Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC, is the founder of Lilley Consulting, a Therapeutic Consulting practice that specializes in supporting emerging adults ( 18+ ) and their families. Support includes program and resource research and recommendations, care management, and continuum-of-care advocacy.
Each family that reaches out to Lilley Consulting typically falls into one of three categories:
- Upcoming transition to adulthood and unraveling, or proactively looking for resources - Launched into higher education and unraveled - Graduated from college and unable to launch in the work world
Each situation can look very different, including mental health, substance abuse, executive functioning, or a combination of the three. Joanna brings passion, empathy, and knowledge to young adults and their families in these situations. She also helps parents learn how to parent a young adult, rather than a child.
For context, while our child had gone through various therapy programs before we met Joanna, we struggled to find a program that would give our child stability in his mental health. Joanna presented us with a few programs, and we narrowed it down to 2 really high-quality options (I didn't know such a thing existed:-)). I was very impressed with both programs and chose one that our son favored. When we visited, all the professionals were very experienced and knowledgeable. Once we enrolled our son in the program, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Based on past experiences, reality often differed from the marketing. However, the other shoe never dropped. The program was as high-quality as it seemed during the visit, if not more. We absolutely LOVED our son's treatment team. Joanna held our hands through the selection process. She was also checking in about how things were going to make sure the program was truly a good fit. She knows how to differentiate between a high-quality program and a low-quality program. Our son just entered college, and he is doing sooooo well. We are so grateful to Joanna for helping us find a program that suited our child perfectly. And she is absolutely wonderful to work with.
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Josh B.Alumnus
5/5
One Conversation Completely Changed My Life
Several years ago I found myself in some of the darkest times of my life. I was deep into active addiction and alcoholism for some time and my mortality was staring at me from every corner. My parents could only do so much as they had no experience with this either. That's when they found Joanna, and convinced me to just talk to her. That conversation set in motion the events that have truly changed my life for the better. She gave me and my parents all the resources, options, and reassurance we needed to find a path forward. Joanna was unbelievably patient and caring, even coming to visit me during my stay in treatment. I'm confident I made the right choice in terms of all the options she presented, and it all started with her. I fully believe I would have found my way through any of the other options Joanna presented too, her knowledge and care is unmatched.
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Allegra K.Alumnus
5/5
Thank you Joanna!
Joanna is amazing! When I worked with her, I was at a place in my mental health journey where I was making progress but needed to find a place that would help me continue on a positive trajectory. She is always so kind and worked with me to find a transitional living center that was right for me. I always felt like my input was valued and I had autonomy while she was able to provide fantastic suggestions and support that genuinely fit what I needed. I am so grateful that Joanna was able to help me find and choose the location I went to, which ended up contributing immensely to my wellbeing and put me in a place where I can feel confident in my abilities and recovery.
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K. W.Family member
5/5
She saved my son's life!
Joanna's thoughtful, comprehensive approach took into account all of our son's needs and interests, as well as strategies for communication at a time when communication had all but ground to a halt. This foundation, combined with her careful recommendations for programs that would really target his specific situation led to an extraordinary outcome for our son and our family. We have referred her to other friends and families and will continue to do so again and again. Can't highly enough recommend.
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Jaysa B.Other
5/5
Someone I Will Always Be Grateful For
Joanna has been such a meaningful person in my life, my family’s life, and my career. I am so incredibly lucky to know her and to have had the opportunity to experience her impact from so many different perspectives.
Years ago, when I was going through a really difficult time and needed help finding the right program, my dad hired Joanna as my educational consultant. She took so much time getting to know me, listening to me, and making sure I felt heard and understood. She was incredibly thoughtful in finding the right program fit for me and continued to stay in contact throughout my time there. I always felt like she genuinely cared about me as a person, not just as a client.
Years later, I had the opportunity to work with Joanna from the program side, which gave me an entirely different appreciation for how incredible she is at what she does. She puts so much thought and detail into every client she refers. She truly takes the time to understand who they are, what they need, what they enjoy, their strengths, their personality, and what will help them thrive. She advocates so strongly for her clients and makes sure the programs she works with truly understand the person behind the referral.
Beyond all of that, Joanna is simply one of the kindest and most caring people I know. She leads with so much compassion and genuinely pours her heart into the work she does. She has supported me personally, professionally, and even played a role in connecting me with my current job.
Having experienced Joanna’s work as both a client and a professional, I can confidently say that she is someone who truly makes a difference. She makes people feel seen, heard, understood, and cared for, and I will always be incredibly grateful for the impact she has had on my life and my family.
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Olivia R.Family member
5/5
The Patient Guide We Needed
Joanna was an incredible resource for us when our family was at a total crossroads. After a terrible experience with a previous professional who was rude, aggressive, and actually pushed back when we asked questions, finding Joanna was a breath of fresh air. She helped us work through our struggles by being completely accessible, deeply present, and responsive every step of the way. She’s incredibly easy to open up to, and it truly felt like a collaborative effort; we sat down and brainstormed together, and she welcomed our questions and gave us excellent options. On top of that, it was so reassuring to see how highly respected she is by all the places we spoke to and visited. She brought us so much peace of mind during a stressful time, and we will always be deeply grateful for the profound impact she made on our family.
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LB G.Other
5/5
A lifesaver for our family
Joanna Lilley was truly a lifesaver for our family. We worked with her during an incredibly difficult time when our young adult daughter was struggling with an eating disorder in college, and was resistant to seeking a higher level of care. I don’t know how we would have made the progress we did without Joanna’s guidance.
She coached my husband and me on how to communicate with our daughter in a way that was both compassionate and effective, helping us break through some of the barriers created by the eating disorder. With Joanna’s help, our daughter ultimately agreed to enter a PHP treatment program, which was a major turning point.
Joanna also helped us identify and evaluate treatment programs and served as an invaluable point person among our daughter, her therapist, nutritionist, doctor, and treatment team. At a time when we felt overwhelmed, she brought experience, clarity, and calm.
I cannot recommend Joanna highly enough. Her support made an enormous difference to our family, and we will always be grateful for the role she played in helping our daughter get the care she needed.
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S P.Other
5/5
Joanna is someone you can trust and rely upon for real help!
We are so grateful to Joanna Lilley for guiding our family toward At the Crossroads (ATC). Finding the right program for our son was an enormous, stressful decision, and Joanna brought the knowledge, kindness, and thoughtful guidance we needed to make it with confidence.
She spent time getting to know both us and our son, listening closely to his goals and understanding his individual needs. Her knowledge goes far beyond program descriptions: she travels the country visiting programs personally, learning how they operate and whom they are best equipped to help. That firsthand experience allowed her to give us specific, insightful advice about where our son could thrive, both immediately and over the long term.
Her recommendation was spot on. The staff at ATC have been extraordinary in getting to know our son and tailoring their approach to him as an individual. His confidence has blossomed, he feels heard, and he has become engaged in school and work. He is receiving the support he needs while being encouraged to take the lead in discovering his own path.
Something surprising to us, that speaks volumes, is that our son occasionally reaches out to Joanna on his own to share an update on his life or to ask a question. Although their contact since he entered ATC has been occasional, the trust she built with him has endured. He clearly feels understood by her and comfortable turning to her independently. As a parent, it means so much to see that he regards her as someone he can continue to count on.
We wholeheartedly recommend Joanna to any family navigating this difficult process. Her guidance has been life-changing for our son and us.
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Jackie T.Alumnus
5/5
Exceptional Therapeutic Consulting and AdvocacyI
I highly recommend Joanna Lilley for her extraordinary work as a therapeutic consultant. When our family was at a crossroads trying to find an appropriate, supportive environment for our loved one, Joanna stepped in as our expert guide. Her process is thorough, highly individualized, and deeply respectful of the entire family dynamic. Because she is incredibly knowledgeable about the vast landscape of treatment programs and stays updated on their clinical offerings, she provided targeted recommendations that we NEVER could have uncovered on our own. Joanna didn't just give us a list of names; she met with our loved one to get to know their priorities, advocated for our loved one and supported us through every step of the transition. We are forever grateful for her wisdom and guidance.
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Jordan D.Other
5/5
Highly Recommend
Joanna Lilley was an incredible resource for our family during a very difficult time. Her knowledge, compassion, and genuine commitment to helping our son were evident from the beginning . She helped us navigate an overwhelming process, connected us with the right resources, and continued to support our family along the way. We are extremely grateful for Joanna and would highly recommend her to any family looking for guidance and support.
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Steve S.Alumnus
5/5
Joanna saved us time and created options
We are so grateful for using Joanna. Her recommendation has turned into a great experience for our young adult.
Things would be different if we had not contacted her.
Joanna wants to help and takes the time to understand your situation.
In our case, the first round of recommendations were off-base, but Joanna’s attitude of being determined to find the right fit made the entire process easy.
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Sherri G.Alumnus
5/5
Joanna Lilley saved our daughters life
I don't have enough space in this review to write about all the amazing things Joanna Lilley did for our family that in essence saved our daughters life. Our daughter was spiraling. She was an alcoholic and if she stayed on the path she was on she probably wouldn't be here today. Joanna got to know our family and specifically our daughter. Through Joanna's knowledge, experience and care for us (her clients) our daughter is over 6 years sober and thriving! Not only do we as a family credit Joanna with helping bring our loving daughter back to us but also our daughter feels her help transformed her back to the wonderful happy healthy person she was before getting off track. We will forever be grateful we found Joanna.
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Lea P.Family member
5/5
A True Advocate and Friend to Our Family
We worked with Joanna when we were searching for treatment for our son's substance use disorder. Joanna took the time to get to know us as parents as well as our son, and we felt like she truly understood our family's challenges. She also saw our son's underlying strengths beyond his substance abuse, which meant a lot to us. Her program recommendations were such a great fit. While our son was in programming, she was a great advisor and advocate for us, and an ally for him. Having her in our corner helped us immensely in the early stages of his treatment. We all still stay in contact with Joanna. She has become a true friend of the family, and we would recommend her without hesitation to any family looking for support for their young adult.
Reviews are written by members invited by the listing.
