OakHeart, Center for Counseling, Mediation, and Consultation
OakHeart, Center for Counseling is a values-driven group practice offering specialized, evidence-based mental health treatment in North Aurora and Sycamore, Illinois. Our team of licensed psychologists, counselors, and social workers provides gold-standard care for anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, trauma, and more, serving clients throughout Kane County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, and the greater Chicago suburbs via in-person and telehealth appointments.
Who We Are
OakHeart, Center for Counseling is a values-driven group mental health practice with two locations in the Chicago suburbs and telehealth services available throughout Illinois. Founded and led by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Kat Harris and licensed clinical professional counselor Vanessa Osmer, our team of over 20 licensed psychologists, counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists brings specialized expertise across a wide range of mental health concerns.
We believe that effective therapy begins with a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust, respect, and genuine care. Our clinicians are committed to providing evidence-based, gold-standard treatment tailored to each individual client. We invest in rigorous training, continuing education, specialized consultation, and ongoing clinical supervision and mentorship to ensure that every client receives care that is both compassionate and clinically sound.
OakHeart serves children, adolescents, and adults across Kane County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, and the surrounding Chicago suburbs at our North Aurora and Sycamore locations, as well as via telehealth to clients throughout Illinois. Whether you are seeking help for anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, or any of the many other concerns our team specializes in, we are here to help you find the right fit.
We believe that effective therapy begins with a strong therapeutic relationship built on trust, respect, and genuine care. Our clinicians are committed to providing evidence-based, gold-standard treatment tailored to each individual client. We invest in rigorous training, continuing education, specialized consultation, and ongoing clinical supervision and mentorship to ensure that every client receives care that is both compassionate and clinically sound.
OakHeart serves children, adolescents, and adults across Kane County, DeKalb County, DuPage County, and the surrounding Chicago suburbs at our North Aurora and Sycamore locations, as well as via telehealth to clients throughout Illinois. Whether you are seeking help for anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, or any of the many other concerns our team specializes in, we are here to help you find the right fit.
Our mission is to provide values-based, high-quality mental health care to individuals, adolescents, and families across the lifespan, using empirically supported treatments in a safe and confidential environment. We are committed to clinical excellence, ongoing learning, and the belief that every person deserves compassionate, effective care delivered by providers who genuinely care about their wellbeing.
High-Quality Evidence-Based Counseling
Our Counselors, Clinical Social Workers, and Psychologists have a wide variety of specialties.
Telehealth/Online Counseling, In-Person Counseling, Individual Counseling, Couples Counseling in Sycamore and North Aurora Illinois
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Mental health is not something you think about only when you are struggling. Staying informed, learning about the conditions that affect you or someone you love, and feeling connected to a community that takes mental health seriously can make a real difference in how you navigate your wellbeing day to day. Our newsletter is one of the ways we try to show up for our community beyond the therapy room. When you subscribe, you can expect thoughtful, evidence-based content written by our clinicians on topics that matter, including anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, ADHD, grief, relationships, and more. We share updates on new services and clinicians, resources for you and your family, and educational content designed to help you feel informed and empowered whether you are currently a client, considering reaching out, or simply someone who values staying connected to quality mental health information. We keep our content accessible, grounded in research, and free from the kind of oversimplified wellness messaging that tends to miss the mark. Our goal is to give you something genuinely worth reading. We respect your inbox and your time. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Why Choose OakHeart?
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We are... values-based therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists. Our values are: Integrity, Kindness, Courage, Genuineness, Respect, and Empathy. These values guide our decisions, our interaction with our clients, employees, and community, and our workplace culture. These values are our compass...our foundation. They are the guiding principles by which we function. Our values are what shape our growth as therapists and mental health providers and the glue that holds our OakHeart family together. Our values represent who we are.
We offer... High quality effective treatment. We take seriously our commitment to being the best therapists, counselors, social workers, and psychologists that we can be. We regularly participate in and value continuing education and identify as lifelong learners. We implement treatments that have been shown through rigorous research studies to be efficacious at reducing symptoms and increasing quality of life. We monitor client progress, adequately assess symptoms, and only claim to specialize in a presenting problem or treatment approach if we are truly competent and adequately trained. If we do not feel we can provide appropriate care, we will work with our clients to identify the best treatment provider or level of care for their needs to increase the chances of resolution of symptoms/problems. |
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We are... committed to educating and serving our community. We are passionate about the dissemination of mental health education and disarming the stigma that is sometimes associated with mental health disorders. We are passionate about working with providers from diverse professions to ensure that professionals are working as a team to increase utilization of mental health assessment and treatment services. We are invested in our surrounding community and helping in any way that we are able.
We are... caring people who sincerely want to help. We believe that our clients feel heard, respected, and important. We believe the therapeutic relationship itself can be incredibly reparative and transformative.
We are... Professional. We respect boundaries, return phone calls, do what we say we will and say what we can do, maintain the highest confidentiality and ethical standards, and provide a clean and safe office space. We are honest, fair, and assertive, and treat our clients and employees with respect. We are grateful for the trust our clients have in us.
We are... committed to helping you find the right fit. We understand that choosing a therapist is a deeply personal decision and that the right match matters enormously. Our team is diverse in background, approach, and specialty, and we take the time to thoughtfully match clients with the clinician best suited to their needs. If it turns out that the right fit is somewhere other than OakHeart, we will do our best to help you find it.
We are... caring people who sincerely want to help. We believe that our clients feel heard, respected, and important. We believe the therapeutic relationship itself can be incredibly reparative and transformative.
We are... Professional. We respect boundaries, return phone calls, do what we say we will and say what we can do, maintain the highest confidentiality and ethical standards, and provide a clean and safe office space. We are honest, fair, and assertive, and treat our clients and employees with respect. We are grateful for the trust our clients have in us.
We are... committed to helping you find the right fit. We understand that choosing a therapist is a deeply personal decision and that the right match matters enormously. Our team is diverse in background, approach, and specialty, and we take the time to thoughtfully match clients with the clinician best suited to their needs. If it turns out that the right fit is somewhere other than OakHeart, we will do our best to help you find it.
North Aurora, IL Office Space
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Sycamore, IL Office Space
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Meet the Owners
We are a values-based organization.
Our values help guide us as we work with individuals as well as with the community.
Our values help guide us as we work with individuals as well as with the community.
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/'valyoo/ noun
A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
A person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life.
Our values are our compass. We are committed to allowing these values to guide us in our practice as humans and therapists.
Integrity: To be honest with ourselves and others; to earn the trust of our colleagues and clients; to abide by our moral and ethical code; and to be fair and sincere in all that we do
Genuineness: To be true and authentic to ourselves and towards others
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Kindness: To be understanding and open. To be considerate and helpful. We believe that all humans deserve to be treated with compassion and respect
Respect: To earn our colleague's, employee's, client's, and the community's respect in all that we do. To respect others and treat them with dignity
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Courage: To have the strength to take risks, be vulnerable, and face our fears. To do what's right even when it's hard
Empathy: To understand and have compassion for the feelings and experiences of others. To provide a safe place; to make room for emotions; and to acknowledge multiple truths
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Disclaimer
The content on the OakHeart, Center for Counseling, Mediation, and Consultation website, including text, graphics, images, blog posts, videos, and other materials ("Content"), is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not a substitute for professional mental health evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment, and should not be relied upon as clinical advice for any specific individual or situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified mental health professional or other healthcare provider regarding any condition or concern, and never disregard or delay professional advice because of something you have read on this website.
Accessing or using this website does not create a therapist-client or other professional relationship with OakHeart or any of its clinicians. A clinical relationship is established only through a formal intake process with a licensed clinician. OakHeart clinicians are licensed in the State of Illinois, and services are generally provided only to individuals located in Illinois at the time of service.
Crisis and Emergency Resources
If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, do not rely on this website for help.
Call 911 for any life-threatening emergency.
Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7).
Text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.
Go to your nearest emergency room or walk-in behavioral health crisis center.
Outside the United States: contact your local emergency services immediately.
Electronic Communication
Email, contact forms, and other communications sent through this website are not encrypted or HIPAA-secure. Please do not share confidential or protected health information through these channels. Existing clients should use the secure Simple Practice client portal for clinical communication.
Third-Party Links
This website may contain links to third-party resources. OakHeart does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, or privacy practices of any third-party site.
Limitation of Liability
The website and Content are provided on an "as is" basis, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or accuracy. To the fullest extent permitted by law, OakHeart and its owners, clinicians, and employees disclaim all liability for any damages arising from your use of, or reliance on, this website or its Content. OakHeart reserves the right to modify this disclaimer and any Content on the website at any time. Your continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of any changes.
Intellectual Property
All Content on this website is the property of OakHeart or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Content may be viewed and shared for personal, non-commercial use with proper attribution. Reproduction, redistribution, modification, or commercial use of any Content without express written permission from OakHeart is prohibited.
The content on the OakHeart, Center for Counseling, Mediation, and Consultation website, including text, graphics, images, blog posts, videos, and other materials ("Content"), is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. The Content is not a substitute for professional mental health evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment, and should not be relied upon as clinical advice for any specific individual or situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified mental health professional or other healthcare provider regarding any condition or concern, and never disregard or delay professional advice because of something you have read on this website.
Accessing or using this website does not create a therapist-client or other professional relationship with OakHeart or any of its clinicians. A clinical relationship is established only through a formal intake process with a licensed clinician. OakHeart clinicians are licensed in the State of Illinois, and services are generally provided only to individuals located in Illinois at the time of service.
Crisis and Emergency Resources
If you are in crisis or experiencing a mental health emergency, do not rely on this website for help.
Call 911 for any life-threatening emergency.
Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7).
Text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.
Go to your nearest emergency room or walk-in behavioral health crisis center.
Outside the United States: contact your local emergency services immediately.
Electronic Communication
Email, contact forms, and other communications sent through this website are not encrypted or HIPAA-secure. Please do not share confidential or protected health information through these channels. Existing clients should use the secure Simple Practice client portal for clinical communication.
Third-Party Links
This website may contain links to third-party resources. OakHeart does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, accuracy, or privacy practices of any third-party site.
Limitation of Liability
The website and Content are provided on an "as is" basis, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or accuracy. To the fullest extent permitted by law, OakHeart and its owners, clinicians, and employees disclaim all liability for any damages arising from your use of, or reliance on, this website or its Content. OakHeart reserves the right to modify this disclaimer and any Content on the website at any time. Your continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of any changes.
Intellectual Property
All Content on this website is the property of OakHeart or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Content may be viewed and shared for personal, non-commercial use with proper attribution. Reproduction, redistribution, modification, or commercial use of any Content without express written permission from OakHeart is prohibited.
