Natalia Bak, BS

Natalia Bak is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling intern currently pursuing a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Valparaiso University. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019, shaping her interest in the intersection of biology, attachment, and lived experience.

During her previous internship placement in a correctional setting, Natalia worked closely with incarcerated individuals and discovered a strong interest in working with personality disorders and substance use concerns. This experience reinforced her belief in approaching clients with nuance, compassion, and an understanding of the broader systems and relationships that influence emotional and behavioral patterns.

Natalia takes an integrative approach to therapy, drawing from relational attachment theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and family systems perspectives. She is particularly interested in helping clients build insight and clarity around their internal experiences, relational dynamics, and patterns of behavior. She views therapy as a collaborative process in which curiosity and reflection guide the work, allowing space to explore both individual blocks and the ways they show up in relationships.

Natalia strives to provide a warm, empathetic, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment. She deeply values the client's lived experience and aims to create a space where clients feel supported, understood, and actively involved in the process of making meaning and fostering growth.