Why work with me?
Your first and most important task will be determining if you feel there is a 'fit' between you and me. Do you feel I'm listening? Does it seem like I get what you're saying? Do you see the potential for feeling comfortable and safe to open up and share your thoughts and feelings? Do I seem like I have the skills to help you? Only if you feel the potential for a good and helpful connection should you choose to work with me, and I will encourage you to follow your instincts in making that decision.
Being a therapist is a privilege and a responsibility that I take seriously. I am continually awed and humbled by the courage of the people I see. I genuinely appreciate how difficult life can be and how hard it is to navigate the many turns that a life can take. Therapy is not an easy undertaking, but it can be a rewarding one. If the necessary components are there -- a solid connection and the purposeful use of knowledge, instincts, feelings and insight -- then growth and change will happen. I hope that through our work together, you will learn to better trust your instincts, tolerate and manage difficult feelings and build more satisfying relationships outside of the therapy office. Change is inevitable; therapy offers one way of navigating through it and making it work for you.
Education
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, B.A-Journalism
- University of Chicago, A.M.-SSA, concentration clinical social work
Groups and Associations
- National Association of Social Workers
- North Shore Psychotherapy Alliance
- Psychologists, Psychotherapists and Counselors
- United States Mental Health Professionals
- Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors and Psychotherapists
- Illinois Mental Health Professionals
For therapy to be successful, we have to work together. My goal is to create a space that feels welcoming and safe, where you can talk about what's on your mind and know that I am engaged and committed to helping you clarify what you feel and what you need. I believe that each person has within himself/herself the capacity to get unstuck, to grow and to find greater contentment and joy. My job is to help you unlock your potential so you can move forward in your life.