You are a person, not a diagnosis

I believe that most of us struggle and “do what we do” because we are in some form of emotional pain. You may feel depressed, anxious, have difficulty forming and sustaining relationships, repeat past mistakes despite “knowing better”, or feel incapable of achieving goals you’ve set for yourself. Talking with friends or family might help in the moment, but you find yourself unable to make lasting changes.

How you feel about yourself, relate with others, and make your way in the world is significantly influenced by your earliest attachment relationships. When caregivers struggle with their own psychological and emotional health, their ability to form secure attachments and be emotionally available to their children may be impaired. Children may experience such insecure relationships as invalidating, abandoning, attacking, or impinging, if not outright abusive and traumatizing. Since children have no choice but to attach to the caregivers they have, to feel some security they will form maladaptive relational patterns that no longer work as adults.

These experiences become internalized as personality develops. These experiences also affect brain development. In essence, we become “hard-wired” through the types of attachments (secure or insecure, healthy or traumatizing) we form in childhood. So, you learned to adapt to and survive the circumstances over which you had no control. It is no wonder that it can be so difficult to change: those patterns of relating “worked” in an environment that didn’t.

Psychotherapy is a process that creates new relational patterns and actually re-wires you to think and feel differently about yourself. It is different than advice giving or one person telling another what to do. It is a process that helps you gain awareness and understanding so that you are free to try out new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world.

As a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, I am trained to recognize the underlying thoughts, feelings, and patterns that keep you stuck in emotional pain. Rather than viewing you as a diagnosis or problem to be solved, I am most interested in understanding and helping you work through what is troubling you. An effective psychotherapeutic process can result in greater freedom, strength, and vitality, leading to a more satisfying and connected life.

History

Born and raised in the near Western suburbs of Chicago, I’ve provided psychotherapy and clinical supervision services since 2001, working with adolescents, adults, and couples. While I work with a broad range of issues, I have a particular interest and expertise in the areas of depression and anxiety, relationships, men’s issues, self-esteem, personality development, attachment, blocks to creativity, and the intersection of psychoanalysis, psychology, and spirituality. I also have expertise in the field of telehealth, having conducted research on relationships in longer-term therapy via audio-visual platforms. My doctoral research in telehealth was awarded the “Student Research Honorable Mention” for the 2020 Gradiva Awards through the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (https://naap.org/2020-gradiva-award-winners). I am particularly attuned to the unique relational aspects of working together virtually when meeting in person is not an option.

In addition to my work as a therapist, I am a classically trained musician and certified educator with extensive experience working with adolescents and university students. I am an Assistant Professor of Counseling in the College of Professional Studies at Indiana University South Bend. I am also on the Core Faculty at The Institute for Clinical Social Work of Chicago where I provide clinical supervision to PhD students and teach Introduction to Psychodynamic Therapy in the Pathways Program (https://www.icsw.edu/pathways_program). I have also taught and supervised Graduate Mental Health Counseling Programs at St. Xavier University Chicago, Viterbo University, and Stetson University. Before becoming a psychotherapist, I worked in a Magnet Fine Arts School in Chicago and as a high school choral director and music teacher.

Initial Consultation

Finding the right therapist is a daunting endeavor and a choice not to be taken lightly. It is important that you feel listened to, heard, and understood. Getting the right fit is important. I typically utilize the first few sessions as an assessment to hear what you need, and how I may help, as well as give you a sense of what it’s like to work with me. Please feel free to contact me to have an initial phone conversation.

Education & Training