About Me

 

I was born in Sycamore, IL, not far from Heartland Counseling Center Inc.. I attended University of Iowa for my undergraduate studies where I studied Psychology and Art/Art History. From there, I moved back to Illinois where I studied for and obtained my Masters in Psychology with a focus in Clinical Counseling. My clinical experiences have been at Thrive Counseling Center in Oak Park as a therapist for primarily adults, and as an Intake Clinician at Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare Systems as an intake clinician and therapist for kids and adolescents. I have worked with people of all ages and love being a therapist.

 

 

Counseling Style

 

My main priority in therapy is to get the individual, couple, or family to the “place” that they want to be in their life—emotionally, spiritually and/or mentally.  Because we are all different as human beings, my approach to therapy would be considered “eclectic” because it can change greatly depending on the focus of the therapy and the personal goals of the individual(s).  I like to incorporate recognizing patterns in one’s life and finding the origin of those patterns to facilitate insight. When we understand why we do what we do, it allows us to move on to becoming the person we actually want to be. I encourage bio-feedback and believe our bodies tell us a lot about our health and how we’re feeling, even when we aren’t able to recognize those feelings intellectually. Relatedly, I believe nutrition, exercise, spirituality and good-health practices are essential for healing the whole self and maintaining the sense of being healed after therapy.

 

 

Specialties

 

I enjoy working with people of all ages, but especially enjoy working with individuals with depression and anxiety concerns. Depression and anxiety are issues that nearly everyone experience at some point in their life, and yet, it can be very difficult to reach out for help or make the effort to get out of the negative cycle. Sometimes depression and anxiety can be caused by external events, but sometimes it can be caused by the cycle of thoughts and feelings that we slip into. Through a variety of methods, I like to help people redefine their life/current issues and “recharge” their life so that they can once again be receptive to all the joys that life can bring to them.  I also enjoy working with couples with a variety of concerns including: sexuality, intimacy, communication issues, faith issues, and family issues.

 

 

Hobbies and Interests

 

In my free time, I enjoy running, spending time with my two labs and one cat (and my husband-can’t forget about him), making crafts, drawing and painting, laughing at ridiculous books/comedies/stand-up shows, spending time with good people at church events and reading good books. I love going to other countries and embracing different cultures—especially the foods!

 

 

Favorites

 

Authors: Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, Wally Lamb
Books: Twilight series, She’s Come Undone, The Hour I First Believed, and all the books by Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris
Shows: Biggest Loser, Gilmore Girls, The Office
Foods: Italian and Mexican, especially Mushroom Ravioli and Guacamole
Color: Blue