Relationship Issues Therapists in Andersonville, Chicago, IL

At times we all feel overwhelmed and challenged by life situations. For 24 years I've worked with clients to develop their cognitive-behavioral and insight oriented strengths. I can help you develop skills for better communication, relationship building, management of depression and anxiety, and coping with grief. My counseling style is supportive, compassionate and direct. I am available for any questions about the therapeutic process, just give me a call.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, whether you come in alone, with a partner, or with your family. Together we explore your therapeutic goals. I firmly believe in the power of relationships to foster resilience and healing. In my work, I strive to cultivate connection and curiosity in an active, direct, and compassionate manner as you explore life's challenges -- deepening your understanding of yourself and learning to connect more meaningfully with others.

Often, people come to us without having explored psychological concerns in a sophisticated way. If they had past therapy, they were at times disappointed that it did not go deeper, as it left the greater meaning (the "roots") of their symptoms unexplored. As psychodynamic therapists, however, our goal is to see comprehensively, with thoughtful attention to the subtle depths and intricacies of your experience. In so doing, we can help to both resolve symptoms and impart meaning to your experiences, even those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are often deemed painful or meaningless.

For over 30 years, I have accompanied others on their journey towards greater self-awareness, more fulfilling relationships, and exploring the needs and challenges of maintaining sound emotional, physical and spiritual health. My experience is particularly helpful when working on self-esteem issues, depression, grief and loss, relationship struggles, and faith and spiritual development. My clinical work draws upon skills developed while working as a hospital chaplain, pastoral counselor, bereavement counselor, youth counselor and a mental health therapist in a social service agency.

Therapy can sometimes feel awkward or uncomfortable. Being curious and open about our pains is not an easy task, which is why it is important to feel comfortable with the therapist you work with. The relationship between therapist and client is fundamental to creating a safer space in which this exploration can occur.

Have you been feeling anxious or sad? Do you ever feel stuck in your relationship with yourself or others? Whatever you have been feeling, I can imagine facing these feelings has been challenging, confusing, and scary. These feelings are not uncommon for those of us who experience or have experienced emotionally charged and vulnerable moments. To manage these feelings, many of us often ignore them, which can lead to them feeling intense and uncomfortable. Together we can learn to understand and manage your feelings, ultimately improving your relationship with yourself and others.

Often, people come to us without having explored psychological concerns in a sophisticated way. If they had past therapy, they were at times disappointed that it did not go deeper, as it left the greater meaning (the "roots") of their symptoms unexplored. As psychodynamic therapists, however, our goal is to see comprehensively, with thoughtful attention to the subtle depths and intricacies of your experience. In so doing, we can help to both resolve symptoms and impart meaning to your experiences, even those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are often deemed painful or meaningless.

I specialize in working with men, especially those who identify as gay, bi or queer. Common issues I work with clients on include relationship/intimacy struggles, isolation, depression, shame, career issues, anger/rage, anxiety, sexual issues, feelings of numbness and addiction. I can assure you a level of comfort and understanding as well as specialized training when dealing with these issues. In addition, I take a sex positive approach and am attuned to the needs of poly, non-monogamous, kink and BDSM clients.

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 utilize a supportive and warm approach that is integrative of mindfulness and dialectical-behavioral principles. I work from the perspective that the client-therapist relationship is paramount to progress, and believe that it is the stepping stone to growth and change. Clients set their own pace and can process each step of their journey. I believe in gentle challenging to move through patterns that are not serving anymore and provide practical skill-use in and out of the office.

Having more than 25-years experience with issues most often brought to therapy, I see our work together as a healing process and sacred journey of the soul with my role being guide, witness and companion on the path towards wholeness, self-empowerment and self-realization. It's often a journey into the unconscious using dreams and one's creative process. This brings a deep commitment to my own growth as well. Beginning in the addictions field and continually striving to deepen my knowledge of the alchemy of healing I am also a Jungian analyst.

I specialize in working with sexual desire discrepancy and intimacy. Sexual desire discrepancy is when one person in a relationship wants sex more or differently than their partner(s). It is very common and occurs in otherwise happy and healthy relationships. Although common, desire discrepancy can lead to severe relational discord. Through a combination of psychosexual education, deep couple's work, and a compilation of the leading sexual desire discrepancy theories, I have designed a way of addressing desire discrepancy that offers you and your partner(s) a new way to be sexual together. It is not easy work, but it is rewarding.

Eroticism is adult play: ideally it is expansive, vibrant, joyful, and stress-free. Living in a sex-shaming society damages our ability to have a loving, easy relationship to our erotic, sensual, and sexual identities. That damage can lead to conflict and disconnection with ourselves and our intimate others. Our relational health is a necessary ingredient in our overall life satisfaction. Most of us long for our intimate relationships to be a safe haven from the stress, overwhelm, and chaos of our lives. When that isn’t the case, it can lead us to feel lost, uneasy, and wondering how to find our way back to a feeling of security.

I work with people who are experiencing anxiety and distress. Many feel stuck in unsatisfying experiences. We can gently explore these experiences in ways that can loosen their "grip", and bring innate healing resources into play, cultivating a deeper sense of ease and opportunity in everyday experience. The dissolving of these unsatisfying patterns, and the appearance and growth of more satisfying ones, happens in both individual and relationship therapy.

I believe all clients are experts in their lives. As humans, we all have an innate ability to overcome challenges, which come up daily. I work hard to foster a safe and collaborative space to develop understanding to guide you to identify and discover your strengths to overcome these barriers through an integrative approach to cultivate change. I believe we live in a multifaceted world which can make it difficult for us to be our authentic selves. I want to help deepen your understanding of who you are through actions, meaning, and emotions, and how you can share yourself with the world.

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist committed to working with individuals and couples looking to address relationship and intimacy issues, sexual difficulties or dysfunctions, infidelity, anxiety, and self-esteem. I strongly believe that relationships– whether with ourselves or others– greatly impact our life satisfaction. Getting the opportunity to help clients navigate and strengthen the connection and balance within their relationships to self and others is such a meaningful and fulfilling experience.

I'm passionate about working with couples and individuals navigating life transitions, grief, anxiety, self-esteem, relationship issues, and complex family dynamics. I strive to create a space that is comfortable, calm, and rooted in being human. I am committed to supporting clients from an intersectional feminist and anti-racist perspective.

I am a Bilingual (Spanish) Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Certified Sex Therapist who is committed to working with individuals, couples, and families. As part of my specialties and professional interests, I work with adults and couples experiencing relationship and intimacy issues, sexual difficulties/dysfunctions, pre-marital counseling, infidelity, anxiety, depression, trauma, anger management, and compulsive and addictive disorders.

I believe that the relationship formed between therapist and client is at the core of therapy; it is my privilege and responsibility to listen to my clients' experiences with respect and without judgment. I collaborate with my clients to help them trust their voice, honor their inner wisdom, strengthen their personal insight, listen to their bodies, access their story, bring meaning to their past experiences, and find hope for the future. Before becoming a psychotherapist I taught therapeutic dance to people of all ages.