Meet The Team

Audrey Grunst is the owner and a therapist at Simply Bee. Audrey earned her MSW at Loyola University Chicago in 2011 and is certified in Change Management from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Audrey combines over 10 years of clinical experience with her business background to help others improve mental health including anxiety, perfectionism and performance. She is the owner of SHEBE, an online community for female athletes and was the former mental performance coach for Northwestern Women’s Volleyball Program.

She presents on a variety of issues including emotional intelligence and anxiety management. Audrey has presented at over 100 different schools, nonprofits, and conferences.

Treatment modalities include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Family-based Therapy (FBT) for Anorexia, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Prior to Simply Bee, Audrey was a director at Eating Recovery Centers. While at ERC Insight, Audrey built several programs and managed a team of over 20 employees and two locations. She participated in a three-year study with University of Chicago, measuring the outcome of eating disorder treatment using FBT and DBT. Audrey was also a Division I volleyball player at Loyola University Chicago.

Jennifer is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Supervisor, and earned her Masters in Clinical Professional Psychology from Roosevelt University. Throughout her almost 15 years in the field, Jennifer has had a passion for working with adolescents and adults. Furthermore, she works closely with parents around coaching and supporting their loved ones during times of transition and struggle.

She has expertise as a clinician and director leading teams in the residential, partial hospital, intensive outpatient, and outpatient settings. In addition, she has presented around the country on topics including: Eating Disorders, Adolescent Mood and Anxiety, Parent Coaching, and Clinician & Caregiver Burnout. Jennifer was a clinician on a study with University of Chicago measuring outcomes of Eating Disorders utilizing Family Based Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques.

Jennifer approaches each client holistically, working with them closely on identifying values, goals, and guiding them towards living a valued life. She believes it’s vital to meet a client where they are at and then challenge them gently yet directly. She also is known for her humor, love of music, and spoiling her dogs and cat.

Treatment modalities include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and Family Based Therapy (FBT).

Kate Kelley earned her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2011. She previously worked at a non-profit community center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin serving LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24 as well as in an elementary school in Madison, Wisconsin as she trained to become a school social worker.

Prior to joining Simply Bee in 2019, Kate worked in the promotional product sales field as a Director of Strategic Accounts. In that position, she focused on leadership, relationship building and gained a lot of insight into the operational side of running a business. Those lessons combined with her foundational understanding of the importance in networking and mental health advocacy are what led her to join the Simply Bee team as the Manager of Community Education. Kate is excited to help expand the footprint of Simply Bee while working to serve the community. It is her goal to partner with businesses, healthcare professionals and schools to work together in mental health awareness and education.

Feel free to reach out to Kate anytime at [email protected] if you would like to discuss our referral network program or schedule an upcoming workshop, speaking engagement or partnership opportunity with the Simply Bee team.

Cindy is a senior business development, strategy and operations leader specializing in higher levels of care for behavioral health. With direct experience launching and overseeing intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, Cindy has also served as a senior leader for providers in residential and inpatient levels of care in Illinois, Washington and Colorado.

Bringing 13 years of management experience serving patients with eating, mood and anxiety disorders specifically, she also provided business development services for a substance abuse recovery provider in Chicago. Prior to beginning her mental health career as Practice Manager for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern, Cindy was a consultant to growing ventures in a variety of industries, helping more than 100 companies replicate and grow their businesses throughout the country. Cindy earned her MBA from the JL Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BSB from the University of Minnesota.

Katie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and earned her Master’s in Counseling and Art Therapy at Adler University. Katie enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults utilizing both talk therapy and art therapy. She specializes in working with mood and anxiety disorders, depression, LGBTQ+, behavioral issues, self-esteem, and ADHD. She is passionate about supporting parents by utilizing Adlerian Parenting approaches.

Katie believes in providing a nonjudgmental and safe space for clients to work on becoming their best selves, tailoring her approach to meet each client’s unique needs. She believes that the therapeutic relationship fosters true growth and understanding of oneself to feel confident and capable to make positive changes in one’s life.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Art Therapy, Humanistic Therapy and Person Centered Therapy.

Keri received her B.A. in Psychology in 2010 from Metropolitan State University of Denver; and is currently working on her MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Roosevelt University. After completing graduate school, she plans to pursue a career in executive coaching and management consulting.

Before Simply Bee, Keri worked in Human Resources, primarily in recruitment and selection roles. She has seven years of cumulative experience coordinating teams, employee relations, full-cycle recruiting, and talent management to foster growth initiatives and accelerate work processes. Keri is excited to support and be a part of the continued growth with the Simply Bee team.

Angel is a creative and passionate Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Trinity International University. Most of her work has been for non-profits specializing in trauma and violence-related areas as well as OCD/Anxiety.

Angel loves working with all age groups partnering with clients to help them discover the best ways to find and live out their most authentic selves. Her specialties include those who have struggled with OCD, anxiety, depression, anger management, mood swings, self-injury, defiance, bullying, low self-esteem, parent & child conflict/communication problems and issues related to stressful life transitions, relationship issues, abuse, neglect, and traumatic events through individual therapy and group therapy.

Treatment modalities include: Exposure Response Therapy (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Trauma-informed Therapy

Annie is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her Master's in Counseling with a focus in Art Therapy from Adler University in Chicago. Annie utilizes both talk and art therapy and enjoys working with children, adolescents and adults.

Annie specializes in working with clients experiencing anxiety, mood issues, depression, behavioral issues, eating disorders and self-esteem. She strongly believes in helping her clients become their best selves and offers a safe space that ensures each client can reach their fullest potential.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Adlerian Therapy, Art Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Brianna completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Aurora University. She has come to Simply Bee from a non-profit community mental health agency where her clinical work focused on working with clients' assessments, group facilitation, and case management. In addition, Brianna has worked closely with adolescents in the education setting. She is passionate about working with children, adolescents, and adults of any age. Brianna strives for a safe, collaborative, and non judgmental therapeutic approach.

Brianna values working collaboratively with clients to foster self-awareness and self-appreciation. She focuses on helping clients reach their personal therapeutic goals. Her areas of experience include working with individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and ADHD. In addition, she works with individuals who experience family discord and self-esteem struggles.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychotherapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Brittany is a Licensed Professional Counselor and earned her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Brittany enjoys working with clients from a variety of ages and backgrounds. She has been working in the mental health field with children, adolescents and families since 2014. Brittany works with clients who experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, family conflict, and academic and employment achievement concerns. She collaborates with clients to create a safe environment for learning, growing and healing by utilizing clinical interventions such as play-assisted therapy, sand-tray interventions, art-assisted therapy and traditional talk-therapy.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychology and Trauma-Informed practices.

Emily graduated from Roosevelt University in 2021 with a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health. Emily enjoys working with children and adolescents. She has four years of experience working with clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), anxiety, ADHD, work/school refusal, and depression. Prior to Simply Bee, Emily did her clinical internship as a therapist at New Connections Academy. She also has experience as an Applied Behavioral Analysis therapist working with ASD.

Emily believes it is important to build a trusting relationship between the therapist and client by taking the time to listen and understand in a non-judgmental space. Emily has a collaborative approach when working with her clients while incorporating mindfulness.

Eric is a licensed professional counselor who earned his Master’s in Counseling with a Specialization in Sport and Health Psychology from Adler University in Chicago. Eric is also a certified mental performance coach with the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP). Eric works with both athletes and nonathletes focusing on topics such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, perfectionism, sports performance, men’s Issues, and life transitions. Eric’s strengths include working with reluctant clients and guarded teens. By creating a warm and welcoming environment and utilizing humor, connection, and empathy, Eric is able to establish a relationship with the client allowing them to feel comfortable and to open themselves up to the therapeutic process.

Eric uses a collaborative approach, seeing himself as a guide for his client’s work rather than doing the work for them. Eric’s goal is to empower clients to become their authentic selves, increase their emotional intelligence, and live happier and healthier lives.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and Mindfulness.

Jocelyn is a Licensed Social Worker who earned her Master's Degree from Dominican University. Jocelyn started her career working for non-profit agencies as a foster care and domestic violence/homelessness case manager. Jocelyn also has experience as a school social worker and has enjoyed working with a variety of students. She is passionate about working with adolescents, children and adults of any age as she values their relationships and individualizes her approach with each person based on their needs/wants. Jocelyn's experience in the field includes working with individuals diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, OCD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and individuals going through family conflict, trauma, and bullying.

Treatment modalities include: She is passionate about the holistic approach to treatment and incorporates Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Positive Psychotherapy, and Trauma Informed practices.

Lindsay graduated from Adler University in 2018 with a Masters in Counseling with a specialization in Forensic Psychology. She specializes in depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and different variations of traumatic stressors. Previously, Lindsay has worked as a substance use counselor, as well as a trauma counselor. She believes that therapy should be personalized and centered on the individual's needs and requirements. As such Lindsay attempts to incorporate techniques she believes will best suit the client in their journey towards their desired lifestyle. She enjoys using her creativity and passion to work with reluctant clients of various ages in therapy to allow for more open communication in sessions.

Treatment modalities include: Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Positive Psychotherapy.

Olivia is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Iowa. Olivia enjoys working with children, adolescents, and young adults utilizing talk therapy and pieces of play therapy.

Olivia specializes in working with mood and anxiety disorders, eating and related disorders, depression, behavioral issues, and self-esteem. She has prior clinical experience working with children and teens at the inpatient hospitalization level of care and a school-based setting, as well as eating disorders in the inpatient and partial hospitalization level of care.Olivia emphasizes the importance of allowing space for clients to be their authentic selves while working from a collaborative approach to reach their full potential.

Treatment Modalities Include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and Mindfulness.

Renee Rouse is a passionate counselor with a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in mental health from the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater.

Prior to Simply Bee, Renee has enjoyed working with children with autism, adolescents with eating disorders, and adults facing homelessness and poverty. During her clinical internship, she worked with children and adolescents dealing with depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, and autism. Renee also has experience working with body dysmorphia, ADHD, self-injury, parental issues, and low self-esteem. Renee focuses on helping clients find self-compassion, improve communication, accept their emotions, and advocate for themselves.

Treatment modalities include: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

Kelly Oberle is a leadership development coach and consultant facilitator at Simply Bee. She is also the founder of Access Human Potential, an emotional intelligence and performance enhancement organization working with corporations, schools, and athletic teams to inspire and empower teams and individuals. With a strategic focus on positive psychology, breathwork and mindfulness, her goal is to help create an environment that allows individuals and teams to perform at their highest potential.

Kelly worked for seventeen years in product and marketing management for high tech companies including Emulex Corporation, Toshiba, Silex Technology and Konica Minolta. She has trained as an ISO 9000 Auditor and is a Six Sigma Green Belt.

Kelly has a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Studies from Northwestern University, a Masters of Management degree from the University of Redlands, and has attended several Executive Education Programs at the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, IL. She is certified in HeartMath, Mental Health First Aid and has extensive training in emotional intelligence, VIA Character Strengths, HBDI, DiSC and positive psychology.

Stephanie Bersh has been practicing yoga for the past 15 years and teaching the past four years. Stephanie is Hatha certified with a strong foundation in basic postures for grounding and increased flexibility, gentle yoga for relaxation, and restorative yoga for releasing tension in the mind and body. She is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance.

Stephanie’s teaching style is dedicated to alignment, safety and growth. In each yoga session, Stephanie strives to create a welcoming and un-intimidating environment to allow clients to receive the health and relaxation benefits of yoga. Clients are guided to feel safe to travel within, to reconnect with their bodies, and to find strength and courage on and off the mat. Sessions focus on simple practices such as breathwork, body movement, journaling, relaxation, and meditation.

Stephanie is also a certified facilitator for Embody Love Movement (ELM). She leads ELM workshops for tweens, teens, and adult women. In these workshops, Stephanie delivers interactive content in conjunction with yoga to empower women of all ages to reconnect with their bodies and practice self-love and self-compassion.

Stephanie grew up outside of Boston and now resides in the Chicagoland area with her family. She has been an educator for over 15 years and has experience as a teacher, a coach, and an administrator. Since an early age, she's been interested in the connection between nutrition, performance, and mental health. She studied holistic nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is a certified IIN Health Coach who is passionate about helping children and adults live their happiest and most vital lives through health and wellness.

Stephanie's education includes a Master of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from American College of Education. In addition to working as a health coach, she currently teaches sixth grade.

Speaker at AMLE, ASCD & PAMLE National Conferences

Patty received her B.A. in Psychology and Child and Family Studies in 2011 from Roosevelt University. She then received her M.A in Human Services in 2018 from Concordia University of Chicago.

Prior to joining Simply Bee's team in 2023, Patty worked as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator supporting children ages birth to three in receiving therapy through the Early Intervention program for over 10 years. There she focused on referrals, conducting intakes, coordinating evaluations/assessments and completing the child's plan of care. Fusing together her extensive knowledge and skills from working in the field, she is excited to make a difference at Simply Bee.

In Patty's spare time, she enjoys traveling as much as possible, weekend adventures, theater, trying new restaurants and spending time with her loved ones. She is thrilled to continue to grow and help promote Simply Bee's mission.

Jacqui graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara in 2019 with a degree in Sociology & Applied Psychology. She is passionate about Simply Bee's mission to provide accessible mental health & wellness resources to all communities and people.

Prior to joining Simply Bee in 2020, Jacqui worked as an Office Administrator in the real estate industry and combines this experience with her academic background to support the educational operations at Simply Bee. She strives to use her organizational skills and creativity to keep Simply Bee's media resources relevant and impactful.

Outside of the office Jacqui is an avid reader, runner, dog lover and traveler - she is always looking for new places to explore. She is excited to continue to learn and grow with Simply Bee as a part of a community of people dedicated to spreading the message of holistic wellness.

Rosie is Simply Bee's favorite office companion. She helps clients feel more comfortable and reminds us all to smile!