Approach to Therapy:

I believe that every individual has their own rich life full of personal experiences that shape who they are. The relationship I share with my clients is incredibly important to me, and I want you to feel validated, safe, and seen. In this shared space, you aren't just someone's parent, significant other, child, sibling, or employee. You get to be you, just as you are.

My clients come to me with a wide array of life stressors, and together we work to reduce those while increasing your innate resiliency and strength. My approach is person-centered, meaning you know yourself best, you are the expert in your own life. I believe we all have the power to heal and change, but sometimes we could use a little support along the way.

I also believe therapy doesn't have to feel heavy all the time. I laugh a lot with my clients - humor is a real part of how I connect, and I think it helps build a relationship that feels genuine and easy. Some people come in bracing for the hard stuff, but every session looks different... some days we'll laugh, some days we'll cry, and sometimes we'll do both in the same hour. Whatever shows up, you don't have to carry it alone.

My work is relational at its core, and what shows up in our sessions helps guide where we go. Sometimes that's more structured, sometimes it's more intuitive - it just depends on what feels right in the moment. I also believe there's real value in understanding the "why" behind the things we think, feel, and do, and building that understanding together can help facilitate change.

Wherever you're starting from, you don't have to have it all figured out - we can find the way forward together.

Clinical Interests:

I work with individual adults and couples navigating anxiety, relationship concerns, questions of personal identity, and more. One of the things I love most in this work is helping people see themselves clearly... not the version they've been told they are, or the one they've had to perform for others, but who they actually are.

I have a particular passion for grief work, and I'm currently working toward a certification in grief and loss counseling. Grief can show up in so many ways, not just death. The loss of a relationship, a big move to a new place, even the changes so many of us went through during and after the pandemic... we all know grief. But death is its own kind of grief too. My own father died suddenly, and that loss taught me something I carry into every session - how important it is to find real connection in grief.

I'm also committed to providing an affirming space for clients across sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds.

Education and Training:

I have a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University, along with an additional certification in couples and family counseling. I began my career at an internship working with children and adolescents, then moved into outpatient therapy in a private practice where I supported individual teens and adults, as well as couples. I'm currently pursuing my Certification in Thanatology through the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

3 Things I love:

My two sweet (well, one sweet, one spicy!) kittens that found me when they were 5 weeks old, being out in nature - especially by the water or under the stars, and my friends... my found family, my village that I never had growing up, who always keep me laughing (and who I usually come out of session to find 83 some-odd text messages from, give or take!).