Hi, I am licensed in Illinois as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), and in Iowa as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC.) I am also a board Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. I have a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from Drake University. I have 15 years experience providing therapy in inpatient, community, home, and remote settings. I have worked with clients across the lifespan; however, I've found most children are best served with play therapy, which I do not know how to provide in a remote setting. I understand the difficulties of managing work, school, and personal relationships. I can help you develop the self esteem, compassion, mindfulness, and other skills necessary to meet your personal and professional goals and live your best life. My approach is eclectic; always informed by a multicultural, feminist, and strengths perspective. I believe a person's lived experience is strongly informed by their cultures and gender. I also believe people have the ability to work through their concerns. Sometimes we all need an unbiased person to listen and assist us through the process.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we will spend time getting to know one another and developing rapport. We will discuss your medical and therapeutic history, as well as the specific goals bringing you to therapy, as well as your expectations. We will review any previous therapeutic experiences and feelings you may have about them. We will develop goals and a plan for moving forward.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I work well with clients who are motivated to recover from past traumas or other concerns they feel are holding them back. I am accepting, empathetic, and validating of my client's lived experiences. I understand the difficulties which may arise due to disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity as I, too, am a member of the queer and disabled communities. I believe with empathy, mindfulness, and effective coping skills we can begin to lives the lives we envision.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I love working with queer and other LGBTQIA+ identified or questioning clients. Young adults are particularly rewarding; I enjoy helping them to make sense of their life experiences and to develop the skills necessary to succeed in their collegiate, grad school, and young professional lives. This can mean developing a mindfulness practice. It can also mean tweaking or developing new interpersonal, work/study, and/or coping skills, etc. I also specialize in working with members of the neurodivergent, mood disorder, chronic illness, and other disabled communities to overcome obstacles and to live their best lives. My specialized skills as a rehabilitation counselor are especially helpful for individuals coping with employment, school, community, or personal difficulties arising from any number of different disabilities. I am well versed in the ADA, Rehabilitation Act (as amended,) and IDEA/FAPE.