Dr. Jayne Braden
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Jayne A. Braden, has been working in the court system since 1993. She earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1999 and was licensed as a psychologist in 2000. Regular training with the American Academy of Forensic Psychology helps keep her skills up to date. Evaluations she completes for the court include Child Custody and Psychological, Specific Forensic Psychological, Fitness to Stand Trial, and Criminal Responsibility. FOID reinstatement evaluations as well as those for DCFS are also completed by her. She completes evaluations in several county courts including Boone, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lee, Ogle, Whiteside, and Winnebago. Pre-employment, fitness for duty, and promotional examinations are also completed for local police and fire departments. Fitness for duty evaluations are also completed for local companies. The Braden Counseling Center opened in 2002 and has been providing services to individuals with different challenges with evidence based treatments since that time.
Dr. Salman Kazim
MD Diplomate American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology, Inc.
Psychiatry and mental health has been my passion and I have enjoyed every minute of it in my 20 years of practice. I am fascinated by the human mind and continue to educate myself on the intricacies of human behavior. Being a very energetic, dynamic and focused professional I have fortunately developed a reputation for developing successful treatment plans that have helped individuals with very complex and treatment resistant mental health issues.
Amy Adams
MSN, APN, FNP, PMHNP
Amy Adams is a certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She received her Master’s Degree in Nursing from Illinois State University and psychiatric certification from the University of St. Francis. She comes to us with 25 years of nursing experience in a wide variety of settings, caring for patients across the life span. She has been working as an advanced practice nurse for 12 years with an additional certification in family medicine. This additional training and experience helps her to assess and treat clients in a more holistic manner. She has experience in treating anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. Amy believes in creating a caring therapeutic environment and working with her clients to establish an individualized plan of care that fits their needs in order to achieve their goals.
Brenda Butz
Chief Operating Officer & SMART Facilitator
Brenda graduated from Kishwaukee College with a degree in Office Systems in 2013, and has since worked at BCC. Brenda continues to push herself to learn and grow as the demands of her job do.
As a SMART Facilitator, Brenda is dedicated to helping people gain independence from harmful addictive behaviors through our safe, friendly, mutual support meetings, our science-based and secular SMART Recovery 4-Point Program® and our principles and tools, all of which are proven to help people overcome their addictive behavior.
Brenda is your contact for any of your SMART Recovery, financial issues or general questions. As she greets everyone with a smile you can rest assured you will be her most important client. Brenda is a valuable part of Braden Counseling Center.
Mallory Ludwig
CRADC, SAP, PAIP
Mallory Ludwig is a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol & Drug Counselor (CRADC), a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP), and a Partner Abuse Intervention Program Facilitator (PAIP). She has been employed with Braden Counseling Center since August 2007.
She specializes in: DUI Evaluations, Alcohol and Drug Evaluations, Secretary of State Hearing documents, Substance Abuse Treatment, Partner Abuse Intervention (Domestic Violence Offenders)
Jane Gaitskill
LCSW
Counseling is a second career for Jane Gaitskill. For ten years she worked as a market research analyst in downtown Chicago, but found that to be increasingly unrewarding. At the age of 36 she entered Loyola University’s Masters program in Social Work.
Upon graduating, Jane’s first job was in Evanston Hospital’s Outpatient Psychiatry Department/Crisis Department. Subsequent positions included doing Emergency Room psychiatric evaluations for NorthShoreUniversityHealthSystems, doing in-home counseling with senior citizens and seeing clients in her private practice. She has been at Braden Counseling since 2018.
Jane has extensive experience working with people from a variety of religious, racial and ethnic backgrounds. She has worked with adults of all ages, couples, families in crisis, and children 11 years old and older, addressing relationship issues, mood disorders and psychotic disorders.
Jane primarily uses CBT and supportive therapies, but realizes that a “one size fits all” approach to treatment simply does not work. Given this, she brainstorms with clients to determine what works best for them.
She encourages input from her clients about the therapeutic process, regardless of whether or not that input positive or negative.
Nikki Myers
LPC & SMART Facilitator
Nikki is a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in substance use and mental health counseling. She finished her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northern Illinois University in December 2018. Nikki is also a SMART Recovery Facilitator, a support group that treats all addictions. Nikki’s clinical experience includes substance abuse and addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, and life stressors. She is also certified in REBT and EMDR. Nikki believes in person-centered therapy to ensure a strong therapeutic relationship is met, and so that each client’s treatment is individualized for them. Such that, there are many therapeutic techniques that Nikki can use with a client, as she feels there is not only one technique that will fit each and every client. Nikki’s goal is to meet each client where they are at and help them reach the goals they are seeking through therapy.
Nicole Bowker
LPC
Nicole is a Licensed Professional Counselor with an interest in trauma-informed counseling. Nicole received her Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Northern Illinois University. She has experience working with adolescents and adults in addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use, and other life stressors. Nicole aligns herself with CBT and Gestalt theories, however, she believes in adjusting her approach to each client in order to treat each individual as their unique self. Nicole is also experienced and can assist those looking for EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy).
Dwayne Thomas
CADC, PAIP
Dwayne Thomas is a Certified Alcohol and other Drug abuse Counselor (CADC), whose previous clinical experiences have all been within long-term inpatient treatment, or correctional settings. In helping to meet the treatment needs and goals of various mandated target-populations (DCFS, Drug-Court, IDOC, etc.), Dwayne brings years of case-management experience to the Braden team. Dwayne has successfully worked with many clients who were initially resistant to implementing change in their lives during treatment, by utilizing both Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT) treatment modalities, to help clients resolve their ambivalence to change, and engage in the treatment process.
Jessica Cash
PAIP, Intern
Jessica Cash is a PAIP Facilitator and Graduate Counseling Intern completing her Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Judson University. Jessica has worked with children and families for the past 15 years. She also has experience working with clients who have experienced trauma, domestic violence, involvement with the foster care system, and survivors of physical and sexual abuse. Jessica is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Child Forensic Interviewer.
Jessica utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when working with clients to assist them with the challenges that may bring them into counseling. Jessica also believes in using the clients inner strengths to create change in their lives.
Sylvia Crownhart
Office Manager
I came to DeKalb in 1991 to attend NIU. I met my husband there and we have been married since 1997. We made our home here and have two wonderful teenagers. I rejoined the workforce in July of 2017 after an extended absence caring for my children. I am excited to land here at the Braden Center as an administrative assistant. I have drawn great inspiration from the wise words of Maya Angelou, so I share them with you, our clients, as you too begin journeys towards healing and brighter tomorrows.
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
~ Maya Angelou