Natasha Varela is a Clinical Supervisor for the Helplines at HRiA. Prior to joining HRiA, she worked in nonprofit behavioral health programs, specifically in community stabilization and outpatient mental health and substance use treatment. Natasha has extensive experience working with people from historically marginalized communities. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor in the state of Illinois. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Loyola University – Chicago and a Master of Arts in community counseling from Argosy University – Schaumburg. As a first-generation bilingual Latina, Natasha’s interests include helping BIPOC and Spanish-speaking people access care and services. Natasha also maintains a solo practice in Illinois, where she resides, providing outpatient counseling services to youth, adults, and families.