Teletherapy for Illinois

My ideal client comes from many walks of life. They are children, teenagers, and adults and present with anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, relationship and family problems, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), school problems, and oppositional-defiant disorder. They all share a common need to be heard, empowered, and guided on the path of recovery. I provide evidence-based treatments tailored to the needs of my clients. I focus on strengths and capabilities rather than "illness."

Are you struggling with identity and belonging, questioning the essence of who you are? Your roles, culture, sexual orientation, gender, relationships, spirituality, body image, profession? I've specialized in work with members of the LGBTQIA communities, across the lifespan. I am particularly qualified to help you with coming out issues, self-esteem, substance abuse, trauma, depression, and anxiety. I believe everyone needs support, and when you're ready, I'll be honored to witness and encourage your healing. "Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be, and Embrace Who You Are." ~Brene Brown

My own healing journey has taught me that life gets hard and healing is messy. You don’t have to go through this alone. Sometimes the journey leaves us in many pieces, scattered thoughts, overwhelming tasks, grief, and broken dreams. It can feel like looking at a whole mountain before you. The view from higher up is worth every step. I'm here to travel with you-challenging, cheering, and celebrating your wins along the way. Little by little, you can turn your dreams into reality. The world is now full of new problems from endless tabs, too much scrolling, and coping with collective existential stress.

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.

You are resilient, capable, and unwilling to settle for the status quo. Your reluctance to fit the mold may complicate things, but it’s worth it. However, sometimes, the space between who we are and who we want to be can feel vast, and life can overwhelm our capacity to cope - in those moments, it takes bravery to reach out for support. Together we will celebrate your uniqueness, investigate the barriers to your progress, increase feelings of self-worth and efficacy and expand upon your existing strengths to cultivate an authentic future full of possibilities.

Do you struggle with your inner critic? Have you felt lonely or rejected? Maybe you've tried to avoid anxiety, depression, or traumatic memories, seeking a way out of a rollercoaster of emotions. Have you experienced difficulty with life transitions; career/school stress; relationship issues including polyamory and CNM; bigotry; grief; addiction; sex/drug linked behavior; sexual assault/abuse; self-harm, or suicidal thoughts? Are you somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum and feel like no one in your life understands you? If you answered yes to any of these issues, when was the last time you had a space to talk that was just for you?

I am a strong believer that with the aid of a trusting, warm, skillful and open minded therapist people can bring about real, positive changes to their lives. I work with my clients in an empathetic and open dialogue to not only find the root causes of current behaviors and thinking patterns but also to help change them. I do so understanding that each individual is the expert on themselves so the entire process is collaborative.

You are here and you are ready to explore all the parts of you, perhaps more than ever, those which have been dismissed and shamed. You are ready to deepen the relationship with yourself and to feel emotions fully without guilt or shame, on your own or perhaps with your partner. You desire a space to explore the parts of you that feel unknown, “unacceptable,” "too much," or taboo. You are ready to show up and be completely you while someone holds space for you in your bravery and vulnerability. You are craving at least one space in your life where you can work toward being genuinely you. You long to be seen as who you are.

Let’s face it–shit has hit the fan. Between the pandemic, systems of oppression, and so much uncertainty...we’re all trying to figure it out. Plus, you have things you were already dealing with– depression, trauma responses, grief, existential questions...Maybe you’re tired of “blank slate” therapists. You want to explore healing through art and creativity instead of just talking. You want space to process your past & present experiences and to deepen your understanding of and reconnect with yourself. You’re looking for someone who "gets" it– who validates your lived experience and who has been on that side of the couch.

Maybe you have been to a therapist or two and haven't been able to dig as deep as you would like to go in order to move into your most authentic sense of being. Perhaps you struggle with a sense of purpose, self-esteem, have a sense of emptiness or loneliness, or are feeling confused about next steps. You will likely find me to be a good fit if you are looking to do much deeper work to finally resolve pain from the past as opposed to merely coping with it. Our work will be guided by a vision of long-term mental health, growing into authenticity, and creating a sense of emotional regulation that you may not have experienced yet.

The clients who are the best fit for my clinical approach tend to be people who want to build a stronger sense of self, learn how to center their own needs and set boundaries, and are open to inner child healing. The clients I work with want to change their relationship with themselves to be more compassionate and nurturing. They are recovering people pleasers, people who want to learn how to be more assertive, often have unresolved trauma, and are ready to break cycles in order to establish new patterns. They seek support from me to discuss dating, relationships, sex, childhood traumas, identity, and healing from abuse and neglect.

Most of my clients identify as LGBTQ and I have a special interest in working with this population, but I welcome anyone to my practice who wants to disentangle longstanding problems, understand themselves more deeply, and feel more alive. While symptoms of depression, anxiety, or distraction signal that something is wrong, most of the issues people bring to therapy are complex and woven into the fabric of their lives, family histories, relationships, and communities. For this reason I work primarily within a psychodynamic framework, which is most effective in facilitating deep, lasting change compared to other forms of therapy.

I work best with BIPOC and/or queer individuals who are coping with mood, trauma, and sociopolitical struggles. My primary approach focuses on empowering individuals of marginalized communities to externalize systemic and oppressive factors so that we can focus on treating any personal difficulties that are causing you pain and suffering. Whether we focus on the past or the present, healing one part of yourself can heal many other parts because you have a story to tell. And no matter how many times or how many ways that you tell it, it is your own personal story. Let's change your story to help you become the person you want to be.

Success of therapeutic change begins with the relationship between you and your therapist. I believe effective change grows from a foundation of trust, respect, and the understanding of your desire for self-improvement. I work with you collaboratively to identify areas of concern while providing support throughout the counseling process. You have unique experiences that shape who you are, and how you respond to situations. I believe in helping others understand how these experiences influence their responses in the present.

I am currently interning at Flourishing Affinity as a part of Roosevelt University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program with the intention of graduating in Spring 2022. A large focus of my graduate studies has been LGBTQIA+ issues. As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of compassionate healthcare and I am passionate about providing identity affirming treatment. I also specialize in anxiety disorders, and depressive and mood disorders.

As a queer and neurodivergent therapist, I understand that systemic issues and stigmatization make reaching out for support a daunting task. I understand how difficult talking about emotions and past experiences can be. You may be yearning for someone to recognize the experience of being in your skin. My goal is to work with you to develop strategies that align with your unique strengths and challenges. As your therapist, I intend to foster a sense of safety and trust in our sessions, nurturing you into your most authentic self. I am passionate about exploring how our experiences and backgrounds shape our identities.

I strive to develop a collaborative environment with each client so they can feel safe and comfortable discussing what brought them to therapy, identify their goals, and take steps to building a meaningful and rich life. I am interactive in the therapy process and support clients with practical tools and strategies to challenge old patterns, while incorporating new skills that aim to improve the client's ability to live more intentionally and authentically. I employ elements of ACT, DBT, and CBT to respond to the unique needs of the individual.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, I understand how important it is to find a therapist with whom one can identify and feel comfortable sharing the very personal reasons that bring individuals to counseling. As such, I provide a safe, non-judgmental space in which to explore the needs of my clients. For me, finding meaning and purpose is paramount to maintaining one's mental health. As such I work in collaboration with my clients to help find those things that make one feel whole and connected.

Private Psychotherapist & Consultant, licensed as a clinical professional counselor and learning behavior specialist with 16+ years experience, serving people on the gifted, talented, twice-exceptional (2e), professional, public-figure, straight, LGBTQIA+, anxiety, depressive, bipolar, obsessive, ethically non-monogamous, ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent spectrums. If you (or someone you love) feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, depressed, misunderstood, fed up, sad, etc.—or you simply desire to work with a person who facilitates more optimal functioning and genuine wellbeing—then please call or email to check for an opening.