Therapists in Wilmette, IL

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) specializing in Complex Trauma, Athletics-Focused Counseling, and Alcohol and Drug use. I enjoy working with adolescents, adults, and athletic populations using a collaborative approach that fosters a safe and supportive therapeutic environment. My goal is to work together with you to help navigate your life’s journey. If you have ever felt blocked or unreasonably triggered, have had flashbacks to unpleasant moments in your life, or are unreasonably afraid of the future, we can work towards more adaptive responses to otherwise detrimental, "freezing" moments.

Depression, anxiety, addictive and compulsive behaviors, relationship conflicts, loneliness, life changes, indecision, performance issues, impulsivity, stress and frustration...We all struggle with something; it is part of the human condition. At times, it is more than we can deal with and manage on our own. I strive to create a comfortable environment for my clients, as we work together to understand what is troubling you and identify the steps you may take toward realizing the life you envision.

Are you or your loved one struggling, feeling anxious, or unfulfilled? I enjoy working with adults and children and believe that within a strong therapeutic relationship, all people have the necessary skills to improve their lives and change negative habits in order to see their goals fulfilled. I have advanced training in work with families and gained extensive experience working with individuals and children from my time in community mental health where I worked with a wide variety of clients from different backgrounds and learned to tailor treatment to the needs and goals of each individual client.

Stories have always fascinated me. They have the power to move us emotionally, to educate and instruct, to entertain us, and to cultivate true compassion and empathy through the act of sharing a story with another. They are also a powerful vehicle for how we perceive, interpret, define and live our lives, yet sometimes it can be easy to forget that we can be the authors of our story, not just a character proceeding along some previously determined narrative.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I am extensively trained to work with individuals of every age and stage of development, along with additional specialized training for couples and families. I apply a systemic perspective and strength-based and resilience approach with clients, while blending evidence-based theory into practice. I work with life stage transitions, marital satisfaction and intimacy issues, high conflict, anxiety, depression, divorced or remarried or blended families, anger management, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, multi-cultural communication, stress management, family of origin issues, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma, spiritual development, and work/life balance.

I utilize a combination of somatically-focused, cognitive, and psychodynamic approaches to assist you in understanding your concerns. I'd love to help you address current changes you'd like to make, but also address underlying concerns so that current struggles are less likely to resurface. I specialize in tailoring treatments in developmentally attuned ways. With adults I assist clients in understanding how their life journeys have led them to their present concerns, and work on uncovering and undoing patterns you may find less effective.

For over 15 years I have worked with children, teens and adults managing difficulties with social, emotional and behavioral difficulties. The diverse experience with each age has given me insight to share in the therapy room with you. I address each challenge with great care and energy to help move toward growth with you or your child to find understanding and greater ways of coping, being in relationships and thriving.

When children struggles with their feelings, the whole family feels it. Whether they have big emotional displays, are fighting back, acting out, or shutting down, parents can end up struggling, too. You don't know how to make it better for your kiddo and everything you've tried has hit a wall. That's where I come in. I provide therapy for children ages 3-12 in the form of play therapy, which is therapy that's tailored for each child to meet them where they're at developmentally.

I believe that healing relationships, with others and with one's self, is the core ingredient for change in therapy. I feel that the optimal therapeutic approach with any person must be tailored to the needs of the particular individual and/or client system. Therapy should be approachable and create an environment of acceptance and self-love. In understanding human behavior, it is not so much about "good" or "bad" behavior, but trying to understand why we do what we do and to make sure our behaviors are constructive for ourselves and the relationships important to us.

If you're navigating the complexities of emotions, life changes, or seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, I offer an interactive, empathetic, and creative approach to therapy. In our sessions, I will work with you to identify your values and hopes, helping to sculpt a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling to you. My approach is dynamic and client-centered, focusing on empowering you to make changes that align with your personal values and whatever you want out of life. I will guide you towards new ways of coping and building resilience to not only address immediate concerns but also set you up for long-term well-being.

In life, we sometimes find ourselves in the midst or the aftermath of what I like to call a “Tower Moment”. The Tower card in tarot is a symbol of dramatic, unavoidable and sudden change. It depicts an imposing stone tower, cracked in half by a lightning strike, pieces falling to the ground. Most fear this card, due to the negative emotions that come with having to let go of a situation when we aren’t ready. We ignore, avoid or deny. Then, our lives fall down around us, and we find ourselves looking through the rubble trying to piece back together the life we lived just a short time ago.

Clinicians at Orchard Wellness are highly skilled mental health providers who deeply value your health and wellbeing and respect the challenges that you and/or your children or family is experiencing. We take great pride in providing our community with high quality, patient-centered care and health education. Our mission is to improve people's lives, one at a time. We base our success on helping people live and feel better.