2020 AC Counselors

Jacqueline (Jackie) Pabis, M.A., earned her Master’s degree in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and is currently in her fourth year of her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, also from NIU, focusing on children and families. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology as well as a minor in human development & family studies with a multicultural certificate. Prior to beginning her Ph.D. at NIU, Jackie spent time working with children at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions (ATS). She initially served as an intern and volunteer, then worked as the Research Project Manager of a longitudinal study focused on the efficacy of intensive exposure therapy for children with selective mutism. In addition to her focus on research at ATS, she has served as a counselor and facilitator for both Winter Adventure and Adventure Camp. Regarding her doctoral work, she is focused on conducting developmental research to better understand the association between parenting behaviors and child anxiety. Further, she has provided therapeutic and assessment services to children and adults with a variety of diagnoses for the past two years at NIU's Psychological Services Center and has co-facilitated parent and child groups focused on childhood anxiety, social skills, and mindfulness at a private practice in Naperville, IL: Susan Myket, Ph.D., & Associates. Recently, Jackie began a clinical practicum at Florissa Pediatric Development Center in Dixon, IL, where she will conduct comprehensive multidisciplinary psychodiagnostic assessments and provide individual and group therapy for children and adolescents. Jackie looks forward to returning to Adventure Camp for the sixth time to continue her passion for practicing evidence-based skills with children and families!

Sabrina Ung, B.A., graduated from University of California, Irvine with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social behavior and education sciences. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in developmental psychopathology. Prior to beginning her doctoral training, Sabrina worked with children ages 2 ½ through 5 years old in a preschool setting. For the past year, she has worked as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services center providing therapeutic and assessment services to children and adults with various diagnoses. Sabrina’s current research focuses on children’s emotion regulation, parenting behaviors, and home environments, making her an excellent choice for serving as an Adventure Camp Counselor, particularly because working with a child’s ecosystem (school, community, home) and emotion regulation (distress tolerance) are essential aspects of treating children with selective mutism. This is Sabrina’s first time as an Adventure Camp Counselor, and she is excited to use her brave with the campers this summer!

Lauren Hauck, B.S., is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University with a specialization in developmental psychopathology. Prior to graduate school, Lauren graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and a minor in statistics. Over the past year, she has been a clinician in the Psychological Services Center at NIU, providing therapeutic services to individuals and couples presenting with a variety of diagnoses, including generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Additionally, she has co-facilitated social skills groups with children with developmental disabilities. Lauren’s research explores the developmental impact parenting behaviors targeting peers and romantic partners have on adolescent’s social skills and early romantic competencies. Lauren is dedicated to working with children and families to help develop adaptive skills in the face of adversity, and she cannot wait to be a part of Adventure Camp 2020!

Elizabeth Corning, B.S., is in her fourth year at Northern Illinois University (NIU) pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a focus on children and families. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. For the past two years, she has been working as a clinician in the Psychological Services Center at NIU, where she has provided therapeutic services to both children and adults presenting with a variety of psychological conditions. Elizabeth is also employed as a clinical associate at the Pediatric Consultation Center and Associates private neuropsychological practice. Further, she has served as a co-leader for a parenting group in a private practice setting aimed at equipping parents with skills to help manage their children’s symptoms of anxiety and other behavioral problems. Her doctoral research focuses on understanding how different parenting behaviors impact the development of child externalizing problems (e.g., conduct problems, oppositional behavior). Elizabeth is excited to combine her passion for working with children and families with her prior training in evidence-based therapies through her role as a counselor at Adventure Camp. She was a camp counselor in 2019, and she’s back in 2020 for another fun summer!

Kristina Kochanova, M.A., holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Child Focus, at NIU. Kristina first heard about Adventure Camp (AC) intensive group treatment for selective mutism through her colleagues at NIU a few years ago, and in 2017 she applied and was accepted to participate as an AC counselor for the first time. Since then, she has returned to participate several times in both Winter Adventure and Adventure Camps, and she also completed a year’s rotation (2018-2019) in Advanced Therapeutic Solutions’ outpatient services treating children, adolescents, and families coping with selective mutism and related anxiety conditions. Kristina’s training and experience includes working with at-risk youth, pursuing research with families and children with various emotional and behavioral concerns such as anxiety and ADHD, and serving as a behavioral consultant at Opportunity House providing assessment and therapeutic services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a 12-yr-old immigrant to the US from the Ukraine, Kristina remembers not yet having the language skills to communicate in middle school, and how scary that felt. She uses this understanding to empathize with kids at Adventure Camp. This will be Kristina’s fourth summer participating in Adventure Camp, and she is even more excited this time around because some of the campers are from her recent caseload! Kristina looks forward to seeing some familiar faces, as well as meeting new campers, and to continue honing her skills in applying exposure therapy with kids.

Sebastian Szollos, B.A., earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University. Sebastian grew up in Columbia, Maryland, and his research interests in anxiety in children began through his work in college and continued through his experiences working at the Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program of Dr. Andres De Los Reyes at the University of Maryland. His work with Dr. De Los Reyes showed him how formative childhood years are in the development of lifelong anxiety disorders and how powerful it can be to intervene with these disorders from an early age. His experiences working with children, adolescents, families, and adults at the Psychological Services Center at NIU and the Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program at UMD have given him a variety of experiences in exposure therapies, assessment in anxiety disorders, and manualized treatments for Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder. This is Sebastian’s first time as a counselor at Adventure Camp and he is excited to join the AC team!

Alexandra Pazaran, B.A., is currently in her final year at Roosevelt University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Children and Family Services. She graduated from Cornell College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. During her time at Cornell, Alexandra was a family therapy intern at Four Oaks working with families and children in a pediatric medical institution. Alexandra studied psychology abroad and took courses in several countries throughout Europe and also in Japan. Clinically, Alexandra has experience with both adults and children who have presented with a wide array of mental health issues. She has worked in a variety of settings as a traveling counselor in a mental health rehabilitation center, teaching assistant at a therapeutic day school, and now currently works with at-risk children in an elementary school setting. Alexandra is currently a Student Advocate working with 4th and 5th graders providing social emotional support to students and families. This is her first year as an Adventure Camp Counselor and she is excited to learn more about Selective Mutism!

Gwendolyn Willert, MSW, LSW, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Roosevelt University and a master’s degree in social work from Dominican University. Additionally, she holds a professional educator’s license (PEL) with an endorsement in school social work and completed her internship with Prospect High School (Mt. Prospect, IL). Gwen is currently employed as a school social worker with Chicago Public Schools. In her work at CPS, she supports pre-K through 8th grade students with a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties. Gwen is thrilled to have the opportunity to learn more about selective mutism and how to better support students and prepare her schools to help them succeed. She is looking forward to camp and to meeting all the brave kids that will be attending!

Anna Martinez-Snyder, M.A., is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a focus on children and families at Northern Illinois University (NIU), where she received her Master's degree in psychology. Before starting at NIU, Anna graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and secondary mathematics education. In graduate school, Anna has had experience providing individual and group therapy to children and adolescents who experience anxiety, as well as behavioral and emotional difficulties, at NIU’s Psychological Services Center and private practices in the area. Specific to working with children who have selective mutism, Anna was a practicum clinician at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions from summer 2019 to spring 2020. She was also a counselor at Adventure Camp 2018 and 2019, as well as Winter Adventure 2019 and 2020. Anna is very excited to meet the campers and use her Brave during Adventure Camp 2020!

Leanna Rosinksi, B.A., received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Northern Illinois University (NIU). During her undergraduate training, she was a research assistant in the Emotion Regulation and Temperament Lab at NIU and worked with child and parent participants. Her undergraduate research focused on the development of anxiety and how temperamental and contextual factors pose risk or foster resilience. Currently, she is in her fifth year of her Ph.D. in the clinical psychology doctoral program at NIU and is continuing her research in the Emotion Regulation and Temperament lab. As a clinician for the Psychological Services Center at NIU and a psychology extern for Joliet School District #86, she conducted assessment and therapy with adults, children, and families. Through these experiences, she has gained particular experience in the treatment of anxiety and parent training. She has served as a counselor for Adventure Camp in 2018, and she enjoys working with campers and watching them learn to use their brave! She is excited to once again be a part of the Adventure Camp team, and she looks forward to learning from the team and all the campers to be an advocate for individuals affected by selective mutism.