It is my belief that healing begins with connection. Making the decision to engage in therapy can be a difficult one; my priority is creating a space where you feel seen and understood. Therapy with me is rooted in collaboration, compassion, and reflection; it is my hope that we can create a shared understanding of your present moment using your lived experience and my clinical training. In our beginning sessions, we will spend time getting to know each other and discussing what brings you to therapy. I want to know about the important people in your life, how you spend your days, your hobbies, and your values. As our work together deepens, I will offer support and accompaniment as you begin to make meaning of painful experiences, identify the strengths that have carried you thus far, develop new ways to manage stressors, and ultimately feel safe, confident, and content in your daily life. The people I work with often struggle with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex trauma stemming from repeated instances of physical/emotional abuse, sexual trauma, childhood abuse, gender-based violence, betrayal trauma, immigration trauma, and other harmful experiences. PTSD and complex trauma often manifest in symptoms like anxiety, depression, problems with sleep, diminished sense of self, withdrawal from community/loved ones, and challenges with daily activities. I am open to working with individuals of all ages and backgrounds, and I have a particular interest in working with those in the emerging adult age range (18-26), people with perinatal or reproductive concerns, people with immigration histories/trauma, and those healing from childhood parentification.
My therapeutic practice is based in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and intersectional feminist frameworks. I aim to take a holistic approach to healing that values cultural knowledge just as much as the clinical. I am deeply committed to learning about how you/your community deal with hardships and welcome any spiritual, cultural, or creative practices into the therapeutic space. When people are given time, space, and a listening ear to their histories, profound lessons emerge. I frequently engage with evidence-based theories and practices to address behaviors or patterns that are no longer serving you using cognitive coping strategies, attachment theory, mindfulness, dialectic thinking, and other behavioral techniques. My clinical approach follows the tri-phasic model of trauma recovery: establishing safety, making meaning of your experience, and reconnecting with community and loved ones. As each individual heals in different ways, my clinical framework is flexible from person to person.
My educational background reflects the expansive and creative ways of thinking I incorporate into my clinical work. I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and international affairs that informs the perspective I take when understanding you: I believe that problems are not solely located within the individual, and that oftentimes social, political, and environmental factors can influence the way we feel and act. All of these topics are on the table when you engage in therapy with me, and I welcome conversations around race, gender, nationality, sexuality, and other parts of yourself that are important to you. I deeply value social justice as a personal and professional value and engage in frequent individual and group consultation to deepen and expand my practice. I hold a Master’s in Social Work, Policy, and Practice (AM) from the University of Chicago, with a focus on global social work. I previously worked in community-based mental health settings with survivors of domestic violence and refugee and immigrant survivors of torture and trauma in both therapeutic and case management roles.
It is an honor to engage in this healing work. Seeing individuals come back into themselves and their power is truly a joy to witness. If it sounds like we may be a good match, please do not hesitate to reach out and schedule with me. I look forward to meeting you!
Type 1 NPI Number: Pending
IL LSW License: 150130558
Supervised by: Pending
Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, Aetna PPO, out of network and self pay clients
Selected Training & Affiliation
- Relational Cultural Therapy
- Trauma-informed therapy
- Culturally Responsive Care
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Intersectional Feminist Theory
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Mindfulness & Somatic Therapy
Key Beliefs
- Everyone comes to therapy with the skills and knowledge needed to heal, the work of therapy is teasing out those answers.
- Struggles with mental health reflect an ineffective and unsupportive system and society, not a problem with the individual.
- Mistakes provide opportunity for growth and connection and should not be feared.
More About Me
- I’ve loved animals and the natural world for my whole life. I love birdwatching and my cat is my emotional rock; he will probably appear in the background of sessions!
- I love being creative and am an avid knitter. I believe knitting has tremendous healing abilities and would love to teach you or incorporate other creative practices into our work.
