Andrea Victor, Ph.D.
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 [email protected].
Anne Howard, Ph.D.
Dr. Howard (she/her/hers) is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of the Chicago Neurodevelopmental Center. 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. 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 [email protected].
Rachel Tercek, Ph.D.
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 [email protected].
Kerry Pecho, Ph.D.
Dr. Kerry Pecho is a clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, young adults, and caregivers to address a variety of concerns, especially anxiety, low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation, and life stressors (e.g., academic performance, social relationships, parenting).
Dr. Pecho seeks to build her clients’ awareness of the brain-body connection and how they can feel more in control of their actions and emotional experience. Her clients tend to have minds that work very hard to protect them and don’t know how/when to take a break. Dr. Pecho supports her clients with unhooking from unhelpful thoughts/beliefs, accessing a sense of steadiness/security, and acting in line with their values. She helps individuals feel less alone in their struggles and more capable of being effective while being themselves.
Dr. Pecho specializes in supporting parents of anxious children/teens as well as parents whose children have difficulty with behavioral and emotional self-regulation. She helps parents feel confident in their ability to support their child’s skill development and enhance their daily functioning, which leads to greater connection and enjoyment as a family. Dr. Pecho offers a warm, nonjudgmental space for parents to acknowledge what they’re doing well, identify what is not or no longer working, and feel supported in using the specialized techniques their child may need.
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. She also has ample experience collaborating with schools and other providers to help individuals see success across settings.
In her free time, Dr. Pecho enjoys spending time with her family, getting together with friends, reading, crafting, and exploring the outdoors.
Therapies Utilized: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), Behavioral Parent Training, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Internal Family Systems (IFS).
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 is also a state-certified school psychologist.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pecho, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or [email protected]
Ashley Leja, Ph.D.
Dr. Leja (she/her/hers) is a clinical psychologist and state-certified school psychologist who works with children, adolescents, young adults, and caregivers. 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. Following internship, 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).
Dr. Leja works with children and their families to address a variety of concerns, such as anxiety (including OCD), depression and low self-esteem, attention concerns, school stressors, peer/social difficulties, and challenges with emotional and behavioral regulation. By providing tools for clients to develop a greater awareness of the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, Dr. Leja helps children become skilled in managing their emotions and choosing their actions. Dr. Leja also specializes in working with parents/caregivers to translate evidence-based treatments into practical, effective strategies that caregivers can confidently implement at home to support their child.
When working with adolescents and young adults, Dr. Leja aims to provide a supportive environment for clients to explore their values and the ways in which their current actions are moving them towards or away from the things they find important. Dr. Leja works with adolescents/young adults on concerns like anxiety, OCD, depression/low mood, life transitions (e.g., high school to college), academic pressure, workplace stress, and social issues. Dr. Leja’s clients benefit from learning skills to lessen the impact of unhelpful thoughts and unpleasant feelings so that they can focus on engaging in meaningful life activities.
Dr. Leja’s treatment approach is informed by evidence-based practices, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and behavioral parent training techniques. She is committed to providing a therapeutic environment that is open to and affirming of all identities, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodivergent individuals, and those of all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
During her free time, Dr. Leja enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, hiking, and reading in her back yard.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Leja, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or [email protected]
Mia Gregor, Psy.D., ABPdN
Dr. Gregor (she/her/hers) is a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist. Prior to relocating to the Chicagoland area, she was with Banner Children’s Specialists at Banner Children’s Hospital from 2014 to 2022 where she was lead of the Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology from 2017 – 2022. Banner Children’s Hospital is a trauma level 1 hospital and one of the two main providers of children’s care in the state of Arizona. Dr. Gregor was assistant professor of practice at the University of Arizona Medical School until 2022. She completed pediatric neuropsychological evaluations in both the outpatient and inpatient settings and has specific interests in working with acquired neurological conditions, genetic conditions, in utero drug and alcohol exposure, and oncology conditions. She was involved in a variety of hospital charters/work groups including brain trauma, pediatric concussion, Children’s Postinfectious Autoimmune Clinic, developmental follow-up of cardiothoracic patients, and development of clinical care guidelines for pediatric obesity. Dr. Gregor worked closely in a multidisciplinary setting, especially within the Neurology, Neurosurgery, Trauma, and Oncology/Hematology specialties and was involved in training and supervision of yearly advanced practicum students and medical students. Prior to Arizona, Dr. Gregor was teaching at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and provided neuropsychological assessment and therapy in private practice at The Center for Personal Development in Chicago. Additionally, Dr. Gregor participates in lectures on a variety of neuropsychological topics for professional organizations and within the community.
She enjoys being involved in various not-for-profit organizations and being the mom to two boys, ages 12 and 15.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Gregor, she can be reached at 847-272-2484 or [email protected]
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 [email protected]