Our Philosophy

The question is not why the self-destructive behavior, but why the pain.

Live free from self-destructive thoughts and behaviors and embark on a life long journey of recovery.

We know that human suffering is behind addiction. There is emotional pain, suffering, a sense of alienation, a sense of loss of meaning, a sense of a loss control and a sense that the addictive substance or behavior will make us feel better. Addiction is an attempt to solve a problem. Our patients who are suffering from addiction simply want what they feel life should give them but for some reason has not. They want something we all want… A Normal life.

Lauren Pace, DO and Psychiatrist on why SunCloud treats co-occurring disorders.

Mara Y Schieber, LCSW, CADC, Therapist at SunCloud Health, discusses the reasons why SunCloud Health treats co-occurring illnesses at the same time.

Dr. Marcia Nickow, PSY.D., CADC, CGP, Clinical Director and Organizational Advisor at SunCloud Health discusses the power of our process groups and how people want to know about people..

Video: TORN TO PIECES-HOOD, A QUOTE BY WILLIAM JAMES. WE ALL HAVE IT.

Dr. Marcia Nickow, PSY.D., CADC, CGP, Clinical Director and Organizational Advisor at SunCloud Health the relevance of a quote by William James, torn to pieces hood. We all have it.

Our Treatment Philosophy

SunCloud’s treatment philosophy is designed to support our patients desire to break free from self-destructive thoughts and behaviors as they embark on a life long journey of recovery that encompasses physical, emotional, psycho-social and spiritual growth.
We seek to support our patients in becoming empowered in the process and to take ownership of their unique recovery journey, recognizing that each person has a specific set of needs and there is not one standard treatment that works for everyone.

Chris Stewart, MD. Board Certified Psychiatrist addresses a few common addiction misconceptions regarding treatment and engagement while answering the question, do I have to hit bottom before asking for help?

We maintain a confidential, safe, healthy and inspiring environment that is conducive to the needs of our patients. Our facility has been designed with intention and attention to detail—our clinicians know the value of safety and comfort in the space in which patients, their families and our therapists do the sacred work of healing.

We maintain a commitment to participating as meaningful contributors to the mental health field, committed to studying what works and what does not, and to sharing our knowledge with both the professional and the lay community. We maintain relationships with Academic Institutions and other treatment centers and leaders throughout the world. We are committed to continuous improvement and we are eager to share our results with anyone who is interested.

David Newton, MBA, Director of Operations and Co-founder, SunCloud Health, describes the value that SunCloud Health provides.

Autumn Aumann, Residential Ops & BHS Dir. on Dr. Kim’s vision and the integrated treatment model.

Kim Dennis, MD, CEDS, Co-Founder and Medical Director at SunCloud Health, discusses the need for the integrated treatment for patients with co-occurring disorders and underlying trauma.

We Believe in You

True and genuine long term and transparent collaboration with our patients, their families, their other medical and behavioral providers and their payers is paramount, we believe, to the long term success of our patients.

We believe in the power of community and group treatment. In working with others who struggle with similar issues, a group can harness the power to effect change that individual therapy often cannot.

We believe that mental illness, eating disorders, and addictions are diseases. Not all are the same—some are acute, some are chronic, some are acute and chronic. With appropriate matching of disease type and severity to level and duration of care, our clinicians can help patients achieve full and sustained recovery.

We believe that long-term, preventative, integrated treatment can be effectively delivered along the outpatient spectrum of care in a manner that is least disruptive and most effective to patients and their families.

We believe in the power of peer support, and in making our space available for mutual support group meetings.

We believe in being of service to our community, participating in community organizations, the schools, and other organizations that strive to educate the public, initiate prevention strategies, improve access to quality care, and decrease stigma associated with having these illnesses, receiving treatment for them or being recovered from them.

We believe in considering the whole family system as a critical component of treatment. Our aim is to help our patients feel supported in all contexts of their lives and this starts with their familial relationships. Family therapy engages all family members in a healing process rather than just focusing on the identified patient. We counsel parents and partners and provide psycho education, in order to strengthen families and foster a nurturing home environment. Through a systems approach to treatment, we can also target and moderate the effects of intergenerational trauma.

We believe that the goal of healthcare is better health, and that our patients and their families want more health. We believe that people want intelligently delivered care, that is effective for the long run, coordinated, and ultimately least disruptive to their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

We believe in treating our patients and their families first and foremost as human beings, who courageously come to us in pain, often times in shame, seeking help and support. We believe our patients deserve compassion and expertise in the care they receive in return. We believe full recovery is attainable and requires a life-long commitment to health.

We believe in treating both the symptoms of these deadly diseases as well as their root causes. We are mindful of the fact that many times addictive diseases co-occur. We have the staff, the expertise and the integrated model to treat people suffering from complex co-occurring illnesses.

We believe strongly in the power of group therapy as an agent of change and a space to promote social support and healing. Group psychotherapy has a strong evidence base provides a unique opportunity to work on issues of intimacy as well as individuation. Group therapy has also been proven useful in treating a broad variety of problems, including depression, anxiety, serious medical illness, loss, and addictive disorders (AGPA, 2003).

By implementing this philosophy, our patients can benefit in the following ways:

  • Their lives are saved, both literally in many cases as well as spiritually and emotionally.
  • They can continue going to school or work, spending time with loved ones, and doing what makes their lives meaningful.
  • They can rest assured knowing that we are working in collaboration with their other providers in a way that ensures our interests are aligned and centered around helping them improve their condition.
  • They learn to respond to emotional adversity with healthy thoughts and actions.
  • They surrender their lives to being who and what they were always meant to be and are no longer victim to the compulsive and self-destructive thoughts and actions dictated by their disease.
  • They learn to rediscover the wonders of life to include the value of family, friends, their professions, their passions and their souls.
  • They are able to address the physical and emotional components of their illness, often preventing the untreated or poorly treated behavioral illness from causing a costly and sometimes deadly related medical illness.
  • They are able to take good care of themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually; many times this means the resolution of physical illness that was either associated with active mental illness or physical health that was unattended to due to the active mental illness. Our patients learn to care about their health and engage in recommended preventive medical, dental and mental health care activities.

Explaining SunCloud’s Integrated Model Why is an integrated treatment model essential to successfully treating patients?

Dr. Kim Dennis, Co-Founder and Medical Director at SunCloud Health, discusses the vital role the integrated model (that she is pioneering at SunCloud Health) plays in the success of treating patients with co-occurring disorders and underlying trauma. How does SunCloud create an authentic culture of patient support?

Rachel Collins, LCSW
Site Director of Northbrook PHP and IOP

Rachel Collins, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Northbrook Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for both adolescents and adults. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to complete her master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University. She has since worked in a wide range of settings, including inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, therapeutic group homes, and private practice. Rachel specializes in treating trauma (using Cognitive Processing Therapy) and anxiety, practicing through a relational, compassionate, and client-centered lens. She is passionate about creating a therapeutic space in which clients feel safe and able to explore various parts of themselves with curiosity as opposed to judgement. In addition to her leadership and clinical work, she is passionate about creating art, and learning about the intersection between creativity and mental health.

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW
Site Director, Naperville PHP/IOP (Adolescents & Adults)

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Naperville Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adolescents and adults. She brings extensive experience working with individuals across the lifespan, including adolescents, adults, and geriatric populations, and specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, substance use, family systems, forensic populations, and individuals in crisis.

Kayla has worked in a wide range of clinical and community settings, including community-based interventions, police crisis response, correctional facilities, inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, and with vulnerable and underserved populations. In addition to her clinical and leadership work, she is passionate about providing mental health education and advocacy within the community.

Kayla earned her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from Aurora University and went on to complete her Master’s degree in Forensic Social Work, also at Aurora University. Her clinical approach is evidence-based, compassionate, trauma-informed, and integrative, emphasizing collaboration and individualized care.

Driven by a personal mission to meet individuals where they are, Kayla is committed to helping clients feel safe, supported, and understood. She strives to create a natural and empathetic healing environment while ensuring individuals from all backgrounds and identities know they are not alone and have access to meaningful resources and support.

Elizabeth E. Sita, MD
Medical Director of Adult Services

Dr. Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, is a Board Certified psychiatrist specializing in the care of patients with eating disorders. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago and graduated with Highest Honors. She then earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and was recognized with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. She subsequently completed residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, where she was elected Chief Resident and received the Resident Psychiatrist Leadership & Service Award.
Upon completing her training, Dr. Sita came to Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, where she served as Assistant Medical Director of the Center for Eating Disorders and Director of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services before transitioning to lead the new inpatient eating disorder unit as Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago. In these roles, she has cared for a multitude of adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders as well as severe, cooccurring mood, trauma, personality, and substance use disorders.
Dr. Sita has been recognized throughout her training and practice for a commitment to excellence in patient care and for her ability to engage patients in their most challenging moments. Her passions include the care of treatment-resistant eating and mood disorders as well as questions of medical capacity and end-of-life decision making.
She believes that, first and foremost, human connection is key to mental health and well-being and strives to share this philosophy in each and every patient encounter. She is excited to bring her expertise to SunCloud Health as the Medical Director of Adult Services!
 
VIDEO: Meet Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, Medical Director of Adult Services


 https://youtu.be/JbmELh2UGXE

Lacey Lemke, PsyD
Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Lacey Lemke (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized expertise in the treatment of eating disorders and the practice of medical and health psychology. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology with a Primary Care emphasis at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lemke went on to complete both her predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship through Ascension Health, where she gained advanced training working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors, as well as within pediatric subspecialty settings including endocrinology, neurology, and adolescent medicine.

Dr. Lemke is deeply committed to providing evidence-based, compassionate care and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive treatment. Her professional mission is to support patients in achieving their fullest potential by guiding them to the most appropriate level of care and empowering them to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward improved health and well-being.

VIDEO: 2. Meet Lacey Lemke, PsyD.

https://youtu.be/iKQeU9s5U2k?rel=o