Difficult and intense emotions can certainly feel like a bonfire raging in our mind and body. Painful emotions like anger, shame, or fear can seem like they will consume us or be impossible to control. It can be difficult to know what to do when these emotions come up, and they can make us feel…
In my roles as a psychotherapist, Practice Operations Manager, and a clinical supervisor at Wildflower, I strive to provide effective clinical care to my clients and to support other Wildflower clinicians in their efforts to do the same. As Practice Operations Manager, I support all aspects of Wildflower operations and work closely with our clinicians and their clients to ensure efficient and effective processes. I also supervise clinicians working towards clinical licensure so they can gain the skills and knowledge they need to thrive as psychotherapists. As a clinician, I believe positive change occurs from a combination of new insights, shifts in thoughts and perspectives, changes in behaviors, and healing experiences. My therapeutic approach is to utilize a variety of interventions, theories, and evidence-based practices including CBT, ACT, and DBT to promote changes in each of these areas. I believe psychotherapy is a collaborative endeavor and I work together with clients to create a plan to help them achieve their goals. I also strongly believe that our individual challenges are inextricably linked to larger social and societal structures. Psychotherapy should not only focus on individual-level factors, but work to address these systemic issues as well. Understanding the impact of these influences at the family, community, national, and global levels allows us to more accurately and compassionately view our own struggles and to identify new solutions. My work helping clients understand and reckon with these forces is informed by anti-oppressive, feminist, and trauma-informed approaches to clinical practice. One of the things I enjoy most about being a psychotherapist is the opportunity to continue to learn and develop new skills. Working as a clinical supervisor allows me to share that knowledge to further the profession’s commitment to professional development. My aim is to provide supervisees a supportive space to work towards their goals and develop their own clinical voice. I completed my bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in human rights at the University of Chicago and earned my master’s in social work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago (now Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice). I have completed additional postgraduate training in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Before starting my career as a social worker, I worked as a project manager leading projects to implement new electronic medical record systems at large healthcare organizations. This experience informs my work as practice operations manager. Prior to joining Wildflower, I provided psychotherapy in a primary care setting to a diverse population of clients addressing a wide range of concerns and challenges such as depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, grief, family stressors, and complex health problems. I am also a perinatal mental health clinician for the Northshore University Health System’s postpartum depression hotline. LCSW License Number: 149022189 Type 1 NPI Number: 1881215960 Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, UnitedHealthcare/Optum PPO, self-pay and out of network clients
