Ceara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a strong commitment to supporting children and families navigating complex life challenges. She earned her undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Women’s Studies. After graduation, she volunteered with Legal Advocates for Abused Women (LAAW), where she discovered her passion for working with children and families experiencing hardship, leading her to pursue a career in social work instead of law.

Ceara completed the accelerated Master of Social Work program at the University of Southern California, with a concentration in Children and Families and a specialized focus on Military Families. She interned with Children’s Home & Aid in foster care services and continued there as a case manager, where she also became a Children and Family Team Meeting (CFTM) trainer. She later transitioned into community mental health, providing therapy to children involved in the judicial system in Madison County, and advanced into a clinical supervisor role while helping develop a violence prevention program serving youth in East St. Louis and Cahokia, Illinois.

Although she values her experience in supervision and program development, Ceara’s passion for direct, client-centered work led her back to providing one-on-one therapy at LiveWell. She is trained in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), is a Phase II trained provider and trainer in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, and holds a certificate in Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC), with additional experience in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). Her work is grounded in understanding how trauma impacts the mind, body, and relationships, with a focus on supporting long-term healing and growth.

Ceara’s view of therapy is rooted in the belief that the most powerful force in healing is human connection and love. She sees the therapeutic relationship as a space where individuals can experience safety, acceptance, and genuine care—often for the first time—and believes this connection is what creates the foundation for meaningful and lasting change.

Outside of her professional work, Ceara is married and a mother of two, and enjoys spending time with her family exploring local favorites such as the Science Center, the Zoo, and the Magic House, which help keeps them active, engaged, and connected.

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Masters in Social Worker Univeristy of Southern California
• Bachelors in Political Science from St Louis University

Illinois

Telehealth

Kids, Adolescents, Adults and Geriatrics

Individual Counseling, Family Counseling

Ceara’s approach to counseling is warm, supportive, and rooted in understanding each person’s unique story. She specializes in Ceara’s approach to counseling is warm, supportive, and rooted in understanding each person’s unique story, with a focus on children and families navigating stress, trauma, and system involvement. She uses evidence-based approaches, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and attachment- and brain-based models, to help clients feel safe, understood, and empowered while building emotional regulation and stronger relationships. Ceara believes healing happens through connection and works closely with clients and families to create meaningful, lasting change.

• Children, Adolescents, and Families
• Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders
• Foster Care and Child Welfare Involvement
• Juvenile Justice–Involved Youth
• Exposure to Community Violence
• Attachment Disruptions and Relational Difficulties
• Emotional and Behavioral Dysregulation
• Personality Disorders
• Geriatric Mental Health and Aging-Related Concerns
• Domestic Violence
• Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders 

• Case Manager, Foster Care Services
• Community Mental Health Therapist –Children and Adolescents
• Clinical Supervisor – Community Mental Health Program
• Program Supervisor & Intake Coordinator – Violence Prevention Initiative
• Outpatient Therapist