I'm licensed as a clinical social worker and certified as a psychologically sensitive, trauma-informed yoga teacher through Chicago Room to Breathe. Additionally, I am currently going through the Somatic Attachment therapy certification program through TheEmbodyLab.com. I specialize in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, life transitions, relationship difficulties, and trauma recovery. I'm an attuned therapist with the intention of meeting clients where they are.
With 13 years of social work experience working with people of all ages, I love building relationships with clients, and working alongside them to explore their inner world and to incorporate new strategies to live a more fulfilling life. I use a trauma-informed approach, which means I aim to create a therapeutic relationship grounded in safety, sovereignty, so you can explore, acknowledge, and express your thoughts and feelings when you're ready to do so.
I believe there is profound healing and empowerment in the connection between the mind and body, as well as in gaining awareness to how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interrelated. With my clients, I work with them to learn and incorporate tools for regulating their nervous system, coping with life stressors, and gaining awareness to how their past impacts their present. We work together to visualize how they want to feel and be in the world, and explore what changes can be applied to their lives.
Additionally, as my foundation is in social work, I believe our relationships with ourselves, our friends/family, and community all influence our state of being and we can take at look at these different areas to see where changes can be made. From there, we can live a meaningful life guided by personal values while handling the pain that goes along with being human in our world.
I aim to provide culturally responsive care, recognizing that race, ethnicity, and religion, as well as physical challenges, all play a unique, powerful impact on humans' experience. Working in social services for several years, I also recognize the systemic trauma and oppression that many marginalized groups experience, and I practice clinically from this perspective.
My priority is offering clients a supportive, empathetic environment in order to facilitate growth and insight. I recognize that it takes courage to reach out for support, and I feel deeply honored by the opportunity to work with others in becoming their most authentic, whole selves.
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Adoption and Foster Care, Attachment issues, Avoidant Personality, Blended Family Issues, Codependency, Dissociation, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Expats, Family of Origin Issues, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, Impulsivity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Mood disorders , Panic disorder and panic attacks, Self-love, Social anxiety and phobia, Somatization, Trichotillomania, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
IL LCSW 149.019199