about shala d.

“As the Client Care Coordinator, I am the first to welcome you to Empower Family Therapy, and I’m committed to making your transition as seamless as possible. I connect with new clients during the intake process and carefully guide them to finding the therapist that will be their best match. I support clients in navigating their insurance benefits and the ongoing billing of their therapy services. Whether you are seeking therapy for the first time or in search of a new practitioner, the process can be scary and overwhelming. My hope is that clients feel understood, supported, and well-guided from the initial outreach through their therapy experience.

I have a Bachelors of Art in Interdisciplinary Studies (Education and Fine Art) from Columbia College Chicago. I also obtained a minor in Arts in Healthcare. It was during this coursework that I was exposed to Creative Arts Therapy. As a painter and creative mind, I have been lucky to always have visual art as an avenue for expression and emotional processing. 

It’s an honor to be trusted by clients, in their most difficult and vulnerable times, to facilitate the start of such an important relationship, the one with their therapist. I am proud to play a part in improving the health and happiness of families in the Oak Park Community while conquering stigma around mental health services.

I am a big advocate for maintaining positive mental health. One way I do this in my own life is by being active—riding my bike, yoga, long walks in nature, and sometimes being “active” could simply mean I give my home a good deep cleaning. Staying creative is also vital for me. My paintings are largely improvisational. I often recycle my own work by ripping it up then using the pieces to create something new. That process within itself is cathartic. 

Being raised in a farming family in MIssouri, I enjoy playing in the dirt (gardening).Despite living in several different cities, I will always be a country girl at heart. I am thankful to have found a beautiful and diverse community in Hyde Park, where I live with my partner, stepson and our three mischievous cats.

“It’s an honor to be trusted by clients, in their most difficult and vulnerable times, to facilitate the start of such an important relationship, the one with their therapist.”

- Shala Dryden (she/her/hers)

Shala is the Client Care Coordinator; she assists clients through the intake and billing processes during their experience as a client of Empower Family Therapy.