Meet Our Staff

Hello. I am Dr. Eric Aprill (he/him, gay-identified), and I am a Staff Therapist at Freelife Behavioral Health. Although we haven't met yet, I am proud of you for taking the next steps in your therapeutic journey. It can be difficult to take those steps, whether for the first, second, or third time. Throughout life, we are faced with a variety of experiences, some of which are incredibly vulnerable that create lasting impacts on our lives. Those vulnerable experiences can cause us to feel stuck, sad, anxious, ashamed, and overwhelmed. Through therapy, together, we can process those vulnerable experiences that you lived through, learn how those experiences impact your life, learn how to cope with them, and eventually heal from them. Ultimately letting you move towards a happier, healthier life.

In therapy, I bring a genuine soft-heartedness, curiosity, and acceptance. Together, we can create goals that meet your needs to help you grow in ways to live a more self-led, authentic life. To help you achieve those goals, I utilize an integrative and collaborative approach to build a non-judgmental space where you will feel safe to process your experiences and help various parts of yourself heal.

I graduated with my Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adler University in 2021. During my doctoral graduate training experiences, I provided individual and couples counseling in a variety of settings, including private practices, a community mental health center, and a residential rehabilitation center. I completed my training at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Center City, Minnesota. I specialize in working with individuals and couples who experience depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, addiction, and men's issues. Additionally, I have previous experience and interest in working with folks within the LGBTQIA+, Consensually Non-Monogamous, and Kink communities.

I’m Dr. Ian Bonner (he/him, gay identified) and welcome to Freelife Behavioral Health. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and have lived in Chicago a good long time providing therapy in private practices, LGBTQ+ focused agencies, addiction centers, and university settings. I deeply believe in the possibility of transformational change and the feeling of freedom that comes with being unburdened of the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and systems that do not serve us and keep us limited. I believe the changes we want are best fostered in community with supportive and affirming others. My road down this path started with the arts. I spent most of my youth involved in music and got to feel what happens when we feel safe enough to take creative risks around others that won’t let us fall. What brought me to become a therapist was in fact my 10 years in improv comedy. What I learned but didn’t have language for at the time was that I wasn’t there for the laughs. That being able to express myself in my words and my body while also reveling in what others had to share had the impact of making anything feel safe and possible in ways I did not know could happen. This is one of the feelings I hope our work together can elicit.

Therapy with me is focused on your needs and working to identify what could feel different and what could practically be better in life. Sometimes, we don’t even have words for what is bringing us to therapy exactly, but we simply know that something isn’t as it could be. My work with clients starts with a thorough look at where they come from, what messages were given to them about who they are, what they are worth, and what they are and are not capable of. Together, we will explore what was learned and the way these messages interact with clients lives right now in their relationships, jobs, and with themselves. Through this process, clients begin to recognize that there are more choices than previously imagined and we are often freer to grow and thrive than we were ever allowed to feel.

Professionally, I graduated from Adler University with a PsyD in 2012. My training experiences included providing therapy and assessment services in clinics and after prison programs on Chicago’s west side. I then trained at Valeo, an LGBTQ+ focused substance abuse program. My advanced training, internship, and postdoctoral fellowships were all in University counseling settings at UIC and Emory University, respectively. Prior to opening Freelife, I worked for 7+ years at IntraSpectrum Counseling, an LGBTQ+ focused private practice in Chicago serving as a therapist and as the Executive Director.

Hello, I’m Julleon Garrison, and I’m honored that you’re considering me as a partner in your therapeutic journey. Therapy, to me, is a collaborative relationship where we face the challenges of growth, celebrate triumphs, and find support through life’s bittersweet moments. No issue is ever too small to bring up—sometimes just exploring what’s on your mind can be the first step toward clarity. If you’re feeling the need for more support, reaching out can help lighten the load. 

As a Black queer therapist, I understand how important it is to find someone who truly "gets" the complexities of identity and intersectionality. I’m passionate about working with individuals who face unique challenges as Black and POC, and I aim to provide an affirming space where you feel seen and understood. I enjoy working with clients of all identities and I am experienced in helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, identity, stress management, and neurodiversity (including ADHD and ASD). 

I hold a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from Philander Smith University, an HBCU where I focused on Black Psychology, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where I specialized in ADHD and BPD treatment and working with special populations like formerly incarcerated people, unhoused individuals, and sex workers. 

Hi, I’m Ben (he/they) and I’m a Postdoctoral Fellow at Freelife Behavioral Health. Congratulations on starting your journey to finding a therapist. That’s a really huge step. It takes a lot of courage to recognize that there are things you may want to explore, change, and/or better understand about yourself, the way you see others, and/or your environment. Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with and trust can be difficult. Painful life experiences, past trauma, and current situations can lead you to feel stuck, depressed, and anxious. I believe that we all have areas of our life that warrant closer examination. Whether utilizing therapy for developing tools to better navigate challenging situations or delving deeper into the complexity of relationships and life experiences, having a safe and non-judgmental space for the exploration of the self is crucial. You know yourself better than anyone. I bring training and expertise, which together we can utilize to form a deeper understanding of your present circumstances. I believe deeply in the transformational power of the therapeutic relationship.  As your therapist, I aim to create a supportive, respectful space where we can work together to best suit your therapeutic goals, even if those goals have yet to be uncovered.

In therapy, I bring an empathic, soft-hearted interest and acceptance to the therapeutic space, designed to encourage mutual exploration into areas of interest relating to a patient’s psychology and mental health. My clinical areas of interest include working with adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds in individual and group therapeutic formats. I have experience and expertise in working with the LGBTQ+ communities and have clinical experience working with patients struggling with a number of issues, including but not limited to: sexual and gender identity, minority issues, acute and complex trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, men’s issues, self-esteem, substance use, life transitions, and grief.

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brandeis University. I earned my M.S.Ed. at Pace University’s School/Clinical Psychology Program and am completing my Doctorate in School/Clinical Psychology at Pace University. I completed my doctoral internship at the JCCA’s foster-care agency in NYC/Brooklyn in August 2021. I co-authored a chapter on gender and health in the Handbook of Health Psychology, published in 2019. I have also developed and presented lectures addressing the need for establishing better climates for LGBTQ+ youth and adults within various professional and educational spaces. My research interests involve LGBTQ+ mental health, masculinity, environmental systems, and the intersections of sexuality, gender, and ethnic identity.

Hello! My name is Dr. Valerie Velarde (she/they, queer identified), and I am a Staff Therapist at Freelife Behavioral Health. Thank you for being here and considering psychotherapy as a possible tool in your healing arsenal. I believe allowing yourself to be compassionately and nonjudgmentally witnessed and informed by our time together has the power to radically change the circumstances that bring you to therapy.

During our initial sessions, I seek to understand your history and how it influences your well-being today. This process allows us to access empathy and honor the totality of your experience as we gain insight into parts of yourself that tend to stay hidden, ignored, and in need of healing. Together, we will collaborate to alchemize old pains to develop a path toward a more free and joyful life. While I believe you are the ultimate expert on you, I utilize my training in depth psychology, issues of social justice, and personal experience to engage as your ally while humbly challenging you to realize your therapeutic goals. I prioritize holistic care and can support you to access resources and community outside of psychotherapy, including medical or spiritual care. Previous clients would describe working with me as supportive, humorous, engaging, and sensitive to cultural differences.

Personally, I have worked in the mental health field for over 10 years. I received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and gender studies, respectively, from the University of Utah, and a graduate certificate in LGBT Health Policy and Practice from George Washington University. Finally, I completed my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) from The Wright Institute in 2023. While much of my clinical experiences are in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community mental health settings that serve historically disadvantaged teens and adults, I also have interest in and experience working with couples, neurodivergence, trauma, generational or familial problems, life transitions, grief and death, relationship concerns, and anxiety or other emotional difficulties.

I have lived throughout the United States and look forward to learning about and serving communities in Chicago and Illinois. During my free time, I enjoy cuddling my two cats, perusing local eats and haunts, and studying ecology and herbalism, astrology, and other mystical sciences.

My name is Kendall Wolfe (he/him, queer identifying), and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) living and practicing in Chicago, Illinois. 

I received my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) from Indiana University with a concentration in clinical mental health, substance use and addictions. I've worked for more than a decade both private practice and non-profit spaces with a special interest in LGBTQ+ affirming care, community mental health, sexual health, harm reduction, and supporting people living with HIV.

In addition to my focus in serving the LGBTQ+ community I also have extensive experience supporting non-monogamous and poly-identifying folks, members of kink communities and supporting folks looking to discuss substance use/abuse and persons engaging in sex work. I am also experienced in treating clients with intellectual disabilities, those with more severe or persistent mental health concerns, and those with chronic health issues.

I’m so glad that you’re here, and I can’t wait to get to know you!