Hillary LaMontagne helping a range of people such as postpartum moms and transgender individuals

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices, a production of NPR Illinois. I'm your co-host, Jeff Williams. In the studio with me today, Hillary Lamontagne.
Hillary LaMontagne:
That's correct.
Jeff Williams:
Hillary Lamontagne. What's crazy is we've known each other for a long time. I've never had to say your name out loud, you know. Anyhow, Hillary, welcome to the studio.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Thank you.
Jeff Williams:
Do you want to hear yourself more? No, it's fine. You sure? Go ahead. You can put as much bass in your voice as you want. So, Hillary, licensed clinical professional counselor, certified alcohol and drug counselor, if I miss said any of that.
Hillary LaMontagne:
No, that's correct.
Jeff Williams:
That's correct. Right on. Well, I just thought it would be cool to have you in the studio today and start telling like the history of like when you first got first started to get into it.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Sure, So I am currently working in private practice at Psychiatric Associates.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Hillary LaMontagne:
I've been a therapist for 20 years, but I've been working in mental health since 2002. I started my career as a paraprofessional at the Springfield Mental Health Center doing community mental health work. I did recreational and life skills groups with my undergraduate degree, which was in English, so not related to mental health. And I really enjoyed that and decided I was going to go back to grad school. So, I went back to grad school at night here at UIS while I worked. And I've been a therapist since 2006, but working at the Community Mental Health Center really taught me a lot. I worked with all types of people with all types of severe mental illness, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, really saw everything, depression, OCD, personality disorders. So, it really prepared me to work anywhere, and I'm so grateful for my time there.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, right on. So as far as when you meet with people, is it a lot of, is it with groups? Is it one-on-one?
Hillary LaMontagne:
I do individual therapy right now, but a coworker and I are going to start a group in May, a DBT group.
Jeff Williams:
And DBT.
Hillary LaMontagne:
I'm sorry, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, and what does that like entail?
Hillary LaMontagne:
It's a good treatment protocol for people that have borderline personality disorders.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, all right, on. So that would be kind of in a group sort of a setting more so than in a...
Hillary LaMontagne:
Yes.
Jeff Williams:
Do you have a physical office?
Hillary LaMontagne:
Right, I work at Psychiatric Associates, which is on South 6th Street, right by Springfield Clinic's main campus.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, right on, right on. So over time, like when you first, when did you first feel like you started to go down this path? You know, was it a... lightning bolt moment or was it like slow process? Like, I don't know, like coming up. How did that come about?
Hillary LaMontagne:
Well, in undergrad, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. I thought about becoming a therapist and then I changed my mind and decided I was going to become an English teacher. And I was majoring in English and secondary education, but I didn't really like, found I really didn't like teaching. So, I dropped that part of my major and just got a degree in English with a minor in professional writing. And then I moved back here and I wasn't really finding any jobs in my field and found the job at the community mental health center and really liked it. And people said, there's a high rate of burnout in the mental health field. So, I said to myself, if I work here for a year and I still like it, then it's okay to go to grad school. And that's what I did. And I've never looked back. And I've really loved having a career in mental health.
Jeff Williams:
So, well, that's kind of cool, because I guess like over that first year, you kind of you discovered if you did or didn't have a passion for it. know what I mean? So that's kind of cool that you were able to then realize by doing that, it's like, okay, yeah, cool. I can, I do have a passion for this. I want to continue, you know, doing this. You said you moved away.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Oh, I was an undergraduate at Bradley in Peoria and I moved back after. I finished school.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, right on. Ever go to One World Cafe?
Hillary LaMontagne:
Yes, that was one of my favorite places, actually… Jeff!
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, right on, right on. That's cool.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Still have to go there every time I visit Peoria.
Jeff Williams:
Oh yeah! I get that flourless chocolate cake that they have in there. There are other things on the menu too. Actually, there was a dude (working) there who one time he said, you need to try (this pizza). I was getting some art supplies, and I was on my way back from Galesburg, Illinois, and I stopped in there. And this guy who was waiting on me, he just was like, do you Want me to suggest anything? And I go, yes, you could. And he said, how about this Cuban pizza? And he told me it was on and I go, dude, I'm not going to get that. And he came back, he's like, are you sure you don't want to get that? And I go, dude, that just does not sound like it's going to be something I'm going to like. And he's like, bro, just come on, you have got to try it. And I did, and it was crazy how good that thing was. Anyway, sorry, I didn't mean to get off track there with that for a little bit, but once you said Bradley, I started thinking about that area. Do you have event things that you do, or conferences to kind of keep up on?
Hillary LaMontagne:
You have to get a certain number of continuing education units every two years to maintain your licensure requirements. And nowadays, most of the CEUs are done online. I used to, I liked it better when there were in-person conferences to attend. It just felt like a richer experience, but it's harder to find those now.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, well, yeah, I wondered about that, how it would be that it's too bad that it's kind of moved away from that, you know. So I don't totally know a lot about, you know, some of the things you do. So as far as the age range?
Hillary LaMontagne:
I see patients ages 13 and up with any type of mental health issue or general life stressor. I specialize as a certified alcohol and drug counselor. So, I see a lot of patients that want to address substance use issues. I do grief and trauma work. I like to work with postpartum moms. I really like to work with the LGBTQIA+ population. And I've worked with a lot of individuals who are transgender and in the transitioning process.
Jeff Williams:
Well, that's good too for somebody to find somebody that they're comfortable with, you know, and not just funnel through something that maybe isn't right for them. So that's cool. And actually, could you let people, if they're out there listening, know how to either like your e-mail address or anything like that phone number.
Hillary LaMontagne:
The best way to schedule with me would just be to call Psychiatric Associates at 217-523-3143. The e-mail address is kind of long with my last name.
Jeff Williams:
I'll just put it in when I make the post. I'll just put it in there. The phone number is good enough for on air then, so people, they're driving around and they're listening to this and they're like, I got to pull over and write this down right now. And the website is Hillary Lamontagne Psychiatric Associates dot org. That is hillarylamontagnepsychiatricassociates.org . If you want to e-mail her, just put Hillary@ before it No underscores, no hyphens. So, you've been, other than like when you were up at Bradley, you were born in Springfield.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Yes.
Jeff Williams:
Born in Springfield, right on. And I don't know if I know where you went to high school at.
Hillary LaMontagne:
SHG.
Jeff Williams:
You went to SHG? Okay. Are there any other things that you're feeling you want to talk about? I know you mentioned with the like alcohol and drug, I don't know how much, obviously not digging into personal things with people, but that's probably got to be a combination of kind of difficult, but could be rewarding too, so.
Hillary LaMontagne:
It's definitely very rewarding. a lot of times when people first come in and they're struggling with a substance use disorder, they don't have a lot of faith in themselves that they can get better, or maybe they don't want to be there just yet and they're going to appease their family. But it's neat to see the progress that they can make. I recently worked with somebody that had been really struggling and ambivalent about even coming to appointments and his alcohol and drug use was really taking over his life. And he finally made the decision to go to inpatient rehab and finished a 30-day program and now is back seeing me. for outpatient therapy and really doing so much better. But it's just amazing to see that change from not believing in himself to being really confident that recovery is possible. And to be a part of that journey is such an honor.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, that's awesome! Yeah, for sure. Well, like you mentioned, that's got to be a big part of it is when at first the person maybe doesn't believe in themselves. They don't know if they might not be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel, I guess you could say. And so to be able to help people in that way so that they can see, even if it's a little tiny pinpoint way out there or something, and then slowly see them work towards betterment, that's got to be super fulfilling for sure.
Hillary LaMontagne:
I've done a lot of trauma and grief work with people.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, yeah.
Hillary LaMontagne:
A lot of my patients, unfortunately, have been abused in childhood or are in abusive relationships. I really enjoy working with people who are in abusive relationships and feel like they can't get out, helping them find the courage to leave those relationships.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Some of my other specialty areas, I like to work with people that have chronic or terminal illnesses and are facing end-of-life decisions. Because I think that there aren't very many counselors that specifically do that. And I'm comfortable working with people that are facing end-of-life decisions.
Jeff Williams:
That's actually, yeah, I haven't heard of that too much, you know, so that is actually a very important part. Thank you for doing that, you know, for sure. In cases like that, is it, I guess it could vary, but it's one-on-one sometimes. Is it like sometimes family or is it usually just one-on-one?
Hillary LaMontagne:
If people want to bring their family into a session to include them to help them understand what's going on, I definitely encourage that.
Jeff Williams:
Definitely. Well, a great thing to address, a needed thing for sure.
Hillary LaMontagne:
I like to work with moms that are dealing with postpartum depression.
Jeff Williams:
You just touched on that a little bit, but yeah, a bit more about that.
Hillary LaMontagne:
That's another population that I like to work with. You know, a lot of women, after giving birth, feel alone if they're having mental health struggles and feel like that means they're a bad mom and have a lot of cognitive distortions going on. And I like to assure them that it's not uncommon to experience postpartum depression and that with therapy and medication, they can get better. And that's also a very rewarding process to watch people get better that are going through a dark time like that.
Jeff Williams:
It seemed like even not very long ago, there was this sort of, it seemed like stigma attached to, you know, to mothers who were going through that where people almost felt like probably maybe ashamed of it and didn't want to address it. So, I think it's really good that there has been, at least it seems like to me, a more positive light on it being in the open and people being able to kind of talk to people about it, to deal with it, and not just sit in it on their own. It’s definitely a good thing.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Absolutely. Another area, Jeff, that I like to work with is working with people who have issues with codependency. And a lot of people are not sure what that term means. Have you ever heard of that term?
Jeff Williams:
I mean, I've heard the term sometimes, but I'm not 100% sure what that like clinically would mean.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Okay, so codependency is common among loved ones of alcoholics. So if you, alcoholics and addicts. So, if you grew up in a family with alcoholics or addicts, or you're in a relationship with an alcoholic or an addict, there's a high likelihood that you're codependent. And what codependence means is you spend all your time focusing your energy on other people and how they're doing and trying to fix, manage, and control them and get them help. And you neglect your own needs and feelings in the process.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, yeah.
Hillary LaMontagne:
So, it starts out as a desire to try to help the alcoholic and addict get help, but it ends with leaving you frazzled and having nothing to give.
Jeff Williams:
Right, yeah.
Hillary LaMontagne:
I do a lot of work with people that are codependent as well.
Jeff Williams:
But that is a nuanced thing that I haven't heard a lot of talk about. that seems like it's kind of a nuanced thing. Is that a newer thing?
Hillary LaMontagne:
No, I just find that people aren't all that familiar with it.
Jeff Williams:
Right.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Like, people tend to be familiar with alcoholics anonymous, where alcoholics can go and get help through that 12-step program. But for codependents, there's AL-Anon, which is the sister 12-step program to AA, for codependents to focus on their recovery. And I find a lot of people, when I share that resource with them, have not heard of it.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, and what was that again?
Hillary LaMontagne:
AL-Anon.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Hillary LaMontagne:
It's a support group for family and family and friends of alcoholics.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Hillary LaMontagne:
So, another free resource in the community like AA.
Jeff Williams:
Well, once again, in the studio, I'm in with Hillary Lamontagne, licensed clinical professional counselor, certified alcohol and drug counselor. Thanks a lot for coming in and talking to us about this.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Yes, thanks for having me, Jeff.
Jeff Williams:
All right, thanks a lot.
Hillary LaMontagne:
Okay.
Jeff Williams:
Community Voices is events that you might have missed and conversations with neighbors, artists, and area businesspeople. Suggest a guest or comment at communityvoices@nprillinois.org. Get to know your neighbors with Community Voices at noon and 10 p.m. and on-demand at nprillinois.org. NPR Illinois 91.9. And thank you for your support. Community Voices is a production of NPR Illinois.