Staff Biographies: Training and Experience

David Fireman, MSW, LCSW: In addition to directing the Center, David holds a practice grounded in Self and depth psychologies. His extensive background helping others grows out of a sincere respect for inherent individual differences, social learning, the interplay of Love and Loss throughout the life span, finding purpose and meaning, and placing value in the power of the therapeutic relationship. He is an active and involved therapist who believes that the rare combination of honesty and courage bring about lasting change. He is a proponent of pragmatic empathy, which entails working in partnership with the therapist, to understand and explain core organizing beliefs about self and others, and practicing realistic ways to both manage and transform non-productive habit patterns into compassionate and useful actions. In tandem with his client work, he also provides professional consultation services to therapists in private or agency settings. Finally, to round out his traditional training in social work and psychotherapy, David draws from his experience as a practitioner of Iyengar Yoga, Tibetan forms of meditation, and Jewish spirituality.

David is an active and sought-after workshop presenter and blogger. His work has been published in various sources. He is a graduate of Matrix Leadership Institute, Victories of the Heart, and The Center's Guided Imagery Training.  He was social work lecturer at The University of Chicago and Jane Adams College of Social Work, UIC.  As past president of the Transpersonal Psychology Network Chicago, David is committed to values and practices that nurture creativity, compassion, and pragmatic action.

Paul M. Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist, has a genuine passion for being a psychotherapist and a deep respect for the healing process that ensues when people are able to express their feelings without fear, discomfort, or inhibition. He is also very sensitive to the traumatic experiences of hurtful relationships throughout life that continue to haunt people. By helping people move beyond these disappointments, Paul has been amazed to see how well people can make sense of what once seemed confusing and disorienting while also gaining a better understanding of how they function in relationships. Ultimately, Paul’s aim is to nurture the growth of individuals as whole people who are able to be themselves and enjoy their lives as they unfold. Paul draws heavily from his training in psychodynamic theory and psychoanalysis. To this end, he encourages dream interpretation, analysis of the unconscious, and expression of repressed emotions as avenues towards change. Paul also draws from his lifelong experiences as a musician to help people access their intuition and foster creativity in their lives.

Over the years, Paul has developed a specialization in grief counseling, particularly for individuals who lost a parent or loved one early in life. His experiences have taught him that losses in one’s past can continue to have a profound impact on one’s present functioning and happiness. Much of his work has and continues to address instances when a more recent loss triggers past, insufficiently processed feelings about an earlier loss. Paul continues to assist and support individuals in the painful, yet productive work involved in grieving multiple losses.

Paul received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He has also completed a fellowship in the study of psychoanalysis through the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. Paul has extensive experience providing psychoanalytic psychotherapy, emotionally expressive psychotherapy, relaxation training, and couples counseling. His clinical experiences have focused on helping people who are struggling with grief, chronic depression, and feelings of loneliness or isolation from others. Paul is also enjoying teaching graduate level psychology classes at his alma mater, including lifespan development, interviewing skills, and psychotherapy coursework.

Kathryn Conway"KC" received her Masters in Social work at Loyola University of Chicago after a 20 year career in business and a brief career in the arts. She graduated with highest honors and was inducted into the international Jesuit honor society, Alpha Sigma Nu. In addition to 8 years in private practice at The Center for Grief recovery, KC's clinical experience includes 3-1/2 years of work with homeless families at he former Dehon House, a second stage shelter; 3 years of part-time work with individuals, groups and families at St. Francis Hospital/Resurrection Health Care Adult and Child Guidance Center; 2 years of consultation and work with children of the Gold Star Families through the Chicago Police Department including  completion of the public art project and film, A Special Grief. 

KC has provided clinical supervision to professionals at Travelers and Immigrant's Aid and has provided clinical supervision and coordinated field study to masters level students as adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Circle Campus. 

She is an active lay minister at St. Gertrude's Parish and has a particular interest in women's liturgy and sacred music.  She has retained her ties to the creative community through musical performance and writing.  Her most recent work, Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Miracle Play, was performed at St. Gertrude's on December 12th, 2003.  Other publications include: Rethinking the Needs of Homeless Families, with the Partnership to End Homelessness; Nothing More, Nothing Less: A Proposal Toward the Establishment of a Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct for Priests with the Association of Chicago Priests; The Phenomenon of Burnout Among School Social Workers and the Importance of Co-Worker Relationships; The Secular Origins of Marianism. 

KC has developed specialties in traumatic loss and posttraumatic dissociative phenomena.  She is the most interested in the intersection of art, science and spirituality in understanding people.  She has post-graduate training in Jungian psychology and is currently enrolled in advanced trauma training through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children.


Allan Schnarr is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with training in spirituality. He has been a psychotherapist since 1983. Allan has been the Co-ordinator of the counseling internship at Claret Center since 1985. He has also taught courses on relational awareness at Loyola's Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) since 1983. Allan's life purpose and teaching are focused on embodied spirituality. His devotion to the sacredness of the body comes out of his own journey. Allan has been a faithful student of Yoga and Tai Chi. He has also spent fifteen years invested in a personal healing journey through Reichian bodywork. Allan thoroughly enjoys working with students and clients who have a dedication to the embodied truth of their lives. He offers workshops to help others clarify awareness, deepen understanding, and make conscious choices to claim the uniqueness and appreciate the commonality of their path. His approach to therapy is psychodynamic and experiential: he helps clients to feel and understand in the present what has been disallowed in their experience due to past trauma. Allan works with individuals and couples. He has a wealth of experience working with anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, relationship difficulties, life purpose, and spiritual struggle.

Allan is currently looking for a publisher for a book entitled Emotional Discipline; Complete Your Life Purpose, an integraed understanding of emotion, relationships, and spirituality, along with exercises to support the use of feelings as vital information for making wise choices.



Mary C. Schneider is a licensed clinical psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She has maintained a private practice since 1991.

Mary specialized in work with incest survivors and domestic violence victims. She worked ten years with homeless women and children in the Englewood area of Chicago; was consultant for the Lawyers Assistance Program for distressed lawyers; co-authored, “Family Violence: Effective Judicial Intervention,” a curriculum for the education of judges on domestic violence issues published by the National Association of Women Judges; counseled a man on death row in Texas the last four years of his life (cf. A Saint on Death Row, Thomas Cahill, 2009); and has conducted numerous training workshops for medical and legal groups on mental health issues. She was the recipient of the 1997 Illinois Psychological Association Humanitarian Award.

Mary’s approach is person-centered and focused on the needs and goals of the individual client. She has a background in the arts and is interested in the intersection of the emotional, physical, and spiritual to help people achieve their greatest potential and sense of well-being. Mary works with individuals and couples.

Chris Lucia Rothman, Psy.D., Director, Emeritus; Clinical and Administrative Consultant and Board President. Chris continues her presence at The Center with quarterly on-site visits as well as regular telecommunications with Center staff and clinical consultations with clients. Chris is presently anchored in West Palm Beach, FL, where she offers clinical services to clients, and consultations to professionals and agencies. Steeped in depth psychotherapy from a Self Psychology perspective, Chris brings with her a wealth of experience from an eclectic history in the creative arts, higher education, and Buddhist philosophy and practice. With foundational beliefs in compassionate action, empathic attunement, and appreciation of differences, Chris specializes in work to relieve grief and traumatic loss, to enhance relational development in couples and individuals, to engage creative and spiritual skill development across the lifespan, and to alleviate emotional and psychological distress. Chris holds great respect for the courage of introspection and the challenge of change. She has companioned a village of women and men in their healing journeys. You may reach Chris through The Center and in Florida at 561/964-9003.

Jerry Rothman (1939-2002) was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with his Doctorate in Educational Administration from Northwestern University. He earned his Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri. Jerry co-founded The Center in 1985 and served as President and Director of The Center until his unexpected death in March, 2002. He was Past Executive Director of Comprehensive Mental Health Service for Children and Adolescents. Also past Executive Director of a Residential Treatment Center for Teenagers. He had extensive experience in Community Organizing, and Business Consulting and also extensive training in Hypnosis, Imagery and Meditation. Jerry was Past President of the Transpersonal Psychology Network. Past member of many Boards of Directors including the Chicago Metro Goodwill Industries, International Aikido Association, White Crane Wellness Center. Jerry also authored a workbook and audiotape series on Guided Imagery and many pamphlets and articles on Grief and Loss. He is listed in Who's Who in the Midwest and Nation as well as International Biographies.