Jennifer Froemel, CIMHP, LCPC

I earned my Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University and have practiced as a bilingual Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor since 1996. I am a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP) and the founder and owner of Innovative Counseling Partners, PLLC, which I established in 2014.

Throughout my career, I have worked in community mental health centers, hospitals, residential programs, outpatient clinics, private practice, and higher education. I have also taught Advanced Psychology at DeVry University and have served as a clinical internship supervisor since 1999, supervising and mentoring hundreds of emerging clinicians.

My work extends beyond the therapy room into advocacy, education, and leadership. I have served two terms as President of the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association and have been Lead Liaison for the Illinois Counseling Association’s Insurance Task Force since 2009. I have also served on the Advisory Board at Adler University, as a facilitator with the Cicero Community Collaborative, and as a Midwest Region Board Member for the National Children’s Study.

I believe mental health cannot be separated from the rest of our lives. Our physical health, relationships, family histories, culture, environment, spirituality, experiences, and the ways we have learned to survive all influence how we feel and function.

Because of this, I take a holistic and integrative approach to therapy, collaborating with medical, alternative, and spiritual practitioners when appropriate. I strive to create a space where clients feel safe enough to be honest, supported enough to explore difficult experiences, and challenged enough to recognize patterns that may be keeping them from the life and relationships they want.

My role is not to tell you who you should be. It is to help you better understand who you are, why certain patterns developed, and what you may want to change moving forward.

Areas of Focus / Specialties

I work with adults, couples, youth, and families navigating:

• Trauma and the long-term effects of difficult or painful experiences
• Anxiety, depression, and other mood concerns
• Attachment and relationship patterns
• Couples and relational challenges
• Family dynamics and conflict
• Parenting and parent-child relationships
• Addiction and its impact on individuals and families
• Life transitions, identity changes, and feeling “stuck”
• Stress, burnout, and difficulty balancing competing demands
• Personal growth, self-awareness, and creating meaningful change

I have extensive experience working with individuals and families from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, including African American, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ communities. I believe effective therapy requires understanding each person within the context of their culture, family system, relationships, experiences, values, and community.

My work is integrative, which means I do not believe one therapeutic approach works for everyone. I draw from evidence-based, relational, trauma-informed, and holistic modalities based on the needs of each client.

My training and clinical approach include Trauma-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Gottman Method, Theraplay, Mindfulness, and Family Systems approaches.

I am also a Reiki Master and have completed Level 1 training in Akashic Records. For clients who are interested, spirituality and complementary approaches can be incorporated into therapy while respecting each individual’s beliefs, values, and comfort level.

When appropriate, I also collaborate with medical providers and other wellness professionals because emotional health often intersects with physical health, sleep, hormones, nutrition, stress, relationships, and lifestyle.

My style is warm, compassionate, engaged, practical, and direct. I believe therapy should provide support, but I also believe meaningful growth sometimes requires being willing to look honestly at ourselves and our patterns.

You can expect thoughtful conversation, curiosity, practical strategies, skill-building, humor when appropriate, and gentle challenge. We may explore where a pattern began, how it once helped you, why it may no longer be working, and what might happen if you respond differently.

My goal is for you to leave therapy with more than temporary relief. I want you to develop a deeper understanding of yourself, stronger tools for navigating difficult moments, healthier relationships, and greater confidence in your ability to make choices that align with the life you want.

My belief in growth and connection extends well beyond my professional life. I have been actively involved in my community through Scouts BSA, Girl Scouts, PTA, and church leadership. I currently serve as a Scoutmaster and value the opportunity to mentor young people as they develop confidence, resilience, independence, and leadership.

I also love being outdoors. I enjoy trekking throughout the United States, Canada, and Nepal, gardening, and rescuing feral cats. In 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Kathmandu and train 25 Nepali clinicians in trauma-informed care—an experience that brought together many of the things I value most: connection, cultural learning, service, mental health advocacy, and the belief that healing happens within communities as well as individuals.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of bringing conversations about mental health to a broader audience through appearances on Fox News, CBS, Hoy, WTTW Channel 11, and Radio 105.1 FM’s The Cristina Show. I previously hosted The Dr. Ruth for Youth show on CAN-TV and currently host The Fear of Change Podcast, where I explore how individuals and organizations can move through fear toward growth, purpose, and greater alignment.

At the heart of all of these experiences is a philosophy that also guides my work with clients: Awareness creates choice. And choice creates change.