Jan has been a Masters Level Mental Health Therapist in the Bloomington/Normal community since 1982. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Psychology from Western Illinois University in 1981, and her Master’s Degree in Human Development Counseling from the University of Illinois in Springfield in 1983. She is licensed through the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulations as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Jan has spent the majority of her career employed as a Counselor in the field of Child Welfare and Mental Health. She has worked in a variety of capacities within Foster Care and Adoption with all members of the adoption triad (Birthmothers/Birthfathers; Adoptive Parents; and Adoptees). She has worked directly with and supervised foster care workers, adoption workers including licensing and home studies, search and reunion, and as an Adoption Preservation Therapist at The Baby Fold.  Jan also has years of experience working in the field of addictions and co-dependency, domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, as well as in other areas of trauma and mental illness. Jan has also served as the Clinical Director for Salem Ranch (now Salem4youth) (a therapeutic program for Behavior Disordered Adolescent Males), and as the Clinical Manager and Residential Director at Home Sweet Home Ministries (a Shelter Program for those individuals struggling with addiction, mental illness and homelessness).  Jan also worked as a Therapist at Agape Christian Counseling, and in private practice through Heart Matters Counseling.

Jan is the Founder of Heart Matters Counseling in Normal, Illinois. She is trained in EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Theraplay, and Trauma Informed Care. She has worked under contract for Spaulding University as a trainer of “Understanding Infant Adoption”. Her experience includes certification through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services working as a Child Welfare Specialist, as well as certification as an Equine Assisted Psychotherapist (the use of horses within the context of therapy with individuals). Jan is certified as a Trainer through CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute), and has served as an adjunct professor at Illinois State University teaching in the Special Education and Family and Consumer Sciences Departments.

Jan lives in Bloomington with her husband, Scott. They have two adult sons and an adult daughter. They have been blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law and two beautiful grandsons whom they adore. Their daughter was diagnosed at the age of 5 with Williams Syndrome.  Loving, parenting, and advocating for a child with Special Needs has been a journey that has stretched, challenged, and taught Jan invaluable lessons.

Jan has experienced shame on a personal level. After a series of significant losses in her and her husband’s lives, she began to self-medicate her sorrow and depression with a couple of glasses of wine at night to “relax” and be able to sleep… over time she became addicted to alcohol. Jan’s also been on the other end of addiction and lost her dear brother to suicide due to alcoholism. Today, Jan has years of sobriety, but earlier in her recovery she experienced relapse in her journey; the shame she felt was both paralyzing and palpable. Her own experiences with addiction have awakened and cultivated a deep understanding of the role that shame plays in people’s lives. It wasn’t until she started changing her patterns of thinking and earnestly investing in addressing her own shame that she started to experience real freedom. Through her combination of professional and personal experience, Jan is uniquely equipped to guide others in transcending their shame and experiencing healing and freedom.  

Jan loves spending time with family and friends in her leisure. She is a warm, affectionate, open, and accepting individual. Spring through Fall Jan and Scott enjoy spending time together in their fishing boat. Scott loves to fish and Jan loves to read, while both enjoy nature. Jan loves to travel, explore new places, and learn new things.  She also loves horseback riding whenever possible. Jan also continues to work on her recovery and places a high value on continued self-awareness, spiritual growth, and helping others.