Teletherapy for Oak Brook, IL

Safety is the utmost concern I have for you. During your first session, I will provide you the safety you need in order to develop curiosity and a deeper understanding of yourself. With curiosity and motivation, you will develop a strong desire to make changes leading to a more pleasing and beneficial life. During the session, I will gather some background information that will help both of us to understand any contributing factors that lead to your presenting problem.

I am a National Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor. I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adler University in Chicago in 2017. Along with my counseling education and skills, I had a successful first career working as a special education and traditional elementary teacher, reading specialist, and literacy staff developer. Recently, I worked in higher education as a doctorate level college professor for 18 years, at a community college teaching developmental and traditional English classes.

We provide evidence-based CBT/Exposure Therapy for anxiety disorders, specializing in social anxiety, selective mutism, separation anxiety, panic disorder, & related issues. The goal is to live a valued life in the presence of anxiety and, to do this, we treat the anxious-avoidance cycle you may find yourself in. Anxious avoidance is when a person avoids something that makes them anxious (which is normal and expected). However, when avoidance interferes with your life and keeps you from living out your goals, that’s when avoidance (not anxiety) becomes problematic. We are specialists who can help you learn how to approach vs avoid.

Looking to shift some things in your life that just don't feel right? Need some support to think through options, cope, and find balance? I engage my clients with a strengths-based perspective. I specialize in helping individuals of all ages facing difficult decisions, stress, family concerns, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. I will work with you to identify your values and construct creative, practical ways to break old patterns, develop resilience, and solve problems.

Intimate relationships can be our greatest source of joy or pain. Unfortunately, many find their relationships slipping toward the second option. It is very unpleasant to feel lonely when in a relationship. And walking around on eggshells is exhausting and can make you miserable. It is possible to restore the connection you want with your partner and go forward in life feeling like a team. That is my purpose and the focus of my practice. Our society tells us relationships are supposed to be easy if they are right. Healthy relationships are some work but are also worth it.

Increase awareness of your values, strengths, personal goals, and the steps that you can take to achieve these goals. My practice draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused, and Existential Humanistic approaches. I will help you to develop concrete skills, provide you with tangible resources, and encourage you to develop an awareness of the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

“Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig.” Marcus Aurelius. I've been fortunate enough to witness the ability that psychotherapy has to reflect a clear and uplifting view of your true self. Our emotions are deep, complex, and often misunderstood. By safely building meaningful context around your emotions, thoughts, and experiences, you understand yourself more clearly. This understanding leads to a freedom to pursue a life and future that makes you truly happy.

I want to work with you and help you live to your full potential. I am passionate about fostering change through solution-focused interventions and can aid in development of coping skills. My treatment approach is primarily cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy. I have extensive experience in a variety of treatment settings, including inpatient behavioral health, partial hospitalization programs, and private practice. I have experience working with diverse populations with many different mental health backgrounds. My expertise is with adults and adolescents.

In the last few years, we have seen an increase in individuals experiencing stress, sadness, and frustration that can be harming their careers, relationships, health, finances, and life satisfaction. Whether it's feeling the need to be perfect, procrastinating tasks, disconnection within your marriage, distracted in thought, or feeling unmotivated to get out of bed in the morning, we can work together to identify origins of these issues and then solutions to healing. Reaching out for help can be the most difficult part of the healing journey and you don't have to do it all alone.

Have you been feeling unlike yourself, disconnected, or struggling with the grief or loss of someone or something significant? Have you experienced a stressful or dangerous event? Are you experiencing distress or unwanted feelings or emotions? Have you been feeling stuck and ready to process undesirable feelings? If so, you’ve come to the right place. At every in-person or virtual therapy session, we work together to explore your emotional experiences as well as the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that may be holding you back from living the life you desire.

I specialize in maternal mental health. Regardless of where you are in your journey, whether you are deciding on whether or not to try to conceive, experiencing infertility or pregnancy loss, adjusting to the immense changes associated with pregnancy, are experiencing postpartum depression and/or anxiety, or adjusting to the many challenges faced by new parents, I am here to guide and support you towards reestablishing hope and achieving optimal wellness.

Whether you are seeking therapy to increase self-confidence, manage anxiety or depression, find motivation, identify and process emotions, or manage a difficult situation, a positive connection with your therapist is crucial. I strive to build that connection by meeting you where you’re at, and supporting you with empathy and understanding while we work together to accomplish your goals.

Do you have a child or adolescent that is suffering from anxiety or depression? Transitions can be difficult and result in symptoms, stress and unhappiness for some youth. I work to help each person get through their challenges and find their strengths. Families can benefit from a therapist who helps them to process their feelings and experiences. Parents can feel overwelmed when their child is suffering.

I know that therapy is an investment- both of time and money, and as such, I want it to be effective for you. To this end, I draw from evidence-based treatments including ACT, ERP, CBT, and DBT, and prioritize building a supportive, trusting, and empathic relationship with each of my clients. I have specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety, OCD, specific phobias, panic disorder, depressive disorders, and eating disorders.

Therapy is a place for self-exploration and examination. Therapy can provide help for those seeking guidance to overcome struggles such as relational issues, feelings of depression or anxiety, or other issues. As a therapist, I work collaboratively with clients to identify what I call weights that are holding one down from moving forward in a healthy way. This often involves increasing self-understanding and learning skills to overcome negative emotional states. Initially, we will take the time to identify what you want to achieve from therapy. You may come across scary things like flaws and vulnerabilities that cause suffering.

My work is designed to help you transform challenges into growth promoting opportunities. As a clinician, teacher, researcher, supervisor and consultant, I'm fascinated by resilient processes-the ways that individuals, family systems and even organizations cope with and grow through adversity. I use a strengths-based, collaborative, lifespan approach to uncover and enhance competencies that will allow you to create a life in which you can flourish. Originally trained as a registered nurse, I bring a unique integrative perspective to my practice & for over 30 years, have specialized in the treatment of couples and families, particularly those challenged by illness and disability.

Are you struggling with balance in your life? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the demands of everyday life? If you have a handle on things some days, but other days feel overwhelming and out of control, you have come to the right place. Maybe you are struggling to find meaning or connect with friends or loved ones. Possibly a recent change or life transition has upset the delicate balance in your life. Or you have been feeling this way for what seems like forever: Any of these experiences can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation and loss.

When you feel safe and supported, then and only then are you able to let your guard down and get in touch with your core issues and feelings. The most important measure of whether therapy will have a positive outcome is the connection between you and your therapist. For this reason, my goal is to create a warm and supportive environment in which you will be respectfully heard, cared about and not judged in any way. My overall approach is conversational, non-judgemental and solution focused with humor and laughter always welcome :)