Older adults deserve high quality mental health care.
Therapists deserve the training to provide that care.
Older adults deserve high quality mental health care.
Therapists deserve the training to provide that care.
Dr. Allison Ilem is a Clinical Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst specializing in Gerontology. She believes therapy is grounded in respect for the whole person. Care is integrative and person-centered, drawing from evidence-based approaches while staying responsive to each individual’s history, strengths, values, and current life circumstances.
Therapy is a collaborative process. Sessions offer a safe and inclusive space to reflect, ask questions, and make sense of change—whether related to aging, health, identity, relationships, caregiving, or life transitions. Your goals help guide the work, and care is paced to feel supportive rather than overwhelming.
Values are central to the therapeutic process. Therapy at Jaybird & Oak honors what matters most to you, helping align emotional well-being with personal beliefs, priorities, and meaning. Practical coping strategies may be explored alongside deeper reflection, always with attention to dignity, autonomy, and choice.
Above all, therapy is designed to meet you where you are. Support is flexible, thoughtful, and tailored—recognizing that each person’s journey through aging is unique.
Some background – Dr. Ilem founded Jaybird and Oak with a vision to build a safe and inclusive specialty practice dedicated to the psychology of aging. Jaybird and Oak serves older adults and caregivers in a way that integrates their strengths, honors their values, and is responsive to the complexity that can come with aging and transition.
Dr. Ilem earned her master’s degree in Behavior Analysis at Western Michigan University (WMU). She completed her doctorate (PhD) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS), then moved to Tacoma, Washington where she completed advanced postdoctoral fellowship training in Clinical Geropsychology at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Puget Sound Health Care System, American Lake Division.
Dr. Ilem is an advocate for aging issues within the field of psychology. She served previously as the Early Career Board Member with the Psychologists in Long-Term Care national organization. She consulted on the American Psychological Association’s Advisory Panel on End-of-Life Issues, and was the recipient of an Early Career Achievement Award presented by the American Psychological Association. She recently served as the Co-Chair of the Behavioral Health Integration Workgroup for the National Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). She also partnered with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on a Resources for Integrated Care (RIC) Integrated Care Community of Practice (ICCoP) initiative focused on behavioral health integration for underserved populations.
Dr. Ilem is active with consultation and training with other professionals in the West Michigan community and beyond. Her professional interests include mental health and aging, dementia care, grief and bereavement, interdisciplinary teams, and holistic end-of-life services.
Aging and Mental Health Caregiver Family Therapy Person-Centered Dementia Care End-of-Life Care Grief and Bereavement Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Aging Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Development
Major Insurance Providers
Other Accepted Insurances
| Street Address | 4467 Cascade Rd SE, Suite #4469 |
| City, State | Grand Rapids, MI |
| State(s) of Licensure | Michigan |
| Languages | English |
| Online/Telehealth | Yes |
| In-Person/Office Setting | Yes |
| Home-Based | No |
| Prescribe Medication? | No |
| Website | https://www.jaybirdandoak.com/ |
