My career as a therapist began in 1993 when I started teaching guitar lessons full time while working on my Bachelor’s degree in music from Northern Illinois University. At first, a good portion of my students were teenagers. I was surprised to find that many teens were not only looking for a music teacher, but wanted have a meaningful relationship with an adult that they felt they could connect with.

During many guitar lessons, students would bring up issues that concerned them including peer pressure, relationships, coping with anger and frustration, and developing good self esteem. Using the lessons as a vehicle to teach and relating the process of learning music to life, I was excited to hear students tell me how the lessons helped them grow and mature emotionally. During this time as I was considering a career in social work, I also took a part-time job at a homeless shelter as a site coordinator and counselor. These experiences were very fruitful and convinced me to take the next step and enroll in the social work graduate school. I graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Master’s degree in social work in 1997.

Since then, I have worked in many different social work/counseling settings: community mental health centers, private practice counseling centers, employee assistance programs, and hospitals. These diverse environments allowed me to work with a wide variety of demographic populations, as well as treat a variety of presenting problems. These experiences helped me understand what we all have in common as humans going through life, as well as develop an appreciation for cultural differences and how different environments can impact how we view ourselves and the world around us.

Several of the agencies I have worked at have also offered post graduate training opportunities; I have had advanced training in: cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems theory, Jungian therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Currently in my practice I work with older teenagers, young adults, adults, couples, and families in the Oak Park, Chicago area.

• Oak Park Office: Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street in Downtown Oak Park
• Chicago Office: Pratt and Harlem in Edison Park

Please feel free to contact me at 630-418-9484 for more information.