My Approach

Many of us aren’t taught how to manage our mental health. There are no required classes on coping with anxious thoughts, clarifying your values, or developing healthy relationships. As you grew up, you might have been surrounded by poor models of emotional regulation and conflict resolution. Therapy can help you take control of managing your mental health. I view therapy as a tool to learn more about yourself and develop a healthier, valuable, and more satisfying life. I attempt to foster a genuine, collaborative relationship with my clients to investigate outdated patterns and create positive new ones. I have a strong commitment to supporting my clients and understanding the unique values and needs of each person I work with.

I am an integrative therapist, which means that I integrate many theories of psychotherapy to help clients work towards their therapeutic goals. My approach to therapy can be summarized by three elements: analysis, self-compassion, and a supportive therapeutic relationship.

Analysis. I believe that many of us struggle with negative or unhelpful thoughts that keep us feeling stuck. I utilize techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to assist clients in changing maladaptive thoughts and behavior patterns. I often reflect back to my clients what I am observing and perceiving. I offer an objective perspective and may see different ways of navigating situations that align with mental wellness or your values. I can help you identify barriers to your goals, modify your self-talk, and cultivate a healthier relationship with your thoughts and feelings. This new awareness of the self (also known as mindfulness) helps facilitate positive change. We often have more control over things than we realize, and it is empowering to discover how you can adopt more agency in your life.

Self-compassion is an essential component to managing your mental health. People often confuse self-compassion with being too easy on yourself. What self-compassion really looks like is holding yourself accountable in a more helpful way. The kick-yourself-in-the-ass mentality just demotivates you and depletes your self-efficacy. So by cutting out unhelpful self-judgment and criticism, you actually feel more motivated. Self-compassion means opening up to difficult emotions, learning more about the values behind the emotions, and allowing your values to guide your decision-making. We often shy away from emotion because we don’t want to feel vulnerable. Or we are worried that we won’t be able to cope with the emotion. Some of us have had painful or traumatic experiences that impact your ability to feel emotions fully. Self-compassion can help you achieve more acceptance and stability in your life and enable you to work towards your goals.

The most important component of my therapeutic approach is cultivating a supportive, genuine, and nonjudgmental relationship with my clients. Research shows that a quality therapeutic relationship is the strongest indicator of success in therapy.¹ For me, that includes being open and genuine, incorporating humor into therapy, and challenging clients to help facilitate growth. I believe that my clients know themselves best, and I am just a guide to help them work towards what is valuable to them. Therapy with me isn’t stuffy. You can be your full authentic self. You can feel big emotions, swear like a sailor, and feel confused or uncertain. I am open, genuine, and willing to listen. I’m here for all of it - that’s my job.

¹Horvath, A.O. (2001). The alliance. Psychotherapy, 38(4), 365-372.

My Commitment to Social Justice

Everyone is welcome in my therapy office. Historically, therapy has not been a nurturing space for people of color, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and many other minoritized groups. The mental health community has done a disservice to these populations and has even precipitated violence and trauma. I strive to create a safe space for clients to discuss culture and identity and the role it plays in their lives. I also welcome using therapy as a space to process discrimination, social justice issues, and sociopolitical events that may be impacting your mental health. I recognize my own limitations as a white, female-identifying therapist, and adopt a humble and conscientious approach when managing these conversations with clients. I also welcome members of the poly/kink communities to couples therapy. I believe that it is imperative for me as a therapist to be a supportive ally to these communities, and it is a cornerstone to my therapeutic approach.

My Background

I came to be a therapist through a nontraditional route. Growing up, I had always wanted to be a doctor. I thought that since I’m analytical and want to work with people, that must mean I should be a doctor, right? In college, I majored in violin performance, a passion I had developed since early childhood. I completed three years of pre-medical studies in college, took the MCAT, and started applying to medical school.

I began to question my entrance into medicine when I became an orientation leader for the music school. I mentored new students and facilitated discussions about their transition to college and the stressors they were experiencing. I created programming to help the students feel comfortable and connected to their college community. I felt connected to the work I was doing, and it was because I was creating an environment for these students. I was helping them navigate an exhilarating but somewhat terrifying transition in life, and it was such an honor to witness this. I knew this was a better fit for me. I craved a profession that would allow me to create a safe space for people to heal and flourish mentally, and to support them as they navigated life.

I decided to try counseling. Throughout my final year of college, I took the required courses, shadowed therapists, and enrolled in a masters program. I’m so lucky to have had experiences that prompted me to reroute my career, and I’ve never looked back.

My Credentials

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the State of Illinois

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Minnesota

Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) - completed 24 hours of continuing education training in the treatment of complex trauma and PTSD

Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) - completed 20 hours of continuing education training in the assessment and treatment of perinatal mental health disorders + 2 years postgraduate clinical experience working with the perinatal population

Loyola University Chicago - Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (member of Alpha Sigma Nu Honors Society)

Northwestern University - Bachelors of Music (B.Mus.) in Violin Performance

Professional Engagements

• I have been featured as a guest on multiple podcasts, speaking about mental heath within creative communities.

  • Sound Mind Podcast (Season 2, Episode 2)
    Listen to the episode here.

  • The Labyrinth and the Thread (Season 2, Episode 11) Listen to the episode here.

• I am a member of the Board of Directors for Sound Mind, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end stigma surrounding mental health in the classical music world. Learn more about Sound Mind here.

• I delivered presentations about fostering mental wellness as a musician to new students at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music in 2018 and 2019.