Nikkie Evans PLLC

04/10/2026

We’re so excited to officially introduce Kayla Volling, MSW, LSW to our team!

Kayla works with teens, young adults, and adults who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or frustrated by their own minds, and are looking for practical support that actually helps in day-to-day life.

She specializes in ADHD, social anxiety, OCD, and phobias, and uses evidence-based approaches like ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention), CBT, and ACT to help clients gradually face fears, reduce avoidance, and build real confidence.

Kayla has a special passion for working with OCD and phobias (including emetophobia), and brings a structured, supportive, and compassionate approach to her work. She truly meets clients where they are, helping them move forward at a pace that feels manageable and empowering.

✨ Now accepting new clients (daytime & evening availability!)

If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start therapy, this might be it.

📞 847.790.4959 (call or text)
📧 intake@creatingprogress.net
🌿 www.creatingprogress.net

Let’s create progress… together.

04/01/2026

Have you been thinking about starting therapy, but waiting for the right time? We just added new openings across our team. ✨

Take a peek at our schedule and reach out. We’re here when you’re ready!

Don't see a time that works with your schedule? Reach out today to learn about being added to our waitlist.

847.790.4959 (call or text)
intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net

03/11/2026

We are excited to share a new group offering that is available starting March 30th.

You Are Not Alone: A support Group for Parents of Medically Complex Children
Mondays 8pm-9:30pm via Zoom
March 30- June 1 (10 Weeks)

We know that parenting a medically complex child comes with unique challenges that many families navigate quietly. Between medical appointments, advocacy, and caring for the child, parents can easily feel isolated or overwhelmed.

Michele Quattrocchi, a Creating Progress therapist and mother of a medically complex child, understands firsthand the emotional weight, advocacy, and resilience required in this journey.

She is thrilled to offer this group to provide a supportive space where parents can feel understood, connected, and less alone.

Topics covered will include:
-Chronic grief and ambiguous loss
-Medical trauma
-Nervous system exhaustion
-Caregiver burnout and identity shifts
-Living with ongoing uncertainty
-The 'before' and 'after' of diagnosis
-Strain in partnerships and family life
-Sibling guilt and divided attention
-Anger, envy, and hard-to-admit feelings

The group is currently accepting new members for the March 30th kick-off date! Reach out today to sign up.

intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net
847.790.4959 (call or text)

02/23/2026

The Creating Progress team currently has immediate availability for new clients — both daytime and evening appointments (no waitlist right now!).

If you’ve been thinking about getting support but keep putting it off because of scheduling (or because life is just busy 🙃), this could be a good time.

Reach out today to learn more!
847.790.4959 (call or text)
intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net

02/02/2026

✨Creating Progress Team Spotlight✨

If you ask our team who the cheerleader is, the answer is always Mary.

Mary Elston, MA, LCPC has a natural way of making people feel valued, appreciated, and truly heard — whether she’s sitting with a client or supporting a fellow therapist. If you’re having a bad day, all you need to do is find Mary — she’ll effortlessly remind you that you’re valued, appreciated, and doing better than you think.

Mary works with children, teens, adults, couples, families, and athletes, and is especially passionate about supporting anxiety, depression, performance anxiety, burnout, relationship stress, and life transitions. She brings evidence-based tools like CBT, DBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing into her work, all while leading with warmth and encouragement.

With her background in figure skating coaching and her multicultural, bilingual (English & Assyrian) perspective, Mary creates spaces that feel supportive, empowering, and connected. We are incredibly grateful to have Mary on our team. Her ability to uplift others and foster genuine connection is a true gift — to both our clients and to all of us at Creating Progress.

We're thrilled to share that after a few months of being on waitlist, she's now accepting new clients for both daytime and evening appointments.

Reach out today to schedule an appointment with Mary!

847.790.4959 (call or text)
intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net

01/03/2026

When life feels heavy, starting can feel harder than staying stuck.
Our newest blog, written by therapist practice owner Nikkie Evans, reflects on why the mountain often looks biggest at the beginning — and how support can make the climb more manageable.

If you’ve been considering therapy, this one’s for you.

intake@creatingprogress.net
847.790.4959 call or text

When life feels heavy, starting can feel harder than staying stuck. Our newest blog, written by practice owner Nikkie Evans, reflects on why the mountain often looks biggest at the beginning — and how support can make the climb more manageable. If you’ve been considering therapy, this one’s fo...

01/01/2026

✨ 4 Years of Creating Progress ✨

Four years ago, Creating Progress began as a dream — a vision for a mental health counseling practice rooted in compassion, connection, and the belief that progress matters more than perfection.

Along the way, I’ve learned that meaningful change rarely happens all at once. Instead, it unfolds in small, brave steps, honest conversations, and the courage to keep going — even when things feel messy or uncertain. To the clients we have the privilege of serving, thank you for trusting us with your stories and your growth. It is truly an honor to walk alongside you.

I am deeply grateful for the incredible team I get to work alongside. Their heart, skill, and dedication are the foundation of Creating Progress, and this work would not be possible without them.

As we kick off 2026, I’m taking a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come while feeling excited for what’s ahead. We have some exciting things coming that we can’t wait to share.

If you or someone you love could benefit from support, we are currently accepting new clients with immediate availability.

Here’s to another year of creating progress — not perfection — together.

— Nikkie Evans, LCPC
Founder of Creating Progress

12/29/2025

🌟 Welcome Jessica Kolka to the Creating Progress Team! 🌟

We’re so excited to introduce the newest member of our therapy team — Jessica Kolka, MSW, LCSW! Jessica brings a calm, compassionate presence and a deep understanding of what it feels like to juggle life’s demands while quietly struggling beneath the surface. She believes in connection as the heart of healing and creates a space where clients can feel truly seen, heard, and supported.

Jessica works with teens, young adults, adults, women, and parents, and has special experience supporting people through anxiety, depression, self-esteem challenges, life transitions, and perinatal concerns including fertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, and the emotional realities of motherhood. Whether you’re navigating stress, identity shifts, overwhelm, or emotional regulation, Jessica meets you where you are — with empathy, curiosity, and real-world tools for growth.

✨ Great news — she currently has daytime AND evening availability with no waitlist! That means you or your loved one can get connected with support now — no waiting, no delay.

Interested in scheduling with Jessica or learning more about her approach? Reach out to our intake team today:
📞 847-790-4959 call or text
📧 intake@creatingprogress.net

Please help us give Jessica a warm welcome to the team!

Learn more about Jessica here: https://www.creatingprogress.net/jessicakolka

12/20/2025

✨ Introducing our practice newsletter: The Progress Report ✨

We’re excited to share something new from Creating Progress, Not Perfection — The Progress Report, our monthly newsletter designed to bring a little encouragement, connection, and practical support right to your inbox.

Each month, you can expect:
🌱 Practice updates & what’s new at Creating Progress
📚 Therapist picks for books, podcasts, and things we’re loving
🏡 Progress you can practice at home — simple, realistic tools
💛 A special corner just for teens & moms
🍽️ What’s Cooking at Creating Progress — our recipe of the month
…and a few extra thoughtful surprises along the way

👉 Subscribe to The Progress Report today for a monthly reminder that growth doesn’t need to be loud, fast, or perfect to matter- and stay connected with us throughout the year!

Visit www.creatingprogress.net to subscribe.

Nikkie Evans PLLC provides individual and group therapy for teens, therapy for college students, therapy for young adults, therapy for adults, therapy new moms, EMDR Therapy, Christian Counseling for those living on the North Shore and surrounding suburbs of Illinois.

12/20/2025

Wrapping up the year doesn’t have to mean fixing, evaluating, or pushing forward. Our latest blog is an invitation to pause, reflect with kindness, and remember that progress often looks quieter than we expect.

Check it out here: https://www.creatingprogress.net/post/wrapping-up-2025-honoring-progress-letting-go-of-perfection

Looking for support in the new year? Reach out today to get scheduled:
847.790.4959 call or text
intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net

As we come to the close of 2025, there’s often a quiet (or not-so-quiet) pressure to look back and measure ourselves. Did we do enough? Did we grow enough? Did we become the version of ourselves we hoped we would be? At Creating Progress, Not Perfection, we want to gently offer something different...

12/11/2025

A big THANK YOU to Stevenson High School for inviting us to be part of their resource fair this year. It was truly meaningful to connect with local schools, social workers, and fellow mental health practices who are all working toward the same mission- supporting teens, families, and our community.

Collaborating like this is how we create progress, not perfection- together.

We are grateful for the opportunity, and we are so excited to keep building partnerships that help our community thrive in the new year!

Intake@creatingprogress.net
www.creatingprogress.net

11/24/2025

This weekend we took some time to slow down, connect, laugh, and celebrate the people that make this work possible.

Our team holiday gathering was a reminder that progress is built in community- with support, empathy, and a lot of heart.

Today I’m feeling extra grateful for each person on this team- and for our clients who trust us with their stories!

Happy Holidays from your Creating Progress team! ✨