Dr. Christopher Menard

Welcome to my website! If you are looking for a supportive and safe space for individual or couples therapy to heal, grow, and to support you in facing life’s challenges (e.g., trauma, betrayal, loss, depression, anxiety, parenting, relationships), you can click on the link above to schedule or send an email to me at: DrMenard@DrMenard.org My goal is to help individuals and couples grow into living full and vibrant lives of connection, intimacy, happiness, and creativity that are free from debilitating depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, obsessions, and addictions. I use a range of methods (e.g., Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Self-Compassion Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Behavioral Activation, Parts of Self Work, Imago Couples Therapy, and Insight Meditation Dialogue) to help you discover yourself and the freedom to live your precious life. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in both Illinois and Tennessee with online Telehealth appointments available across 43 states in the USA via PSYPACT. Telehealth continues to be available for Illinois residents and all other PSYPACT states. Nashville residents can physically find me at Tapestries Counseling Center in the Bellevue area of Nashville or online through Telehealth. I completed my doctoral degree in 2007 at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology (CSOPP), and I completed my internship and post-doc at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you want to read about my work at the University of Illinois, see below. In addition to working with individual and couples in my private practice, I taught as clinical faculty for many years at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign campuses Psychology Department). For 10-years in the clinical psychology doctoral program, I trained and supervised over 40 Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practicum instructors through the two-semester Psych-546 course. Multiple randomized controlled trials have shown that MBCT is as effective as antidepressant medication in preventing relapses of major depression. I also taught the undergraduate two-semester Psychology-340/341 Service Learning Mindfulness class and I was listed among the University of Illinois Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students. In central Illinois, I helped develop the Mindful Teacher Foundation's (K-12) training curriculum, trained, and supervised Mindfulness Instructors for the Mindful Teacher Foundation from 2014 - 2022. I was blessed to have had the good fortune to teach many Mindfulness Training classes while I lived in central Illinois. Through the University of Illinois, I taught Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), Insight Meditation, & Finding Peace in a Frantic World from 2011 - 2023. I taught numerous groups including University of Illinois faculty, staff, and graduate students, Champaign-Urbana K – 12 school teachers, University High Laboratory High School students, Champaign County Jail inmates, Department of Corrections Danville prison inmates, and Rosecrance addiction recovery clients. From 2006 to 2016, I provided neuropsychological, ADHD, and High Functioning Autism/Aspergers assessment services at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Psychology Department’s Psychological Services Center) and provided assessment training and supervision to PhD students. I co-authored two research articles on mindfulness. One study in which I was a collaborator demonstrated the benefits (reduced distress) of mindfulness for individuals experiencing tinnitus; the second study demonstrated the benefits (reduced stress, reduced craving, reduced substance use) of mindfulness for individuals recovering from addiction.