Thrive Talks

Please join us for Thrive Talks.  This is a series of engaging presentations on timely mental health topics. Our expert speakers come from across the region and share practical tips and tools on parenting, relationships, aging, effective communications and more.

Thrive Talks are a FREE event. Thrive Talks are funded by the Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township.  Past Thrive Talk recordings are found on our Resources Thrive Talk Recordings page.  To visit, please click here. 

February 6, 6:30 pm at Dominican University – Springer Suites: Lower Level of Rebecca Crown Library, 7900 W Division St, River Forest
Topic: Safety in Dating: Teens and Young AdultsSee flyer with details here.

Register here for this FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

As the Prevention Program Supervisor for the domestic violence agency Sarah’s Inn, Chidori brings with her a vast array of experience working with youth, including curriculum creation, program facilitation, mentoring, and program coordination. Through that work she became curious about the effects of community violence and trauma on youth, which led to her pursuing a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she previously obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

At Sarah’s Inn, Chidori is afforded the opportunity to empower the next generation to create the change needed to make her job obsolete. She enjoys facilitating conversations that lead students to “ah ha” moments, and is invigorated by the passion of the youth she serves.

September 10, 6:30 pm at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison Street, Oak Park

Topic: Healing Out Loud: Changing the Narrative on SuicideSee flyer with details here.

Register here for this FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

Join Keana Shatteen for an inspiring and transformative event on World Suicide Prevention Day. Blending her personal experience with professional training by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Keana shares her journey of overcoming profound loss, battling depression, and surviving a suicide attempt. This heartfelt presentation emphasizes the importance of suicide prevention and awareness, illustrating how open conversations can create safety and support. Keana will discuss the scope of suicide, the latest research on prevention, and practical steps to combat it. Attendees will learn to recognize risk factors and warning signs and discover how we can collectively work to prevent suicide. Hear Keana’s story, gain valuable knowledge, and join a community dedicated to creating safe spaces, promoting healing, and preventing suicide. Together, we can make a difference.

May 9, 7 pm at the Oak Park Public Main Library, 834 Lake Street
Topic: Parenting Strategies for Creating Peace, Love and Understanding.  See flyer with details here.

This FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

Steve Parker, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist in private practice for over 45 years. This Thrive Talk focuses on developing a foundation for building compassion and well-being in our world through an approach to parenting. You will hear a perspective that will empower you to respond to your kids and other family members in a way that foster peace, love and understanding.

March 26, 6:30 pm at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison Street, Oak Park
Topic: Communication and Dealing with Family ConflictSee flyer with details here.

This FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

Ryne Dominguez, LCSW is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and youth therapist at Thrive Counseling Center. Conflict is everywhere and it is inevitable. It invokes the image of yelling, fighting, throwing things, or even war. Conflict within our families can be difficult to address, however, this Thrive Talk will provide information and steps to create a deeper understanding of the concept of conflict, why it is inevitable, and ways to address it through open communication. During this Talk, we will explore how our internal scripts contribute to everyday conflicts. Most importantly, this Talk will teach communication techniques to help resolve conflict.

January 23, 6:30 pm at the Oak Park Public Main Library, 834 Lake Street
Topic: Executive Functioning Tips,Tools, and Strategies to Excel in School and Life.  See flyer with details here.

Register here for this FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

Our presenter is Cara Carmody who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Marquette University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Dominican University.  Cara is certified in the Seeing My Time executive functioning course and has presented it a Parent University at OPRF High School. 

This Talk will focus on enhancing executive function skills for 6th grade through college age students and their parents.  You will learn the eleven executive functions and how the brain works in relation to these.  You will gain an understanding of visual tools that can effectively support the brain with planning and organizing.

November 28th, 2023 6:30 pm at the Brookdale Senior Living, 1111 Ontario St, Oak Park
Topic: It’s Complicated: A Conversation on Grief, see flyer with details here.

Register here for this FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers.

Our presenters are Hattie Stein, MSW and Samantha Buhai-Jacobus, LPC, CAIP who are therapists at Thrive Counseling Center and co-facilitate grief support groups. Hattie holds her Master’s in Social Work from Jane Addam’s College of Social Work and works with both adults and youth. Samantha holds a Master of Counseling Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, concentrating in Trauma & Crisis Intervention and works with adults. If you or a loved one has recently lost someone, or you find yourself struggling with persisting symptoms of grief, this Thrive Talk will help to define grief in its many forms and signs to distinguish between normal and complicated grief. We will also discuss what grieving can look like across the lifespan and how to find hope, support, and resilience through your grief journey. The talk will begin with a 30 minute presentation followed by 30 minutes of discussion and Q&A. All are welcome to attend.

September 27th, 6:30 pm at the Community Recreation Center (CRC), 229 Madison St., Oak Park
Topic: Substance Abuse: Discovering a Healthy Balance, see flyer with details here.

Register here for this FREE Thrive Talk or for 1 CEU Credit the cost is $20. CEU’s are eligible for Counselors and Social Workers

Our presenter is Charlotte Holley, MSW, who is a Licensed Social Worker and a candidate for becoming a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC).  She holds a Master of Social Work from Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from the University of Illinois Chicago. Charlotte is a therapist at Thrive Counseling Center and works with youth and adult clients. She facilitates/co-facilitates group therapy spaces focused on interpersonal relationships and dialectical behavior therapy. Charlotte will teach prevention in action which is an approach that applies a harm reduction lens to interpersonal engagement around substance use and explores how self-aware intention can guide healthy substance use behaviors.

March 20th, 2023 6:00 pm at the Brookdale Senior Living, 1111 Ontario St., Oak Park
Topic: Aging Fearlessly: Are You Embracing Who You are Now? See flyer with details here.

Our presenter Julie Bach, LCSW is a Gerontology Coordinator and Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Dominican University. Julie holds two Master’s degrees – one from the University of Illinois Circle and one from the University of Southern California; as well as a PhD in Social Work form the University of Illinois Circle. Julie will explore ideas we carry about aging and how these ideas cause us fear and feeling like our lives are out of control.

November 10th, 2022 7:00 pm at the Oak Park Public Main Library
Topic: The Impact of Technology and Social Media on Family Relationships.  See flyer with details here.

Title: Being Online: A Harm Reduction Approach to Technology & Social Media Use in Families

Our presenter Nicole Rea, LCSW, is a practicing clinical social worker and psychotherapist and the current Practice Manager for the Chicago Center for Psychotherapy with special expertise in developmental psychology, neuropsychology, and neurodivergence. Nicole will share research on the developmental impact of technology and media on children at various age levels. This talk will help parents feel more confident, hopeful, and informed about how to minimize the harm and maximize the benefits of technology and media on their families.

September 29th, 2022 7:00 pm at the Oak Park Public Library
Topic: Feeling Safe in an Unsafe World: How to talk to Children and Adolescents about Traumatic World Events.  See flyer with details here

Our speaker is Laura Vecchiolla, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Sandstone Psychology Group, a private practice in Chicago who brings extensive experience working with children who have suffered trauma. Laura will provide practical tips for parents, teachers, counselors, and others interested in learning how to best talk to children and adolescents about traumatic events. Given ongoing incidents of gun violence, images of war, and news of climate-related natural disaster, this talk is especially timely.