Therapists in East Rogers Park, Chicago, IL

We are all the sum of our parts, made up of all the little pieces we have collected from the world, from others, and from ourselves throughout our lives. And while we continually craft our ever-evolving lives, some of these pieces may not fit together the way they used to or the way we want them to. In these moments, it can be incredibly difficult to know where we want to go or how to get there. As a queer, trans non-binary, first-generation Macedonian-American, I firmly believe that showing up as your authentic self is an incredibly radical act that can enhance your capacity to learn, heal, love, and grow.

Loss can be a shattering experience. Whether it's the death of a beloved partner, family member, friend, or even a major medical diagnosis, relationship breakup, or job loss, you know your life will never be the same. You're not even sure how to pick up the pieces, let alone how to rebuild your life. Yet, much like kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, therapy can offer you a place to rebuild your shattered spirit in a transformational way. Working together, I aim to empower you to rebuild your life in line with what matters most to you using your own unique strengths, talents, and life experiences.

Whether you have specific goals in therapy, or are simply struggling to keep your head above water, therapy can be a space to slow down and allow yourself the opportunity to sit with your experiences and feelings. I love working with queer and trans folks, people exploring their gender and sexuality for the first time, as well as people with Autism and ADHD, and people who are exploring the possibility that they may be neurodivergent. I also enjoy working with people with complex trauma histories, religious trauma, complicated family dynamics, as well as people struggling with anxiety and mood disorders.

Through raw, real and relatable communication I help others find the greatness within themselves. I offer practical, hands-on guidance with a trademark unconventional approach that brims with bold candor, spicy humor, and an F-bomb (or two). My clients benefit from my relentlessly upbeat, contagiously positive outlook and refreshing departure from the stuffy, overly-clinical methodology that distinguish my uniquely relatable style. I bring real-world guidance to individuals and families of all socioeconomic and mental health backgrounds, based on over 20-plus years of clinical experience in the field.

Life transitions can be difficult to navigate alone. There may be grief, confusion, sadness and anger, fear, or any combination of these feelings. There is no circumstance too small in which to seek help from a professional clinician. I believe that my role as a therapist is to help you reach beyond your potential helping you access your own gifts and talents to get you through difficult times and draw meaning from life's challenges. I enjoy working with folks of all ages and incorporating art, music, and writing into the therapy process. I am trained in EMDR and currently in training for Somatic Experience.

We often start the healing process feeling lost, unsure if we’ll ever feel better. Or maybe when life has knocked us down and we don’t know which way to go next, maybe it feels too hard to keep going. If any of these resonate with you, I’m glad you’re here. As a therapist, I work as a guide for my clients. I do my best to help you get in touch with that deep knowledge of what you need to do to heal by providing space to explore and dig deeper. I offer myself as a witness to your story, your life, your experiences, and as a mirror to your inherent worth.

I value focusing on meeting basic needs, developing and executing goals, and providing a space for therapeutic processing. In my clinical practice, I focus on processing and navigating complex trauma and how it affects behavior and wellness. I also offer support to individuals who have relationship concerns, symptoms of anxiety or depression, and uncertainty about their future. Historically, I have worked with individuals who have been impacted by the legal system and can offer clinical case management and accompaniment to individuals who are dealing with criminal and civil-related legal cases.

I hold a shame-free space for you and your relationship partner(s) to understand and reshape patterns that cause distress and distance. Part of my role as a therapist is to gently guide you beyond “who-said-what” so we can understand and honor the emotional roots of conflict. I aim to honor your life stories so far, while also empowering you to create the kind of relationship you want for the future. In addition to relationship partners, I also work with individual clients on gender and sexual identity exploration, trauma, and life transitions.

I understand how life can throw terrain, leaving us with dust & dirt to clean up. Have you found yourself unable to fully engage in your job, relationships, responsibilities, or your passions in the ways you want? Has this dust storm left you feeling overwhelmed with life’s demands or your own worst critic? Maybe you've known you needed to take this time for yourself and haven't because you're busy taking care of others. I love working with individual adults who want to gain more self-awareness, knowledge & taking the steps for yourself when life challenges us to grow and heal.

Healing is possible, even after the most difficult experiences. If you're feeling overwhelmed or confused by what you're going through, you don't have to struggle alone. By using a mixture of creativity, humor and compassion, I can work with you to discover and change patterns that aren't working, tap into your strengths and, most importantly, feel safe on your journey of healing.

Counseling can strengthen your ability to recognize and make choices in your life that align with the person you want to be. I can help you cope with difficult emotions and develop a strong sense of self-compassion and acceptance. I am most passionate about addressing concerns related to anxiety, depression, trauma, and sexual health. A significant portion of my career has been focused on serving LGBTQ+ people and communities, and I pay close attention to cultural factors and the ways in which they impact a person's vantage point in this world.

Regardless of the successes, you still have moments when you feel like a failure. If you’re someone who holds yourself to high standards, you might feel frustrated by how you get in your own way from succeeding. If you struggle with the combination of perfectionism and procrastination, counseling can help. I provide direct, interactive feedback with an anti-systemic racism perspective designed to help you stay accountable to your goals.

I believe in a therapeutic relationship that is nurturing, supportive, and energetic, where folks are free to question, grow, and change. As a queer therapist with lived mental health experience, honoring your story is important to me. As such, I am always looking for new ways and perspectives to approach the intersections of identity, history, and values. I often look for patterns and adaptations you might not see, and seek to bring them into the room respectfully and with the utmost sensitivity to your needs.

My approach is rooted in the practices of mindfulness and self-compassion. I integrate a variety of mindfulness techniques to psychology to help people nurture their lives with kindness and awareness, and connect with their natural well-being. My practice is informed by cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic techniques, client-centered approach and Buddhist psychology. My clinical experience includes a range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships, sexuality, addiction and grief.

So, you've already done the scariest part of this whole process, which is deciding that you want support and taking action. That takes incredible strength and humility, even if you may not feel that way right now. From here, it's my job to work together with you to find ways to channel that strength towards the goals you have and help reframe the way you're approaching challenges through support, humor, and compassion.

Maya Angelou said, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Your story is important. Perhaps in this chapter you're encountering low self-esteem, looking to heal from past trauma, struggling with self-esteem, or needing a place to ventilate the sometimes overwhelming stressors from week to week. I can help with that. I'll meet you where you're at and help you build a sense of agency for the change you'd like to author in your life. Together we'll discover what works and what doesn't, and we'll explore how thoughts, feelings and behaviors are helping or harming.

Life often presents us with intimidating challenges, and finding a way forward can be tough. If you're reading this, you might be facing a difficult situation, feeling overwhelmed, or searching for help for someone dear to you. It's crucial to recognize that your emotions and experiences are valid and deserve the utmost respect and care. As a clinician who is passionate about helping my clients, I am here to meet you where you are without judgment. Our journey begins here, and together, we'll navigate towards a place of greater well-being and understanding rooted within yourself.

My career as a therapist has afforded me opportunities to work with individuals from all walks of life. I immigrated to the United States from Kiev, Ukraine and feel intimately familiar with the challenges faced by all of the groups I mentioned. I am able to work with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families and treat a wide variety of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, adjustment difficulties, grief / loss, relationship problems, family conflict, and addiction. I am proud member of Chicagoland’s Ukraine Community and am fluent in the Russian and Ukrainian languages.

In therapy, my approach is nondirective, genuine, warm, and empathic. I am nonjudgmental, accepting, and understanding. I follow my clients as they focus on whatever feels most important to them. My goal is to build a safe therapeutic relationship for clients to explore the depths of their most significant and often challenging life experiences. I listen and respond with empathic understanding of these experiences while my clients find meaning that is congruent with their whole self. Clients often feel deeply understood during this process, which is a profoundly healing experience.