Rachel Forster, MSW, LCSW

Rachel Forster joined TriCity Family Services in July 2023 as a full-time therapist. Forster is independently licensed in Ohio and working on her gaining her clinical license in Illinois. Forster has actively worked to support children and their families for many years.  Forster earned her BS in special education with an early childhood state approval from Northern Illinois University. She earned her MS in Child Development from Erikson Institute and her MSW from Loyola University Chicago.

Forster started her career as a special education teacher in several school districts around the Chicagoland area. She is skilled with multiple disabilities and school issues. After earning both Master’s degrees, Forster worked at a day treatment center in Ohio where she worked with many children and young adults in individual therapy, in family therapy and facilitated daily group therapy. She created an early childhood and elementary school day treatment programs. She facilitated parent support groups and family nights there.

Forster is trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT).  Forster specializes in working with children and their families work through life’s difficulties and assisting them to build positive strategies to improve lives. Forster has experience working with various mental health issues including complex trauma, anxiety, suicidal ideation, school issues, depression, ADHD, Autism, ODD, grief/loss, divorce, etc.