Christopher Menard, PsyD

Dr. Menard is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in both Illinois and Tennessee with online Telehealth appointments available across much of the USA via PSYPACT. Dr. Menard offers therapy for adult individuals, couples, and groups. Telehealth continues to be available for Illinois residents. Nashville residents can find Dr. Menard at Tapestries Counseling Center in the Bellevue area of Nashville or online through Telehealth. Dr. Menard is a graduate of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology (CSOPP), and he completed his internship and post-doc at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to working with individual and couples, Dr. Menard taught for many years at University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign campuses Psychology Department). He trained and supervised over 40 Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) practicum instructors through the two-semester Psych-546 course over 10-years. Multiple randomized controlled trials have shown that MBCT is as effective as antidepressant medication in preventing relapses of major depression. Dr. Menard also taught the undergraduate two-semester Psychology-340/341 Service Learning Mindfulness class and has been among the University of Illinois Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students. Additionally, Dr. Menard helped develop the Mindful Teacher Foundation's (K-12) training curriculum and trained Mindfulness Instructors for the Mindful Teacher Foundation from 2014 - 2022. Dr. Menard led Mindfulness Training classes (e.g., Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), Insight Meditation, & Finding Peace in a Frantic World) from 2011 - 2023 in central Illinois to numerous groups including University of Illinois faculty, staff, and students, Champaign-Urbana K – 12 school teachers, University High Laboratory High School students, Champaign County Jail inmates, Danville prison inmates, and Rosecrance addiction recovery clients. From 2006 to 2016, Dr. Menard provided neuropsychological, ADHD, and High Functioning Autism/Aspergers assessment services at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Psychology Department’s Psychological Services Center) and provided assessment training and supervision to PhD students. Dr. Menard co-authored two research articles on mindfulness. One study in which Dr. Menard was a collaborator demonstrated the benefits (reduced distress) of mindfulness for individuals experiencing tinnitus; the second study demonstrated the benefits (reduced stress, reduced craving, reduced substance use) of mindfulness for individuals recovering from addiction. In addition to the mental health applications of mindfulness based interventions mentioned above, Dr. Menard has also studied and taught Buddhist Vipassana meditation. Dr. Menard currently lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, three boys, and golden retriever.