I believe healing is guided by connection: to ourselves, to those we love, and to the communities we call home. I see therapy as a space to slow down and reconnect. Growth and transformation remain possible at every stage of life. Even long-standing patterns can change when we begin to understand the deeper needs beneath them. When closing off, disengaging, or powering through pain alone becomes the norm, we’ll approach pain with authenticity and accountability rather than shame or guilt, allowing for meaningful and lasting change.
Rooted in my background as an artist, my therapeutic style is intuitive and direct, guided by heart-forward curiosity. I hope to cultivate a therapeutic alliance where multiple truths, experiences, and needs are held with care and respect. I strive to practice in ways that are culturally responsive, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and affirming of identity. Whether you are coming to therapy for the first time or returning, I recognize that healing requires great vulnerability. I am here as your collaborator, moving at the speed of trust and meeting you human to human.
My clinical orientation is systemic and integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Satir Growth Model, Relational Cultural Theory, and existentialism. My approach emphasizes experiencing emotions, understanding attachment needs, and aligning with what makes life meaningful while keeping the larger systems and contexts of our lives in mind. As a queer woman, I believe that belonging should not require us to edit, minimize, or abandon the parts of ourselves that make us unique. The complexity and absurdity of the human experience is what energizes me as a therapist. I am moved by the ways couples and families, both biological and chosen, create systems of mutual support and resilience. Clients have described me as patient, non-judgmental, creative, and reflective.
I work with individuals, couples, and families to develop ways of communicating that are emotionally attuned and authentic. I specialize in helping couples who feel stuck in painful cycles of conflict and distance, often rooted in attachment wounds and relational trauma. Regardless of the constellation of your relationships, I support clients in strengthening their connection to themselves and their loved ones while navigating concerns such as alienation, depression, anxiety, grief, loss, transitions to parenthood, and identity transformations. I have a particular passion for supporting those who are breaking intergenerational patterns, blending families, grieving, and navigating life transitions they did not choose. I also enjoy working with mixed-neurotype couples and families, helping them develop shared language and mutual understanding that honors each person’s strengths and needs.
I have a master’s degree in couple and family counseling from Northeastern Illinois University. Before joining Wildflower, I worked as a couple and family therapist in private practice, a youth advocate in residential care, and a teaching artist in Chicago Public Schools and local arts organizations. I consider myself a lifelong learner and am expanding my knowledge and skills through training. I am preparing for a certification in perinatal mental health.
- Type 1 NPI Number: 1720907009
- AMFT License: Pending
- LPC License: Pending
- Supervised by: Rosemary Kelley, MS, LCPC, CADC, PMH-C
- Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, Aetna PPO, self pay clients
Selected Training & Affiliation
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Training
- Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) Training
- Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Framework Training
- Access to Lethal Means and Suicide Training
- Mental Health First Aid Training
- Trauma-Focused CBT Certification
- Member of Illinois Affiliation of Marriage and Family Therapists
- Member of Postpartum Support International
Key Beliefs
- Relationships are built in repair.
- All behavior makes sense with enough information.
- Emotions are not problems to solve but experiences to understand.
More About Me
- I am passionate about birding. I love the deep listening and quiet attention it takes to identify birds. To celebrate graduating from graduate school, I got a tattoo of a yellow-shafted Northern Flicker.
- I take karaoke very seriously. I used to host a karaoke radio show and once won a karaoke competition with “Last Dance” by Donna Summer. Lately, my go-to song has been “Ray of Light” by Madonna.
