic and Adlerian. She leans into emotions, body sensations, and early life experiences, but she also relies on cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, to meet each client’s individual needs.
Licensing:
Deanna is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Deanna received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University in 2021, where she graduated summa cum laude. She is now pursuing her Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision.
Insurance:
Deanna is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Deanna also offers sessions from our St. Charles office.
Pamela Smith,
MA, NCC, LCPC
psmith@vedutaconsulting.com
“How we respond to the complications in our lives matters. Don’t let fear steer your life’s journey. Become more discovery-oriented, and more open to your own life and narratives. Together we can sort out the complications, master better skills, and guide you to your own, authentic self.”
Pamela Smith is a clinical counselor, career coach and consultant at Veduta Consulting. She specializes in multicultural family counseling and executive business coaching. She is certified in EMDR, a first-line treatment for PTSD, as well as Anger Management (NAMA) and trained in perinatal therapy (PSI). Pamela works with adults, couples, and families.
Counseling Specializations:
Trauma and complex trauma
Depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues
Personal and racial identity
Couples counseling
Family counseling and parenting issues – Common Sense Parenting©
Transracial adoption
Multicultural issues
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) - EMDRIA Trained
Certified Anger Management Specialist – NAMA, CAMS-II
Pregnancy and post-pregnancy issues - Perinatal Mood & Anxiety (PSI)
Consulting and Coaching Specializations
College readiness, college issues
Career coaching
Executive and organizational functioning
Experience:
Pamela's broad range of professional interests and clinical experience include multicultural issues, relationships, interpersonal conflict and self-esteem, family and parenting challenges, transracial families, and adoption. She has specialized training in pregnancy and post-pregnancy challenges, anxiety and mood management, anger management and trauma treatment.
Pamela brings to Veduta her exceptional business acumen and understanding of workplace dynamics, gained in her long and successful career in the world of corporate business. Pamela has held positions in Business Design and Strategies, Information Technology, Training, and as a Logistics Business Analyst for a Fortune 500 company.
Licensing:
Pamela is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC)
Education:
Pamela received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Roosevelt University, in downtown Chicago (2014)
Insurance:
Pamela is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.
Pamela also offers sessions from our Arlington Heights office:
3233 N. Arlington Heights Road,
Suite #203 Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Taejah Vemuri
LCPC, MPH, MA
tvemuri@vedutaconsulting.com
“I believe that therapy is a healing journey, where we find our authentic selves. I am here to guide you on that journey, to help you gain insight, develop self-compassion, and move forward into a life that brings you peace and fulfillment. You are not alone. Together, we can create the change you are seeking.”
Taejah Vemuri is a licensed clinical counselor at Veduta Consulting. Taejah specializes in working with women experiencing eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and difficult life transitions such as divorce. She has extensive experience working with diverse adults, and is passionate about providing them with quality care. Taejah also brings her expertise in public health and research to Veduta.
Counseling Specializations:
Eating Disorders
Trauma
Anxiety
Perfectionism
Self Esteem
Life Transitions
Divorce
Experience:
Taejah is a highly experienced psychodynamic and existential counselor. She has worked with a broad spectrum of diverse adults, helping them cope with eating disorders, trauma, self-esteem issues, anxiety, divorce, depression, and life transitions. Her work is strengths-based, incorporating components of ACT and solution-focused therapy. She tailors these techniques to each client, creating a warm, non-judgmental therapeutic space in which clients are welcome to experience and express their inner selves. Taejah helps each of her clients explore their past, discover their true self, develop strategies to achieve their goals, and cultivate a life aligned with their values.
Licensing:
Taejah is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois.
Education:
Taejah received her MA in Counseling from Northwestern University in 2018, and her Masters in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Michigan School of Public Health in 2013.
Insurance:
Taejah is an in-network provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Cigna and Aetna.
Get In Touch with Veduta Consulting
Affiliates
Affiliates are separate businesses and independent professionals who have partnered with Veduta Consulting, extending our services and availability. Each has passed our careful screening and review process, and we are pleased to present them to you here.
Rebecca Bunn, MA, LCPC
RB Counseling and Consulting
Rebecca Bunn is a licensed therapist and mindfulness instructor. She works with individual adult clients on issues of emotional regulation, stress management, chronic illness and pain, trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Rebecca specializes in mindfulness-based interventions, including:Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT)
For an appointment or further information, contact Rebecca Bunn at:
E-Mail: rebecca@rbcounselingandconsulting.com
Nellie McCarthy,
LCPC, MA, MBA
nellie@nuthinkcounseling.com
Nellie McCarthy is a licensed clinical professional counselor. Nellie specializes in working with adults, couples and older adults going through relational changes and stress as well as grief and loss. She helps clients facing career challenges and supports clients managing care of older family members. Nellie has experience in many business endeavors. Her MBA in entrepreneurship [from DePaul University in 1998] enhances her keen awareness of and ability to connect with working professional clients.
Donna Gluck, LCPC
DG Counseling, Inc.
“The power to be healed. The strength is in you.”
Dr. Gluck specializes in individual and couples counseling, using a solution-focused and client-centered therapeutic approach.
For an appointment or further information, contact Dr. Gluck at:
Website: dgcounselinginc.com
Phone: (630) 353-0697
Joan L. Fefferman MS MS LCPC CADC NCC
JF Counseling Services, PLLC
Explore the difference with someone who has experience in solving problems!
Joan Fefferman is a Licensed Clinical Therapist and Addictions Counselor that specializes in individual, couples and family counseling. She is the sole practitioner of her practice in a confidential, calm, private office in downtown Wheaton, IL. She works face to face and also over the computer with Telehealth.
Joan is exploring T-counseling which means combining her previous life in STEM, as an educator at the University of Chicago and her counseling profession. She strives to work with clients that experience work issues, educational issues, substance use issues, relationship and family issues, anxiety, depression, grief and mood disorders using education and psychological tools (CBT, DBT, ACT, and many humanistic approaches) that present a clear logical framework for healing.
Call: (630)868-3920
Or email: joan@jf-counseling.com
Get In Touch with Veduta Consulting
Executive
Francesca Giordano Ph.D., LCPC
fgiordano@vedutaconsulting.com
Dr. Giordano is the founder and principal partner of Veduta Consulting. Veduta brings a new vision to the clinical and educational practice of counseling, bringing together expertise in these areas to create new approaches, and provide expert consulting services to a broad variety of organizations.
Counseling Specializations:
Couples conflict
Sexuality problems in couples
Infidelity and other breaches of trust
Low desire in women
Anger management
Career exploration and job search issues
Personal and mental health concerns affecting career success
The quest to live an authentic life
Organizational Experience:
From working with mental health centers in the areas of effective treatment planning, ethical issues, anger and therapeutic change, Dr. Francesca Giordano has expanded her practice into program development for higher education. Her areas of service include the accreditation process, online education and the future of behavioral healthcare. In the last seven years, she has brought two counseling programs to full accreditation, and successfully launched an online counseling partnership incorporating a behavioral health institution, a university, and an education technology firm. She is especially interested in the integration of program innovation, transformational leadership, and entrepreneurial techniques to promote growth and change in the field.
Licensing:
Dr. Giordano has been a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinoissince 1992. For the past 25 years, she has worked as a counselor educator and counseling education administrator, specializing in mental health, consultation and ethics. She is a board member for the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association (IMHCA), has served as Vice-Chair of the Illinois Professional Counselor Licensing and Disciplinary Board, and is a Past President of the Illinois Counseling Association
Teaching and Education:
Dr. Giordano has held full professorships in counseling education at Adler University, Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University. She recently served as the Online Curriculum and Teaching Associate Department Chair for Adler University. Previously, she was the Program Director for the Master of Arts in Counseling at the Family Institute at Northwestern University for seven years. Prior to joining the Family Institute, she was a professor of counseling in the Department of Counseling, Adult and Health Education at Northern Illinois University.
Awards and Distinctions:
In 2013, Dr. Giordano received the Robert J. Nejedlo Distinguished leadership award from Illiniois Counseling Association. In 2009 she received the C.A. Michelman award for Outstanding Service to the Counseling Profession from Illinois Cousneling Association. In 2006 she received the Counselor Educator of the Year award from the Illinois Counselor Education and Supervision Association. In 2002 she received the Distinguished Service award from the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association. In 1998, she received the Counselor Educator of the Year Award from the American Mental Health Counselors Association. Dr. Giordano is a Diplomate in Couples and Family Counseling with the American Mental Health Counseling Association.