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.

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Illinois

In Person and Telehealth

Kids ages 12+

Adults 18+

Geriatrics 65+

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.

• 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

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