Are you struggling with confidence or performance anxiety in your sport? You don’t need to struggle alone and just hope and wait for things to get better. Together, we can develop tools to get you playing/competing with the same confidence with which you practice! Or perhaps you are struggling with addiction or substance abuse. Perhaps using drugs and/or alcohol seems like the only way to get through the day – I’m here to tell you it’s not! Together, we will develop alternative, healthy coping mechanisms in line with you living your best life! Or maybe, no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape the impact of past traumas. I would be honored to help you with this, and while I know it is scary, sometimes the only way out is through. I’m here to walk through this intimidating path right alongside you – you are not alone!
I treat an array of mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and many others, but I primarily focus on trauma/PTSD, substance abuse/addiction, and sports confidence and performance. I practice Mindfulness, ACT, DBT and solution-focused, evidenced-based, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which posits our beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected, and heavily impact one another. Thus, changing one, will impact the others. In addition, I am trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which helps you view past trauma’s from a more adaptive lens, which in turn lessens the hold it can have on a your life currently. I have experience treating substance abuse issues as well, as I formerly worked in inpatient substance abuse rehabs when living in Washington. I also have experience treating couples and families and believe mental health distress and/or substance abuse does not occur in a vacuum.
I often see teens and young adults, but I enjoy seeing clients of all ages from all walks of life! I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois as well as a National Certified Counselor (NCC). I obtained a M.S. in Clinical Mental Health and Substance Abuse counseling from East Carolina University, after obtaining a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. My overarching aim is to help clients conquer their therapeutic goals so that they may become the very best version of themselves though a collaborative, professional partnership. My approach to therapy puts you, the client, in the driver’s seat, which seems only fitting since you, of course, are the expert of your own life. My job is to work alongside you to determine which areas of mental health/substance use/sports performance you would like to focus on so you may develop the tools necessary to address such issues, both in and out of the counseling room. I emphasize the idea that if nothing changes, nothing changes – so together, lets make some changes!
When not helping clients grow and realize their full potential, I enjoy playing with my three, (yes THREE) corgis. While I like to pretend I’m in charge, really they are the ones that run the show! Prior to my counseling career, I was a gymnast on the US National Team and was a five time NCAA Champion and a US Champion, all while competing with two fractures in my lower back. Thus, I enjoy working with current or former athletes, as I knows the struggles of such a calling, inside and out. Along with clinical training, I draw on my own personal experiences, as I have been through a lot and have come out the other side a stronger, healthier, happier, and overall better person, all thanks to my own therapeutic journey.
“Don’t be afraid of change, be afraid of not changing”
Prior to my counseling career, I was a gymnast on the US National Team and I enjoy working with current or former athletes. That being said, I enjoy seeing clients of all ages from all walks of life, so feel free to schedule an appointment with me so that we may tackle your concerns head-on, conquer your goals, and get you back to living your very best life.
