About Lauren

When painful experiences continue to shape how you feel, understand yourself, or how you connect with others, therapy can offer space for understanding and change. I bring almost twenty years of clinical and leadership experience to this work. My clinical work centers on trauma and dissociation, with attention to the relationships, developmental experiences, and social contexts that influence well-being. I approach this work with compassion, curiosity, and respect for the ways people have adapted to difficult circumstances.

My approach brings together neuroscience, relational understanding, and systems thinking, informed by training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Brainspotting, and specialized trauma consultation. I have completed IFS Levels 1 and 2, including advanced training focused on addictions and eating disorders, and have supported clinician learning as an IFS Level 1 Program Assistant. My preparation also includes Brainspotting Levels 1 and 2, a two-year trauma consultation program through Womencare Counseling & Training Center, and ongoing consultation focused on trauma and dissociation. Together, we can explore connections among your experiences, emotions, nervous system, and relationships while approaching change at a pace that respects your needs.

Alongside clinical practice, I am deeply committed to preparing thoughtful, capable clinicians. As a Senior Lecturer at Antioch University and Affiliate Faculty at Northwestern University, I teach and supervise graduate students across family systems, child and adolescent development and treatment, psychotherapy process, research, clinical readiness, practicum, and internship. My experience also includes group counseling supervision, counseling skills instruction, capstone mentorship, and teaching related to cultural diversity, advocacy, and social justice. I emphasize reflective practice, ethical judgment, sociocultural attunement, and the ability to thoughtfully connect research and theory with the person in the room.

Research is another way I work to strengthen clinical care. I co-founded Northwestern University’s Neuroscience Integration Lab, where I also served as a researcher and research coordinator, and created the Brainstorm Neuroscience Network Research Library. I founded Antioch University’s Trauma & Counseling Research Team and contributed to the development of continuing education on artificial intelligence in clinical practice at Oregon State University. My doctoral dissertation examines expert therapists’ experiences of competence in treating dissociative identity disorder, how that competence develops, and the contributions of supervision and consultation. My current research also includes a quantitative outcomes evaluation of clinician development following IFS Level 2 intensive training.

My scholarship has addressed Brainspotting and PTSD, military culture within multicultural frameworks, counselor resilience, and the practical integration of neuroscience into counseling. I have presented for counseling and rehabilitation professional organizations on trauma, dissociation, neuroplasticity, neuroeducation, and culturally responsive practice, and developed supplemental training material addressing DID and IFS. Repeated Emerging Scholar Scholarship awards at Northwestern supported my early research across neuroscience, attachment, counseling theory, and ethics. These experiences continue to shape my commitment to making knowledge understandable and useful to clinicians.

As President of CARE Counseling, Inc., Naperville Trauma Institute, and Sistema Research Lab, I am building organizations that connect clinical excellence with education, research, employee development, and ongoing learning. My background includes private practice, community mental health, youth and young adult services, addiction treatment, women’s program leadership, and corporate education. I have also led quality assurance and risk management efforts supporting treatment-program accreditation. At CARE Counseling, Inc., I translate accountability, collaboration, creativity, justice, and purpose into clearer responsibilities, meaningful opportunities for contribution, and pathways for clinical and leadership growth.

Service and advocacy remain central to my professional identity. My experience includes serving as Treasurer of the Illinois Counseling Association, contributing to university advisory and editorial committees, supporting LGBTQ+ addiction-treatment initiatives, and participating in community leadership and service. Across my work, I am particularly passionate about equitable employment for therapists and equitable access to care for individuals, couples, and families. I want CARE Counseling, Inc. to be a place where clients receive thoughtful, compassionate support and employees have the resources, voice, and opportunities they need to grow.

Education

• Oregon State University | Portland, OR
  Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling | Doctoral candidate; in progress
  CACREP-accredited program
  Dissertation focus: Clinical competence in treating dissociative identity disorder and the role of supervision and consultation in its development
• Northwestern University | Evanston, IL
  Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 2021
  Graduated with distinction | CACREP-accredited program
  Specializations: Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma; Child and Adolescent Counseling
• Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ
  Bachelor of Science in Human and Family Development | 2017
  T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics
• Centaur University | Newport Beach, CA
  Professional Drug and Alcohol Counseling Certification | 2008
  Graduated with distinction | CCAPP-approved chemical dependency training

Research Experience

• Principal Investigator — IFS Training and Clinician Development | 2026–Present
  Quantitative outcomes evaluation of clinician development following Internal Family Systems Level 2 intensive training, using a retrospective pretest–posttest design; Oregon State University and Naperville Trauma Institute.
• Doctoral Researcher — Therapist Competence in DID Treatment | In progress
  Dissertation examining therapists’ lived experiences of clinical competence in treating dissociative identity disorder, its development over time, and the role of supervision and consultation.
• Researcher and Developer — Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice | 2025–Present
  Development of a continuing education series at Oregon State University.
• Founder — Trauma & Counseling Research Team | 2025–Present
  Antioch University.
• Co-Founder and Researcher — Neuroscience Integration Lab | 2020–2024
  The Family Institute at Northwestern University; also served as Research Coordinator from 2021–2023.
• Data Management — Teaching Excellence Committee | 2021
  The Graduate School, Northwestern University.
• Co-Investigator — Counselor Resilience and Mobile Technology | 2020
  Study examining the impact of a resilience-building mobile application on counselors, with principal investigators Drs. Eric Beeson and Russell Fulmer.
• Coordinator — Diagnosis in Counseling Task Force | 2020
  Work focused on supplemental tools to the DSM, ICD, and Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual.
• Research and Innovation Specialist — Youth and Young Adult Services | 2020
  Thresholds, Chicago.
• Creator and Coordinator — Brainstorm Neuroscience Network Research Library | 2019–2021
  Research resource developed through Northwestern University at The Family Institute.
• Emerging Scholar — Neuroscience, Counseling Theory, and Ethics | 2019–2021
  Repeated scholarship-supported research with Drs. Eric Beeson and Russell Fulmer. Projects addressed neuroeducation, HeartMath regulation activities, counselor examination outcomes, attachment, artificial intelligence and ethics, positive psychology, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic counseling, and theory development.

Publications and Training Materials

• Dissociative Identity Disorder and Internal Family Systems | 2026
  Supplemental training material for Internal Family Systems Level 2: Trauma and Complex Systems, IFS Institute.
• Brainspotting: A Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder | 2023
  Published in the International Body Psychotherapy Journal, with L. M. Horton, C. Schwartzberg, C. D. Goldberg, and F. G. Grieve.
• Embedding Military Culture in Multicultural Frameworks: A Phenomenological Study | 2023
  Accepted by The Qualitative Report, with K. Atkins, T. Tollerud, and D. Chrones.

Conference Presentations and Professional Education

• Neuroscience and the Mechanisms of Neuroplasticity: Contemporary Findings of Cognitive and Emotional Change | 2025
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference.
• Neuroscience & Neuroplasticity | 2025
  International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.
• Neuroscience of Healing Trauma | 2025
  Illinois Counseling Association webinar.
• The Neuroscience of Trauma | 2025
  Illinois Counseling Association webinar.
• Working with Trauma: Neuroscience and Dissociation | 2024
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference.
• Trauma, Neuroscience, and the Body: Bottom-Up Concepts in Counseling | 2023
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference.
• Skills and Neuroscience of Trauma for Supporting Injured Workers | 2023
  International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals.
• Applying and Defining Neuroeducation in Counseling Practice | 2022
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference.
• Neuroeducation | 2022
  BrainstormLIVE Neuroscience Network.
• Neuroscience-Supported Multicultural Counseling Competencies and Skills | 2022
  Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference.
• Neuroscience-Supported Counseling Skills and Competencies | 2021
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference; co-presented with K. Susik.
• Practical Translations of Neuroscience in Practice | 2021
  West Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors Association; co-presented with E. T. Beeson and K. Susik.
• The Powerful Dynamic of Shared Experiences in Counseling Military Populations | 2019
  Illinois Counseling Association Annual Conference; co-presented with K. Atkins.

Recorded Graduate Teaching Contributions

• Effective Graduate Student Characteristics: Supervisor Perspectives | 2026
  Northwestern University, Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
• Social Justice and Advocacy Efforts from Counselors | 2021
  Northwestern University, Counseling Methods III.
• Social Justice and Advocacy, Outreach, and Prevention | 2021
  Northwestern University, Counseling Methods III.
• Future Advocacy and Social Justice Efforts | 2021
  Northwestern University, Counseling Methods III.

Therapeutic Approaches and Professional Skills

Professional Affiliations

American Counseling Association; Illinois Counseling Association; Chi Sigma Iota; International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation; mindGAINS.

Location and Appointments

• Telehealth: Available throughout Illinois
• In-person appointments: Naperville, Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Lauren Brdecka-Drake specialize in?

Lauren specializes in trauma and dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder (DID). Her approach integrates neuroscience, relational and systems perspectives, Internal Family Systems, and Brainspotting.

What is Lauren’s research focus?

Lauren’s dissertation examines therapist competence in treating dissociative identity disorder and the role of supervision and consultation. Her current work also evaluates clinician development following IFS Level 2 intensive training.

What training does Lauren have in IFS and Brainspotting?

Lauren has completed IFS Levels 1 and 2 and Brainspotting Levels 1 and 2. She has also served as an IFS Level 1 & 2 Program Assistant and completed a two-year trauma consultation program. Lauren is published in the IFS Level 2 Trauma and Complex Systems Intensive Training Manual.

Where are appointments available?

Lauren offers telehealth throughout Illinois. Contact CARE Counseling, Inc. to discuss appointment options and current openings.

Next Step

Contact CARE Counseling, Inc. to ask about telehealth with Lauren in Illinois, current openings, and the intake process.