I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with more than 20 years of relationship-building experience under my belt, including 4 transformative years working abroad in Spain. As the daughter of immigrants, I intimately understand the difficult and sometimes confusing emotions that result from feeling caught between cultures. I bring this sensitivity, along with an innate curiosity about people and their personal histories to each of my therapeutic sessions.
My goal as your psychotherapist is to help you build your internal capacity to live according to your true values so that you can become your most authentic self. I do this by fostering an accepting, collaborative relationship that both validates your struggles and models coping techniques designed to get you where you want to go.
Clinically, my approach to change is mainly grounded in cognitive-behavioral and somatic therapy traditions which emphasize active interventions that improve psychological flexibility, body awareness, and behavioral habits. I also utilize evidence-based techniques from other therapy schools including narrative, art, humanistic, and psychodynamic to improve motivation and insight. To date, my areas of specialty include: complex trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, complicated grief, perinatal mental health, OCD, and elder care.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania where I specialized in English Literature and Political Science. I received my master’s degree from the University of Houston where I majored in clinical mental health counseling. As a counselor at a community health center which specialized in trauma, I trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). As a program therapist at a partial hospitalization program which specialized in mood disorders, I trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness. More recently, as a psychotherapist at Wildflower, I trained in couples counseling and perinatal mental health.
- IL LCPC License Number: 180016348
- Type 1 NPI Number: 1134889777
- Accepts: BCBS PPO and BlueChoice plans, UnitedHealthcare/Optum PPO, self-pay and out of network clients
Selected Training & Affiliation
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) training
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Training (TF-CBT)
- Person-Centered Therapy training
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) training
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET) training
- Mindfulness training
- Perinatal Mental Health trainings
- Gottman Method Level 1 Couples Therapy Training
Key Beliefs
- It is never too late to start something new!
- Being present is hard, but worth it.
- One must understand the mind-body relationship to truly appreciate and empower the self.
- Movement and touch are underutilized sources of healing.
More About Me
- I like to work with my hands and one of my favorite activities is throwing pottery on the wheel.
- I recharge my batteries by going on solo travel excursions.
- I view thrifting as therapy.
