Megan Arends, Psychologist

I am so glad you’re here! My name is Dr. Megan Arends, and I am a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (soon to be Licensed Clinical Psychologist in NC!) specializing in comprehensive psychological evaluations for children and adolescents ages 3–17 and individual therapy for children, adolescents, and adults of all ages.

I am a native Chicagoan and earned my Master of Arts and Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degrees in Clinical Psychology from Adler University in Chicago, Illinois, home to one of the nation’s longest-standing APA-accredited doctoral programs in clinical psychology. I earned my undergraduate degree in Clinical and Community Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Sun Counseling, my clinical training and experience have included providing individual and group therapy services at academic medical centers, including the University of Chicago Medicine and Advocate Children’s Hospital, as well as extensive experience providing neuropsychological evaluations and individual and group therapy within multidisciplinary private outpatient settings. I care very deeply about the individuals and families I work with, and I pour my whole heart into the services I provide.

My approach to neuropsychological evaluations is neurodivergent-affirming and strengths-based. I have expertise in assessing autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, learning differences, giftedness, cognitive abilities, academic achievement, anxiety, emotional and behavioral concerns, and other neurodevelopmental differences. I use current, evidence-based assessment tools and thoughtfully select measures based on your child’s unique needs and the questions you want answered. During our discussion of your child’s evaluation results, we will connect the dots between the evaluation findings and what you are seeing in your child’s everyday life. Parents who have worked with me have shared that they left our feedback sessions feeling relieved, understood, and more confident in their ability to understand and support their child. My goal is for you to leave with a holistic understanding of your child, practical recommendations for how best to support them, and a clear understanding of not just what the results say but what they mean for your child. When appropriate, I am also happy to meet individually with your child following our parent feedback session to review their results in a way that feels meaningful, developmentally appropriate, and relevant to them.

As much as I love providing assessment services, I equally love providing therapy! I have completed specialized training in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and I draw from these approaches based on each individual’s unique needs. I also completed formal Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) training during my time at the University of Chicago Medicine, and I love working with this modality with little ones! 

Clinical Areas of Focus in Therapy: parent-child relationships, parent coaching, adjustment, peer relationships, self-esteem, anxiety, romantic relationships and marriage, autism, ADHD, trauma, and behavior. With adolescents and young adults, I especially enjoy supporting identity development, building confidence, and navigating the transitions that come with growing into who they are.

Outside of work, my little family includes my wonderful husband and our mini aussiedoodle, Easton, who has quite the personality! I enjoy gardening, cheering on the Fighting Illini, practicing yoga, taking barre classes, cooking, and spending time with my family and friends.