Therapy is important

Find the right therapist to be your guide

Our professionals are highly accomplished psychologists and counselors who recognize that each person is a valuable, unique individual in need of support. An array of clinical services is offered to adults, adolescents and children.

Maria E. J. Kuhn

CREDENTIALS: MA, MS, NCC, FAPA, LCPC
CORE SKILLS: Working with children, adolescents and adults; individual and family therapy
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: mkuhn@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia and Naperville

EXPERIENCE

I have established two multi-faceted counseling centers in Naperville and Batavia and bring over 35 years of clinical experience working with individuals, families, couples and children. I am a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Fellow in the American Psychotherapy Association, as well as an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I also act as a consultant to numerous schools and courts in Illinois.

I serve as a health and psychosocial counselor and as an educational advisor. I’m very passionate about training and educating multi-disciplinary professionals to work together using an integrated health-care team model, combining care for physical and psychological conditions to treat the whole person. I believe the counseling process should incorporate all areas of a person’s life and work together to overcome life’s obstacles.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Family Conflict
  • Problematic Behaviors
  • Couples and Marriage Counseling
  • ADHD
  • Chronic Illness or Medical Concerns
  • Learning Difficulties
  • Parenting Strategies
  • Adoption & Family of Origin

Jenni Watgen

CREDENTIALS: MA, NCC, LCPC
CORE SKILLS: Working with children, adolescents and adults; individual and family therapy
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: jwatgen@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia and Naperville

EXPERIENCE

Growing up, I usually was the one out of my group of friends who tried to listen and help others with their problems.  As I got older, I was a part of the conflict resolution team and helped classmates work out their problems at school.  Being a helper brought me happiness and joy, although it was not always easy and not everyone always agreed or made up.  Those experiences as well as my own personal ups and downs molded me into wanting to be a helper for others throughout life.

I’ve happily been working within the field for over 10 years. I received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice at Aurora University and went on to obtain my Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.  Though I originally wanted to work within a criminal justice field, after a counseling internship working with child and adolescent survivors of sexual assault and abuse, I realized counseling in a clinical setting was the way to go.  Since graduating, I became a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois and also am a National Certified Counselor.  When working with clients, I use a variety of expressive therapies such as art, play, music and sandtray therapy techniques which can be useful when other talk therapies may not be ideal.  Collaboration with families, schools, psychiatrists, hospital staff and others remain a priority in cases where an integrated approach and support system is needed.

CONSULTATION

I also work as a Mental Health Consultant for the Two Rivers Head Start program in their 3 centers where I provide behavioral assessments for children ages 3-5, consult with teachers and staff and assist them with developing behavior plans and intervention strategies. Additionally, I provide training to staff on behavioral health issues impacting children and families.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Managing Stress
  • Sexual Violence/abuse
  • Anger Management
  • Self-Harming Behaviors
  • Obsessive Thoughts
  • High Functioning Autism
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Behavioral Concerns

Aubrey Benton

CREDENTIALS: MSW, LCSW
CORE SKILLS: Working with children, adolescents, and adults. Primarily working with individuals, some family work
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: abenton@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia and Telehealth

EXPERIENCE

My social work education and experiences in the field have taught me the importance of meeting a client’s varying and individual needs. It is extremely helpful to use a client’s personal interests to support them on their therapeutic journey. I encourage my clients to be candid so that I can tailor the therapy to better serve them. I love working with clients and helping them achieve their goals and get the most out of therapy.

I received my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) from Aurora University with a specialization in Clinical Social Work. I completed my clinical internship at Kuhn Counseling Center, P.C. I have since become a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Illinois, happily working at Kuhn Counseling Center, P.C. as a therapist for individuals and families with a wide variety of needs outlined below. I have previous experience within the child welfare field providing supervised visitation for families. I currently provide Supervised Visitation as well as Therapeutic Supervised Visitation at Kuhn Counseling Center, P.C. Additionally, I have experience working with individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Social Skills
  • Autism
  • Anger Management
  • Behavioral Concerns
  • Supervised/Therapeutic Visitation
  • Organization & Time Management
  • Familial/Parental Skills & Education
  • Disabilities – Developmental, Physical, Mental, Learning, etc.

Jessica Livingston

CREDENTIALS: LSW
CORE SKILLS: Working with children and adults
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: jlivingston@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia and Naperville

EXPERIENCE

I graduated in May 2020 with a Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Missouri. During my time in Missouri, I volunteered at the United Cerebral Palsy Development Center where I worked with children with developmental delays and at City of Refuge as an assistant to the program coordinator creating new programs for refugees in our community. As a student, I facilitated a 6-week program for parents called the Nurturing Program with the goal of helping parents understand their own emotions and create coping mechanisms to help them understand their children’s emotions and behaviors. I interned at Common Ground, a homelessness prevention agency, located in Jefferson City, Missouri. At Common Ground, I met with clients to assess and prioritize their needs and connect them with agencies to meet the needs Common Ground could not address. Once my internship ended, I stayed on staff as the Benevolence Coordinator until the start of my graduate program. Today, I am attending Aurora University to pursue a Masters in Social Work.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Trauma
  • Neurodiversity
  • Behavioral Concerns
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Camille Hoffman

CREDENTIALS: MSW, LSW
CORE SKILLS: Working with children, adolescents, and adults
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: choffman@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia, Naperville and Telehealth

Experience

Camille Hoffman has a Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University. She believes in establishing a connection with each client based on empathy and understanding each person’s perspective. Camille utilizes an evidenced-based treatment approach tailored to the client’s unique needs as well as the bio-psycho-social approach to integrate therapy with individual goals and appropriate interventions. Camille offers a compassionate, non-judgmental, collaborative space for clients to process their emotions and work through their challenges.

Utilizing a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education degree from National Louis University, prior work includes the Batavia Public School system as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher. In the role of paraprofessional, Camille worked one on one with special education students to assist with academic and Social Emotional Learning. Camille has mentored teens through her volunteer work with The Greater Fox River Valley Chapter of Operation Snowball, an organization that advocates for the prevention of drug and alcohol use and suicide prevention for teens.

Camille has over nineteen years of experience as an equestrian. She plans to combine her knowledge and love of horses with her passion for helping humans to facilitate Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in the future. Currently this pursuit includes spending time in the arena riding as well as assisting with equine activities for retreats and participation in the Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner online program at the University of Denver. Camille and her husband live in the Fox Valley area and have two college age children, and two dogs.

AREAS OF FOCUS

  • Depression & Anxiety
  • Neurodiversity
  • Trauma
  • Behavioral Concerns
  • Social Emotional Skills
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Educational Advocacy
  • Supervised Visitation

James Sanders

CREDENTIALS: MSW
CORE SKILLS: Working with children, adolescents, adults, individual and family therapy
PHONE: 630 879 1091
EMAIL: jsanders@kuhncounselingcenter.com
LOCATIONS: Batavia and Telehealth

Experience

“Helping others has always been very rewarding and offered much knowledge and reflection.”  These experiences led James Sanders to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work which he received in 2022.  James had a focus on gerontology and healthcare but his experiences in the field have afforded him many interactions with people of various ages.  He has experience with bereavement and with people suffering various types of loss.  James works currently in hospital case management in which he deals with various different members of families and actual patients that are experiencing varying different degrees of hardship.  James has experience in telehealth but prefers to meet in person when able.

Dr. Patrice Paul

PhD, CMIP

As a consultant to Kuhn Counseling Center, I assist the counseling team with the psychological, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological assessment needs of their clients. I also have extensive experience assisting with the educational planning process for students throughout all grade levels, including the transition to the many types of available post-secondary settings. It is also my privilege to assist with the education and training of future therapists in my role as adjunct faculty in the university setting.

Dr. Michael Downs

PhD, Clinical Supervisor

I have been providing clinical supervision services for the therapists of Kuhn Counseling Center for over 30 years. I have extensive experience in psychological testing and assessment, as well as working with adolescents and adults.