Dr. Chris Mazzarella (aka Dr. Chris) is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. Since joining Heritage Professional Associates in 2006—and becoming a managing partner in 2012—he has helped individuals and families navigate a wide range of emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges.

A general practitioner by training, Dr. Chris works with adolescents, adults, and families facing concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem issues, parenting challenges, and spiritual struggles. He is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)—a powerful, evidence-based method for healing trauma and enhancing personal performance.

Dr. Chris also specializes in men’s mental health, emerging adulthood, executive coaching, and the psychology of athletic performance. As Director of the Heritage Center for Child and Family Resilience, he leads initiatives aimed at promoting mental wellness across developmental stages. He also serves as a clinical supervisor in the Heritage training program, mentoring the next generation of therapists.

Beyond the therapy room, Dr. Chris is passionate about community engagement and mental health education. He collaborates with churches, schools, businesses, and athletic organizations to promote emotional resilience, healthy relationships, and integrated well-being. He has been featured on media outlets such as Sports Illustrated Now (SI Now) and ESPN1000 Chicago to speak on topics at the intersection of sports and psychology.

Dr. Chris is available for community speaking engagements on topics such as:

• Mental Fitness for Athletes and Coaches: Managing pressure, performance blocks, and resilience

• Men and Mental Health: Redefining strength, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence

• Helping Teens Thrive: Tools for parents navigating adolescence and emerging adulthood

• Parenting with Purpose: Strategies for building connection, structure, and confidence

• Faith and Emotional Health: Integrating spiritual values with psychological well-being

• Stress, Burnout, and Boundaries: Mental wellness for professionals, educators, and leaders

• Resilience in Action: What thriving people and organizations have in common

Dr. Chris brings an approachable, engaging presence to his presentations—grounded in clinical experience, personal authenticity, and a deep commitment to whole-person wellness.

Outside of work, Dr. Chris enjoys life with his wife of over 25 years, their three teenage children, and their puggle, Lucy. He loves being outdoors, traveling, snowboarding, surfing, triathlons, and staying active in his community.

Michal Kocum holds an unrelenting focus on the value of each person and the importance of subjective experience. In his work, he emphasizes bringing healing through empathy—toward both self and others—and cultivating compassion in the midst of pain. His training in Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides a strong clinical foundation for his therapeutic approach.

Michal specializes in treating and managing complex and attachment trauma, dissociation, alcohol and substance use, mood-related difficulties (including anxiety, depression, and mania), and relational suffering (such as codependency, boundary challenges, and communication issues). His background includes extensive work in substance use treatment, where he integrates trauma-informed care with recovery-focused approaches to support individuals on their healing journeys.

In addition to his clinical work, Michal is available for continuing education trainings, professional consultations, and community outreach events. He is passionate about sharing knowledge in accessible, compassionate ways that empower individuals and organizations to foster mental and relational well-being.

Common topics Michal presents on include:

• Understanding and Healing Attachment and Complex Trauma

• Practical Approaches to Supporting Dissociation in Clinical Work

• Applying DBT and MBT Principles in Everyday Practice

• Compassionate Boundaries: Navigating Relationships with Integrity

• The Role of Empathy in Recovery and Resilience

• Addressing Substance Use Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

• Enhancing Emotional Regulation and Mentalization in High-Stress Settings

• Trauma-Informed Communication for Families and Communities

Michal brings warmth, depth, and clarity to his presentations, offering both clinical insight and human connection to support learning and growth.

Dr. Abby Hurley is a licensed clinical psychologist and a partner at Heritage Professional Associates, where she provides trauma-informed, values-based psychotherapy and serves as a clinical supervisor to developing therapists. She is also the Director of the Center for Values-Based Living, a collaborative training and therapy initiative focused on integrating person-centered care with evidence-based practices.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Hurley is an assistant professor in the PsyD Clinical Psychology program at Midwestern University, bringing over two decades of experience working with adolescents and adults across inpatient, residential, crisis, and outpatient settings.

Her clinical expertise centers on complex trauma, dissociative disorders, self-harm, suicidality, and emotion regulation. She has advanced training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and somatic therapies, including specialized training in Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)—a neurobiological, brainstem-based approach to trauma processing.

With a Master’s in Historical and Systematic Theology, Dr. Hurley brings a distinctive lens to her work, supporting individuals navigating the intersections of faith, identity formation, and psychological healing. She is passionate about integrating clinical excellence with relational depth in both therapy and training.

Dr. Hurley is a sought-after speaker and trainer, available for continuing education seminars, clinical consultation, and community outreach presentations. She is known for her ability to present complex material with clarity, warmth, and clinical relevance.

She has provided CE trainings on topics including:

• ACT Case Conceptualization: Building flexible, values-based clinical frameworks

• Functional Contextualist Approaches to Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders

• Underlying Processes for Evidence-Based Care in Emotion Regulation

• Integrating Somatic Strategies into Clinical Work

Community Engagement Speaking Topics – Dr. Abby Hurley

Applying Somatic Practices for Everyday Wellbeing

• "Listening to the Body: How Somatic Awareness Can Support Healing and Resilience"

• "Simple Somatic Strategies to Navigate Stress, Overwhelm, and Emotional Pain"

• "From Tension to Trust: Understanding the Body’s Role in Emotional Healing"

ACT in Everyday Life: Building Psychological Flexibility

• "Getting Unstuck: How to Move Forward When You Feel Mentally Trapped"

• "Making Room for the Hard Stuff: Acceptance and Self-Compassion as Tools for Growth"

• "Living Your Values: Clarifying What Matters and Taking Steps Toward It"

DBT Skills for Life, Not Just Therapy

• "Emotion Regulation for Real Life: What to Do When You Feel Out of Control"

• "Boundaries, Balance, and the Power of ‘Wise Mind’"

• "Crisis Survival Skills Everyone Should Know: DBT Tools for Daily Challenges"

Trauma-Informed Wellness and Community Care

• "Healing Happens in the Body: Trauma-Informed Tools for Daily Life"

• "Understanding the Nervous System: Why We Shut Down, Blow Up, or Numb Out—and What to Do About It"

• "From Surviving to Thriving: Supporting Mental Health in Your Community"

Faith, Identity, and Embodied Healing

• "When Faith Meets the Body: Supporting Spiritual and Emotional Health"

• "Holding Tension with Compassion: Integrating Faith, Psychology, and the Human Experience"

Additional speaking and training topics include:

• Caring for the mind through the body

• Clinical Strategies for Self-Harm and Suicidality

• Working with Emotion Dysregulation Through DBT and ACT

• Preventing Burnout and Fostering Resilience in Mental Health Professionals

• Supervision and Mentorship in Trauma-Informed Clinical Training

• Values-Based Interventions in High-Intensity Clinical Settings

• Trauma-Informed Practice at the Intersection of Faith and Identity

Outside of her professional life, she treasures time with her children, enjoys live music, and finds joy in the simple pleasures of sunshine, food, poetry, and laughter.

Daniel Beard is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Clinical Fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). He works with individuals, couples, and families at Heritage Professional Associates, serving the greater Chicagoland area, and earned his Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Wheaton College. Daniel brings a warm, grounded presence to his work—shaped not only by clinical training but also by personal experience. After losing his first wife to cancer at a young age, he developed a deep understanding of grief, resilience, and what it means to grow through life’s most difficult seasons. Today, he speaks with empathy and clarity on topics such as identity formation, digital-age disconnection, navigating loss, and how family systems and relational dynamics shape our mental and emotional health. Drawing from both research and lived experience, Daniel helps audiences consider the broader contexts that influence well-being—from cultural pressure to communication patterns to the hidden structures within our families and communities. His talks blend psychological insight with story-driven delivery, making space for both reflection and practical application. Daniel is especially effective at engaging parents, educators, workplace teams, and faith-informed communities. He lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with his wife and three children and is available for keynote speaking, workshops, and team development events.