Find a Therapist in Warrenville, IL

I am a strong believer that with the aid of a trusting, warm, skillful, and open-minded therapist, people can bring about real, positive changes to their lives. I work with my clients in an empathetic and open dialogue to not only find the root causes of current behaviors and thinking patterns, but also to help change them. I do so understanding that each individual is the expert on themselves, so the entire process is collaborative. I am proud to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I work with my clients to help them feel more confident while exploring their sexual orientation, gender, and their place in the community. I have assisted trans and nonbinary individuals in obtaining their gender-affirming medical care. I am well versed in issues concerning kink, poly, and open relationships. If you are interested in seeing what I can offer, please call or email me, and I would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. The first step in accomplishing a goal is to set the goal.

I treat clients who struggle with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, eating problems, relationship concerns, and school and career difficulties. More generally, I work with clients who suffer from an inability to live life to its fullest and who want a more enriching life. I help clients explore their experience of themselves in relation to their past, present and hopes for the future. Together, we work toward understanding why you think and feel the way you do, as well as uncovering deeper factors that may lie outside of your awareness. This process will create spaces for healing and change. If you would like to experience this process of self-understanding in the context of a caring, supportive relationship, feel free to contact me today.

My fundamental tools are empathy and Focusing expertise. I listen with full attention to the details of what my clients experience, providing a witness to all the voices and perspectives in their feelings, and assisting them to develop a self-empathic attitude. Together, we create an environment that is safe enough for feelings to deepen, open up, and change. When this process happens, the person finds his or her own answers as to what steps should come next, and they end up feeling better and more confident in living in more satisfying ways.

How many times have you awakened feeling like things just aren't going to get better but you're not sure how things will change though you know they have to? What I know is that kind of anxiety and frustration, that feeling of anxiousness and/or depression doesn't set in overnight. It takes some time to build up to the point where you are at now. There is help out there and you are not alone. I believe that each client who walks through my door is unique and has experienced things in ways that others have not. Your perceptions are individual and need to be treated as such. I work with the client as a whole and encourage clients to use their strengths to help guide them through whatever troubles them. Life is stressful and filled with many challenges; our strength is put to the test daily. We all face dilemmas in our personal and professional lives that cause conflict in ourselves and our relationships. You are at the point now where you feel that deeply which is why you are looking here. I believe strongly that giving honest and forthcoming feedback helps clients look within themselves and use their own experiences as a guide to gain insight. Every experience we have creates who we are, good and bad. We just have to learn how to manage it.

You're capable of reaching your highest potential, and yet you might be holding yourself back, feeling stuck in overthinking, self-doubt, or comparison to others, and it’s taking a toll on your well-being. Life’s to-dos are piling up, and you feel overwhelmed, but you want motivation, higher self-confidence, and better boundary setting without guilt or shame. This can feel exhausting, and you don’t need to go through it alone. I’m here to help you break the cycle and develop habits that make day-to-day life more manageable. I know how hard it can be to ask for help or show up for yourself; the first step is being here! I want to help you feel at ease as you work toward a version of you that feels proud of the person you’ve always been capable of becoming. You deserve to have the life you’ve always imagined and to give the best version of yourself to yourself. In therapy sessions with me, my welcoming space includes humor, compassion, understanding, and encouragement. I’m here to be uplifting support, to provide you with tools for improvement, and to remind you of just how awesome you already are. You and I will work collaboratively to build on the patterns you’ve established that work for you, and adjust the ones that aren’t, so you can move toward a path that feels more at ease.

When most people enter my office, I find that the first thing they want to do is tell me their story. How they ended up here. This moment, whether it's with an individual or couple, is what makes me passionate about my work. Most people seek help because they have struggled with problems for a long time, or they are dealing with changes that are challenging and scary. My role as a therapist is help you begin the process of change by thinking about your story in new ways; ways that feel hopeful and positive. Using evidence-based approaches in my work, I focus on understanding the symptoms that are causing your distress, the motivation for change, and work to set clear goals. Whether I'm working with you as an individual or couple, my hope is to help change the thinking, behaviors, and emotions so that you can live a more happy and balanced life.

I believe that meaningful change and healing begins with a strong, trusting therapeutic relationship. It is my goal to offer an empathetic and nonjudgmental space where you can feel truly heard and supported. I work with both teens and adults who are navigating trauma, life stressors, relational conflicts, anxiety, and depression. You are the expert of your own life, and my goal is to help you deepen your understanding of yourself and find meaningful ways to create balance, confidence, and a greater sense of well-being. In therapy, this means striking a balance between gentle encouragement and leaning into tougher conversations where fit. I draw from both insight-oriented and evidence-based practices, tailoring our work to your unique needs while honoring your pace and your story. Whatever your reason for starting therapy, I hope you know that you are welcome here.

I believe in the healing power of the therapeutic relationship and work in a collaborative nature to help clients create health and balance in their lives. I work from a strengths based approach and believe in clients' ultimate ability to achieve their goals, make changes and create the life they want to live. Working from a relational perspective, I help clients create new narratives that move them forward and build healthy, sustainable relationships.

I am an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist. IFS is a psycho-spiritual approach that is the most nonjudgmental, kind, gentle, and effective method I know. In IFS, no part of you is ever considered bad. Even though you may have been taught otherwise, you are healthy at your very core, and you can learn to access that core part of you. I am also trained in several trauma resolution methods, and I am a grief therapist. Grief is one of my primary specialties. I offer Repair and Reattachment Institute for Attachment and Developmental Trauma (IADC) grief therapy, as well as traditional grief therapy (see my website, www.therapyforinnerpeace.com, for information about these forms of grief therapy). Sessions can be done either in my office or online.

I will assist you in developing the skills and strategies to overcome your difficulties and provide the support you deserve to help you gain the insight and skills you need to reach your full potential. Please visit my website if you'd like more information about me.