My Approach to Helping

My Approach:
Hi! Thanks for stopping by my page. I know how difficult it can be to ask for help and you're taking a major first step by being here.
I believe that all people deserve to be treated with respect and deserve to have a comfortable, safe, and non-judgmental space to tell their story. I provide people with the opportunity to share their pain, desires and aspirations in this space and offer a collaborative approach for healing and growth. I am also passionate about helping adolescents, teens and adults get their needs met in their relationships! I provide individuals, couples and families with the skills, tools and support they deserve to make lasting changes and improve their quality of life. I will work diligently with you and help you navigate through the challenges or hurt you are currently experiencing.

Connection, Relationships and Healing from Emotional Pain:
I believe (and research shows) that in relationships, people want to feel (at a minimum): love, belonging, support, safety, security, understanding, trust, and peace. However, many people are missing these key components from their relationships. Perhaps during childhood we didn't feel a sense of security or safety, physically or emotionally. Maybe because of our experiences it is difficult to trust. Regardless of whether we are a child or an adult, when these needs are not met we can feel intense emotional pain. We can feel overwhelmed, lost, unbalanced, disconnected, depressed, anxious, stuck, or hopeless. As a therapist, I can provide you with the skills, tools and support to help you with this!

Couples, Pre-Marital and Marriage Counseling:
Romantic relationships can be challenging at times. Perhaps feelings have changed after five years or twenty years, or when you had kids. Maybe romance is lost or communication is a struggle. Or, perhaps trust was broken due to an affair or an addiction. Over time, we can get stuck in a rut of focusing on our unhappiness... focusing on what our partner is not doing for us or our relationship. Those negative aspects take over and the good parts that do exist are masked. Sometimes, we grow apart, fall out of love, and aren't sure whether or not we can ever get those feelings back. As a certified L1 Gottman Couples Therapist who has worked with hundreds of couples, I can tell you it IS possible to reconnect. It IS possible to build a stronger, loving relationship than the one you had before. My approach includes John and Julie Gottman's research-based strategies and principles for making relationships/marriage work! Let's work together to strengthen the foundation of your relationship and rebuild it in the way you want and deserve!

Family Therapy:
Piggy-backing off of the connections and relationship sections above, sometimes we have a child or parent we may be struggling to understand. Perhaps they are spending a lot of time alone, or acting out, or behaving in other ways that are confusing. Sometimes in can be hard to figure out how to help them succeed. Therapy and skills-building can help!

Perhaps you're family is going through a separation or divorce, and the change is overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to turn for an objective opinion and support. As a child of divorce myself, I understand! Come on in and let's talk about it!

More Info About My Practice

My group practice is based in Saint Charles, Illinois and supports this town and the surrounding community. We have multiple licensed, highly trained and compassionate therapists who value treating our clients with the respect and dignity everyone deserves. We individualize all treatment plans and help individuals and couples set realistic, attainable goals. Change can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, but it is also necessary for growth. I will work side by side with you to work through any discomfort as you go through the process of making lasting changes! It's exciting to see the results that can unfold and the progress that people can make, leading them to live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives!

I offer flexible appointment times Monday-Friday in the morning, afternoon and evenings. I accept most major insurance and there are self-pay options available.

What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist

Helping couples and families navigate through relationship challenges is my passion in life! I find it rewarding to work with individuals in need of premarital, couples and marriage counseling. Helping others discover what they need to build a life worth living keeps me motivated!

How My Own Struggles Made Me a Better Therapist

I am human, just like you. Sometimes I feel anxious. Sometimes I feel sad. These are normal human emotions! Guess what?! Sometimes I have trouble sleeping too! I have faced and overcame challenges in my life that have made me not only a better therapist, but a more complete person. As a child of divorce, I feel I can empathize with children, teens and parents who are going through or have experienced a separation and divorce. I understand how unique and complex the dynamics of each situation can be as well as the difficulties that can come with change. I believe in the therapy process and have done my own healing work in therapy. If you choose to work with me, you can always expect me to be genuine and unapologetically myself.

The Duration and Frequency of Therapy

The duration and frequency of therapy depends on the situation. After you have had an opportunity to share your story, I make recommendations at the end of the first session regarding how often and how long I think we may need to work together.