About Dr. Pat Pat Petersen, Ed.D, LCPC, CCMHC, NCC, DCC "Dr. Pat" is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice for over 21 years. I am a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor. I emphasize a holistic and balanced approach to concerns of individuals, couples, families and groups/organizations. I was affiliated with the North Shore and Chicago suburban school systems for over 20 years and taught psychology at a community college. I have served in numerous professional leadership positions, published in national journals and have presented at numerous state, national and international conferences as well as local support groups, school districts and business, fraternal and religious groups. I have also been a guest on Chicago and suburban radio. Learn more ... Active in the local educational, business and church communities, I enjoy a variety of hobbies and professional activities. My "other life" includes four adult daughters and their families and fine art/nature photography. Technical Terms: Ed.D. = Doctor of Education in Counseling--includes comprehensive testing in counseling and specialties, research, dissertation and defense of dissertation. LCPC = Illinois license for Clinical Counseling--requires a minimum of 40 hours of graduate work in counseling or a related field which includes specified areas, passing both a general counseling test and a clinical counseling test; and 2 yrs. supervised practice in counseling. CCMHC = Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor--is a national certification which requires all of the LCPC requirements plus a recorded session with a client and critique of it, recommendations from clinical supervisor, and professors and or colleagues or others who know your work well, e.g. co-leaders of a group. NCC = National Certified Counselor--nationalcertification which requires the general counseling test. DCC = Distance Certified Counselor = national certification for e-counseling, telecconferencing, video-conferencing, and telephone counseling. It requires a counseling license, experience,and 16 hours of class plus projects in technical, security and ethical practices in counseling from a distance.