Adler School launches the first ever Alumni Association!

Welcome to the Adler School Alumni Association home page, your source for information about alumni benefits, contacts, resources, and updates. As a graduate of Adler School, you are a member of the Alumni Association which works to further the professional and intellectual growth of Adler School graduates.

We are proud to introduce the following members of the Adler School Alumni Association - Leadership Board…

Michael Banghart (M.A. in Counseling 2002)

Michael has been working in the Social Service field for over fifteen years in a variety of capacities. He began his career working with chronically mentally ill adults residing in a group living facility in Michigan before moving to Chicago. In 1995, he began conducting research with homeless and seriously mentally ill (HSMI) adults for a longitudinal federal grant. After finishing his Masters in Counseling Psychology in 2001 from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Michael began working with Renaissance Social Services, an organization assisting homeless individuals and families to secure work and housing. Michael serves Renaissance Social Services as its Executive Director. The organization has doubled its annual revenues and tripled the number of people served to over 400 annually.

Michael has published in peer reviewed journals and has two published book chapters. He has presented at conferences around the country and is currently a member of the American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association, and North American Society of Adlerian Psychology. His interests include free speech, access to healthcare and affordable housing for all.

Dennis Connelly (M.A. in Police Psychology 2006)

Dennis grew up in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood and is a 20 year veteran sergeant of the Chicago Police Department. In 1987, he joined the Chicago Police Department and was assigned to the Town Hall station at Addison and Halsted where he worked as a tactical officer. In 1996, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was transferred to the Belmont District, where he is currently a gang team Supervisor. He earned his B.A. in Criminal/Social Justice from Lewis University and then an M.B.A. in Training and Performance Management and M.S. in Finance from St. Xavier University in Chicago. In 2006, he graduated from Adler School with a M.A. in Police Psychology. Dennis serves on the advisory board for Adler School's Police Psychology program. Before his work in the field of law enforcement, Dennis spent 12 years working for the Chicago Cubs as an assistant clubhouse manager.

Gary Howell (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology 2008)

Gary is the Clinical Director of Associates in Behavioral Science, a psychologist-run psychiatric private practice.  He oversees the training and daily operations of the practice.  Prior to moving to Chicago, he taught upper-elementary and middle school students with learning and behavioral disorders at a private therapeutic school in Dallas, Texas.  During his undergraduate training, he worked at a rural AIDS Service Organization serving 7,000 square miles, as a case-manager, prevention/outreach specialist, liaison to local colleges and volunteer coordinator.  He provided pre/post test HIV counseling, administered over 100 HIV tests and presented over 25 HIV/AIDS 101 workshops to various college campuses across Texas.

Gary graduated from the Adler School with an M.A. in Counseling (2004), Psy.D. (2008), and completed the Hypnosis Certificate program.  He has been an adjunct professor at Truman College since 2005 and currently provides testing and psychotherapy at ABS.  He was recently elected the IPA Sexual Orientation Issues Section Chair and is a member of APA.  He recently presented his dissertation topic (Assessing the Need for Adjustments in Scoring and Interpretation of the Rorschach Inkblot Test with Gay Men) and a topic on spirituality within the gay community at the 2009 LGBTI National Health Summit.

Ninfa A. Martínez (M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy 1994)

Ninfa obtained her B.A. in Psychology from the Autonomous National University of Mexico in Mexico City. She practiced for four years in Mexico City in diverse settings from a Granja (a psychiatric hospital for long term hospitalization of psychiatric patients) as a Recreational Therapist to a pre-school, as a Behavioral Counselor.  She received her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1994 and a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1995, both from the Adler School of Professional Psychology.  In 1998, she completed the last Externship in Marriage and Family Therapy that was offered by the Family Systems Program of the Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago.

For over fifteen years, Ninfa has worked mostly with underserved populations. She was worked in diverse areas as an additions counselor, a qualified mental health professional, child and family therapist, director of a counseling program, director of a domestic violence program, and director of a sex offenders' treatment program with the Department of Corrections. For the last ten years, Ninfa has worked as a forensic interviewer of children, and therapist of children who have suffered traumatic events and their families. In addition, she maintains a private practice, is a consultant of a child welfare agency, trains domestic violence counselors, and supervises Marriage and Family Therapy students.

Laura Mathis (Psy.D in Clinical Psychology 2004)

Laura Mathis graduated with a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Adler School in 2004. Currently, she is in private practice in the Chicago loop area where she sees both individuals and couples. Her practice has a focus on spirituality and incorporating the spiritual task as part of the healing process.

One of Laura's areas of special interests is working with immigrants. Having lived abroad for several years, she has developed a strong interest and empathy for the difficulties that occur when one is facing a new culture and fighting for inclusion. The second population of special interest for Laura is working with others in the helping professions (teachers, non-profit workers, etc.) and providing them with affordable services.

Laura has brought leadership and enthusiasm to Adler School programming over the past few years by participating on Alumni Panels and speaking to Adler School students about licensure and "getting started" with private practice.

Ellen McGury Stone (Psy.D in Clinical Psychology 2002)

Dr. Ellen M. Stone is a licensed clinical psychologist and is currently in private practice in downtown Chicago and the near southwest suburbs of Chicago.  She provides clinical services to individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, addiction recovery, trauma recovery and family/relationship issues.  She was the Coordinator of Cook County Government's Employee Assistance Program from 1989 until 2008, and continues her interest in working with individuals balancing their work life with their personal life, as well as consulting with managers and human resource administrators on creating and maintaining a positive, engaged work force.  She is also a consultant to other treatment professionals on clinical and employee assistance issues.  Dr. Stone's other professional experience included work with children and families involved in the court system due to child abuse and neglect.  She provided counseling services for children, adolescents and families involved with the court due to incest and sexual abuse. 

Dr. Stone received a Masters of Counseling Psychology degree in 1980 and a Psy.D.  in Clinical Psychology in 2002 from the Adler School of Professional Psychology. She has served as a Board Member of the Northern Illinois Employee Assistance Professional Association and is currently co-secretary/treasurer of the Illinois Consortium of Assistance Programs for Professionals (ICAPP).  She also serves as the liaison for the Illinois Psychological Association (IPA) to ICAPP.

Yael Ron (Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology 2004)

Yael obtained her B.A. in Behavioral Sciences from the Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva, Israel. She received a Masters in Counseling Psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in 1995 and then continues to complete her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2004. Throughout her career, Yael has attained diverse experiences working with individuals from all walks of life and in a variety of settings. Prior to immigrating to the US, Yael directed and managed a local branch of a national head hunting agency. Subsequently to immigrating to the US, and between the years of 1990 and 1995, she worked for the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest, supporting the local Israeli community and diplomatic staff on issues related to immigration and acculturation. Upon graduation with her Masters from the Adler School, Yael worked as a special needs adoption coordinator, clinician, consultant to early childhood programs, and a clinical supervisor at a child welfare agency at Jewish Children's Bureau. Additionally, for the past seven years, Yael has provided assessment and treatment to individuals recovering from substance abuse, trauma, incarceration and homelessness within an inner city transitional residential Chicago Christian Industrial League. In this setting, she served as the co-director of the training program in psychology, supervised members of the professional staff and graduate doctoral students in psychology, as well as consulted to program directors and management.

Currently, Yael teaches at the Adler School as an adjunct faculty and has her own private practice in Skokie and Arlington Heights, IL. She specializes in the treatment of dually diagnosed individuals, survivors of trauma, treatment of complex PTSD, loss and grief.

Christy Schoenwald (M.A in Art Therapy 2009)

Christy currently works as the Director of Memory Support at Norwood Crossing, a not-for-profit nursing home on the Northwest side of Chicago.  In this position she is responsible for the coordination of specialized dementia programming including activity-focused program development and implementation, staff training, and family support.  Prior to this position, Christy spent four years working on a nursing home quality improvement program that enhanced the design and development of person-centered care programming for assisted living, skilled and memory care communities at four nursing homes in Chicago's suburbs.

Click Here to see the Bylaws of the Adler School Alumni Association.