Board of Directors
Melissa J. Hedlund Nelson, Chair & Co-Founder
Dr. Hedlund Nelson is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified EMDR Therapist, and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner©. She holds a Ph.D. in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy from Adler University. She has served as Past Speaker of the Assembly of Chapters and Director on the American Art Therapy Association and as Past President of the Illinois Art Therapy Association. She is the Founder and Board Chair of The Light of the Heart: A Community Art Therapy Project, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to trauma-informed expressive arts programming. Dr. Hedlund Nelson currently serves as Clinical Supervisor at Linden Oaks Medical Group Counseling Center, Adjunct Professor at Mount Mary University and Adler Graduate School, and Teaching Assistant at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.
Her professional interests center on advancing the fields of counseling, trauma therapy, and expressive arts therapies through education, research, supervision of students and clinicians, and the expansion of inclusive, accessible trauma-informed programming. Her clinical approach integrates Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Somatic Experiencing© and EMDR within an expressive arts therapy and counseling framework.
Dr. Hedlund Nelson has extensive experience working with diverse populations, diagnoses, and treatment environments. Her clinical expertise includes work with adolescents and adults impacted by complex trauma, PTSD, and anxiety-related disorders. Her current research interests include movement sequences in artmaking and their impact on healing, trauma’s relationship to the body, ultrarunning, bilateral movement, and grit. In addition to her clinical work, she has substantial experience in nonprofit development and leadership, supervision, curriculum development, teaching, grant writing, fund development, program development, and research.
Her professional interests center on advancing the fields of counseling, trauma therapy, and expressive arts therapies through education, research, supervision of students and clinicians, and the expansion of inclusive, accessible trauma-informed programming. Her clinical approach integrates Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Somatic Experiencing© and EMDR within an expressive arts therapy and counseling framework.
Dr. Hedlund Nelson has extensive experience working with diverse populations, diagnoses, and treatment environments. Her clinical expertise includes work with adolescents and adults impacted by complex trauma, PTSD, and anxiety-related disorders. Her current research interests include movement sequences in artmaking and their impact on healing, trauma’s relationship to the body, ultrarunning, bilateral movement, and grit. In addition to her clinical work, she has substantial experience in nonprofit development and leadership, supervision, curriculum development, teaching, grant writing, fund development, program development, and research.
April S. Hedlund, Treasurer & Co-Founder
April earned her MBA from Southern Illinois University and her MHRM from Keller Graduate School of Management. She currently works at a local university as the Assistant Director of Admissions.
April has taken several courses in Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing during her MBA. While obtaining her MHRM, she has taken several courses in Training and Development, Staffing, Managing Organizational Change, Benefits, and Compensation.
With the combination of her educational background and her experience in management, April is very excited about the opportunity to contribute to The Light of The Heart. In her spare time,
April enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Aubray Calvetti, Secretary
Aubray Mekelburg, B.A., is a graduate student at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and is currently pursuing her M.Ed. and Ed.S. in the school psychology program. In her current opportunities, she is an RBT, is the philanthropy chair for the School Psychology student organization at TCSPP, and is the room lead in an after-school program, exSEL, through Community Partnerships by TCSPP at Oakley Square teaching social emotional curriculum. She also was awarded the leadership award through the Illinois School Psychology Association through TCSPP for 1st year students.
Aubray has a passion for the psychology field and volunteer work. She is very excited about working with TLOTH board and all those involved!
Nathan Nelson, Director
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Nathan works in inside and outside sales at ILLCO in Aurora, IL. He is a longtime volunteer of The Light of The Heart and passionate about bringing arts programming to the Yorkville area. |
