Latechia Hester

Latechia Hester, LCMHC, LCPC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois who has worked in the counseling field since 2001. She began her career as a group home counselor supporting at-risk male youth, homeless young men, and their families, with an emphasis on strengthening family relationships and building practical supports such as job readiness, life skills, and independent living skills. In that role, she also helped clients and families address substance use concerns and LGBTQ+ related stressors while working toward family reunification.

Her work then expanded further into addiction services, including supporting DUI offenders, individuals ordered by the court to complete anger management, and families seeking structured help as they navigated addiction and co-dependency. Over time, she returned to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health, gaining experience in an outpatient hospital clinic setting with concerns such as depression, grief and loss, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia disorder, bipolar disorder, and co-occurring conditions. She later earned a second master’s degree in School Counseling and developed additional experience in an inner-city school environment, supporting students facing body image concerns, self-harm, substance use, ADHD, ADD, OCD, neighborhood trauma, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.

Latechia’s primary approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy. She also prioritizes meeting each person where they are and building a strong therapeutic alliance, drawing on an eclectic set of professional skills to support meaningful change. Her work is grounded in uplifting and motivating clients as they move toward greater stability, growth, and well-being, while ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect throughout the counseling process.