LCSW, 5 years of experience
I'm licensed as a clinical social worker and certified as a psychologically sensitive, trauma-informed yoga teacher through Chicago Room to Breathe. I'm also a certified in Somatic Attachment Therapy, which is an experiential approach to healing our relationships with ourselves, others, and our community and larger world. I specialize in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, life transitions, relationship difficulties, and complex trauma recovery. I'm an attuned therapist with the intention of meeting clients where they are and aligned with their personal goals. With 14 years of social work experience working with people of all ages, I love building relationships with clients, and working alongside them to explore their inner world and help them incorporate new strategies to live a more fulfilling life. I use a trauma-informed approach, which means I aim to create a therapeutic relationship grounded in safety, sovereignty. My intention is to support you as you explore, acknowledge, and express your thoughts and feelings when you're ready to do so. I aim to provide culturally responsive care, recognizing that race, ethnicity, and religion, as well as physical challenges, all play a unique, powerful impact on the human experience. Working in social services for several years, I also recognize the systemic trauma and oppression that many marginalized groups experience, and I practice clinically from this perspective. My priority is offering clients a supportive, empathetic environment in order to facilitate growth and insight. I recognize that it takes courage to reach out for support, and I feel deeply honored by the opportunity to work with others in becoming their most authentic, whole selves.
Our first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and begin shaping a therapy process that feels meaningful and supportive for you. I’ll invite you to share what brought you to therapy, what your goals are, and how you would know that therapy is becoming helpful. We’ll explore any current challenges or concerns, as well as how these difficulties may be affecting your daily life, relationships, and overall wellbeing. My goal is to understand your experiences, answer any questions you have, and work together to identify the direction that feels right for you. I draw from several approaches to help you reach your goals: 1. Understand how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected, and learning practical tools to shift unhelpful patterns. 2. Strengthen skills like emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and effective communication. 3. Focus on your strengths and what’s already working to create small, achievable steps forward. 4. Explore how past relationships shape current patterns, and building healthier, more secure ways of connecting. 5. Build awareness of the present moment to help calm the mind and reduce symptoms. 6. Help you tune into physical sensations in your body (tightness, tension, or calm) and using that awareness to reduce anxiety and build a stronger mind-body connection.
Relational, Coherence, Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral, Somatic, Mindfulness, and Integrative.
As my foundation is in social work, I believe our relationships with ourselves, our friends/family, and community all influence our state of being and we can take at look at these different areas to see where changes can be made. From there, we can live a meaningful life guided by personal values while handling the pain that goes along with being human in our world. I specialize in anxiety and stress, depression, ADHD, trauma and abuse, motivation, self-esteem and confidence, self-image, and dissociation.
Anxiety, Depression, Relationship Issues, Life Transitions, Self Development, ADHD, Women's issues