WE'RE HERE TO HELP

VANESSA JANKOWSKI, LCSW
Co-FOUNDER, CEO

Vanessa Jankowski is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a Master of Social Work degree from University of Chicago’s school of Social Services Administration. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she also received a Master’s degree in Jungian and Archetypal Studies as well. In the Chicagoland area, Vanessa completed a five-year, post-graduate intensive clinical training program focused on social work techniques, psychotherapy, group work, and Jungian/Archetypal psychology.

Vanessa guides clients to a better understanding of their gifts and strengths while helping them identify and address the sources of their suffering. Her therapeutic approach draws from a wide range of models and theories. Her work integrates techniques and interventions from Psychodynamics, Cognitive Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (C.B.T.), Dialect Behavioral Therapy (D.B.T.), Family Systems, Object Relationships, Rational Emotive Therapy (R.E.T.), Transactional Analysis (T.A.), various Depth Psychology theories and others.

Vanessa has organized and co-led annual retreats, workshops, and programs for The Center for Change & Healing, Beloit College, Corporate Learning Institute, Irons Oaks, Joy Outdoor Educational Center, the Village of Niles and Skokie Middle Schools, Niles Teen Center and more. Vanessa served as director of Horizon Hospice’s youth and family grief group program, Braveheart, where she supervised, coordinated, and facilitated groups for those experiencing grief and loss.

Vanessa is trained in crisis intervention and psychotherapy. As a high ropes and challenge course facilitator, she enjoyed working with residential rehabilitation groups, sports teams, teacher groups, college students and staff, and corporate organizations.

Vanessa co-founded Birch Forest Children’s Therapy Center in January 2022 to serve the needs or parents and children.

Vanessa’s lifelong love of painting and the arts allows her to reach individuals through creativity and imagery. She is a musician and a captivating storyteller. Before becoming a clinician, Vanessa worked extensively as a trainer of horses for shows and dressage. Vanessa understands it is important to be healthy of mind and body; She advocates and practices healthy physical activity and proper nutrition.

Kyle J. Jankowski, L.C.S.W., M.S.W, M.A.D.P.
Co-FOUNDER, COO

Kyle J. Jankowski, L.C.S.W., M.S.W, M.A.D.P., is the co-founder and COO of The Center for Change & Healing, a Clinical Social Work and Depth-Psychology based psychotherapy and consultation practice.

For over 20 years, Kyle has worked with youth, couples and families. He specializes in guiding clients through major life transitions. He has provided quality mental health services through a variety of roles including school social worker, special education social worker, foster care/adoption case worker, residential day school therapist, police mental health consultant, and clinical group psychotherapist.

Kyle has designed and facilitated over a dozen Depth-Psychology based weekend and week-long personal growth retreats for adults and adolescents. Kyle earned his Bachelor’s from the University of Michigan (B.S.W.), where he also served as president of the Social Work Club, and was inducted into the Greek Academic National Honor’s Society, Phi-Alpha. Kyle then earned a graduate degree from the University of Chicago-SSA (M.S.W./A.M.). Continuing his postgraduate education, Kyle completed a seven-year advanced clinical training program and earned a second Master’s from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Jungian & Depth Psychology (M.A.D.P.).

Kyle’s therapeutic practice integrates traditional psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral and family system’s approaches. Additionally, Kyle integrates theories of multiple intelligences and Typology (Myers-Briggs/M.B.P.T.I.) with a focus on creativity, literature, poetry, creative space design/sacred architecture, comedy/improv, graphic art, film and photography.

Kyle understands the essential role vocation plays in a meaningful and fulfilling life. Through explorations of vocation, Kyle helps people to recognize, structure, and integrate their creative gifts and traditional intelligence into practical and meaningful career paths. Vocational and creative consultation are useful for midlife career changes, quarter-life existential crises, entrepreneurs, and non-traditional students in high school and college. Others have utilized vocational and creative consultation with Kyle to rediscover and reintegrate their lost or undervalued ethnic/cultural practices and identity. Such clients often report a renewed sense of mental, social, and cultural wholeness.

Kyle co-founded Birch Forest Children’s Therapy Center in January 2022 to serve the needs or parents and children. In 2023, he founded Siubhail Publishing, LLC.

Outside his clinical and consulting practice, Kyle avidly studies Polish-Hungarian Fencing, saxophone, martial arts philosophy, and Central/Eastern European history. He is a published poet and scholar. He enjoys hiking, traveling America’s National Parks, water skiing, swimming, culinary art, interior design, Polish cultural events, and patronizing Chicago’s extensive performing arts scene.

Kevin kell, lcsw
Clinical DIRECTOR

Kevin Kell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker living and practicing in the greater Chicago area. He received his bachelor’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, majoring in psychology. Kevin then graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a Masters in Social Work. He is currently pursuing degrees through Pacifica Graduate Institute’s masters/ doctoral program in Jungian and Archetypal Studies. Additionally, Kevin has studied with many professional mentors from a wide variety of cultures and fields of study.

Kevin brings all of his educational and practice experience to each client and session. Kevin provides individual, group, family, and couples therapeutic counseling to clients of all ages. Clients have found significant relief from symptoms of depression, anxiety, grief/ loss, anger management/ rage, self-harm, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, addictive behaviors, and underperformance.

Kevin’s approach draws primarily from psychodynamic and depth psychological theories. New skills and information are essential to the healing process, but often there are also unresolved issues from the past that continue to disrupt the present. Lasting change and growth often require that these issues be explored and healed with compassion and understanding. Even clients with a history of treatment-resistant issues have found Kevin’s approach helpful and transformative.

When Kevin isn’t practicing therapy, he is enjoying a wide variety of hobbies and interests. Kevin is an accomplished leather worker and craftsman. He also makes and plays hide drums of many types and sizes. Kevin is a classically trained bass vocalist and regularly performs in local operas and other venues. Kevin can be found throughout the greater Chicago area sharing his love of art, performance, and beauty.

DEREK HINDERLITER, LPC
PSYCHOTHERAPIST

Derek Hinderliter received his bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University in Kentucky and his MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bradley University. He has been involved with addictions work for more than 10 years including providing counseling services through Recovery Centers of America, in their in-patient drug and alcohol treatment programs. Derek also has direct experience working in the field of domestic violence with both victims and offenders through programs such as Family Violence Prevention Services in San Antonio Texas.

Effective counseling begins with meeting clients where they are at, then working collaboratively towards their unique healing and development goals. Derek draws from his experience in multiple therapeutic modalities to help clients navigate challenges and find a positive and healthy path forward.

Finding meaning and purpose, even in life’s most difficult circumstances, is a core feature of Derek’s therapeutic approach. Derek helps clients identify their individual meaning and purpose through an integration of Depth Psychology, Logotherapy, and psychodynamic theories. Additionally, he includes interventions from a combination of empirically driven modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Reality Therapy. One’s psychology is deeply interconnected with one’s body as well. Therefore, he uses trauma-informed approaches, including body conscious modalities and somatic awareness protocols.

Derek retired from the military after spending over twenty years as a musician with the United States Air Force Bands program. Through this opportunity, he lived and worked throughout the United States, Germany, and Belgium. His extensive experience in professional performance, logistics, public affairs, and operations provides him with a unique set of skills that he uses to facilitate the healing processes of his clients.

When he is not working, Derek enjoys traveling, cooking great food, and spending time with friends and family. He and his wife are both professional musicians and can often be heard performing in the greater Chicago area.