Jamie Stevens Counseling Group LLC

03/31/2026

For Trans Day of Visibility, we wanted to share our clinicians' stories about their experiences with transness. We honor and celebrate our trans community members, clients, families, and friends today and every day.

Peri Drury writes:
"My journey with gender has been a long and confusing road. Being socialized as a woman, I always felt like my relationship with my gender was different from my peers, constantly feeling like I had to check boxes and perform gender for some sort of evaluation, but I was missing out on some secret shared knowledge everyone else got about what it means to be a girl. When I started accepting and embracing my q***rness, that also opened up questions about my gender, and I learned about being agender as a part of the non-binary and trans umbrella. This has opened up my world to see that my experience with gender could also mean that internally I experience no gender at all, and can free myself from the performance I was constantly doing. Realizing I'm agender has really helped me come home to my body and understand who I am without trying to contort myself to gender norms, and through body modification, style exploration, and more, my trans journey has led me to being more myself than I ever could have imagined. I still have the experiences with sexism and misogyny that our heteropatriarchal society violently forces upon us, but for me, my gender no longer inherently feels linked to the violence of its existence, but instead to a deeper understanding and embracing of self. For me specifically, being trans feels less transformative and more restorative, as if I'm connecting to my very own nature for the first time instead of contorting to the controlling systems we all experience in a racist, settler-colonial, hetero-patriarchal society. My found understanding of self has helped me to develop my practice as a therapist to be trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+ inclusive, and in the never-ending practice of decolonizing therapy. Being trans has helped me open up my life and myself in ways I once thought unimaginable, and I find it to be the greatest privlege that as a part of my work I get to help other trans folks explore their gender and find what transness means to them."

03/10/2026

Our clinical intern, Peri Drury, is accepting new ongoing therapy clients - they will be seeing clients at a discounted rate through the end of summer 2026! Curious to learn more?

Peri says: "Hi, I'm Peri (they/them), a clinical intern here at Jamie Stevens Counseling, and I'd like to introduce myself! I am a trauma-focused therapist, pursuing my MSW with a clinical focus. I have worked in the mental health and public service fields for the past 10 years, with students in schools, program development in higher education and nonprofits, and across micro, mezzo, and macro levels of social work, engaging individuals, groups, communities, and larger-level policies. I have a Master's in Public Policy with a focus on social inequality, but I found myself eager to work more directly with people, which led me to my work as a therapist and my pursuit of a degree in Social Work. Despite being an intern, I have ample and varied previous experience with both one-on-one therapy and groups. I look forward to honing my clinical practice and expertise here with JSC! If you are looking for someone who has experience and expertise in trauma, neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ issues, and grief, I would love to meet you and be a support for you during your journey of healing and self-exploration. I love to work through a mixture of modalities, including traditional talk therapy, art therapy, DBT, CBT, and narrative therapy. I see my role as a therapist as collaborative in achieving your goals, and being a support that offers clinical expertise alongside care and empathy. A few fun facts about me: I love animals and have two cats with whom I’m obsessed. I’m an avid reader, especially of speculative fiction and contemporary literary fiction! I consider myself a creative person and write poetry and essays, draw, sing, love to cook and bake, and dabble in archery. In addition to my cats, I’m a passionate plant parent and fan of all things cozy. If you feel like we could be a good match, I’m accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield, AETNA, and self-pay at a discounted intern rate. Let’s have a cup of tea, get cozy, and know we will get through this together."

Reach out to practice manager Grace Chong - grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com - for scheduling details!

02/10/2026

Jamie Stevens counseling group is very proud to sponsor Champaign Centennial High School Archery team. This is an amazing program that has positively impacted so many kids in our area!!!! if you own or manage a business, I encourage you to support this organization as well.


Today we highlight two of our long-standing team sponsors, Jamie Stevens Counseling and CES Complete Electrical Systems! We are grateful for these two organizations supporting our squad of 95 archers and 8 coaches in the past and this season! THANK YOU! Consider supporting these businesses that give back to their community!

If you are interested in having your business name up during our event of over 1000 archers and their families on January 27th and 28th (and mentioned on social media for the rest of our season) please contact us at chargerarchery@gmail.com!

Jamie Unzicker Stevens
Ian Stevens

01/28/2026

We are delighted to announce that Annie Freeman has joined Jamie Stevens Counseling Group as a Clinical Intern for spring 2026!

Annie Freeman (she/her) is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at the University of Illinois Springfield. Annie is beginning her first clinical internship experience and is excited for the opportunity to work directly with clients from diverse backgrounds while continuing to grow as a developing counselor.

During her undergraduate studies at Illinois State University, Annie gained hands-on experience through the Body Project (Eating Disorder Prevention Team) where she facilitated groups focused on body positivity and fostering healthier relationships with food. These experiences contributed to her passion for helping others and promoting self-worth, identity development, and emotional well-being.

Annie has a strong interest in working with neurodivergent clients and has recently completed her Autism and Trauma Training for Neurodiversity.

Annie strives to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard, respected, and valued. She approaches counseling with openness and a collaborative mindset and looks forward to building meaningful therapeutic relationships while working alongside clients as they explore their experiences, strengths, and goals.

If you are interested in working with Annie, please email grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com for appointment times. We offer reduced-cost private pay options for both Annie and Peri Drury as they complete their internship programs.

01/22/2026

01/22/2026

We’re excited to announce FOUR new therapy groups launching this February at Jamie Stevens Counseling Group! These groups are designed to provide a safe, supportive space to connect, grow, and feel less alone.

We are in-network for AETNA and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and we can accept UIUC student UnitedHealthcare plans. Our private pay/out-of-network rate is $50 per session.

📩 Spots are limited. Email grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com today to learn more or to reserve your place.

12/11/2025

New Clinical Intern Spotlight: Peri Drury will be joining the Jamie Stevens Counseling team in January 2026! Peri takes a trauma-informed approach to their work and enjoys working with issues such as grief, life transitions, LGBTQ-affirmative therapy, gender-identity exploration, disability and chronic pain, depression, anxiety, trauma processing, self-image, and relationship issues. They also love working with neurodivergent clients, particularly women and gender-diverse clients who have received a later-in-life diagnosis and are trying to figure out how to understand themselves more deeply and accommodate their needs, such as figuring out how to unmask, accommodating sensory needs, and figuring out how to better manage executive functioning without burning out. Peri will be certified as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS) prior to starting. To help make sessions with Peri more accessible, we are offering significantly discounted session rates during their internship period. This is a wonderful opportunity for high-quality, supportive care at a reduced cost. For more details about Peri and how you can schedule with them, contact our practice manager, Grace, at 217-840-2785 or grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com.

12/11/2025

New Therapist Spotlight: We are thrilled to announce that Avi Hessel, PLSW, MSW is joining our team! Avi (they/ them) has a strong background in LGBTQIA+ advocacy and community building. They primarily work with teens and adults. Being neurodivergent, nonbinary, and q***r themself, they are passionate about providing a sensory-friendly, trauma-informed, and safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals to explore their sexuality and/or gender. For more information about Avi and how they can support you on your mental health journey, reach out to our practice manager, Grace: 217-840-2785 or grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com.

12/11/2025

Great news! We have been nominated for a global healthcare award through GHP (Global Health & Pharma).

Global health and Pharma Mental Health Awards 2026 is a program dedicated to recognizing excellence, compassion, and innovation across one of the most vital areas of global healthcare. This award celebrates the individuals and organizations working tirelessly to improve mental well-being and transform the future of mental health services.

12/08/2025

We are currently experiencing technical issues with our main office phone line! Please email our practice manager with any urgent issues or questions: grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we hope to have our phones back up and running by this evening.

11/06/2025

New: Neurodiversity Informed Couples Therapist

I am proud to announce that our therapist Jason Keist has just become certified as a Gottman/Kessler Couples Therapist - Healing Betrayal Trauma & Grief. He is also a certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS). So if you are looking for a couples therapist that understands the complex dynamics of a home with autism and/or ADHD Jason would be a great fit!

Email for an appointment: grace@jamiestevenscounseling.com

10/01/2025

We are very excited to announce that we now have a therapist that specializes in men with neurodiversity. Jason Keist MSW, LSW, PhD ABD has worked with many young men and men in a college setting and clinical setting providing support and tackling issues specific to men with autism / ADHD. He specializes in helping fellow community members attend to challenges related to autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, self-worth, belonging, parenting, and grief/loss. He is also working towards earning his Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS) certification. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Jason please email our practice manager at jess@jamiestevenscounseling.com or checkout our website at jamiestevenscounseling.com