About Me
I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and currently reside in Woodstock, Illinois. I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology at The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), with a specialization in Clinical Psychology and Research. My interests in psychology began in my quest and desire to help others. I feel that there is no greater gift to oneself than to work towards a goal of fulfilling life’s meaning. I practice in the form Existential Psychology and take pride in helping others find meaning and purpose in their life. I feel that once someone is able to find their true purpose or meaning, they unlock not only their true potential but a compass that guides them in all their life decisions. I believe this helps them along during times of hardship and stress.
I received my Masters of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University in 2014. While in my Master’s program, the majority of my clinical work focused on treating clients struggling from depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder (ADHD), self-injury, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, trauma, addiction and severe mental illness in a variety of settings. For the majority of my career I have worked in Behavioral Health Hospitals and have worked with various clients in the school system from Kindergarten to Senior Year in High School. I have also worked with adults in various settings while completing my clinical practicum. I find that it is vitally important to gain an understanding of my client and build rapport by using a compassionate and sincere approach. Furthermore, I focus on keeping in mind that each client’s situation, life experience, wants, needs, goals, struggles, and desired path is as unique as their own fingerprint.
Clinical Psychology
I am licensed in Illinois as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). I consider myself to be someone who is easy to speak to and someone who will go above and beyond for my clients. Not only do I focus on this during a time of extreme vulnerableness and need, but throughout the entire therapeutic process up until the point when my clients feel they’ve made enough progress to begin to terminate therapy. I will always do my best to bring to each client, the most up to date methods of psychotherapy but also mix in a sense of community and perhaps even a little humor here and there. My therapeutic approach is eclectic as I implement cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior, mindfulness and existentialist therapies. I believe that all clients are unique and thus my therapeutic approach will be unique to them. After all, an individual is the only witness to their unique history and I will always see my clients as more than just their history while helping them work towards a new future.
Areas of Specialty
Youth and Adolescent Therapy
My interest in working with youth and adolescent clients began during my very first year of community college. I had originally intended to major in Early Elementary Education, before taking my first psychology course and falling in love with field. I have worked with clients from ages 5-18 for the vast majority of my clinical career. I find that I am often able to build rapport with clients who have had trouble building rapport with other professionals in the past. I do so by meeting them where they are at in the therapeutic process, understanding their perspective, challenges, and then moving towards focusing on their life goals and purpose. I used a combination of Existential and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies to help them identify negative thought patterns and behaviors that are inadvertently not working in their own self-interest and help them develop a more self-reliant viewpoint of their life. I take great pride in reaching clients when they are young to help unlock their full potential in order to help them find happiness, purpose and meaning in their life.
Depression
I have specialized in helping clients manage depressive symptoms for over 10 years. I first try to help clients understand that depression is more common than most think. It can be argued that we all have gone through struggles of depression at one point in our lives and what we gain from this understanding is that we are not alone. Sadly, one of the most common symptoms of depression starts from not feeling understood. I believe that the majority of great therapeutic work stems from that simple understanding. I try to help clients understand that depression is also a treatable illness, as hopelessness is also another key symptom in depression. Once we find out that 1) we’re not alone and 2) there are many great ways for use to cope with depression, then I start to see that little glimmer of hope with which the therapeutic process can begin to work.
Substance Abuse and Addiction
I have gained great experience working with clients who suffer from substance abuse and substance abuse related issues. I, like many others, have close family members who have unfortunately suffered from the disease of addiction. I believe that the stigma for alcohol and substance abuse related issues is still greater than it currently is for other mental health disorders. However, I think many are learning that it is indeed a disease and not a choice and requires the same type of compassion while treating as every other mental health disorder. I have worked with programs such as Amita Health and Live4Lali in the past, which has been greatly beneficial to me as a therapist and for many of my family members and close friends. Please note that my clients will never be judged and they will always be treated with the respect and compassion they deserve when seeking out help for mental health and addiction related disorders.
Publications
Featured in 2020 article from Chicago Health Magazine, “The New Normal How Covid-19 Impacts us All.”
University of Illinois at Chicago. “The effects of nicotine on risk taking behaviors and cognition.”
Black Hawk College Speaker “Promoting the awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.”
2020 Amita Health, “Helping Kids Return to School in Fall.”
2019 Amita Health, “ADHD in the Classroom.”
