Knowing early on I wanted to find a career where I could help others, when my path brought me to apply for master’s programs in 2007, I knew that counseling was not just a future job. It was my calling.
I have my undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University and my master’s in counseling from Concordia University Chicago. After graduate school I spent the first 5 years of my career working with adolescents and their families in multiple settings. I established the basis of my training in community mental health and an inpatient/outpatient psychiatric hospital. I eventually started working with both adolescents and adults in private practice specializing in substance abuse and anxiety. During this time I also obtained my CADC, which is an additional certification to be an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. My range of experience spans domestic violence agencies, counseling in a middle school, inpatient mental health and detox units, partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, private practice and with patients at the residential level of care.
I specialize in behavioral therapy and use an eclectic approach. I am trained in the use of CBT, DBT, ERP and ACT. I am passionate about helping clients become empowered to find their values and live a full meaningful life. My specialties include adult and adolescent anxiety, substance abuse, depression, bipolar disorder, ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD, binge eating disorder, and family therapy. I enjoy public speaking and have presented at a number of conferences and other arena’s on the topics of: binge eating disorder, compassion fatigue, self injury, domestic violence, and teen substance use. When I am not at work, I enjoy yoga, hiking, traveling, cooking new recipes and spending time with my family.