Reality Therapy in Northbrook, IL

We all strive for something, and we can struggle achieving the things that bring us satisfaction. Sometimes we feel a drive within ourselves, but we lack a sense of direction which can leave us feeling lost. Some strive for self-improvement and others want healthier relationships, no matter the need therapy can help. It requires a strong rapport between the client and therapist as well as a safe space to be yourself where you can feel heard, accepted, and validated.

I hold a Doctorate Degree and a license as a Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). I have extensive professional experience, training, & skill supporting children & adults with concerns including relationship & family conflict, trauma, autism, intellectual disabilities, behavior issues, ADHD, & parent coaching. I worked in residential, hospitals, private practice, & in-house counseling. I facilitated group & individual supervision, parenting education, couples, groups, family, & substance use therapy. I have taught counseling courses and developed training curriculum.

I know starting this process can be daunting and takes courage. I am here to support you and take things one step at a time. Trust, sensitivity, empowerment, and empathy are at the core of my practice so that each client may feel completely safe in their most challenging and vulnerable moments. I believe everyone has the ability to change and grow. I help clients learn healthy coping skills, restructure negative thinking, build confidence within themselves and their relationships, and feel empowered and balanced in their lives.

I have been in practice since 2002, helping adolescents, adults, couples, families and groups. I work collaboratively with clients from a biopsychosocial perspective, using the interrelationship between the mind and body as a focus for treatment. As a medical psychologist on hospital staff, I diagnose and treat psychological issues in outpatient or inpatient therapy.

When you or your child/teen is struggling, you want strategies to combat challenges NOW. At North Shore Family Services, we empower kids, teens, and adults to learn tools, so they can succeed independently. Our goal is for children, teens, adults, parents, and couples to learn skills to be successful with school, peers, work, and family- long after therapy ends. We assist with IEP and 504 plans to help our children/teen clients succeed where they spend most of their day- out of their parents' sight. Parents are our partners in helping kids and teens learn life skills.

For over 20 plus years, I have enjoyed working with teens and adults struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship conflict and body image. I recognize it can feel overwhelming to reach out and find a therapist ‘who is a good fit.’ I am happy to provide a complimentary consultation as it is super important to feel enough of a connection to begin the process. I am a very supportive and empathetic therapist. I want to help you learn how to be kind to yourself and validate yourself. I was trained at the University of Michigan and have over ten years on staff at Lurie Children’s outpatient psychiatry.

Most of my work is assessment and therapy. I love working with children and their families where the family dynamics may be creating some stress within the family system. I enjoy the process of getting children and families engaged in therapy and working together to identify the values of the children and their families. Clients who are looking to strengthen their family bonds and develop their family unit are some of my favorite things to work on. Much of my interest and experience has been around bullying and trauma, and I greatly enjoy being a part of the growth my clients make while addressing these issues.

I have over 20 years of testing experience as a Licensed Diagnostician, Educational Psychologist, and School Psychologist. I specialize in psychoeducational & neuro/psychological testing for children, teens, college students, and adults. I evaluate for ADHD, executive functioning, anxiety, mood, developmental concerns, social anxiety, social difficulties, personality traits, adjustment issues, 504/IEP, learning challenges, college & graduate school testing, college career assessment profiles, & more. I worked with many school districts as a child advocate/consultant/school psychologist, including North Shore, Lincolnwood, & NSSED

IS THE LIFE YOU ARE LIVING NOW THE LIFE THAT WANTS TO LIVE IN YOU? If not, I can help! Create the reality you want. Dare to dream. Find your passion. Change directions. Discover your untapped potential. Celebrate relationships. Enrich your spirit. Live your best life by being your BEST self! With a collaborative counseling/coaching style, I offer guidance, support, education and strategies to empower you to achieve your goals and live a healthy, balanced life. Working together will provide you with opportunities to grow and learn to: Accept Accountability for your Choices, Actions & Reactions

Utilizing a variety of approaches and styles, my passion is helping individuals and systems overcome life changes, stressors, and figuring out the “why”. I have experience supporting those of all ages with depression, anxiety, executive functioning issues, career development, and most recently, I spent 2 years leading facilities catered to those struggling with the disease of addiction. Discomfort comes from incongruence within yourself - between what is present and what you’d like to be. You are the expert on your life, and together we can make sure you are on the path to being the best version of you possible!

I have helped my clients deal with major life issues in university, school, business, community, and hospital settings. I have been fortunate to have had full-time commitments on the counseling staff at Northwestern University, serving as the director during my final eight of fifteen years, and retiring after 28 years as a professor in the graduate program of Counselor Education at Northeastern Illinois University, educating and training master's level counselors in clinical and school settings. During those years, I continued working with outside consulting and private practice, but now focus on clinical practice.

By listening to issues and concerns, I help my clients process, develop, and improve by defining new ways to identify and solve problems; with family members, at home, at school and in the workplace. My expertise includes treating individuals with wide ranging emotional or behavioral issues. I have extensive experience in helping struggling families improve their relationships.

With over nine years of dedicated experience in supporting children and adolescents navigating trauma, anxiety and depression, I offer tailored guidance for those feeling overwhelmed by overthinking or striving for overachievement. Whether confronting childhood trauma resurfacing in adulthood or seeking personal growth, I prioritize leveraging individual strengths to facilitate progress. We are all trying to achieve something in life. We all want better for ourselves. Life can be hectic at times and throw curveballs at us. We are required to adapt to the various obstacles that we come across.

There are times we might feel like we have failed, are stuck, or feel like there is no hope for change. Asking for help can be very difficult, and it takes a lot of strength and courage to reach out to another. I believe therapy is not just for those experiencing a life crisis or current difficulty - therapy is an opportunity to gain new insight into self, learn new skills, and position oneself to increase health and wellness. I am a Licenced Clinical Social Worker who approaches therapy from a relational, collaborative, and strength-based. I believe everyone deserves a safe space to speak freely.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist whose approach to therapy is based on respect, collaboration, warmth, humor, and non-judgment. I am invested and motivated in helping you understand your experiences, whether they emanate from unsatisfying personal relationships, stressful transitions in your life, or being unable to meet the expectations you place on yourself. I work to help you begin to view these challenges from a perspective of strength and resiliency. Through a kind, supportive, and caring relationship, my goal is to assist you in lessening your pain through self-exploration and meaning-making.

NOW ACCEPTING INSURANCE! To be happy and healthy are the two most important factors in life. However, they are also the most difficult to achieve. I am here to offer children, adolescents and adults an environment that is safe, free from judgment, calm, and inviting to help you work through life's toughest challenges. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, trauma, interpersonal relationships, parenting struggles, transitional phases, divorce, or acculturation, will be work as a TEAM and try to find appropriate methods to help elevate your overall functioning level.

At the Center for Emotional Wellness, we are committed to helping our clients live their best life. Our team of clinicians are devoted to providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other best practices in treating diverse disorders affecting children, adolescents, and adults. We are continually working to bring the most effective and innovative techniques and approaches to our center in order to better serve the individuals and families in our community. With over 10 therapists, we will match each client with the clinician with the most appropriate style and expertise to match individual needs.

I specialize in helping people heal from traumatic and experiences, to include: family conflicts, adults abused as children, narcissistic abuse, parental alienation and parents financially caring for adult children. You may not know what to expect from therapy, but you know you need to make some changes so you can move forward in life. Stress, anxiety, and depression are highly prevalent in our lives, and sometimes people need help and support in dealing with difficult/stressful experiences. I am a trauma therapist specializing in somatic psychology that has found success in using a mind/body approach to psychotherapy.