Licensed to practice in Illinois and accepts 13 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD and 10 more.
New to Grow
My work with clients is integrative, collaborative, and eclectic. I tailor strategies, tools, and skills to each individual's strengths, while also identifying areas that may benefit from support. I follow a client-centered philosophy, respecting you as the expert of your own life—while recognizing that even experts need help at times. My clinical education, skills, and experiences are further enhanced by my education and experience in learning systems and brain dominance - basically how people learn. This is an important part of a successful therapeutic relationship and finding the right approach for my clients.
As a therapist, my purpose is to support and guide you as you navigate life's challenges. I believe in each person's innate ability to heal and grow. My role is to help you build skills and remove barriers, so you can achieve a more fulfilling and productive life. My clients can expect to feel heard, supported, educated and empowered after therapy sessions with me.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I specialize in helping clients with: · Trauma and PTSD · Grief and loss · Relationship issues (including family conflict, estrangement, workplace concerns, and intimate partner dynamics) · Life transitions · Self-esteem and self-care · Anxiety and depression · Goal setting · Sleep hygiene and sleep-related issues · Higher education pursuits · Career counseling I also provide support for substance use and sobriety maintenance, especially when these concerns occur alongside other challenges such as depression. I also hold a graduate degree in organizational leadership with a focus on learning science - how people learn. My additional skills in this area help me to further support my clients in identifying a "best fit" for therapy with longer lasting benefits. I have extensive experience and training working with a diverse range of populations, including: · Veterans and military personnel · First responders · Widows and widowers · Students in higher education · Adults facing mid-life changes such as divorce, empty nest, job loss, chronic illness, care-giving, or estrangement from adult children or parents
My ideal client is someone who is ready to learn, grow, and do the work toward living their best life. They are open and honest about their experiences, even when those conversations feel uncomfortable or difficult, and are willing to explore new perspectives, skills, and ways of coping. I want my clients to see me as a supportive partner on their journey—not someone who simply tells them what to do. Together, we work collaboratively to understand what is holding them back, build on their strengths, and create meaningful, lasting change. My ideal client is willing to be an active participant in therapy and is ready to discover that they are capable of creating a life that feels more fulfilling, confident, purposeful, and authentically their own.
Utilized CBT-I and variations of it with individuals and small groups; both inpatient and outpatient and have tools and experience to work with clients to customize their own personal sleep hygiene plan. Educating the client on the importance of sleep - and how sleep impacts every other aspect of our lives and is modifiable and customizable with effort and dedication.
CBT has often served as a valuable tool for clients as they are taught to address and work toward change for inaccurate or unhealthy thinking patterns. Helping the client see that things like journaling, role-playing, and self- reflection, among others, can shore up the client's skills for improving their overall emotional well-being. CBT has many assets and components available to help the client address diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, phobias, eating disorders and substance use/abuse/addiction issues.
ACT serves the client to help them focus on being in the here and now and identifying what is most important in their lives as they discover their core values for their best life. ACT can help identify and address negative emotions, with the goal of redirecting and eliminating those thoughts that don't serve the client and/or their future self.
I have used CPT treatment for helping clients address traumatic experiences, negative thought patterns, and learning new and adaptive coping strategies to get "unstuck" in their lives. Can benefit clients addressing issues related to PTSD, emotional regulation related to traumatic events, suicidal ideation and sexual and physical violence
DBT provides helps the client learn new skills like mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and many other skills to include in their mental health tool kit for coping with stressors impacting their life. DBT can help a client learn to adapt to "what is" when that is the "best" response. Distress tolerance skills through DBT can help clients learn to stop catastrophizing problems in their lives and meet life's challenges with appropriate responses to care for their mental and physical health.