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I’m Gretchen Corn, LPC NBCC. Those initials mean that I’m a board-certified licensed professional counselor. I graduated in 2012 from Eastern Illinois University with an MS in Clinical Counseling. I opted out of the workforce until the youngest of my three children started grade school in 2018. I have experience working with clients at the Jasper County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Department and the former Robinson branch of the Southeastern Illinois Counseling Center. I am passionate about helping to provide services for our underserved community here in South Central Illinois and serve as Vice-Chair with a young grassroots nonprofit, Crawford County L.I.F.E. I speak locally about mental health issues and have written similar articles for the Robinson Daily News.  I welcome clients from any or no faith background, however, as a Christian myself, I specialize in helping clients incorporate their personal faith into their healing and growth. I am a member of both the American Counseling Association and the American Association for Christian Counselors.

 

How can I help?

 

At Holding Hope Counseling, I will invest myself in helping you achieve your goals. I will utilize whatever counseling modalities make the most sense for you while remaining open to feedback on what you need more or less of. Counseling is a collaborative working relationship and I believe together, we can accomplish your short and long-term goals in a safe and supportive environment. Maybe you want support achieving relational goals, you are seeking healing from a traumatic past, your child is being bullied or dealing with anxiety or maybe you need assistance managing your mental illness. Whatever your goals, I would like to use my life-long passion for walking alongside people in difficult times and my years of training in professional counseling and ministry to help you achieve your dream. If you need someone to “hold hope” for you while you take these important steps, please contact me for a free 15-minute consultation.

 

Still reading?

 

I love that you are committed to knowing me! OK OK Here are some other tidbits. I spent most of my childhood in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and love any excuse to be near “the Lake”, to immerse myself in the cultures that are everywhere, and to get to the Shed Aquarium, the Art Institute of Chicago, or the theater. I claim to be a Cubs fan, but my husband would say I struggle to prove that point. I have spent several years working in full-time, part-time, and volunteer ministries from middle-school through young adult ministries. I look forward to a season in life where I can travel for mission trips again and teach my children about the beauty of God’s creation and people everywhere. Robinson is my happy place and I enjoy the familiarity provided in small-town living. It’s wonderful getting everywhere I need to be in less than 10 minutes and knowing the majority of the people I interact with within the community on a first name basis! Being a fan of simplicity often makes the fewer options in our area a plus, rather than a negative. I’m happiest when someone from a Hershey’s parade float is pouring boxes of chocolate down on me as I’m surrounded by friends and family on a sunny October afternoon. (If you don’t understand that last statement… plan to join us for the annual Health Harvest Festival in Robinson) If you’d like to talk more about you… please call me and set up a time for a free 15-minute phone conversation to learn more about getting started.