Approach to Therapy

Janesa’s approach to therapy is empathic, encouraging, and direct. She believes in the importance of developing strong rapport and a collaborative relationship to ensure treatment is geared to the client’s unique needs. Janesa wants each client to feel safe, valued, and respected. She is comfortable working with children, teens and adults who struggle with anxiety, OCD, and anxiety-related disorders.  She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and specifically Exposure-Based Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. For each client, she conducts a thorough assessment in order to understand symptoms and how they have impacted one’s life so that she can create an individualized treatment plan.  Treatment plans include helping clients identify and adapt stuck thinking as well as behaviors that may be keeping them stuck.  She firmly believes in educating the client and their support systems about anxiety and OCD and the rationale for treatment so they can best help themselves and receive support from their support systems.  Janesa works at a pace that is comfortable for the client while also gently challenging clients to face fears.

Experience and Training

Janesa received both her undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Psychology from Benedictine University. Janesa has extensive training in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) and specializes in treating anxiety, OCD and related disorders.  Prior to joining the OCD & Anxiety Center, Janesa worked in community mental health for 6 ½ years serving adults with various mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder by providing counseling, case management, developing treatment plans, and conducting assessments. She completed a 1-year internship by working with children and adolescents who have been adopted. She is a member of the International OCD Foundation and she dedicates her career to continuing the learning process and attends many trainings and conferences related to OCD, anxiety, and related disorders.

More About Janesa

Janesa was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys going to concerts, traveling, playing video and board games. She also enjoys spending time with her dog, friends, and family.