Personal Statement
Let’s build a life that feels like yours.
Poet Isra al-Thibeh wrote, “Self-love is the first form of freedom.” By the time we reach adulthood, we’ve had a multitude of experiences that have chipped away at our sense of self. We drift through life on autopilot, following the default path without ever asking, Is this what I really want? One day, we wake up and realize we never consciously chose the life we’re living. We feel stuck, discontent.
True self-love isn’t just bubble baths and positive affirmations—it’s about reclaiming your choices and shaping a life that aligns with who you want to be.
Sink into my leather couch with a cup of tea, surrounded by forest green tones, warm lighting, and moody vibes, where you can expect to be challenged, safe, and supported as we build something new together.
Who I Serve
I work with adult individuals and couples (LGBTQ+ affirming) across Illinois and Wisconsin, helping them navigate life’s complexities with honesty, depth, and a little bit of grit.
Specialty Treatment Areas
- Couples therapy
- Navigating peri/post-menopause
- Sex issues
- Female sexual pain disorders & chronic pain
- Medical trauma
- Religious trauma
- Interpersonal trauma
Additional Treatment Areas
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Phobias
- Life transitions
- Relationship issues
- Self-esteem/Identity
- Codependency
Theoretical Approach
Counseling is a partnership and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. I view my role in your therapy as a guide creating transformative experiences. In the words of psychologist John Bowlby, “The psychotherapist’s job, like that of an orthopaedic surgeon, is to provide the conditions in which self-healing can best take place.”
I’m an integrative therapist who pulls from a range of techniques based on specific client needs, including:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): Create deeper safety, connection, and fulfillment by identifying and altering negative cycles that keep you or your relationship stuck.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Reprocess distressing experiences so they lose their emotional charge and stop interfering with your life. Bilateral stimulation (eye movements or tapping) facilities a similar process to REM sleep, when our everyday experiences are integrated into normal memory networks. EMDR has been said to “go where traditional talk therapy can’t,” because it restructures neural networks in the brain.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Change unhelpful thought patterns and negative beliefs.
Gestalt: Process unresolved emotions through experiential exercises and guided visualizations.
Mindfulness: Connect with the body to regulate emotions and become more present.
My therapeutic approach is also sex-positive. Yes, you can talk about sex in therapy, because sexual health IS health!
Let’s face it—our sex education didn’t prepare us well. We weren’t taught about pleasure, desire differences, how different phases of life impact our sex lives, or how to communicate what we want and need.
Does the end of the honeymoon phase mean we’re no longer in love?
My partner wants sex more/less than I want it—what do we do?
Is pain or discomfort with sex something I just have to deal with?
Is my sex life over now that I’m post-menopausal?
Sex is important, and issues with it have a tremendous impact on our relationship and life satisfaction. They also go un-talked about in therapy.
I particularly specialize in issues like coping with sexual pain disorders and navigating the changing dynamics from peri to post menopause, both of which bring significant stressors on the individual and relationship, and frequently involve medical trauma.
I take a whole-body, multi-provider approach to sexual wellness, collaborating with doctors, physical therapists, and other specialists as needed—because your issues aren’t just in your head.
Insurance Networks
- Private pay
- Aetna
- BCBS PPO
Education/Certifications
- Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Illinois
- Licensed Professional Counselor -IT in the State of Wisconsin
- MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Concordia University
- Bachelors Degree, Olivet Nazarene University
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Trauma-informed care
- Sexual Health Assessment and Treatment
- Comprehensive menopause care
- Currently receives sex therapy supervision with AASECT-certified supervisors
Affiliations/Memberships
- AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
- Tight Lipped
- Midi Health partner provider
Certification Logos
