Happy Retirement, Dr. Nate!

The CTJC team celebrates Dr. Nate Gilham on his retirement.

Our Clinical Director Dr. Nate Gilham built CTJC’s therapeutic framework from the ground up. When the Center first opened, it was hard to build trust. Many folks expressed hesitancy and doubt towards therapy and healing, and for good reason. The history of the state and institutions offering empty promises and causing harm is deeply embedded in Chicago’s history, and especially so for Black communities and community members who have experienced incarceration. But Dr. Nate Gilham started at the Center 7 years ago by practicing politicized healing before we even had a term for it.

An Englewood native, Dr. Nate understood that he had to meet people where people were. He knocked on doors, attended court dates, and visited people in their homes. He understood early on that trusting relationships are the gateways to healing.

We are so grateful for everything Dr. Nate has taught us and how he has shaped this transformative work. The community we’ve created for survivors as a place of refuge, safety, and community, is in large part due to Dr. Nate’s leadership.

Dr. Nate retires at the end of 2024, leaving us with a lasting legacy that we will continue carrying forward.

With this transition, we are thrilled to announce that Shalom Parker, who has been an art therapist at the Center since 2021, will be stepping into the role of Clinical Director in the new year! Shalom has spent the last three years walking with and supporting survivors through their healing journeys. We are so excited to have Shalom lead our therapy and holistic healing work starting in 2025.