LMHC, 11 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who is EMDR and FLASH trained. I bring warmth and compassion into each session. My goal is to provide a space that fosters self-reflection, vulnerability, and self-connection. It takes courage to seek help when your mental health is struggling, and you have already taken the first step. I look forward to walking alongside you as you begin on your path to healing and growth. I bring several passions into the field of counseling. I have enjoyed working with adults of all ages and have also worked alongside students, both in the roles of educator and coach at the grade school and intercollegiate levels. Whether in school, on the playing field, or in life, we bring our whole selves into the experience. Life requires much of us, and it is important to acknowledge and care for the wounded parts of ourselves that have endured various traumas, pain, grief, and loss. I have spent the last nearly 20 years of my life as a coach, educator, and counselor. I completed my undergraduate degree with a BS in English Education and completed my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In my spare time, I enjoy running, hiking, cheering for the Chicago Bears, quality time with friends and family, reading, and listening to music.
In a first session, you can expect to be asked whether you understand the informed consent form and if you have any questions about it. A first session will usually feel more like information gathering, where I may be asking you more questions than I normally would. An intake session allows us the chance to get to know each other better and helps to inform our next steps in the counseling process. Additionally, a first session may include a discussion about client expectations and goals, follow up about any pertinent responses on your initial paperwork, and scheduling.
I think some of my greatest strengths as a counselor are my ability to create a safe and comfortable space for clients to bring their whole selves to, through compassion, warmth, and patience. I use a client-centered approach to counseling, which allows you to choose what we focus on, as well as choosing the pace that is comfortable and best for you. The methods or modalities that I have found to be the most helpful and transformational are internal family systems (IFS/"Parts work"), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), nervous system regulation exercises (including mindfulness practices), self-compassion, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. One of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself is earned secure attachment, or maybe better put, a loving and secure connection to ALL parts of yourself. Each of the above listed modalities help clients discover who they are, what their triggers are, how to keep their nervous system regulated when triggered, and how to heal the wounded or traumatized parts of self. An important aspect of healing and transformation is when you stop living and responding to old stories and have the ability to choose alternative or more adaptive responses, rather than falling back into old patterns of behavior that may be destructive. Often, our triggers are cues to old stories or traumas that have not been healed. There may be parts of ourselves that are still stuck in the past, trapped in those old stories. Therapy helps to bring those wounded parts and their stories up to the present, allowing space for healing and growth. I want the therapeutic process to feel collaborative, so that clients never feel as if they are having to do this difficult work alone. Healing and growth often comes through connection, whether that is deep connection with others or deep connection with yourself. Both are needed.
Most people who choose to come to counseling are showing up for a specific reason. Coming to each session with general curiosity, vulnerability, and a desire to own all parts of yourself, or all parts of yours story, help to make sessions feel insightful and transformative. As a counselor, I am passionate about helping others own all parts of who they are through identifying and challenging destructive thought patterns and beliefs and bringing care and acceptance to the wounded parts of self, as well as integrating more adaptive beliefs. This is usually accomplished through utilizing a combination of an internal family systems approach, EMDR, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and building a strong foundation in nervous system regulation. I have found a special niche counseling working professionals, university students, and athletes. More specifically, I work with adults 18 years or older who struggle with anxiety, trauma, life transitions, relational issues, boundary issues, and more.