Licensed to practice in Illinois and accepts 10 insurances. Specializes in Women's Issues, Mood Disorders, Anxiety
(she/her)
New to Grow
Tricia (she/her) earned her undergraduate degree from Marquette University in Social Welfare & Justice, with minors in Psychology and Peace Studies. Driven by a passion for community and healing, she went on to obtain her Master of Social Work (MSW) from Loyola University Chicago. During her graduate studies, Tricia immersed herself in school settings, gaining advanced, comprehensive training in the unique mental health needs of children and families. Today, Tricia brings her expertise to both educational environments and private practice. In her school-based work, she provides critical crisis and ongoing support, conducts safety assessments, connects families with vital community resources, and helps students navigate school-related challenges such as general trauma and school refusal. In her private practice, Tricia specializes in supporting individuals navigating life transitions, depression, anxiety, and the daily pursuit of life balance. She also has dedicated experience working within the LGBTQ+ community, particularly supporting individuals pursuing gender-affirming care. Her Philosophy: Tricia firmly believes that therapy is never "one-size-fits-all." She collaborates closely with her clients to design highly individualized treatment plans tailored to their unique goals. By blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches, Tricia creates a safe, non-judgmental environment where clients feel truly heard. Depending on your needs, sessions may include a blend of structured exercises, practical skills-building, and open-ended discussion. Tricia is passionate about cultivating long-term therapeutic relationships that foster self-awareness, growth, and lasting healing. Her clients frequently describe her as direct, empathetic, and insightful.
Our First Session Together Taking the first step into therapy can feel like a lot, and it is completely normal to feel a mix of nervousness and anticipation before your first appointment. Because I believe therapy works best when it is a true partnership, I want to take the guesswork out of our first meeting so you know exactly what to expect. Our initial session is called an intake, but you can think of it as a low-pressure foundation-building conversation. We won't jump straight into the heavy lifting on day one. Instead, our goal is to get to know each other, map out where you are right now, and decide where you want to go. Here is how our first 50 minutes together will flow: 1. Settling In & Navigating the Logistics We will start by taking care of the housekeeping. We’ll briefly review the standard paperwork, touch on billing, and discuss confidentiality so you fully understand your rights and the safety boundaries of our space. This is also a time for you to ask me any operational questions you might have. 2. Sharing Your Story Next, the floor is yours. I’ll invite you to share what brings you to therapy at this specific moment in your life. * If we are meeting in my private practice , we might explore the life transitions, anxiety, depression, or feelings of being out of balance that you’re navigating. * If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community seeking gender-affirming care support, we will discuss your unique timeline, needs, and how I can best advocate for you. * If I am working with you or your child regarding school-related challenges, we will look at the immediate pressure points, like school refusal or navigating trauma. Whatever your reason for being here, you don't have to have it all figured out or speak in perfect sentences. You share only what you are comfortable sharing, at your own pace. 3. Exploring What Works (and What Doesn't) We will take a brief look at the bigger picture of your life. We'll talk about what you’ve already tried when it comes to managing these challenges, what has felt helpful in the past, and what hasn't worked at all. Understanding your day-to-day environment and your current coping habits helps me understand how to best support you. 4. Mapping Out Your Goals Because I firmly believe that therapy is never "one-size-fits-all," we will spend the last part of our session collaborating on a roadmap tailored strictly to you. I will ask you a question I love to explore with clients: "If therapy is com
My clients often describe me as direct, empathetic, and deeply insightful. I focus on creating a safe, welcoming space where we can gently challenge unhelpful patterns, uncover blind spots, and keep our sessions focused on tangible growth. Because I’ve practiced across diverse clinical systems, my approach is highly adaptable. My time in fast-paced educational settings sharpened my real-time diagnostic and crisis-intervention skills. Meanwhile, my work in private practice allowed me to slow down, build deep therapeutic alliances, and untangle complex adult challenges—such as identity exploration, major life transitions, and chronic mood disorders like anxiety and depression. I naturally adapt my energy and clinical pacing to meet you exactly where you are. I firmly believe that therapy is never "one-size-fits-all." My strength lies in building bespoke treatment plans, fluidly weaving together structured exercises from CBT, emotional regulation skills from DBT, future-focused strategies from Solution-Focused Therapy, and mindfulness grounding techniques. Rather than forcing you to fit a specific theory, I bend the modalities to fit you. This means our sessions are fluid: on any given day, we can pivot between deep, open-ended processing to build self-awareness, or highly structured, practical skills-building. You will leave our sessions not just understanding how you feel, but equipped with the actual tools to manage your tomorrow. As part of my commitment to inclusive care, I bring specialized experience supporting individuals navigating marginalized identities and complex systemic challenges. I provide deeply affirmative care for the LGBTQ+ community, including supporting individuals on gender-affirming paths, navigating identity-informed trauma, and managing minority stress. Grounded in my background in Social Welfare and Justice, I blend clinical support with real-world advocacy to champion your whole self.
I partner most effectively with individual adults who are ready to look inward, build self-awareness, and actively collaborate on their own growth. My ideal client is someone navigating life transitions, managing everyday anxiety or depression, or exploring aspects of identity (including members of the LGBTQ+ community seeking affirmative care). They appreciate a therapist who is warm but direct, and they value a mix of deep processing and practical, actionable skill-building. Because my practice is dedicated solely to outpatient individual therapy, it is the best fit for those seeking steady, sustainable personal development rather than crisis stabilization, couples work, or family counseling.
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
In our sessions, we’ll use Socratic questioning to gently challenge knee-jerk 'automatic thoughts,' looking at objective evidence rather than emotional assumptions. Together, we will build a balanced perspective and design low-stakes experiments to help you gradually face avoided triggers. If anxiety spikes during a session, we’ll practice concrete distress tolerance tools—like box breathing or progressive muscle relaxation—in real-time. To bridge the gap between sessions, we'll collaborate on a small skill or experiment for you to practice at home, turning self-awareness into tangible, daily growth.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
In our sessions, we will actively learn and practice the four core modules of DBT: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. If you experience a behavioral slip-up or challenge between sessions, we won’t judge it—instead, we'll walk through a step-by-step chain analysis to pinpoint the exact moment an unhelpful automatic response took over. Together, we’ll identify a specific DBT tool to break that chain in the future, ensuring you leave every session with an actionable coping strategy.
Gender-affirming therapy
"My practice is rooted in dedicated advocacy and affirmative care for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating various chapters of life and change. I walk alongside clients as they explore identity, build self-acceptance, and process the unique stressors that come with navigating a heteronormative world. I specialize in supporting individual adults currently pursuing gender-affirming care, offering both clinical guidance and the necessary collaborative documentation to help them safely and confidently access the care they deserve."
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
In individual sessions, I use Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to help you shift your focus away from the problem and toward your strengths and preferred future. Using structured techniques like the 'Miracle Question' and 'Scaling Questions,' we will construct a clear, vivid picture of your goals and map out manageable steps to achieve them. Our work heavily focuses on identifying 'exceptions'—moments when the problem was absent or less severe—to reveal coping skills you already possess. Together, we’ll look at what is already working in your life and intentionally build on those small victories.