Meet Our Team
Samantha Zurek, MA, NCC, LCPC
Samantha Zurek is a board certified and licensed clinical professional counselor with her Master’s of Arts degree in clinical psychology counseling practice from Roosevelt University in Chicago. She completed her therapy practicum at Kenneth Young Center, a community mental health center in Elk Grove Village, IL where she worked with adults as an outpatient and psychosocial rehabilitation therapist. She completed her qualifications for licensure at Bridgeway, Inc, a community mental health center in Kewanee, IL where she was an outpatient therapist treating children, adolescents and adults.
Samantha has over 10 years of experience working with patients of all ages who struggle with anxiety, depression, perinatal mental health concerns, major life transitions, and OCD. Samantha recognizes the importance of tailoring her treatment to what works best for each unique individual, therefore utilizes an integrative approach to build a personalized treatment plan. She has been extensively trained in using helpful strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, exposure and response prevention (E/RP), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and person-centered therapy. In addition, Samantha utilizes mindfulness, anger management, grounding, and psych-education techniques.
Samantha McGann-Taylor, LCSW, PEL
Samantha McGann-Taylor has been practicing social work since 2012 and has been clinically licensed in IL since 2015. She enjoys helping clients of all ages and has extensive experience with clients as young as 4 years old through late adulthood. In addition to her clinical license, she holds a professional educator’s license to practice social work in the school setting. She completed her undergraduate degree from Millikin University in Decatur, IL in 2009, and her Master’s in Social Work with a concentration in School Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2012. She has pursued years of continuing education to foster her professional growth, and more importantly, the opportunities for her patients to thrive.
Samantha enjoys helping all of her patients, but she has a special interest in the areas highlighted here: adults navigating parenthood, toddlers and emotional regulation, those who have endured highly stressful life events and traumatic experiences, OCD/anxiety, anger management, and surviving sexual assault. Samantha also has experience with families, conflict resolution, and specializes in the reintegration process from a mental health hospitalization back into the school setting.
Susan Ryan-Michalak (Rivard), MA, LCPC, PEL, LBS1, EMDR Trained
Susan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and EMDR Trained Clinician with a Master's in Counseling from Governors State University and a Bachelor's from DePaul University. She has diverse experience, having worked in residential hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, schools, emergency rooms, and private practice.
Susan specializes in EMDR, eating disorders, food addiction, trauma, injuries, pain disorders, low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, and life transitions. She uses various therapeutic approaches, including CBT, DBT, ACT, ERP, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Family Systems.
Practicing since 2008, Susan has supervised other clinicians and is dedicated to her work. She recently earned a certificate in Anger Management and is trained in ABA natural pairing. Susan believes in helping her clients achieve a better quality of life with the right tools and support.
Susan grew up on the South Side of Chicago and moved to Lincoln Park in high school. She is closely tied to Lurie Children’s Hospital and enjoys art, spending time with her family and friends, and continuous learning. Susan is passionate about self-care, journaling, watching sitcoms, and reading.
