Youth & Family Counseling

03/12/2026

Ever wonder how our team engages our youngest clients?

One of our amazing clinicians recently did this Worry Monster activity with a client, and we love everything about it!

The Worry Monster is a simple but powerful tool that helps young people name their worries in a way that feels less scary and more manageable. It opens the door for meaningful conversations with parents and other trusted adults because no one should carry their worries alone.

03/09/2026

YFC has immediate daytime appointments avaialble!

Whether you prefer to meet in person or from the comfort of your own home, we offer both in-person and teletherapy options to fit your lifestyle.

We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid, so getting the support you need is more accessible than ever.

Ready to take the first step? Reach out today to schedule your appointment. We'd love to help.

https://counselingforall.org/request-appointment/

YOUTH AND FAMILY COUNSELING Helping individuals and families cope, heal, and thrive since 1962. At YFC, we believe that finding the right therapist to fit your needs is key. That is why our combined therapist team has expertise in several specialties to help with most mental health needs. At YFC,

03/05/2026

The Vernon Township Mental Health Board is an important partner to YFC, and we’re excited to share more of our story in this Mental Health Minute!

Youth & Family Counseling (YFC) is a grant recipient of funding provided by the Vernon Township Community Mental Health Board, in support of its longstanding commitment to the expansion of access to behavioral healthcare in Lake County. For more than 60 years, YFC has worked to ensure that individuals and families - regardless of income, insurance status, language or life circumstances - can access the mental health services they need to cope, heal and thrive. To learn more about this nonprofit organization and how it can support your family, visit https://www.vernontownship.com/304/Mental-Health-Minute.

03/04/2026

We’re grateful to Dana Anderson, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, for serving as our Explorers Program's February speaker and sharing her expertise on the role of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner!

Dana provided an engaging, insightful overview of this impactful career path and invited thoughtful discussion throughout.

We’re especially excited that several of our students who are passionate about both nursing and behavioral health were able to see how those interests can come together in such a meaningful profession. Thank you, Dana, for inspiring the next generation of behavioral health leaders!

03/02/2026

We know this season has been especially heavy for Lake County’s nonprofit frontline workers, and we're grateful for the opportunity to partner with The Lake County Community Foundation to support our community in this way.

Supporting Lake County nonprofit frontline workers is more important than ever.

The past months have been challenging for many nonprofit partners. Ongoing crises and uncertainty have created significant stress and overcapacity, leaving many in our sector feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin and navigating difficult demands every day.

To help our nonprofit sector and in partnership with Youth & Family Counseling (YFC), a drop-in support group is available for nonprofit frontline workers who serve our community every day. This is a space to connect, share and recharge with others who understand the weight and responsibility of frontline work.

Please come as you are. Attend as your schedule allows. There is no requirement to join every session.

Register for the drop-in group here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFHAoQJlojqNBhuNqnBqZyDkRxicpGGx0d7dcUr8xRb8a-5A/viewform

Where: Online via Zoom
When: Next Session Monday, March 9, 2026, from 2 to 3 p.m.
Ongoing: 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month

The Zoom link will be shared after registration to ensure participant safety and confidentiality.

03/02/2026

Last month, we celebrated a milestone that means so much to our team.

One year ago, YFC opened our Round Lake Beach location, relocating from Lake Zurich to better meet the growing needs of our community. Round Lake Beach was strategically selected after geographic heat mapping showed an increasing concentration of individuals and families in the Round Lake area who needed greater access to mental health services.

This move reflects what community mental health is all about: adapting, listening, and reducing barriers so care is accessible where it’s needed most.

Since joining the Round Lake Beach community, we have:
✨ Increased the number of clients served
✨ Improved our clinical outcomes
✨ Grown site productivity to 84%

Our Round Lake Beach team includes three clinical therapists, one clinical supervisor, and three clinical interns. We are incredibly proud of the work happening at this site and thank our staff, partners, and community for making this first year such a success.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Round Lake Beach! 🎉

02/25/2026

The Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club is hosting its annual fundraiser next Saturday, March 7! Tickets are still available for this meaningful event, which supports local nonprofits, including YFC.

If you’re able, please consider attending or showing your support:
https://my.onecause.com/event/organizations/sf-001C000001Z5Hn6IAF/events/vevt:a6b73bf4-5b53-4b7b-bded-b61d796d045b/home/story

We’re excited to be part of the upcoming Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club event, The Second City – The Ville Just Got Funnier! 🎭✨

Make it a full evening of fun! Start with dinner at Main Street Social in downtown Libertyville around 4:30–5:00 PM, then head to the 7:30 PM show on Saturday, March 7 at Libertyville High School.

Every ticket supports local charities and Community High School District 128 students—so make plans to dine with us, enjoy the show, and give back to an amazing cause! ❤️🍽️

02/23/2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics not only highlighted incredible talent, but they also reminded us that athletes are human.

After facing intense pressure this year's Games, Ilia Malinin used his exhibition skate to share the fear and expectations he’d been carrying, echoing the message other athletes have previously helped bring into the spotlight: mental health matters as much as performance.

Skaters like Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu have made mental health a priority, rather than an afterthought.

02/19/2026

Please join us in celebrating Katie Foster, LCSW, who recently completed a year-long development program through the Emerging Leaders Fellowship at Alternatives.

The program provided a meaningful opportunity to explore leadership through an anti-racist lens, deepen understanding of nonprofit operations, and build strong connections with fellow leaders.

Katie is grateful for the growth, reflection, and camaraderie the experience offered—and we are thrilled that shortly after completing the fellowship, she stepped into her new role as YFC's Deputy Executive Director.

👏 Please join us in congratulating Katie on this exciting milestone!

02/17/2026

We’re proud to share information about Loyola University's STEP (Supervisor Training & Education Program), a 36-hour intensive training designed to build supervision skills and leadership capacity for mental health practitioners in Lake County.

STEP is a collaboration between the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work and the Adelphi University Social Work Practice Fellows Program and is funded by the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County, making it free for participants.

Designed for social workers in nonprofit settings, the program is grounded in social work practice and values. YFC’s Deputy Executive Director helps lead this initiative in support of strengthening our local behavioral health workforce.

02/11/2026

What happens when a nonprofit uses a transformational, one-time gift—not to launch a new program, but to fundamentally improve job quality for its staff?

Our Executive Director, Janelle Miller Moravek, was recently a guest on the Fund the People podcast with host Rusty Stahl, sharing YFC’s real-world experience investing in our workforce to strengthen care for the families we serve in Lake County.

Last year, YFC made a bold choice: use a transformational donor gift to raise salaries and redesign work conditions with transparency, intention, and long-term sustainability in mind. The impact has been meaningful—for our team and our clients:

✔️ Lower turnover
✔️ A healthier, more resilient workforce
✔️ More therapy sessions delivered
✔️ Stronger clinical outcomes

🎙️ Listen here:

Download the transcript of this episode in .pdf format⁠Join our premium version of the FTP Pod on Patreon, For just $6 a month, you get extended versions of this and all episodes; bonus content; community; and our Patreon-only show, Riverside Reflections.What happens when a nonprofit uses a six-fi...