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Nayeli Chavez

Nayeli Chavez

Department Faculty
  • Program Faculty
    Clinical Counseling
Department
Counseling
Address
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Office Location
Office Phone
On-campus Ext.
Email
NChavez@thechicagoschool.edu
Website
Biography
Dr. Nayeli Chavez is a licensed clinical psychologist. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology. Dr. Chavez has significant experience working with children and adolescents who have experienced physical, sexual abuse, and neglect. She has provided clinical services to individuals and families referred by the Department of Children and Family Services. Dr. Chavez has specific training in a wide variety of evidenced based parenting skills programs for externalizing behaviors as well as culturally congruent parenting skills modalities for Latino/a parents. Dr. Chavez is currently the lead for the Latino/a Mental Health Concentration and the faculty advisor for the Latino/as Students and Friends Association. Dr. Chavez has additional expertise culturally congruent treatment modalities. In addition to her current academic and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Chavez is interested in continuing her research and scholar work which includes, barriers to mental health service provision of Latino/a clients, culturally based teaching approaches, and implicit racial/ethnic bias. Dr. Chavez has published in some of these areas and has presented her scholarly work at local, national, and international professional conferences.
Education
  • B.A. Psychology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
  • Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Licensure(s)
Clinical Psychologist in the state of Illinois
Areas Of Expertise

Select Presentations

  • Adames, H.Y. & Chávez Dueñas, N. Y. (August, 2012). “Post-racial” era challenges: Implicit bias in professional psychology training. In. M.A. Fuentes (Chair), Prejudice and Discrimination: Is There Hope for A Better Tomorrow? Paper presented at the 120th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Orlando, F.L. 
  • Chávez Dueñas, N.Y. & Adames, H.Y. (February, 2012). Toward an innovative method to the pedagogy of privilege: transforming guilt into action. Paper presented at the 29th Annual Teacher’s College Columbia University, Winter Roundtable Conference. New York, NY. 
  • Adames, H.Y., Chávez, Dueñas N.Y., Torres, H.L., & Zaman, F. (July, 2011). Collectively building bridges in the academy: Culture centered pedagogy. Paper presented at the biennial International Conference on The Teaching of Psychology. Vancouver, Canada. 
  • Torres, H.L., Chavez, N.Y, & Adames, H.Y. (June, 2011). Teaching Latino style: Using Latino cultural values to inform pedagogy. Paper presented at the 3rd Congress of the Inter American Society of Psychology, Medellin, Colombia. 
  • Howell N., Owusu, D., & Chávez Dueñas, N. Y. (April, 2011). I am a hustler: Making the best out of a bad situation. Colloquium presented at the 4th Annual Black Male Summit. The University of Akron. Akron, Ohio.

Professional Memberships

  • American Psychological Association
  • Midwest Association of Latino Psychologists
  • National Latino/a Psychological Association

Q&A

Q: Please describe your teaching philosophy.
A: I believe that my mission as a professor goes beyond the dissemination of scientific and factual information. It is my goal to also serve as a role model of professional and ethical behavior. I establish high expectations for professional behavior, yet also strive to provide students with a safe and supportive learning environment where they are expected to make and correct mistakes.

Q: Please provide a statement or philosophy regarding the practice of psychology.
A: The practice of psychology requires a fundamental understanding of the individual within their own context, including an in depth comprehension of the individual's ethnic identity, culture, and social history. I also consider it essential to possess the capacity for self-reflection, an awareness of the systems of oppression within society and their effects on the individual, and the community.

Q: Why did you choose to enter the field of psychology?
A: As a young child growing up in an impoverished country, I became fascinated very early on with childrens' resilience, their strong faith and hope in a better future even under the most difficult circumstances. This is likely what drove my interest in helping children who seemed to have lost the ability to hope and dream.

Q: What advice would you give to a student entering The Chicago School?
A: Give yourself the opportunity to learn as much as possible, make mistakes and ask questions.

Campus Affiliation
The Chicago School Chicago