Iliana Espinosa-Ravi (she/her/ella) is a bicultural, Spanglish speaking, flora and fauna-loving, working class Midwesterner, social worker, psychotherapist, grief worker and owner of the practice La Cigarra Counseling LLC. Iliana named her practice in honor of the cicada – a symbol of rebirth, renewal and transformation.

Iliana has been involved in various forms of community-based care since 2011. Iliana received a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2016, her Illinois state license for clinical social work (LCSW) in 2021, and her thanatology certification (CT) for the study of death, dying and bereavement in 2025.

The majority of iliana’s work experience has been dedicated to the nonprofit substance use and mental health services field, primarily working with historically oppressed and excluded communities. Humor, transparency, self determination, and genuine care are qualities iliana aims to embody and reflect in her practice. iliana believes we are each the experts of our own lives and that her role is to serve as a supportive collaborator as people work to integrate their experience into something meaningful and manageable.