meet our therapists
Samantha Collazo, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
she/her
In-person & Virtual sessions
Dr. Collazo received her clinical psychology doctorate from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her professional experience includes work in community mental health, therapeutic day schools, inpatient hospitals, residential facilities, and private practice.
Dr. Collazo believes therapy is a collaborative process between individuals and families that requires earned trust and safety. She focuses therapeutic work through a relational and attachment based lens, while simultaneously teaching clients helpful, appropriate coping skills and techniques. Additionally, Dr. Collazo guides individuals through understanding relational patterns and attachment across the lifespan. Furthermore, her goal is providing culturally responsive care, as she believes culture’s relationship to each individual, and the systems they are a part of, requires exploration.
Dr. Collazo primarily practices with individuals and families who have complex trauma. Additionally, she works with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and caregiver attachment. She is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and registered as a Circle of Security Parenting (COSP) therapist.
Dr. Collazo serves clients in Illinois & participating PSYPACT states.
Alyssa Bell, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
she/her
Virtual sessions
Dr. Alyssa Bell is a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and has worked in a variety of treatment settings with people from diverse backgrounds. In addition, Dr. Bell has experience assessing and treating individuals with presenting issues including but not limited to depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, and personality disorders.
At Grounded Healing, Dr. Bell works with individuals who struggle with navigating relationship conflicts and authentic identity expression. She is committed to providing empathic support to her clients and generally uses a relational therapeutic approach. Additionally, she meets her clients where they are in their strengths, using various interventions as indicated. Finally, Dr. Bell believes that change should not only come from within, but also from our surrounding communities. Therefore, she engages with local organizations to combat oppressive and inequitable systems.
Dr. Bell serves clients in Illinois.
Grand McDonald, PsyD
Psychotherapist
she/her
Virtual sessions
Dr. McDonald obtained her doctorate degree from The Chicago School of Clinical Psychology- Chicago Campus in 2018. She completed her predoctoral internship at a community mental health center in Miami, Florida, and subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship focusing on psychological assessment and trauma focused therapies there as well.
Dr. McDonald focuses on establishing a therapeutic relationship through a collaborative, strengths-based approach. Her approach provides clients a safe and supportive environment to process their experiences, promote self-love, cultivate personal empowerment, and encourage hope. In this environment, Dr. McDonald works through a relational and attachment-focused lens, while also teaching clients skills and techniques to help them cope. Additionally, Dr. McDonald believes culture integrally impacts both who we are, and our collective and individual world experiences, and combines this perspective in the therapeutic process.
Dr. McDonald primarily works with pre-adolescents, adolescents, and adults who have histories of trauma. However, she also provides care for depression, anxiety, and relational issues. In addition to therapy, Dr. McDonald specializes in completing psychological testing and assessments.
Dr. McDonald’s training includes Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Suicide and Sexual Assault training.
Finally, Dr. McDonald believes being part of your therapeutic process is a privilege, and is devoted to guiding you in discovering a life of growth, healing, and subjective joy.
Dr. McDonald serves clients in Illinois.
Amy Rivas Orellana, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
she/her
In-Person & Virtual sessions
Amy graduated from Loyola University Chicago with an EdS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Her professional experiences include working in community mental health and private practice.
Amy specializes in trauma work from an attachment-based lens, focusing on parental, family and generational traumas. She integrates somatic/body-based therapies to help with managing strong emotions, numbness and dissociation. Amy also works with folks on a range of issues outside of trauma, including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and loss and grief. People are hardwired with emotions that help us understand the world, ourselves, and others. But sometimes you might feel stuck in these emotions, perhaps unaware, or have difficulty verbalizing your needs and wants. By incorporating Emotion-Focused therapy techniques, Amy’s goal is to help build insight into your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to be the guide to your experience. Besides using EFT, she incorporates a psychodynamic, relational-based model to assist in helping you gain a deeper understanding of your attachment and relational patterns throughout your life.
Anti-oppressive and trauma-informed in practice, Amy is committed to unpacking the larger systems that impact your everyday existence; especially for BIPOC, LGBTQIAP3S+ folks, or other marginalized groups. As a Queer, Latinx, and First Gen. Immigrant; these parts of herself create space for clients to recognize and explore their own identities without feeling “othered.” Amy offers therapy in Spanish and over time, naturally developed a niche for working with bilingual, bicultural, and/or biracial folks.
Your goals and needs will always be the priority in therapy. Overall, Amy helps clients achieve a state of well-being that allows them to live to their full potential.
Amy works with adults and couples.
Amy currently serves clients based in Illinois.
Alexandra Bernard, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
she/her/Ella
In-person & Virtual sessions
Dr. Bernard is a bilingual/bicultural Licensed Clinical Psychologist who received her doctorate from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has worked in various settings including academic medical centers, schools, community mental health centers, and private practice serving individuals and families from diverse backgrounds. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and adults with neurodevelopmental diagnoses, such as Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability and educating clients and their families on the complexities of these diagnoses, particularly Spanish-speaking families. She also works with a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, interpersonal issues, and trauma.
Dr. Bernard’s guiding principle is that every individual deserves access to compassionate, comprehensive care that acknowledges their unique experiences and challenges. She further emphasizes the importance of neurodiversity-affirming care in her work and offers a collaborative approach with her clients to help them achieve their treatment and life goals.
Dr. Bernard incorporates various treatment modalities into her work, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and movement- based techniques.
Dr. Bernard serves clients in Illinois.
