At the start of 2008, I was having some trouble. Well, to be honest, most of my soon to be 30 years I was having trouble. My mom often told me that I was an angry child, as I grew up I knew I had something going on in my head. I knew I had some issues to deal with but needed help. A friend suggested to me to use Jenny. She felt that her and I would get along and she would help me get to the root of my issues. After our initial session we had a clear path and I knew I had to and wanted to get this on and over with, no more of this shadow hanging around me. Was it easy? No, it really sucked, however she helped me understand, things and used this whole technique of EMRD, ( two separate paddles you hold that help you mimic REM sleep which is when you process information and feelings during sleep). I actually had a memory of when I was a 3 week old baby, (this is not normal, my earliest memory before had been at 6 months, I'm weird. I know). She helped me get to the root of my issues. When I hit that memory, I got it and I fully understood. The weight I had been carrying for decades lifted. It was magical and I could really smile, not kinda or fake it, I could smile from my soul. It was the change I had been waiting for and finally reached. For that, I can never thank her enough. Do I think she will work for everyone? No, but if you are ready to deal with your problems and want some help, I would recommend her in a heart beat. read more

I've often said that finding a shrink that's a good fit is harder than finding a spouse. I think it's important to note up front that my experience with Jenny is not necessarily indicative of an experience someone else would have. Sometimes it's just not a good fit between two people, and I think that was the case here. After going through some pretty major things last year, I sought out professional help but I didn't have any luck in finding someone who was a good fit, so I just kind of gave up and decided to ignore my problems... Yeah, that didn't really work out and I don't recommend it. When I finally admitted that I needed to deal with things and reached out for help, a friend recommended Jenny to me. That friend had success with her and seemed to think it would be a good fit. Since I trust this friend's opinion and advice, I gave Jenny a call. It took 3 phone calls and my friend calling her on my behalf before she called me back. It was very frustrating, because for most people I think that taking that first step and admitting you need help is very scary, and when your calls are not returned it can be discouraging. When we finally spoke she said she had returned my call and left a message for me, but I never had any missed calls or voicemails from her so it struck me as odd. That should have been a red flag, but again... I trusted my friend's recommendation and moved forward. At my first appointment, Jenny explained how everything worked with EMDR and started taking a history on me. There were things I knew I needed to work on, so we covered those and some other things that came up. I felt at ease with her, so I decided to give it a whirl. One drawback was that this office doesn't deal with insurance companies directly - you pay out of pocket and then submit for reimbursement. Since my insurance isn't the greatest, I have no out of network coverage so I would not be getting reimbursed for any of this. But, I rationalized it in my head and thought that the investment in me and my mental health would be worth it. I truly believed that. Over the course of the next few sessions I didn't feel that EMDR was working for me and I would be better served with talk therapy. That, and while the location of this office is convenient, it's pretty hard to be in a room trying to focus during EMDR and you have the Michigan Ave. traffic and sirens going on outside and the phones of the company next door ringing so loud you can hear them through the wall. It wasn't the best environment. I also felt that after a few sessions I should have noted some progress, but I didn't feel like we had moved forward. In her defense, she did say that we would start off slow, but time is money, and I had neither to spare (which we discussed during the first session) while I spun my wheels week after week. I had every intention of discussing this with her to see how to move forward. But... Two weeks ago I needed to shuffle around my schedule so I called and left a message to reschedule an appointment we had set up. Two days later, I hadn't heard back. I called again. I finally got a call back, and she admitted the voicemail system they used was "archaic." That wasn't comforting - this is a mental health office, and while none of my needs are urgent, what would happen if someone else's were and the messages weren't getting through? We rescheduled, but as the time passed and I knew the discussion I was going to have with her I was uncertain as to whether or not I wanted to waste our time (and my money) by going in, so I left a voicemail expressing my concerns about whether EMDR was working for me, whether or not I should come in, and if she could give me a referral for someone who did talk therapy as I still wanted to work on things. I asked to set up a time to talk on the phone about all of the above. Not only did I not receive a call back, but today I received a voicemail about 15 minutes after my scheduled appointment time asking where I was. Frustrated doesn't even begin to cover it. I called back and left yet another voicemail recapping the previous one I had left. At this point though, I haven't heard back and I don't think there's much more to discuss. While I admit that EMDR is not for me, I was initially willing to explore talk therapy with her if she was willing to do so, but after the continued phone fiasco I think I'm better off going elsewhere. I hate that it ended this way, but whether you're a mental health professional or a trapeze instructor, there are basic functions of any business that need to be done. Returning your client's phone calls in a timely fashion is pretty high up on that list. Back to square one I go... read more

Working with Jenny and EMDR has changed my life. I just finished a stint of 12 sessions with Ms. Jenny in mid-July. I came to Jenny because she was recommended as am EMDR therapist. I had no idea of the benefits of EMDR, but I was not making leeway with talk therapy and still felt depressed after being on anti depressants. After 3 sessions I began to get why talk therapy didn't work for me. I immediately began to feel like a new self was emerging and my vision felt clearer. Today, I am able to make decisions based on my self love and the self hate has disappeared. Life is worth living. read more

I have worked with Ms. Scanlon since 2005. I have had many different therapists over the years since I've suffered from different addictions. My masters degree is in counseling psychology from Loyola Chicago. I believe that I'm a good judge of professional mental health practitioners. Many fine characteristics stand out with Ms. Scanlon... I call her Jenny. She's truly dedicated, completely empathic, and recommends action to me with an eye on heuristic research. She is up to date on the best treatments for me. I also trust her intuition & know that she is committed to learning how to help me best. I have rarely met someone so concerned & dedicated. She'll teach you how to love yourself no matter what you feel and she will help you to move through the worst pain imaginable to a better life. She's worth every penny! PS I do submit my own bills to BCBS and I have gotten reimbursed! read more

When I decided to seek help after two heartbreaking relationships with addicts, I decided to research where to go. Helping them hadn't worked...it was beyond my expertise. I knew from friendships I made in 12 step codependence support groups that feedback and private counseling would play an important role in helping me avoid these types of relationships in the future. True, many couples can save their relationships, but unfortunately, mine were beyond repair. Anyhow, I believe that bad therapy is worse than no therapy, so I researched the credentials of scores of therapists nearby to me...I found them in various places...through Blue Cross...through Google...I checked state licensure...I checked professional certification organizations...I checked out their own websites...I asked friends. And my choice was Millenium Counseling in Chicago. I've worked with the primary counselors there, including Jenny, who happens to be a guru at EMDR therapy, not to mention individual and group therapy. She's also kind, reality-based, and I just can't say enough good things about her. The other counselors there are stellar as well. Having worked with Jenny, Nicole, and Ann, I'm finally feeling that I'm on the mend. And I've come to believe that Ann Foster has earned her national recognition for a reason. I now have trust that any other counselor she chooses to practice with is worth listening to and checking out. They've heard and seen it all, and in my experience, will give you the straight story if you're willing to hear it. Then the healing begins... read more

As a long-standing and active member of the recovery community and a staunch believer in multiple sources of attaining and maintaining recovery (counseling, 12 step work, etc..) I have referred a good number of people to Millennium Counseling. The individuals I have referred to Millennium have worked with both Ann Foster and Jenny Scanlon and have also been involved in group counseling (with other members of the staff). The progress and healing that has taken place under their care has been remarkable. Recovery can be a complicated, difficult, and complex area of counseling which requires a very specific expertise that many organizations and professionals haven't been able to master completely . Millennium Counseling, Ann Foster, Jenny Scanlon, and the rest of the staff are not only the leaders in this type of healing, but also understand and are able to help people with a variety of other issues that people are facing today. I cannot say enough good things about Millennium and the help that they have given to many people I am very closely associated with. I would strongly urge anyone who is looking for counseling to speak with Millennium Counseling. Working with the right people can very well be most influential move you make in your life. read more