Therapists in Arlington Heights, IL

Everyone's therapy needs are different! I take a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to honor those unique needs. I believe I have a responsibility as a therapist to create a safe, supportive, open environment where clients feel empowered to take an active role in their therapy process. When working with clients on concerns including anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship concerns, trauma, parenting, and work/school concerns I focus on patterns within and across generations of families, balance between connectedness and individuality, and increasing your ability to cope with and tolerate stress.

I enjoy helping individuals heal, see breakthroughs, and increase their resilience and ability to find effective approaches to their presenting concerns.  My passion is to empower clients to manage life difficulties that encroach on their envisioned life architecture by gently identifying and removing obstacles, learning adaptive coping, finding meaning and strength, and sometimes rebuilding from the very foundation when faced with life-changing adversities.  Issues germinate and gain destructive power if ignored or dealt with using unhelpful distractions, so you can feel good about taking that first step to call me with no delay.

"Sometimes all we need is a little support and we find our way..." my practice includes working with Individuals, couples and families. Frequently people come to me for help when they are encountering difficulties. These difficulties can be small issues while other times they may be more significant and complex. Either way, I can assist you to begin to make the positve changes you desire. This may include helping you develop better skills and techniques. Other times it may be to help you begin the healing process to address past trauma and emotional pain. I am here to help.

How did you end up here? Are you struggling with relationship problems, school, finances, anxiety, depression, or all of the above? Perhaps you've developed addictive ways to cope with problems, and you want a better solution. Fortunately, research suggests that therapy/counseling with a professional works! Clients achieve ultimate happiness when they change how they think, feel and behave. When you change yourself, you will find that your relationships, mood, and overall life circumstances dramatically improve!

Build back your relationship from home at your convivence. Going to weekly couples’ sessions can be very inconvenient for some. Plus finding a counselor who is available & takes your insurance could be a hassle. As a result, many couples stop going to sessions or hesitate to get the relationship help they need. Adding stress to an already stressed relationship. With my program, you will have access to the world renowned Gottman Method’s Relationship Builder Program and 20 plus years of Counseling & Coaching experience. The Gottman program allows you to do most of the work from home on your schedule.

Everyone experiences adversity at some point in their lives.  Often, the struggles we face overwhelm us, and we forget what it’s like to feel calm, content, focused, or safe. Luckily, hardship can become an opportunity for growth and change, if we’re given the right direction and support. I can help guide you through your difficulties when they become too much for you.

I welcome my clients with warmth and compassion at any stage of their healing journey. I understand that processing past experiences and navigating the uncertainty of the future takes courage. I create a space where clients can foster curiosity about these fears and uncertainties, gain insight about themselves, and feel empowered to make positive changes. I incorporate self-compassion, shame resilience, and value exploration in our work so we can break cycles and make changes towards a fulfilling and authentic life.

I have been providing individual, family, and group therapy for almost 20 years with a diverse population of clients in multiple settings. My professional experience has been with individuals of all ages including children/teens, couples, families, and adults with a range of issues including anxiety, ADHD, life phase transitions, school related difficulties, parenting struggles, self-esteem, and family/relationship issues. My experiences have come from working in a variety of settings including community agencies, inpatient substance abuse treatment, residential treatment, hospitals, military installations, and private practice.

I am a seasoned therapist who, like my clients, is in an evolving journey of making sense of life and its challenges. I spent the first part of my career specializing in the treatment of adolescents and families. For the past two decades, my practice has come to include a great deal of work with individual adults and couples who are struggling with issues related to mental health, self-esteem, trauma, relationship difficulties, and life stage concerns. I enjoy working with the challenges of emerging adults as well as those in mid-life and beyond.

I help children, teens, parents, couples and families to solve and cope with the challenges that life presents to all of us. I'll listen to you with empathy and caring, and offer my education and long years of experience to help you along your path to change.

Thank you for inquiring about who I am. It can take courage to ask for help. I applaud you for reading on and hope I am your choice to support you, your child, partner, parent, family or friend. I am a therapist with over 30 years of experience. I have also served as a school social worker from 2005 – 2021 in both private and public school systems. I am well versed in a variety of clinical modalities. My goal is to evoke positive change in the individuals who choose to work with me. I excel in working with children (4+), adolescents, adults, parents, couples and families.

Choosing to engage in therapy can be an overwhelming and intimidating experience and I am here to support you through this decision to get help and move forward. In my work as a professional counselor I strive to always have an empathetic and non-judgmental approach to helping my clients reach the positive changes that they are seeking. I use various therapeutic strategies tailored to my client's needs and strengths. I greatly enjoy being a therapist and feel that it is an honor to get to help and support others.

As an AASECT-certified sex therapist, I work with individuals and couples facing challenges regarding differences in sex drive, sexual pain & dysfunctions such as ED and vaginismus, issues with orgasm, and other issues related to intimacy and performance. While anxiety is not always the cause of these challenges, anxiety is certainly part and parcel of how they manifest. Therapy is geared towards optimizing mental and physical health, managing anxiety through lifestyle changes, improving communication with loved ones, and reaching for better quality of life, which frequently includes: better sex!

Congratulations on taking the first step to get counseling! This is often the hardest step which may be filled with mixed emotions. I encourage you to approach counseling as a journey through self-awareness and self-fulfillment. With over 18 years of experience working in the mental health field, I have helped numerous individuals, couples and families struggling to cope with a range of issues, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, special needs and stress management. I aim to meet each client where they are and assist them in working towards their personal goals.

My current availability is daytime only. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, families, adults, and couples. I specialize in relational issues, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, life transitions/stress, gender identity/sexuality, and self-esteem. I work collaboratively to raise awareness and teach emotional regulation, expression of anger and distress tolerance. I empower families and individuals to understand/create/communicate needs. I am skilled at finding the best methods and interventions to meet my clients’ needs because everyone is different and it is important to find a good fit.

I offer a welcoming and non-judgmental approach, emphasizing research validated problem-solving, Cognitive-Behavioral methods. I work with adults and adolescents as individuals, couples and families.

Couples therapy has been found to be least effective of all therapies, thus it is important for clients to seek out therapists who are versed in the latest research on couples and marital therapy. The unique couples approach I co-created with my wife, called the Couples Synergy model, has helped thousands of couples internationally for over 25 years.

In life, we face a myriad of transitions, which impact us throughout every decade of our journey. Such transitions often cause anxiety, depression and/or a sense of sadness, loneliness or loss of direction. We may wonder "who am I now" or "where do I belong". Life changes impact our relationships with romantic partners, our parents, our children and our friends. I specialize in working with people as they navigate life's transitions. I help clients to understand and make sense of what can bring greater satisfaction into their lives, with a focus on building more effective and adaptive coping skills.

I believe that every individual has the ability to achieve their personal goals and live the life they aspire to lead. Often individuals find themselves in a situation that has them stuck in one place, I can help you move forward. I help my clients identify the challenges that are preventing them from achieving their goals, help create a unique and specific plan for each individual, and assist with any obstacles that might get in the way. Committing to change can be challenging, but you do not have to do it alone.