Counselor Bios
For more information about our services or to schedule an appointment, please call 815-723-0331.
If this is an emergency, please dial 911.
Please contact us to find out who is accepting new clients.
You may request a specific therapist, but please note that they may not have availability or openings at this time. Requesting a specific therapist may cause a delay in the wait to see someone.
Dr. Corinna House, LCSW, CADC, Division Director of Counseling Services
815-221-6021 chouse@cc-doj.org
Nicole Estrada, MSW/LSW
(Kankakee location)
Nicole obtained her Masters of Social Work in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has worked five years in the social services field in a variety of roles. As a Licensed Social Worker, Nicole is currently pursuing her Licensed Clinical Social Worker certification. She is passionate about supporting her clients to explore and discover solutions to whatever may be troubling them at that time. Although Nicole provides therapy to individuals, families, and groups across the entire age range, her previous experience as an Aging and Disabilities Case Manager and Caregiver Counselor confirmed her devotion to working with older adults and created a deeper understanding of the physical and mental obstacles that may occur as we age, such as chronic conditions, limited mobility, loneliness, loss of loved ones, etc. Along with life transitions, Nicole also has experience working with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and other life stressors. Nicole uses a variety of methods, with a primary focus on strength-based approaches and cognitive behavioral therapy. With each client, Nicole is patient, nonjudgmental, and empowers them throughout their therapeutic journey.
Lisa Sumrow, MSW, QMHP, Counseling Supervisor
(Joliet location and virtual)
Couples, Families, Individuals, Adults, Teens, Adolescents, Parents, Teachers/Students, Depression, Anxiety, Self-Harm, Life Transitions, ADD/ADHD, Grief and Loss, Preventative Care
Lisa received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of St. Francis. During her graduate program, Lisa interned with Catholic Charities in the counseling department where she gained experience working with adults, groups, and students of all ages. Her skills are centered towards assisting clients/students to overcome obstacles which interfere with achieving their goals by utilizing techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Social learning/Skills, Anger Management, Positive Self-talk/Image, and Crisis Interventions.
As a mother of four and previously licensed foster parent, Lisa understands the various stressors experienced by adults and the many difficulties children can face while navigating through life’s course.
Mary Novak, MA, LCPC
(Downers Grove location and virtual)
Children, Adolescents and Families, Child and Trauma Treatment, Grief and Loss, Depression, Anxiety, Relationship Problems
Mary is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience working with abused and neglected children, foster parents/caregivers and biological parents. Mary is also a teacher and is able to work well with children who are struggling academically. Mary is an expert advocate with the school systems. She provides a safe and nurturing counseling setting which allows children to open up and process grief. She works to help them cope and adjust to the chaos and disruptions that occur in life. Mary specializes in helping families work through transitions and prioritize the needs of children when decision making.
Brad Dailey
Brad Dailey is a Licensed Professional Counselor. He loves helping people overcome barriers and find strategies to achieve success in their lives. Fostering a client counselor relationship with an environment of total acceptance for the individual, and believes that the client counselor relationship is very important. Brad values the experience each individual has with him in therapy. He assist clients to take action in their lives based on their own values and believes that everyone can increase psychological flexibility and decrease psychological suffering. Brad works with clients to find ways to grow into the person they want to be by using therapy to facilitate positive changes in their life. He uses Rogerian, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy skills in sessions. Brad’s counseling specialties include Schizophrenia, Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, Anxiety, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Stress Management, self-improvement, panic attacks, sexual offender issues, trauma, college student mental health, anger management, and play therapy.
Brad draws upon 16 years of experience in the mental health field; while also leveraging personal experience of knowing what it is like to struggle with severe mental illness, and believes that this experience helps him to be more empathetic and understanding to those struggling with severe mental illness.
Nicole Estrada
Nicole obtained her Masters of Social Work in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Nicole has worked three years in the social services field in a variety of roles, serving children and their families, as well as older adults. She strives to work with each client to achieve their goals in a safe, compassionate, non-judgmental, and transparent environment. Nicole is passionate about supporting her clients to explore and discover solutions to a variety of obstacles. Using a strengths-based approach and mindfulness strategies, Nicole intends to provide clients with tools that serve them in their pursuit of becoming a happier, healthier version of themselves. She provides therapy to individuals, families, and groups and works with diverse populations across the entire age range. She has experience working with clients who struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and other life stressors. Nicole uses a variety of methodologies, with a primary focus on cognitive behavioral therapy. She believes in the importance of empowering individuals throughout their therapeutic journey, as they themselves are the expert of their own lives.
Tom
Individual, Family, Couples Therapy: Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Grief, Bereavement, Trauma, Self-Help, ADHD, Adults, Children, Elderly
Tom earned his Master’s Degree at Western Illinois University in 2011. Since then, Tom has worked in various capacities of private practice, residential mental health treatment, assessments, and in schools as a Mental Health Therapist. He utilizes a variety of approaches with an emphasis on Client Centered and borrowing heavily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Tom is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and loves helping others with grief and trauma.
Tom has experience with a wide variety of clients coming from diverse backgrounds. He is experienced in Anger, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Relapse Prevention, Self-Help and management of Serious Mental Disorders like Bipolar Disorder and Schizophreniform-type Disorders. Tom has been a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor since August of 2022 and has served as a mental health counselor for over 13 years.
Tom enjoys helping others with problems that require exploration and self-examination as well as teaching skills such as social skills, self-care, and thought-challenging. When Tom is not providing counseling, he enjoys a night of playing music with a guitar and attending open-mics.
