Therapists in Warrenville, IL

I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental, and affirming space for all children and adolescents. I come to every session with a warm and empathetic energy, always inviting them to come as they are. I do this through empathetic listening, validation, and support. I tailor the therapeutic work based on the strengths and needs of the child/adolescent I am supporting, and I bring a client-centered and strengths-based approach to each therapeutic relationship. I have experience in working with children/adolescents who struggle with anxiety and depression and need support in coping with daily stressors and transitions.

I am passionate in working with children, adolescents and young adults as we navigate together to build a better understanding of your symptoms and identifying healthy tools that best fit your personality and needs. I hope to provide you a comfortable environment to speak without fear of judgment as we navigate the challenges of coping with depression, anxiety, trauma, life changes, or if you just need an outside perspective. My goal is for you to feel you are being heard and validated to better experience your emotions in a healthy and empowering way.

My clients describe my approach as gentle and direct with a dab of humor. I do my best work treating individuals who have experienced interpersonal trauma, people who are navigating their role in complicated families, and those who have been emotionally abused. I tend to find success with people who struggle with depression or low self-esteem, people who work in high-stress or helping professions, and people who do not know where to start. I have experience working with people with Bipolar Disorder, PMDD, learning disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, insomnia, auto-immune conditions, depression, anxiety, panic disorders, autism, & PTSD.

Are you chronically worried and/or unhappy -- and can't "snap out of it?" Maybe you're stuck. Perhaps you feel lonely and misunderstood. I'd like to give you personal attention, understand you, and provide you warm, genuine, and nonjudgmental support and guidance. Together, we can identify and understand the causes of your pain, reinstill hope, and find ways for you to cope and regain pleasure in the here-and-now. My research on loss and mother-daughter relationships strengthens my work with individuals; couples; gender issues; parenting; anxiety and depression; and adjustment to loss and overall life changes.

The modern world can be a scary, isolating, and uncertain place, and none of us should have to go it alone. I’m here to provide connection and healing for people who use drugs, queer and trans folks, people doing social movement work, and anyone else who feels lost, confused, or disconnected. I work from a harm reduction and trauma-informed perspective to help you reconnect with who you are, what you value, and the skills you have to create agency and autonomy in your own life. I'm interested in the intersections of healing and liberation, and am excited to explore with you how your own healing contributes to a liberated future.

I provide therapy that is collaborative, understanding and humanistic, where I work together with patients to customize therapy so it is tailored to the patient's unique needs and goals. I work with people to address a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, problematic substance use, shame, loss and grief, relationship difficulties, sexual and gender identity issues, job and academic stress, adjustment challenges to situations such as divorce, new parenthood, stepparenting, adoption and challenges managing and coping with serious health conditions such as infertility, autoimmune disease and cancer.

I look forward to working with you on making and taking the choices and actions that move you towards building a life filled with meaning based on your values and goals. The struggles we all face, large and small, are part of what define our humanity - be it anxiety, trauma, or confusion. It is the compassion and willingness for intimacy we show to ourselves and others that defines much of the rest. I enjoy working with my clients as they go through the process of defining who and what they want to be and then help them go about achieving it.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), as well as a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC); board certification earning the highest standards of practice in clinical mental health counseling upon meeting stringent education, examination, supervision, experience, and ethical requirements. Beyond individual therapy, my clinical experience includes college counseling, children and family therapy services, working with individuals with severe mental illness in intensive outpatient residencies, corrections, as well as psychological testing and evaluation services.

"I'm not enough" - smart enough, attractive enough, successful enough, popular enough, loved enough, or happy enough. Have you ever had these thoughts? Sometimes our stories are full of shame and scarcity. We feel unworthy, but don't understand where these feelings come from, what drives them, and how to let them go. Therapy is a process of uncovering underlying issues and finding practical ways to provoke change. I will walk alongside you in your loneliness, challenge, or fear, and help you safely overcome struggles.

I believe in creating a safe, nonjudgmental environment to foster therapeutic change. My extensive background includes treating people of all ages in areas of trauma, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, LGTBQIA+, behavioral issues, disordered eating, phase of life issues, attachment issues, personality disorders, and sexual health. I am currently seeking additional training in women’s health issues, including pregnancy, prenatal, postpartum, and fertility concerns. I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago in 2012 and my Doctorate of Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2018.