Meet The IOP/PHP Team

Audrey Grunst has been a provider in the mental health field since 2007, most known for her therapy skills in outpatient and intensive therapeutic programs. She opened Simply Bee in 2018 after spending 10 years in residential, group homes, intensive outpatient and partial hospital programs. Audrey has been able to connect treatment centers to community organizations and schools in order to provide the best continuation of care possible for her clients. Currently, Audrey spends a lot of her time presenting her Growth & Resiliency Model© to school districts and corporations across the country.

Audrey graduated from Loyola University Masters of Social Work Program in 2011 and developed programs for centers such as Lawrence Hall Youth Services, Eating Recovery Centers and Center for Contextual Change. Most recently, Audrey was awarded The Illinois Senate Award for her leadership in the Highland Park Fourth of July Shooting in 2022 for organizing over 600 therapists in a 5 day volunteer operation. Audrey combines her clinical knowledge and leadership skills to consult on several boards for mental health and safety in the Lake County, IL area and was recognized on Top 50 Women Leaders of Illinois for 2023.

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).

Rebecca Cho, M.D., is a board-certified adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist. She completed her medical school training, general adult psychiatry residency, and child/adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of Illinois. Dr. Cho specializes in the treatment of Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Cho has expertise in both medication management and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and her priority is to provide her patients with personalized and comprehensive treatment. Prior to joining the Simply Bee team, Dr. Cho has had several years of experience working in the Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient levels of care.

Bryan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who earned his Masters in Counseling Psychology from Trinity International University. Since entering the field in 2004, Bryan has worked extensively with children, adolescents, and families. He brings experience in clinical work and leadership in partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, community mental health, and private practice settings. Additionally, Bryan has been an active member in the community presenting on topics including building resiliency through skill use, school refusal, managing anxiety, identifying and treating depression, and parent coaching.

Bryan values the power of the therapeutic relationship and creating an environment to promote long-term sustainable change. His approach is holistic, empathic, and focused on the needs of each individual person. Bryan believes that therapy can provide an opportunity to gain new insight, learn helpful ways to cope with and manage challenges, and live a more fulfilling life.

Treatment modalities include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Person-Centered Therapy.

Dr. Hinkle is a dual certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner. Her nursing career started 17 years ago where she worked in community health prior to pursuing her advanced degrees. Dr. Hinkle earned her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner, her Doctorate in Nursing Practice, and a Certificate of Advanced Studies as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Lewis University.

Dr. Hinkle enjoys treating adolescents and adults with a variety of mental health concerns and has specific experience in treating Anxiety, school refusal, Depression, ADHD, and Eating Disorders. She strives to develop collaborative relationships with her clients and works hard to foster an environment of trust.

Outside of work, Dr. Hinkle enjoys spending time with her husband and four adult sons. The family also includes two dogs and two cats. She is an avid Walt Disney World fan and takes every possible opportunity to go to the parks.

Emily graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. She earned her Masters in Elementary Education, with a Middle School endorsement in Math and Social Sciences, at National Louis University. Emily has worked in the education field since 2000. Before her years in the classroom, she worked with middle school students during lunch and after school with students on homework, executive functioning and off campus social service projects. She then spent time teaching 6th-8th grade in the Chicago Public Schools and substitute teaching at Deerfield Public Schools.

Her background in psychology enables her to identify and address diverse learning needs, manage classroom dynamics effectively, and build strong, trusting relationships with clients. This holistic approach not only helps in addressing individual challenges but also in promoting a positive and inclusive culture. She is passionate about supporting clients in ways that go beyond traditional teaching, making a lasting impact on their academic journey and personal growth.

Gina is a Licensed Professional Counselor who earned her Master’s in Clinical Professional Psychology from Roosevelt University. Throughout her time in the field she has had a passion for working with children, adolescents, and young adults, in addition to collaborating with families to prioritize their loved one’s goals, care, and assisting with coaching and transitions in care and systems.

Gina has expertise as a clinician in residential care, community based mental health, and inpatient settings, as well as has actively worked with DCFS/youth in care and high-risk cases. Gina has served as a lead clinician, program developer, staff trainer, as well as educator on various treatment modalities that could be utilized with younger clients.

Gina works with clients holistically and incorporates an empathic, person-centered approach. Gina utilizes Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Person-Centered approaches to meet a client where they are currently at in their goals and life, as well as work towards identifying ways to challenge their comfort zone and promote personal growth, wellness, and skills building for everyday life. She is also known for her love of music and art, occasional cheesy jokes, and talking about her cat.

Grace is a Registered Dietitian who received her Master's degree in Clinical Dietetics from Illinois State University. She completed her dietetic internship through Illinois State University where she was exposed to various dietetic settings; hospital, residential, PHP/IOP and schools. Grace has experience with eating disorders, substance abuse and mood disorders in both adolescents and adults, and also has a concentration in supporting student athletes who are navigating an eating disorder.

Grace specializes in mindful eating, body image and utilizing the hunger fullness scale to guide her patients. She finds great value in exposure therapy with meals and being an encouraging presence for her patients during their recovery. She is dedicated to walking alongside each of her clients as they navigate their own unique journey.

Kwamayne is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from National Louis University. He brings over five years of clinical experience working across a spectrum of settings—from traditional outpatient to intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), and inpatient.

He partners closely with individuals and families to help them clarify personal values, navigate life transitions, and cultivate more fulfilling, balanced lives. Kwamayne’s approach is collaborative, he meets clients where they are, offering both gentle support and honest challenge.

Lisa is a dedicated and highly experienced Registered Nurse with over a decade of clinical and school-based nursing expertise. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Bradley University, graduating summa cum laude. She later completed the School Nurse Certificate Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2017, solidifying her commitment to serving the health needs of school-aged children.

Lisa served as a full-time school nurse at a densely populated High School, where she provided comprehensive care including emergency response, chronic condition management, concussion oversight, and vision and hearing screenings. In this role, she collaborated with interdisciplinary teams, participated in IEP and 504 meetings, and trained staff in CPR, AED, and First Aid. She also mentored new nurses and helped establish best practices within the school setting.

Her earlier experience includes clinical roles at a hospital, where she provided pre- and post-operative care on an orthopedic/surgical unit, managed complex medication protocols, and precepted new nurses and nursing students.

Linda Lewaniak, LCSW, CAADC is a widely respected therapist and administrator with over 35 years of experience in the treatment of substance abuse and comorbid mental illness. In her various leadership roles throughout her career, Linda’s expertise is the integration of Addiction Services across all programs and all levels of care to most effectively treat the co-occurring diagnosis of substance abuse and mental health.

Leveraging her extensive clinical and operational background, she oversaw the delivery of evidence-based, cutting-edge substance abuse treatment at several Chicagoland treatment centers and provided clinical supervision to the multidisciplinary treatment teams. Lewaniak also consulted and collaborated closely with organizational senior clinical leadership teams across facilities nationwide to ensure holistic integration of addiction treatment, and provided substance abuse education, training and development for mental health professionals, educators and community resources. She has presented extensively on multiple topics with emphasis on substance abuse, mood disorders and leadership development.

Linda earned her Masters of Social Work degree with a concentration in Mental Health from Jane Addams, College of Social Work, the University of Illinois at Chicago. In her free-time, Linda enjoys spending time with family, golfing and playing mah jongg.

Rita Ekelman is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and received her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Dominican University. Shortly after, she went on to get her Master’s in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration. Over the last 12 years, Rita's passion and nutrition-related experience is in treating people who suffer from various types of eating disorders, addictions and other co-occurring disorders in various treatment settings.

Rita helps clients establish a healthy relationship with food and their body in order to maintain long-term success in their recovery and how they view themselves. Rita helps clients find their triggers, acknowledge and pinpoint cycles of harmful food-behaviors, and establish goals in how to decrease/abstain from disordered eating patterns.

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.

Vincent has a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from National Louis University. He brings with him over 10 years of experience working in the mental health field across a variety of settings from Intensive Outpatient (IOP), Partial Hospitalization (PHP) programs and Inpatient Programs. He has a passion for working with the adolescent population as they allow him to utilize a wide variety of tools.

Vincent is also known for his love of baking (especially cheesecakes) and loves to play video games and sing along at karaoke.

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.