My philosophy is that you are the expert when it comes to your life. I will listen to what your concerns are and what the goals are that you want to achieve. Then, I will choose a model of therapy that best meets your desired outcome.

I am a licensed clinical social worker who works with teens and adults. I earned her Bachelor’s degree at Loyola University Chicago and my Master’s of Social Work degree at Governor’s State University. I have clinical experience working in a private practice setting for the last 6 years. Previously I worked in an inpatient psychiatric setting. I specialize in working with individuals and families experiencing life transitions, relationship stress, anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, struggles with worklife balance, feelings of burnout, and thought errors. I believe that it is extremely important to tailor each treatment plan to the individual with the center of my approach being warmth, empowerment, and empathy. I believe in the importance of developing the therapeutic relationship through deep listening, a little bit of humor, and building trust in a safe, non-judgmental environment. I am committed to making sure that you have a positive and empowering therapy experience to ensure that you gain the ability to live life at your optimal level of wellness.

Supervising since 2005, and a previous Director of Training with over 20 years of experience, we consider it a privilege to offer meaningful work to children, adolescents, adults, couples, parents, and families. Through a genuine caregiving, positive lens, we provide support to others. Through the relationship-oriented inner humanism approach, we offer an understanding of development across the lifespan. The care individuals receive is characterized by achieving an inner well-being and happiness that remains stable and conflict-free regardless of life obstacles, family changes, and daily ups and downs. Strengthen self-confidence, develop inner happiness, improve coping, anger management, decrease depression and anxiety, and mourn losses due to grief and life changes. Parent guidance and coaching to navigate early childhood and adolescent concerns; couples and family therapy to improve communication, conflict resolution, and intimacy. We welcome the opportunity to work with you, especially during these trying times. It is our pleasure to support you! We work through a culturally sensitive and socially aware lens. Please contact us with any questions you may have or for an initial free phone consultation.

It takes a village to raise a child... especially one with big feelings. When a kiddo is struggling with their emotions, fighting back, acting out, or shutting down, parents can feel overwhelmed or triggered. You don't know how to make it better and everything you've tried has hit a wall. That's where I come in. I provide therapy for children ages 3-12 in the form of play therapy -personalized for each child to meet them where they're at developmentally. Through the interventions of play therapy, I teach kids how to navigate difficult emotions, how to express themselves peacefully, how to handle disappointment, and how to cope with their day to day experiences and feelings. When parents want support, too, I offer guidance and advice for understanding and parenting YOUR specific child. You may worry about if now is the best time to start therapy for your child, but truthfully, you don't have to make that decision on your own. Reach out today and we can figure out together what might be the best approach for your individual family situation.

For 23 years I served Northwestern University undergraduate and graduate students in the University Counseling Center initially as Staff psychologist and liaison to the Department of Athletics and then as Director of Clinical Services. In addition, I co-instruct a for credit course at Northwestern titled Emotional Intelligence 101: Managing Yourself and Maximizing Your Potential. The course material mirrors the work we do in therapy. We seek healthy stress management, self-perception, self-expression, interpersonal effectiveness, and decision makingconflict management using the themes of intentional attention, accurate awareness, and healthy connection. We direct these themes toward the present moment, ourselves, and others. I believe when we own and intentionally direct our attention and feel in alignment with who we want to be, then we are healthier and enjoy more connected to the happiness within us. Through all the complexity in the world and in our lives, what we most want tends to be simple: Love and Work. That is, we want to feel connected to the people we care about and we want to feel productive in the world, whether that is making money, performing athletically, achieving academically, or pursuing the hobbies we enjoy.

Conflict with your partner or spouse? Unproductive communication? Recurrent episodes of anxiety or depressed mood? Over consumption of alcohol andor substances in an attempt to self medicate against your out of control emotions? These and many other mental health challenges are both treatable and resolvable. In my 35+years as a therapist to residents of the greater Fox Valley area I have observed that most of my clients choose therapy when they have utilized and exhausted all coping tools and problem solving strategies. As therapist it is my role to facilitate the increase of both coping tools and problem solving skills. As a solution focused therapist I work with my clients to identify and define target problems. Most importantly, we determine outcome goals. I encourage clients to identify and validate the unique strengths each has and apply those traits to increase their problem solving options and coping tools. Growing those tools is of life long benefit to my clients.

My approach to counseling comes from my background in music and philosophy. I integrate holistic elements of meditation, relaxation, and music therapy with popular modalities such as CBT, DBT, and REBT. I am a chill and nonjudgmental therapist, but when you want feedback and skills, I can and will provide them.

My approach to healing is holistic, loving, and empowering while understanding the inherent vulnerability within the therapeutic process. I believe there is wisdom in our hearts, minds, and bodies patiently waiting to be connected with. I look forward to hearing from you, and I am excited to begin our work together.

I work with individuals by exploring problematic life areas causing concern with a goal of empowerment. Various types of therapy will be used in order to promote a positive life change. The hope is that by exploring new coping and relational skills, it will help move you closer to the life you want to lead. I am highly sensitive to individuals who have experienced childhood abuse, have spirituality concerns, and disabilities.

Throughout our lives, we go through events that change us, often permanently. I consider therapy to be a sacred and compassionate space of exploration. It can be exhausting having to explain your story over and over again. Oftentimes we might feel unheard in our daily lives or get fixated on who we “should be” instead of exploring who we already are. Your story has meaning and it deserves to be heard. You are the expert on your own life experiences and identities. You deserve to feel empowered, validated, and safe. When meeting with a potential client I consider you in the context of your relationships. When working together we can move through difficult therapeutic concepts in an accessible and warm way. With your permission, I hope to guide you through challenging life transitions and support you in creating a life that you feel is worth living. As an art therapist, I use my lived experiences with disability to cultivate empathy and create environments where people can become empowered through art-making, reduce internalized stigma, and experience a sense of belonging. It is my personal belief that art materials are a way to connect with other people, process difficult experiences, and work through emotions. I work from a collaborative, person-centered, relational, and strengths-based approach. This means I will use non-judgment to consider all aspects of your life and identity— while remaining open to things that cannot be changed. I utilize an intersectional feminist lens and I specialize in trauma, anxiety, boundaries, relationships, abuse, sexuality, gender exploration, life transitions, disability, memory loss, identity exploration, and resiliency work.