ABOUT

Sandra Lema-Stern, Ph.D. 

Sandra Lema-Stern was a professor and clinical psychologist for over 35 years. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Northwestern University in 1979 and became a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois in 1982. She taught undergraduate psychology at Barat College in Lake Forest until 1990 and then graduate clinical psychology at Illinois Institute of Psychology in Schaumburg until 2018. Sandy also served in administrative positions at these schools, including Chair of the Psychology Department and Dean of Faculty. She was in clinical practice with her husband, James Dugo, until 2009 and remains a consultant to his practice. Her focus in the practice was group therapy for domestic violence offenders and individual therapy for anxiety disorders. Now she consults on cases where cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation are key components of treatment.  

Mindfulness meditation is an important connection between Sandy’s career as a psychologist and her new experiences as an artist. She began her mindfulness practice in 2012, and it along with her 15 year yoga practice, expanded how she looks at the world. She feels more focused, more present, and seeks experiences that are grounded in nature, wonder, and serenity. In 2018, she began art courses, specifically in botanical art at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 

Initially, Sandy worked with graphite and colored pencils to create traditional botanical art pieces, influenced primarily by courses with Claudia Lane and Marlene Donnelly. Her work has been exhibited by the Reed-Turner Botanical Artists and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Beginning in 2020, with exposure to the pastel art of Marlene Donnelly and Robin Samiljan, Sandy began her work with the more expressive medium of soft pastels. Currently, Sandy’s work with soft pastels focuses on the connection she feels to nature and the unique experience or perspective that one has when being present in it.