Walking With You Toward Clarity, Resilience & Emotional Well-Being
Life is a complex journey. We can find ourselves challenged in that journey. In the complexities of life, finding a new direction can be helpful and sometimes life altering. We assist people with finding new directions. Sometimes these are small changes, sometimes they are large. We focus on helping clients develop insights, and applying those insights to make more effective decisions. We focus on relationships, and the complexity that can be a part of those relationships and other commitments we make.
Both Karen and Jay focus on treatment issues in the context of building strong relationships with our clients. Every new client is asked after one or two sessions if the fit between counselor and client is a good fit for the client. If a client decides it is not a good fit, we help them find a counselor that is better suited to the client’s needs. This journey is about what the client needs to accomplish, not the counselors schedule being filled.
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Why Research Based?
Research is important because it can direct us to the most favorable outcomes and provides direction to the clinical process. As a counselor it is important to find solutions that bring about lasting change. Quick fixes often lead to a quick return to the old and familiar.Lasting Change
Lasting change is best directed toward measurable outcomes and improved emotional well-being.
Emotional Well-Being
Emotional well being can be difficult to measure, and it is different for each person.
Measurable goals however help to provide evidence of change. This can provide hope and encouragement on the path to an increased sense of contentment and gratitude with increased resilience.Speaking of Resilience…
The topic of resilience is well documented in research as highly related (correlated) to success across a broad spectrum of life functions and events. Those with resilience tend toward an increased level of satisfaction and success in life. In today’s culture so many are so easily offended, this is evidence of a lack of resilience to life’s realities and difficulties.
Pop Psych simply seeks to validate the feelings
Good clinical practice informs us that frequently not everything is what it seems to be. Clinical practice seeks insight to clarify perceptions and misperceptions. Clarity leads to more effective outcomes, not misdirected efforts.
Be a wise consumer, ask questions and expect answers. A good counselor will be willing to discuss their approach and the way in which they see people, how they approach change, and how do they help bring about change.
At Birch Creek Counseling Associates, we meet for a session or two. Then we evaluate the fit between counselor and client. We are realistic. Not everyone meshes well. If it is a good fit as determined by the client, we move forward. If the fit is not good, we will make every effort to help a client find a counselor who is more suitable to the client’s needs.
Meet Your Counselors
Jay Budzynski, LCPC
Counselor
815-742-2231
About Jay
With more than 32 years in private practice serving Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, Jay brings decades of experience to the counseling approach at Birch Creek Counseling Associates. His own experiences with life’s challenges helped shape an early interest in psychology and counseling, eventually developing into a lifelong commitment to helping people pursue healthier, more resilient lives.
At Birch Creek Counseling Associates, we believe effective counseling should be grounded in sound research, thoughtful clinical practice, and a genuine relationship between counselor and client. Our goal is not simply to provide reassurance or temporary solutions, but to help clients develop greater insight into their experiences, relationships, behaviors, and choices - and then use that understanding to create meaningful change.
We believe that real difficulties deserve thoughtful, proven approaches. Rather than relying on popular or “feel-good” psychology, we seek to incorporate research-based principles and established clinical practices appropriate to each client’s individual circumstances. Continued learning, professional growth, and clinical competency remain important parts of the standard of care we strive to provide.
For clients who desire it, spiritual health and faith can also be meaningfully integrated into the counseling process. We recognize that a person’s beliefs, values, relationships, experiences, and emotional well-being are often deeply connected. Our approach is to understand the whole person rather than treating one part of life in isolation.
We also believe good counseling sometimes requires more than agreement. A strong therapeutic relationship should provide a supportive environment where clients can honestly examine patterns, perceptions, relationships, and decisions that may be keeping them from moving forward. Our role is to help clients develop greater clarity and pursue healthier ways of approaching life and relationships.
Resilience is central to that process. Life inevitably brings difficulty, uncertainty, disappointment, and change. At Birch Creek Counseling Associates, we want to help clients develop the insight, skills, and resilience needed not only to navigate those challenges, but to move forward with greater confidence and purpose.
Education & Experience
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1994
MA Counseling Psychology
Trinity College, Deerfield, IL, 1987
BA Psychology
Karen Platzbecker, LCPC
Counselor
815-742-6314
About Karen
In her experience of counseling, individuals, teenagers, pre adolescents, and married couples over the last 15 years, it has been Karen’s privilege to be invited into the challenges and struggles of life and relationships.
Through a variety of therapy modalities and interventions, Karen will work to choose the most productive options for your counseling work. This is not one-size-fits-all, but uniquely prescribed for you at your pace.
The goal is to help you progress to a better level of hope, healing, and enjoyment in life.
Tina Paggi, LPC
Counselor
815-543-7493
About Tina
Building a bridge between service and healing has been the defining theme in Tina’s career. Born and raised in Tennessee, she spend four years in the U.S. Army, including two deployments for OIF I and OIF III to Kuwait and Iraq. Following her active duty service, Tina served three years in the Illinois National Guard and spent over a decade as a Veteran Service Officer for the State of Illinois.
For 13 years, Tina walked alongside Veterans and their families, helping them navigate the complexities of the benefits system. This work deepened her understanding of the unique challenges faced by those who serve. As she completes her Master’s in Clinical MEntal Health Counseling, she is transitioning that dedication into the therapy room.
Tina’s approach is rooted in the resilience she witnessed in the military and first responder communities. Whether you are a Veteran navigating transition, a first responder facing high-stress demands, or a community member seeking a supportive space, Tina is here to help you navigate life’s challenges with a counselor who truly understands the meaning of service.
Tina finished her academic work in May 2026 and has joined the staff at Birch Creek as a counselor.