Erin Terada, Psy.D., CEDS-S (Dr. Erin)

Each person deserves to have a life that they feel that he/she/they are actively participating in and able to envision for themselves. It is in the moments when we doubt that this can happen that help, support, and understanding can be so powerful to enacting change in one’s life. Being able to find comfort in connections to oneself, others, and the world is a powerful force. Knowing that we are all fallible yet compassionate individuals striving to better ourselves is something that drives my passion for this work. It is why I feel strongly about being in such an honored position to be a part of supporting those find their way through difficult times.

I approach each therapeutic relationship as an opportunity to take part in a highly collaborative alliance that drives change for the client. I emphasize a highly individualized approach towards treatment that focuses on meeting clients where they are at and building off of strengths in order to get each patient to live their best life. I maintain that an essential part of this process is working with my client’s support system from family, friends, and other treatment team supports to provide clear focus in reaching goals for an individualized treatment experience. I bring a unique approach to treatment by truly attempting to connect to what motivates each individual through the use of compassionate encouragement and psychoeducation along with some humor to support the client’s process.

I earned my Bachelors in Arts, majoring in Psychology in 2006, with honors from Roosevelt University. Then, I earned my Masters in Clinical Psychology (2010) and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology (2012). As a clinician, my professional experience started at AMITA in 2007 as a mental health counselor in the Self-Injury and Eating disorder unit and remaining there to complete my Post-doctoral fellowship. My experience has ranged from outpatient individual therapy to residential and inpatient levels of care since then. I have a specialized focus in treating populations that offer complex multi-symptomatic presentations that require unique assessment and treatment skill sets. These populations include individuals who have Anxiety and OCD related disorders, Trauma related disorders, Substance Use Disorders, Non-Suicidal Self-injury, Eating and Feeding Disorders, and Mood Disorders. I has treated these disorders in adolescent through adult populations. 

I have been honored to hold several positions that highlight the scope of my clinical skills. Previous to joining Modern Me Psychology, I was the Clinical Director of Eating Disorder Programs at Edward-Elmhurst Hospital System, providing supervision and program development specified for the continuum of Eating and Feeding Disorders. In 2016, I obtained a specialization as a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Approved Supervisor through the International Association for Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). I also hold a seat on the Board for the Heartland Chapter for IAEDP as the Community Outreach and Mentoring Sub-Committee Chair.

My main treatment focus is CBT based, with emphasis on Behavioral Activation, Motivation Interviewing (MI), Trauma focused-CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference Based CBT (IC-BT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) towards working with Anxiety alongside of other comorbid issues. I am also dedicated to teaching and education in the community at large. I have presented over the years both locally and nationally on a range of topics. Lastly, I volunteer my time to response teams that work with first responders providing a variety of services from debriefing to wellness practices.

Outside of work, I love spending time with my husband and our “fur children”, which includes our dogs, RooBee and Steve along with our three cats, Bubble, Squeak and Elvis. I also love visiting my family in Japan and Mexico when I can.