Meet Our Team
The three of us are mental health professionals with extensive backgrounds as competitive national and international-level figure skaters.
Our team hopes to facilitate conversations among skaters, coaches, and parents to foster a positive, effective training environment and prioritize the well-being of everyone involved.
From L-R: Mary Cooley, Eve Chalom, Palmy Lamsam
Eve Chalom
BC-DMT, LPC
Eve Chalom is a board-certified dance movement therapist and licensed professional counselor who has been in private practice since 2022. Before that, she worked in inpatient and outpatient hospital settings with addiction and mental health patients, and also has worked in non-profit settings with people with chronic mental illness. Eve is certified as a brain injury specialist and a yoga teacher.
In figure skating, Eve was a national novice and junior champion in ice dancing, a two-time silver medalist in championship dance, and a two-time world championship attendee. She has been coaching skating for 25 years and enjoys working with all ages, whether it's skating or therapy. In her private practice, she offers therapy clients the chance to work on the ice if that is where they feel more comfortable. Eve is also the president of the IL chapter of the American Dance Therapy Association.
Mary Cooley
LMFT
Mary Cooley is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 20+ years of clinical experience. Having completed her graduate work at Northwestern University, Mary was also a postgraduate fellow and subsequently served on the clinical faculty for the university's graduate programs.
Mary has an extensive athletic background, including elite-level figure skating training (including competing twice at the US National Championships) and high school and Division I collegiate sports. She was a 4-year rower at Boston College and was named captain of the women's varsity rowing team as a senior.
In her work as a mental health professional, Mary uses a systemic approach guided by family therapy models and theories. She believes that healthy emotional environments are paramount to the health and success of every athlete.
Palmy (Thita) Lamsam
ALMFT
Palmy Lamsam is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family therapist in the State of Illinois. She received a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. Palmy currently practices at Empowered Connections Counseling, where she specializes in couples work, reintegration, life transitions, and relational therapy for athletes.
As a figure skater, Palmy was a five-time Thailand National Champion and competed in the final segment of two ISU Championships. She is also the first Thai skater to achieve the minimum technical score at two ISU Championships: Junior Worlds and Four Continents. Palmy currently coaches young skaters in the Chicago suburb area while also competing at the adult level.