Meet St. Mary’s Counselors
Our highly trained, dedicated and caring counseling staff prides itself on getting to know each client and helping them through this difficult time. Counselors are here to celebrate the good moments and talk through the tough ones.
Cindy Anselmo, MSW, LSW, St. Mary’s Clinical Supervisor
Cindy is the clinical supervisor of the Adoption and Maternity Counseling programs at St. Mary’s Services. She counsels women on their options and prepares families for domestic adoption. Cindy has more than ten years of experience in the adoption field, eight of those years being at St. Mary’s. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Illinois State University and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from George Williams College at Aurora University. Cindy loves working in the field of adoption and believes the best part of her job is helping women and families navigate through such an emotional and personal experience.
Christina Buck, MSW, Adoption/maternity counselor
Christina joined St. Mary's after working as a foster care case manager with another social service agency. In this role she worked with foster children and their families to help them achieve reunification through the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). She also worked directly at DCFS, where she worked with the investigative team to assess child abuse and neglect and act in the best interest of the children. Christina received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Services from Millikin University. She earned her Master's Degree in Social Work, with an emphasis on Child Welfare, at the University of Illinois in Champaign. She is licensed by the state of Illinois as a direct child welfare services employee.
Sandra Da Silva, Spanish-Speaking Maternity Counselor
Sandra works exclusively with St. Mary’s Spanish-speaking clients who experience an unplanned pregnancy to counsel them on their maternity options. Born and raised in Colombia, she has a unique understanding of the Spanish culture and is able to effectively communicate in Spanish with clients. While in Colombia, Sandra volunteered at several orphanages. During her time at the orphanages she developed a strong appreciation for adoption work and a desire to pursue it when she moved to the United States. Sandra earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Andrews University in Michigan. She now is focusing on domestic maternity counseling.
Michaelyn Sloan, International Adoption Coordinator
Michaelyn came to St. Mary’s in 2004, bringing with her 25 years of adoption experience – professionally and personally. She coordinates the international adoption program and serves as program supervisor. Michaelyn also provides adoption training and support for adoptive families. She holds a M.S. Ed Degree and is a trainer with the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. In addition, she was also the Illinois Recruiter and Master Trainer for the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program.
