Melissa Conroy, MHP, Clinical Intern

Adults, College Age, Young Adults, Couples, New Moms

Grief and Loss, Suicide Loss, Relationship Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Work Stress, Career Counseling, ADHD, Emotional Regulation, Bipolar Disorder

As a Glenview mom of four children—all currently in college—and an active member of the community, I understand firsthand how life continues to evolve through different ages and stages. From building a career and raising a family to navigating changing relationships, launching young adults, and rediscovering what comes next for ourselves, each season can bring its own mix of joy, uncertainty, loss, and growth. These experiences are part of what ultimately inspired me to become a counselor and continue to shape the warmth, empathy, and perspective I bring to my work with clients.

I believe lasting change begins with feeling genuinely seen, heard, and understood. My goal is to create a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where clients can explore life’s challenges with honesty, curiosity, and confidence. Whether you’re navigating grief and loss, relationship concerns, anxiety, career transitions, parenting and family changes, or simply feeling stuck, I strive to meet you where you are and help you recognize your own strengths and capacity for growth.

My Approach to Therapy

I believe therapy is most effective when it is grounded in trust, authenticity, and collaboration. Like many people, I have experienced the value of counseling during different seasons of my own life. From navigating the transition into my professional career to raising four children and pursuing greater self-awareness and healthier relationships, I found the therapeutic relationship to be an invaluable source of support, perspective, and encouragement.

Those experiences continue to shape the way I work with clients—with humility, empathy, and deep respect for the courage it can take to ask for help.

My perspective has also been profoundly shaped by the loss of a loved one to suicide. That experience deepened my empathy for those navigating grief and strengthened my commitment to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide loss. I believe seeking support is an act of courage, and no one should have to face life’s most difficult seasons alone. Even in moments of tremendous loss and uncertainty, I believe there can be space for healing, resilience, connection, and eventually, hope.

My Path to Counseling

Before becoming a counselor, I built a career in marketing communications and project management. While I found that work rewarding, I increasingly felt drawn toward a profession centered on meaningful connection and helping others navigate the complexities of life.

I grew up in a rural community near Lafayette, Indiana, attended Drake University in Des Moines, and later earned a master’s degree from Northwestern University. After living in Boston and Minneapolis early in our marriage, my husband and I were grateful to settle in Chicago’s north suburbs, where we built our home, became part of the community, and raised our four children.

After focusing on raising our family, I returned to graduate school to pursue counseling—bringing together my lifelong interest in people and relationships, my personal and professional experiences, and a desire to support others through life’s challenges.

Today, as a mom with four children navigating their own college journeys, I have a particular appreciation for the transitions that happen throughout adulthood—not only for young adults finding their way, but for the parents and families learning how to grow alongside them.

Taking the First Step

I don’t believe you need to have everything figured out before coming to therapy.
You don’t even need to know exactly what you want to change.

Sometimes the hardest part is simply taking the first step

It’s a privilege to meet clients wherever they are in their journey and walk alongside them as they gain greater understanding, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and discover what might be possible next.

For Fun….

Outside the counseling office, I enjoy spending time with my family and our golden retriever, playing tennis, baking, reading, listening to podcasts, and watching movies.

Benefits of Working with a Clinical Intern

If you’re searching for a therapist, don’t overlook the opportunity to work with one of Inspire’s Clinical Interns. Many clients are surprised to learn that Clinical Interns often bring a unique combination of enthusiasm, specialized training, individualized attention, and extensive supervision that can create an exceptional therapy experience.

Some of the benefits of working with a Clinical Intern include:

• Personalized Attention: Clinical Interns typically maintain smaller caseloads, allowing them to devote more time, energy, and focus to each client.
• Current Training and Evidence-Based Approaches: As graduate students, Clinical Interns are immersed in the latest research, clinical interventions, and best practices in the mental health field. This allows them to bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to therapy.
• Extensive Supervision and Support: Clinical Interns receive significantly more supervision than many practicing therapists. At Inspire, interns receive supervision through their graduate programs, as well as weekly individual and group supervision from experienced clinicians. This means multiple professionals are invested in supporting your progress and ensuring high-quality care.
• Passion and Commitment: Clinical Interns are often highly motivated, eager to learn, and deeply invested in helping clients achieve meaningful growth and positive outcomes.
• Collaborative Care: Because of their close supervision and training environment, Clinical Interns frequently benefit from additional consultation and feedback, providing clients with the advantage of multiple clinical perspectives.
• Diverse Life and Professional Experience: Many of our Clinical Interns come from established careers and bring years—even decades—of experience in business, education, healthcare, parenting, leadership, and other professions. This real-world perspective can deepen their understanding of life’s complexities and challenges.
• Excellent Client Outcomes: Research consistently demonstrates that Clinical Interns achieve strong therapeutic outcomes, often comparable to those of licensed clinicians when supported by quality supervision and training.

At Inspire, we are highly selective in choosing our Clinical Interns. Each intern undergoes a thorough review and interview process before joining our team. We seek individuals who demonstrate exceptional clinical potential, align with our values, and are interested in building a long-term career with Inspire. Many of our interns continue with Inspire well beyond their internship experience.

Our Clinical Internship Program is led by Program Director Joe Tranchita, who brings more than 17 years of clinical experience across a variety of settings, including residential treatment, group homes, therapeutic day schools, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), community mental health centers, and private practice. In addition to his clinical work, Joe served as a graduate-level adjunct professor in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for eight years. He is passionate about mentoring clinicians and ensuring that every intern receives exceptional training, guidance, and support.

To schedule an appointment, Call or TEXT (847) 919-9096 or hello@inspirecounselingcenter.com