LCPC, 15 years of experience
Hello! I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois. I received my Masters in Counseling from Loyola University, Chicago, IL. I also have a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Warsaw University, Poland. I have been practicing for over 20 years helping a variety of clients, including families with children age 2 to 18, young adults, and women in life transitions. I also worked with clients of different ages throughout their grieving process.
In our first session, I will introduce myself and explain my approach as well as the fundamentals of a therapeutic relationship. I will take the time to get to know you and listen to your concerns and hopes for therapy. I would like to collaborate with you to create goals that you find meaningful for our further work together.
I believe that seeking therapy takes courage and I would like to offer you a compassionate and respectful presence. I value your perspective and would like to take the time to hear your unique story. I also believe in collaboration and would like to create a space for dialogue to develop a treatment plan that suits your unique and specific goals and needs.
I enjoy supporting women who are experiencing stress of juggling parenting, work and relationship challenges. My clients often feel overwhelmed or stressed out, lacking tools for self-care. They may also be setting high expectations for themselves, which can lead to anxiety or burnout. Additionally, I am eager to work with clients who immigrated to the US and deal with acculturation issues. I have extensive experience working with clients from different racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
I am open to utilizing Christian faith perspective in therapy if the client is seeking to integrate it in the healing process. As a Christian myself, I would like to offer space to explore present life challenges through a faith perspective and guide my clients to discovery of more purposeful and meaningful choices in their lives.
I've been using CBT consistently in my practice for many years. I believe it is the most helpful modality to understand how feelings, thoughts, and behaviors are interconnected. I use it for stress reduction, addressing unhelpful thought patterns, and finding motivation to change unhealthy/unhelpful behaviors.
For many years, I've been using an attachment-based perspective to help clients understand how the foundational relationships with parents or caregivers shape patterns for further/adult relationships. The process of exploration of childhood experiences empowers clients to care better for themselves, leads to increased self esteem, better relational choices, and more secure and stable relationships.
I have extensive experience in working with clients grieving different types of losses, including death of a loved one, anticipatory grief, loss of a job, divorce, health changes, etc. Exploring difficult emotions around those challenges, finding coping strategies and building resilience in a meaningful way will be the focus of my grief therapy work.
I believe in the integrative nature of DBT because it addresses intense responses to life challenges and helps with emotional regulation. It also uses mindfulness for better coping with stress and life pressures. DBT is helpful in my work for improving communication and setting healthier boundaries, enhancing self-acceptance and self-compassion and builds capacity for better life choices.