Bios

Andrea Victor, Ph.D.

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Dr. Victor (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Chicago Neurodevelopmental Center. She received her doctoral training at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Psychology. Dr. Victor then completed her pre-doctoral internship in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and her post-doctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Prior to founding the Chicago Neurodevelopmental Center, Dr. Victor worked as a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. Dr. Victor developed expertise in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) while training and working at the University of MN. She currently specializes in using CBT to treat anxiety disorders. Dr. Victor also does therapy with children and adolescents who have mood and behavioral difficulties.

After working at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Victor was on faculty at Rush University Medical Center and worked as a staff psychologist at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center. She specializes in conducting thorough psychological and psychoeducational assessments of youth with various neurodevelopmental difficulties including developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disability, social-emotional challenges, mood and anxiety symptoms, and behavioral problems. Dr. Victor is also familiar with the school systems and works to help increase understanding of students and ensure they receive appropriate services to increase their success within the classroom.

In addition to Dr. Victor’s years of clinical work, she has published numerous research articles and chapters and presented to local and national audiences on her expertise in child development and anxiety.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Victor, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or avictor@chicagoneuro.org.

Anne Howard, Ph.D.

Dr. Howard (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Chicago Neurodevelopmental Center. She is also a state- and nationally-certified school psychologist. She received her doctoral training at Illinois State University and completed her pre-doctoral internship at The Milton Hershey School, the largest residential school in the world. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in academic community leadership at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Prior to CNC, Dr. Howard held a faculty appointment at Rush University Medical Center where she was a staff psychologist and served as acting clinic director of Rush NeuroBehavioral Center. Dr. Howard specializes in conducting comprehensive neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessments of children and adolescents with neurobehavioral difficulties including learning disorders, attention disorders, autism spectrum disorders, mood and anxiety disorders.

Having dual credentials in clinical and school psychology, Dr. Howard specializes in learning disorders and can assist parents in navigating important school-based decisions when social-emotional challenges and academic issues arise. She is well versed in educational law, Response to Intervention (RTI), IEP/504 planning, and can serve as an independent evaluator for public and private school students. She also conducts Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for children with anxiety or mood difficulties. Dr. Howard has published and presented both locally and nationally on her research and expertise in the areas of peer relations, social-emotional support in the classroom, and ADHD.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Howard, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or ahoward@chicagoneuro.org.

Rachel Tercek, Ph.D.

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Dr. Tercek (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Chicago Neurodevelopmental Center (CNC). Dr. Tercek received her Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame. She obtained her Master’s Degree and Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science. During her graduate studies, Dr. Tercek received specialized training in both neuropsychological assessment and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). She attended residency in Child & Adolescent Psychology at Rush University Medical Center and completed a post-doctoral fellowship to further specialize in Neurodevelopmental Assessment.

During her residency and fellowship at Rush, Dr. Tercek developed expertise in neurodevelopment, including work conducting assessments on at-risk infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as well as evaluations of children and adults with a wide range of medical issues. Following her fellowship, Dr. Tercek obtained a faculty appointment at Rush University Medical Center through her work as a staff psychologist at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center (RNBC).

Dr. Tercek specializes in conducting individualized assessments of children and adolescents who display neurodevelopmental difficulties including: developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorder (LD), and social-emotional, mood and behavioral issues. Dr. Tercek’s philosophy regarding testing underscores the need to understand each individual child’s strengths and areas to improve. Consequently, Dr. Tercek works in tandem with parents and school systems to help ensure that children and adolescents receive appropriate programs to increase their success both at home and within the classroom.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Tercek, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or rtercek@chicagoneuro.org.

Kerry Pecho, Ph.D.

Dr. Pecho (she/her/hers) is a clinical psychologist (and state-certified school psychologist) who works with children, adolescents, and young adults to address a variety of concerns, especially anxiety, mood issues, and school-related stressors (e.g., academic performance, social relationships). She supports clients in developing a healthy relationship with their thoughts and emotions that allows them to feel empowered to act on what is in their control and skilled in moving through what is out of their control.

Dr. Pecho specializes in supporting parents of anxious children and teens as well as parents whose children have difficulty with behavioral and emotional self-regulation. She helps parents and caregivers feel confident in their ability to support their child in managing their emotions, which leads to them feeling more connected to their child and finding greater enjoyment as a family.

When working with younger children, Dr. Pecho seeks to build their awareness of the brain-body connection and how they can feel more in control of their actions and more comfortable with their emotional experience. Dr. Pecho works closely with their parents/caregivers so that they can confidently support their child’s skill development at home, and she has ample experience collaborating with school staff and other providers to help the child see success across settings.

Dr. Pecho is committed to her care being affirming to all, including neurodivergent folks, the LGBTQIA+ community, and individuals with all racial, ethnic, and religious identities. She believes that all clients bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to therapy and that it is her job to help them do more of whatever it is that they value.

In her free time, Dr. Pecho enjoys spending time with her family and friends, relaxing at home with a book/movie/craft, and exploring the outdoors.

Types of Therapy Utilized: ACT, DBT, CBT, ERP, PMT, SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)

Education and Training Background: Dr. Pecho completed her doctoral training at Illinois State University and her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Susan Myket, Ph.D. & Associates. Dr. Pecho has worked in a variety of settings, including private practice, a hospital-based outpatient clinic, and schools (preschool through 12th).

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pecho, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or kpecho@chicagoneuro.org.

Ashley Leja, Ph.D.

Dr. Leja (she/her/hers) is a clinical psychologist and state-certified school psychologist specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. She completed her doctoral training at Illinois State University and clinical pre-doctoral internship in pediatric psychology and integrated care at the Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Susan Myket, Ph.D. & Associates. Dr. Leja has provided services in hospitals, pediatric primary care offices, independent practice, and schools (preschool through 12th grade and K-8 therapeutic day).

She specializes in work with children, adolescents, and their families to address a variety of concerns, including disruptive behavior disorders, ADHD and attention concerns, Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety (including OCD), and depression, among others. In addition, Dr. Leja has experience in assessment of ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, academic and cognitive functioning, and other social-emotional difficulties. She grounds her treatment in evidence-based practices, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention, and behavioral parent training techniques. Dr. Leja believes in the importance of supporting whole families. She emphasizes a collaborative therapeutic environment where family members are active in treatment when appropriate and collaboration/consultation with other healthcare professionals and school personnel is ongoing. In her free time, Dr. Leja enjoys hiking, spending time with friends and family, and trying out new restaurants.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leja, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or aleja@chicagoneuro.org

Krissy Graham, Administrative Assistant

Krissy Graham is excited to become our newest addition as our Administrative Assistant. She brings over two decades of experience in the Healthcare field. She developed a strong working relationship with both Drs. Victor and Howard during her time at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center where she served as the assistant to the Director. In 2014, Krissy was awarded Employee of the Year by Rush NeuroBehavioral Center.

Krissy appreciates the challenges of learning an organization’s procedures and finding new ways to streamline their processes. She has a passion and dedication to developing strong relationships. It is the foundation of everything she does, both professionally and personally.

Krissy’s career philosophy is always to be brave and ask questions, never stop learning your role and not be afraid to put the hours in to reach your goal, and above all love what you do.

When Krissy is not working you can find her at home with her family or hustling around town to get her kiddos from one event to the next. She has two pet Beta fish, Fia and McKinley.

Krissy can be reached at 847-272-2484 or kgraham@chicagoneuro.org