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Andrea Rako
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
My Biography
Andrea Rako is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 24+ years of social work experience in the local community. Andrea received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Social Work from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Since 1993; Andrea has worked with a variety of different populations; which includes addressing child abuse and neglect in intact families; working with children, teens, and parents in the foster care system; and addressing the unique issues faced at the end of life, as well as providing grief counseling for surviving family members.
Andrea’s approach to counseling is somewhat eclectic; she has a strong dedication to the social work values of self-determination and meeting the person where they are. Andrea utilizes Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Person in Environment Therapy. Andrea has a strong commitment to helping others achieve what they feel is important to them, focusing on the fact that not everyone has the same beliefs and values; that each person is a unique individual and should be treated with dignity and respect. Andrea believes that the client is the expert on themselves, and that they need to be validated, and approached from a strengths based perspective.
Andrea and her three teenage children lives in Belleville, IL, with their three rescue dogs. One of the dogs, Dottie, a long- haired dachshund, often accompanies Andrea to facilities to help calm and engage residents in therapy.
Providing services in:
Illinois
I’m available:
In Person and Telehealth
I work with:
Kids ages 12+
Adults 18+
Geriatrics 65+
My Approach to Counseling
I use a strengths-based approach and believe that the client is the expert on themselves. I meet people where they are, and always respect that they are in charge. I use a variety of different counseling theories, such as cognitive behavioral theory, rational emotive behavioral theory, dialectical behavioral theory, person centered approach, and reminiscence therapy.
My Areas of Focus
- Abuse (Physical, Sexual, Etc.)
- Adoption Issues
- Alcoholism
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Assessment and Referral – Substance Abuse
- Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
- Behavior Modification
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorders
- Child Welfare/Abuse
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Compulsive Disorders Treatment
- Conduct/Disruptive Disorders
- DBT
- Depression
- Development Disorders
- Developmental Disabilities
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Dissociative Disorder
- Domestic Violence
- Ethnic Issues
- Evaluation and Assessment – Mental Health
- Foster Care
- Gambling addiction
- Grief/Bereavement
- HIV/Aids
- Home Care/Home Visits
- Learning Disabilities
- Long Term Care
- Marital/Couples Counseling
- Medical Illness/Disease Management
- Minority Issues
- Mood Disorders
- Nursing Home Visits
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Pain Management
- Parent Support and Training
- Personality Disorders
- Phobia
- Physical Disabilities
- Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support
- Psychotic/Schizophrenic Disorders
- PTSD
- Serious Mental Illness
- Social Skills Group
- Trauma Informed Care
- Trauma Therapy
- Women’s issues