Teletherapy for Illinois

"Should I stay or should I go?" This is the age old question asked to me, for the last 10 years by just about every couple experiencing distress that I've sat with. If you are reading this, my guess is that you asked yourself the exact same question at some point...Stay? Or Go? If you are struggling to find the right path for you in this relationship - I can help. As Psychologist, Clinical Therapist & an expert in the science of love, I specialize in helping people rebuild their attachment w/ each other, reduce conflict, repair trust, create positive feelings, and take control of emotional & physical symptoms that hold you back.

I am a queer-identified, licensed clinical social worker with over ten years of experience working with individuals, families, and groups of all ages and genders in a variety of therapeutic settings. I believe that our relationships and connections with others are at the heart of our well-being. Utilizing empathetic validation and reflection, I collaborate with clients to strengthen their connection to themselves and others. “One of my primary goals is to hold a safe, non-judgmental space for my clients to explore and express their feelings, and to also embrace the power of sitting together in silence.”

When her initial pursuit of a career in evangelical ministry was disrupted by a mental health crisis, Casey was forced to reckon with the harmful impact of purity culture and systemic homophobia on her sense of self. After coming out as queer at a college that expressly forbid “homosexual behavior,” Casey made it her mission to disrupt misinformation and barriers to authenticity by pursuing her masters in counseling with a specialization in sexual and gender diversity, and ultimately received her Sexual Health Certificate from University of Michigan.

Finding balance is often hard. I specialize in individual and couples therapy with a focus on marital and couples, sex therapy, and alternative lifestyle issues, such as non-monogamy. I have over 16 years of experience with LGBTQIA+ concerns, ethical non monogamy, and marital and couples work with communication and conflict issues. I bring a warm, honest, and open approach to therapy while helping you feel and find hope. I truly work to meet you where you are and create a space where you are not only safe but with a friend. This step is hard and I have been in your shoes so I will never judge.

As a psychotherapist, I recognize the intersectionality of the identities that we hold and its impact on how we move through the world. My work is rooted in affirming the experiences of individuals who identify as queer, transgender/GNC, sex workers, non-monogamous/polyamorous, and disabled. Body neutrality, Health At Every Size (HAES), and sex positivity are core values of my clinical practice. I specialize in working with folks who have experienced trauma, depression, and anxiety, with a focus on religious and sexual trauma; as well as individuals exploring their gender identity and sexuality.

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.

It's challenging to deal with changes in your life, finding your identity, and managing relationships no matter what, but it's extra challenging if you don't take the "traditional" route. As a queer individual, I know the challenge myself. Whether you want to explore your gender or sexuality, receive support throughout a major transition, work through relational difficulties, heal from trauma, or simply expand your feeling of self-love, I can help. I work with folx of all ages to heal from personal and systemic traumas, through the means of deconstructing old narratives and building new meanings of the events in your life.

I'm a queer therapist who often works with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and Latine children, adults, couples/partners, families, and polycules, while being mindful of my white identity. My areas of interest include identity exploration and intersectionality, difficulties related to sex and intimacy, challenges in communication between partners, and non-monogamous and polyamorous relationships. I work across the lifespan and have experience with children as young as three years old through adulthood. I often pull from frameworks like psychodynamic theory, person-centered therapy, and attachment theory.

As a Gender and Certified Sex Therapist, I work with folks like you feeling anxious and lost about a transition you're experiencing in sex, gender, sexual identity, or relationships. I'm here to help folks move from surviving to thriving.

Lots of people seek counseling for problems that are bigger than any one person. Managing relationships, school or work - let alone anxiety, depression, spirituality, sexuality, or identity - is a lot to ask of someone who is already navigating oppressive systems every day. Together, we can build a judgement free space to untangle the painful mental and emotional knots in your life. I can support you to find ways to connect anew, to live confidently and authentically, and to get through the hard times.

I believe in creating safe space for self-expression and exploration in a collaborative and affirming way. I have worked with individuals navigating gender and sexuality identity exploration, polyamory struggles and dynamics, sexual trauma – including religious trauma and family of origin trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, HIV+ status, domestic violence, ADHD, suicidality, and milestone transitions. I have also worked with couples around family of origin conflict, communication struggles, parenting, navigating polyamory and kink, gender and sexuality expansion, as well as various role changes across the lifespan.

—I have a female-focused practice. Female consent is key in my practice. All requests for therapy MUST be initiated by a woman. — I help women reclaim their sexual identity again after trauma. I work with sexual health concerns, including mental barriers that prevent enjoyment of sexual experiences. I do not specialize in male sexual disorders, and work within the scope of my expertise.

I am a therapist in private practice with a caseload consisting of adults, adolescents, and varied family and relationship groupings. My approach is client centered and collaborative, tailoring each therapy to the individual or family culture. I am most interested in helping people improve their lives and harnessing their own strengths and resources. My techniques emphasize cultural competency and are informed by many theoretical foundations including psychodynamic theory, family systems theory, and cognitive-behavioral theory. My practice is currently only virtual due to the pandemic.

In so many areas of our lives, finding affirming care can be a difficult and exhausting process. For those of us who exist outside of normative understandings of gender, race, sexuality, and other identities, feeling fully seen and held in all of our multifaceted and interconnected expressions of self is a rare experience. As an individual, relationship, and sex therapist I strive to create a space where you can show up as your whole complex self. I focus on challenging narratives of what it means to be successful, worthy, valuable, and desirable and on making room for what feels good and true for you.

As a relational therapist, I focus on supporting and witnessing clients in finding healing, connection, conflict resolution, and repair to ultimately build a life and relationships that honor their values and imagination. Therapy is an opportunity for liberation from dominant social narratives that don’t work for us as individuals or in our relationships, and I recognize the intergenerational and ongoing trauma of struggling against those dominant narratives. All relationships can benefit from this lens – whether they're romantic, platonic, brand new, long-term, with others, or with parts of yourself.

Modern relationships are HARD. It’s a struggle to find the right person OR to wonder if your current partner is possibly the wrong person. It’s tough when you feel burned by or totally confused about your path. Maybe you’ve even made choices or overlooked things you now regret. Or, maybe it’s a relationship with a boss or coworkers who undervalue you or play favorites with others. Your work ethic and good ideas have long taken a backseat to putting out fires or just avoiding things way more than you should. You’re past thinking that life’s fair. But, you never thought that things could go THIS wrong or get under your skin THIS much.

It is my goal to provide you with a safe, therapeutic space to unload and explore your needs, worries, and fears whatever they may be. The path to healing is unique for each of us. We will work collaboratively towards meeting your goals and needs, and in doing so, make your life more comfortable and satisfying. It is my hope that each person who meets with me feels accepted, as I respect each individual's culture, gender, race, religion, and sexual identity.

Life has probably provided many challenges this past year, and has produced far more questions than you can find answers for. My goal in our work together will be to help you search for the solutions that can increase your self-esteem, decrease your anxieties as well as develop a better insight into your life. In our work together, your strengths will be our focus, and in a non-judgmental environment we will address the most intimate or overwhelming issues impacting you and/or your relationships through a mind/body approach. I am LGBTQIA+-affirming, sex-positive, kink and poly-friendly.

I am a trauma-informed, social justice-based Relationship and Family Therapist specializing in sex therapy. I have contributed to the sexual health field for a decade through research, advocacy, and education. This culminated in a sex therapy certificate at Adler University which allows me to systemically work with a variety of sexual identities. I have experience working with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and TGNC individuals and partnerships, including kink, polyamory, or CNM. Rekindling sexual intimacy, pre-orgasmic individuals, those healing through trauma, and those redefining their relationship outlook are also passions.