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Dr. Yara Costa, Psychologist

Provides individual, couples, psychological testing and wellness visits

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Dr. Yara Costa has been providing psychological services for 16 years. She started her post masters career working in a psychiatric inpatient facility where she treated individuals on the unit as well as in the intake department. At this time, she worked closely with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) who would drop off mentally ill patients who needed inpatient services. During this time, Dr. Costa was also supervising Masters level clinicians who were training to receive their clinical license. She additionally had a small private practice where she provided individual therapy.

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Dr. Costa soon realized that she was very interested in the forensic psychology world, as she often had contact with the police officers and patients who had some sort of intersection with the legal system. This is when she decided to go back to school where she completed her Doctorate in Clinical Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Forensic Psychology. During her training she developed new abilities and sharpened her clinical skills with time at a substance abuse agency, forensic hospital, taught Masters, and Doctorate level classes and also conducted outpatient forensic work.

 

Dr. Costa provided individual and group therapy, psychological testing, and outpatient fitness restoration. She was also very engaged with the community at this time. Dr. Costa regularly gave community presentations to legal agencies and community mental health agencies regarding evidence-based treatment and interventions, crisis intervention and de-escalation, vicarious trauma, and other important topics.

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Since this time Dr. Costa has had myriad of experiences. She has worked with TASC (Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities) where she had several positions in where she worked with Mental Health Court and assisted TASC in developing better assessment instruments. Dr. Costa also has worked in the first hospital/correctional hybrid facility at Elgin Treatment Center, through the Illinois Department of Corrections, and at Stateville-NRC correctional facility. She very much values all of her experiences, which has led her to her interest in working with first responders.

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Overall Dr. Costa has worked closely with trauma, substance abuse, minority populations, chronic pain, couples, depression, anxiety, and anger and stress management. Dr. Costa is passionate in helping people to become better versions of themselves. She treats clients with compassion and infuses CBT, DBT, mindfulness and relational aspects into therapy.

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