Brianna I. Banks is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, specializing in developmental psychopathology, at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of California, Davis. Before beginning the NIU doctoral program, Brianna worked with children ages 2 ½ to 5 years old and their families as an assistant preschool teacher. Her time there inspired her current research exploring the relationship between the parents of children exhibiting internalizing and externalizing behaviors in early childhood and their child’s teacher. For the past three years, Brianna has worked as a clinician at a university psychological services clinic and at a private family psychology practice, where she has provided therapeutic and assessment services to children and adolescents. This experience has exposed her to a wide variety of treatment approaches and presenting concerns, including anxiety disorders, such as selective mutism. Brianna has participated as a counselor in Adventure Camp 2022, Winter Adventure 2023, and Adventure Camp 2023, and she is grateful to return once again for Adventure Camp 2024 to support all the brave campers and their families as they learn and grow at Adventure Camp!

Jessica is pursuing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with specializations in trauma and developmental psychopathology. Her research focuses on different parenting practices as risk and protective factors for child psychopathology among families from diverse backgrounds. While at her undergraduate institution, Jessica worked at a preschool, as a tutor for children and adolescents, and as a sports camp aftercare counselor, all of which helped foster her love of working with children. While pursuing her doctorate, she gained experience in utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure principles to treat anxiety disorders, including social anxiety. Jessica is looking forward to working with the children of Adventure Camp and helping them grow in confidence through the Adventure Camp experience!

Nikki Norman, SLP, earned her bachelor's degree from Elmhurst College and her master's degree from Saint Xavier University. Nikki has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in public education for thirteen years. She currently works for CASE, a special education cooperative, as an SLP and Assistive Technology consultant. She has worked with students that have receptive and expressive language delays as well as students that have severe to profound diagnosis. Nikki has a ten-year-old son, Tate, who was diagnosed with Selective Mutism in third grade, and a seven-year-old son, Cole. In her free time she enjoys being active with her boys and husband, walking her dog Scooby (a great dane), reading, and gardening with an interest in flowers and veggies. Nikki is very excited to be an Adventure Camp Counselor this summer.

Alexis (she/her) holds a master's degree in clinical psychology and is pursuing her doctorate in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University. She has worked with autistic children for over 3 years, both verbal and nonverbal, as a Registered Behavior Technician. She also has experience working in a therapeutic day school where she provided therapy services to individuals ages 6-21 and their families, as well as in a children's hospital where she conducted psychological assessments for individuals ages 2-17. Currently, she works at an academic medical center where she provides both therapy and assessment services for individuals ages 6-17 and their families. Alexis has always enjoyed seeking advanced opportunities working with children and adolescents, leading her to pursue Adventure Camp Counselor Training through ATSA to work with children with selective mutism. She was a counselor for Winter Adventure and enjoyed it so much that she decided to come back for Adventure Camp! She is very excited for camp and looks forward to supporting the campers and their families.

Lana was an ATSA intern and Adventure Camp assistant in 2022, and also served as an AC Counselor after completing her training in the Adventure Camp selective mutism intervention protocol last summer. In addition to serving as an AC Counselor this summer, Lana also joins another intern alum in co-managing this year’s summer interns. Currently a rising senior at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, Lana is double-majoring in Psychology and English. At Kalamazoo, she is a co-editor in chief of two newspapers and was a part of a research lab studying women’s leadership aspirations. Lana’s desire to work with the SM population led her back to ATSA, and she has decided to complete her capstone project on selective mutism. Her past experiences at ATSA have solidified her interest to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology focusing on the child/family population. Lana is really excited to be a part of camp again this year and help the campers find their brave!

Maxwell Katsikas is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU), specializing in trauma psychology. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, neuroscience, and data analytics from Miami University. Maxwell's research focuses on factors that influence risk and resilience to trauma and how people use emotion regulation strategies under stress. Over the past year, Maxwell has served as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services Center (PSC). In this role, he has provided evidence-based therapy and psychodiagnostic assessments to individuals in the DeKalb community. His work with children at the PSC has sparked a passion for early intervention, recognizing its critical role in fostering a child's growth and development. Maxwell is excited to bring his expertise and enthusiasm to Adventure Camp, where he looks forward to helping the campers develop the skills they need to succeed!

Kara is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Developmental Psychopathology at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), where she minored in Educational Psychology and completed her undergraduate thesis on the impact of maternal anxiety symptoms on infant sleep. Before joining the NIU doctoral program, Kara gained valuable experience as a research assistant in the Little Learner's Lab at UT Austin, contributing to research on the diverse developmental trajectories of young children in language, cognition, and motivation. Concurrently, she worked in the Daily Activity Lab, assisting in collecting and analyzing ecologically valid datasets from parents and children in both natural and controlled settings. This work focused on maternal mental health and well-being and their influence on children's early socio-emotional development. These experiences inspired her current research at NIU's Families and Development in Context Lab, where she examines mechanisms, such as parenting behaviors, that contribute to the transmission of anxiety from parents to children. For the past two years, Kara has also served as a clinician at NIU's Psychological Services Center, providing therapeutic and assessment services to children and adults. Additionally, she has assisted with group therapy in private practice settings. These combined experiences have exposed her to various treatment approaches and presenting concerns, including anxiety disorders such as selective mutism. Her passion for supporting children and their families has led her to volunteer as an Adventure Camp counselor, where she looks forward to witnessing the remarkable growth of each brave camper.

Joanna Keane holds a master’s degree and is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in developmental psychopathology and trauma psychology. Joanna is currently a part-time Practicum Clinician at ATSA providing therapy services to children and adolescents coping with anxiety. Her current doctoral research focuses on how consistency/predictability in experiencing childhood adversities can impact later child functioning. She previously worked as a clinician in NIU’s Psychological Services Center where she offered therapeutic services to clients presenting with a variety of concerns including anxiety disorders, at Susan Myket, Ph.D. & Associates where she provided psychological assessments to children and adolescents, and at Florissa where she provided assessments and therapy for children and their families. In addition, Joanna has received training in working with children with selective mutism through ATSA’s Adventure Camp Counselor Training program, and has since enjoyed working with campers to use their brave in previous Adventure Camps of 2021-2023, Winter Adventures 2022-2023, and she has co-facilitated the outpatient Courage Club group at ATSA. Anxiety can be an overwhelming emotion that children with selective mutism experience, and which they attempt to regulate by staying quiet. However, selective mutism can interfere with a child’s academic and social development, impacting their developmental outcome. Joanna is looking forward to combining her passion of working with children and providing accessible, evidence-based treatments through her work as an Adventure Camp Counselor yet again, and especially helping children learn that they can pursue their goals in the presence of anxiety while also having fun just being a kid at Adventure Camp!