​Nest Child and Family Therapy is located within the Hummingbird Therapy and Enrichment Center.
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Sarah Ahlm, MA, LCSW
​Founder/ Child and Family Therapist

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Sarah holds a Master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Chicago, Crown Family School.  She has been working with children and families for over 20 years specializing in understanding the impact of developmental differences on behavior.  Sarah focuses much of her work on helping children with anxiety, OCD, ADHD and learning differences, as well as sensory processing and medical illness, to thrive at home, school and with peers.
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Sarah specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, group and parental treatment. She is specially trained in treating childhood anxiety and holds a certification thru SPACE to treat parents of children with anxiety.   In her practice, Sarah believes in a whole child approach to problem solving, which includes supporting parents, caregivers and siblings to maximize the success for all members within a family.  In recognizing that it takes many small gains to see cognitive growth and changes in behavior, Sarah embraces a multidisciplinary approach to child focused therapy.

Sarah founded Nest guided by the principal that therapy for children should be engaging for both the child and family.  We use a developmental approach to child based therapy that includes best practices and evidence based treatment to meet the needs of each child and family that we are fortunate enough to encounter.​

Maggie Borysiak AM, LCSW
Clinical Manager/ Child and Family Therapist

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Maggie holds a masters degree in social work from the University of Chicago, Crown Family School. Prior to working at Nest Child and Family Therapy, Maggie was a family therapist at Compass Health Center where she guided families in crisis on how to best support their children and adolescents. Maggie specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and group therapy. Her areas of interest are: anxiety, depression, attentional challenges, parent coaching, family therapy, and behavior modification. Maggie believes a collaborative, authentic, and empathic relationship is imperative to working with children and their families. Maggie takes a warm and supportive approach to working with families and utilizes evidence-based strategies to help families live meaningful, value-driven lives. Maggie has a special certification thru SPACE treatment to provide parental therapy to address childhood anxiety.

Bianca Dassinger, MA, LCSW
​Child and Family Therapist

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Bianca holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität in Wűrzburg, Germany. She earned her Master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago, Crown Family School where she focused her studies on clinical social work with a specialization in family support practice and school-based social work. She has been working with children and families for more than 15 years in a variety of community mental health and school settings. 

Bianca uses a strength-based systemic approach in her clinical work and specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practice, and social skills training when working with children and their families. Bianca is inspired by children's joy, courage and resiliency and believes that every child and family has its own unique strengths. Her goal is to tap into them bringing positive change, increasing capacities and supporting overall healthy functioning. Thereby, Bianca is able to help your child navigate some of life's challenges and support you as a parent or guardian as you guide them. 

Caitlyn Yore, LSW
​Child and Family Therapist
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Caitlin holds a masters degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Prior to working at Nest Child and Family Therapy, Caitlin worked as a school social worker in the Chicagoland area providing social emotional and behavioral support to children and adolescents.

Caitlin specializes in working with children and families experiencing difficulties related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, behavioral challenges, trauma, autism and school-based issues. Caitlin utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities based on the client including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, techniques of play therapy and somatic-based interventions. Caitlin believes that creating strong relationships with parents and caregivers and integrating them into the treatment process is key to facilitating their child’s growth and healing. Caitlin is passionate about using strengths-based and child-centered approaches to help children and young adults develop a strong sense of self to tackle life’s challenges, while supporting the family throughout the child’s therapeutic journey.

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Laura Friedlander, MSW, LCSW
​Child and Family Therapist

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Laura holds a masters degree in clinical social work from The University of Illinois-Chicago. She has been working with children and families for over 30 years in a variety of settings, most recently as a school social worker at Hyde Park Day School. She is committed to helping children, teens and families navigate the stressors of life and make healthy and positive choices for themselves. 
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Laura uses a strength-based systemic approach in her clinical work and specializes in mindfulness practice, cognitive behavioral therapy and social skills training. She enjoys incorporating art, drawing and photography when working with children. Laura believes in establishing positive and supportive relationships with children and their parents and strives to develop and maintain integrative and collaborative bonds with the child’s circle of support including school staff.
​"When you meet Maggie, you will immediately feel at ease. Her warm and compassionate personality allows her patients and families to feel like they are in the best hands. She is incredibly knowledgeable and provides excellent and practical guidance. My son has made such big strides forward and it is because of the help and tools he has received from Maggie. She makes us feel safe and secure and truly wants the best for my son. I honestly can’t say enough about how wonderful she is and will be forever grateful for her help and support."
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-Elizabeth, mom of Henry,12 years old
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"When you choose Nest, rest assured your child will receive the very best care. Sarah's knowledge base, attention to detail, and dedication are unmatched. Her warm contagious smile and sense of humor are an added bonus. She has truly provided guidance and therapy for our entire family as we all work to meet our daughter's developmental needs. I honestly can say that without her help, I'm not sure where we'd be today. She "gets it" and will go above and beyond to address concerns and meet goals. She genuinely cares about her clients, making her the most passionate and successful therapist you will find in this field."
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​ -Maureen, mother of Haley, 4 years old