Hello, therapy participant! If you are perusing Wildflower’s webpage, you may be interested in taking a new step toward improving your quality of life, healing from adverse experiences, and strengthening your relationship with yourself and others. For this, I am thrilled for you! One of the most powerful aspects of therapy is how transformative and revolutionary it can be for ourselves and our relationships. It’s a place for you to be authentically and unapologetically…you! This might seem a bit daunting at the same time, and it’s no secret that therapeutic work can be vulnerable, uncomfortable, and exhausting. There is no need to be ashamed of or push away these feelings. Therapy is on your time and can move at your pace. And as your partner in the therapeutic experience, I am here to support you through it all.
Allow me to share a little bit about myself if you are considering working with me. I am a Northwest Indiana native and have been living in Chicago for the last 10 years. I completed my bachelor’s degree in psychology and my master’s degrees in social work and women’s and gender studies, both from DePaul University here in the city. I am a licensed clinical social worker and a perinatal mental health-certified therapist. I work with adults ages 18 and over and I work with individuals and couples. Being a social worker means that I particularly pay attention to how the world we live in, from our personal and familial environments to our political and social climates, affects our mental health. Furthermore, having a degree in women’s and gender studies means that I specifically pay attention to how oppressive systems in our society, such as white supremacy, patriarchy, and capitalism, directly influence mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, and trauma.
I consider myself a therapist guided and grounded by radical feminist, abolitionist, and decolonized theory/politics and I implement this into all of my professional work. My approach to therapy is culturally-informed, intersectional, and anti-oppressive. My work in perinatal mental health is also informed by my research for my master’s thesis. My work analyzed maternal health disparities across the intersections of race, class, and gender and explored how antiracist feminisms may guide health care practitioners in transforming their biases in their practice as well as in combatting maternal health inequity.
I am proudly passionate about working with perinatal mental health concerns, particularly postpartum anxiety and depression, pregnancy loss, and infertility/IVF. However, I am also expansive in my therapeutic specialities. Some of my other areas of focus include gender/ sexuality/identity exploration, grief and loss, trauma (specially sexual trauma), dating and break-ups, and boundary-setting in relationships. Topics that are sometimes uncomfortable, such as sex, religion, and politics, are also always welcome in my therapy spaces and I really enjoy dialogue around these topics. I am mindful that human beings and their experiences are complex, therefore therapy cannot be one-size-fits-all. I believe in tailoring and adapting my approach to honor each person’s needs, identities, and comfort levels. One thing about my approach is consistent, though – I am warm, curious, non-judgmental, personable, and patient. I am also pretty funny when I need to be (and when appropriate of course!).
If you choose to work with me, you’ll find that building trust and a sound therapeutic relationship is my top priority. I recognize that, especially as a white, cisgender, heterosexual therapist, that trust is not a given – it must be earned and it is not owed. Our work together will be collaborative and center your voice and needs. I am also always willing to guide, support, and provide feedback when you need. I greatly value the power of human connection and building community with the people I work with. I would be so honored to welcome you into my community and bear witness to your journey.
- IL LCSW License Number: 149026252
- Type 1 NPI Number: 1245982024
- Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, UnitedHealthcare/Optum PPO, self-pay and out of network clients
Selected Training & Affiliation
- 40-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Mindfulness Training
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Training
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Training
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Training
- Member of Postpartum Support International (PSI)
- Perinatal Mental Health-Certified (PMH-C)
- Gottman Method Level 1 Couples Therapy Training
- Trauma and grief/loss trainings
- Trauma-Informed Sex and Intimacy Education (Queer-inclusive, Kink/BDSM-inclusive)
Key Beliefs
- “Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders.” – The Beatles
- “Be curious, not judgmental – Walt Whitman” – Ted Lasso
- “Hope is essential to any political struggle for radical change when the overall social climate promotes disillusionment and despair.” – bell hooks
- This world wants you to be hard on yourself and each other. Don’t buy into it.
- Joy and safety are human rights and you deserve to seek them out and feel them.
- You are so much more than your diagnosis or your trauma.
More About Me
- Some of my favorite self-care / treat yo self activities include: skincare, make-up, fashion and shopping, music and live shows, trying new food and restaurants, walks after a rain storm or in a quiet night, reality tv and pop culture, spending time and laughing with the people I love.
- I love dogs: petting dogs, saying hi to dogs, following dogs on Instagram. Your dog is ALWAYS welcome in our sessions.
- I have three tattoos (and counting) and seven piercings! I love this form of self-expression.
