Kaufman Wolf Center for Trauma & Resilience Team

Emma Furman is a committed professional with a passion for equitable access to mental health care and trauma-informed practice, blending somatic and behavioral principles to serve each individual. Emma is a Licensed Social Worker who holds a master's degree in social work, a Master of Fine Arts in poetry, and a master's degree in library and information studies. Emma is a creative writer with a background in higher education administration who returned to school for social work, seeking deeper connection with those in need of care. She understands the importance of people becoming the authors of their own stories and focuses on empowering individuals and destigmatizing mental health struggles. Emma sees clients in our Skokie office.

Hardik Kotak (he/they) is passionate about helping people heal from their traumatic experiences. Hardik combines his charismatic style and welcoming nature to create a safe space where individuals feel comfortable trusting him with their most vulnerable emotions. Hardik believes in a present-focused, past-honoring and future-oriented approach and uses evidence-based treatments to help individuals heal. He specializes in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and combines many other therapies (ACT, DBT, RO-DBT, Liberation Psychology) into an eclectic approach that is aimed at serving each person’s needs. Hardik meets with clients in our Skokie office and through Telehealth.

Megan K. Lerner is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been in practice for over 15 years. Megan began her career as the first overnight Med/Psych social worker in Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago (which became Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital). She was an outpatient therapist at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and served as the Clinical Coordinator of the Trauma Treatment Service, a multidisciplinary team providing evidence-based treatment to childhood trauma survivors. Megan and the team led various forms of trauma-specific mental health care interventions. Additionally, she has been awarded several grants to support this initiative and has taught provider wellness and trauma-informed care to providers all over the country.

Jackson Santy is a Licensed Social Worker who earned a master's degree in social work from Loyola University in Chicago, specializing in advanced clinical practice. He trained at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in the outpatient Psychiatry Department and the Suicide Prevention and Research Collaborative (L-SPARC). Jackson specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma and individuals struggling with suicide-related challenges. A self-proclaimed ’Bro-cial Worker,’ Jackson strives to promote healthy masculinity among male-identifying clients and to improve the ways male providers create welcoming, inclusive environments for clients across the gender  pectrum. Jackson meets with clients in our Skokie office, as well as virtually.

Tia Wallace, (she/her) has an established history in healthcare. A paramedic in the early years of her career, she moved on to be a paramedic tech in a Chicago ER & trauma center to facilitate completing her undergraduate studies in Anthropology. After graduation, she pivoted to administrative support with a local healthcare system, beginning with patient access and eventually working with operations support for a group of nurses and social workers creating successful post-hospitalization treatment plans for high-risk patients. Tia joined KWCTR as coordinator in spring, 2024.