Your Questions, Answered

I graduated a B.S. in Psychology from UCLA and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with high honors in Sept 2000. I am licensed in Illinois and Colorado and hold a PSYPACT credential. My clinical experience began when I taught special education in a psychiatric hospital and I consider my experiences there to be foundational. Since then, I have attended hundreds of hours continuing education training and I learn from all my decades of clinical experiences.

I use an integrative approach that emphasizes culturally informed psychotherapy. Early in my career, I had a focus on cognitive-behavioral approaches with strong influences from systemic (family) therapy and self-psychology.

I tailor my interventions to each client’s experiences, worldview, and values while assessing presenting problems and underlying factors. I am not beholden to any theory. Rather, I am informed by it, so don’t be surprised if we talk about ambivalence in decision making or have deep meaningful conversations about your family, culture or meaningful events, possibly traumatic, to uncover powerful influences in the way you lead your life.

I described my therapeutic style as collaborative. Others described me as empathic, warm, authentic and sometimes, even, challenging. Listening is a vital skill in my work, but my job is much more than that: I try to use my fundamental understanding of your life and my knowledge from years of practice to help you grow, whether it be challenging your interpretations or showing how you may be repeating unhelpful patterns.  That requires as real dialogue, which, yes, can be challenging at times.

Strong emotions are a normal and important part of therapy. I work to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can cry, even shout, or otherwise express what you need to. My role is to listen carefully, try to understand the sources of those feelings, and help you learn from them. I avoid encouraging impulsive decisions made in the heat of emotion, but I support using your emotions as important information for change. For people with trauma, I prioritize safety and stabilization and use empathic witnessing to hold intense grief or distress. The intensity just means you have big feelings and those need attention too.

I often tell people that therapy does not only occur in session it happens between sessions. Sometimes, I will assign homework, which can be a formal writing project, but it is more likely to be thinking about our discussions or practicing a new way of doing things. We learn, together, from what you tried and what happened as a result.  

My fee is $175/hour. I ask for at least 24 hours' notice to cancel; otherwise, the full session fee will be charged. I accept BCBS PPO and bill them directly. If you use a different insurer, I can provide super-bill paperwork for reimbursement. A sliding scale is available for those who need it.

I am available for both virtual and in-person (downtown Chicago). For virtual sessions, I hold a PSYPACT credential for interstate telepractice, which means I can see you if you live in any of the states listed here.

I do my best to assure respect, confidentiality, and sensitivity to all of my clients, not only because it is the ethical standard of the profession, but because it is the way I want to treat people.