I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Illinois. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Taylor University, a private, liberal arts college in Upland, Indiana. After graduation, I worked with traumatized, abused, and neglected children in the foster care system for three years as a case manager. I then returned to school to earn a Master’s degree in Social Work.

While attending the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I worked as a clinical intern at the Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County. This is where I first discovered my love and passion for therapy. Providing short-term counseling to child sexual abuse victims was rewarding as I saw these children overcome their traumatic experiences.

Upon graduation, I worked as a Licensing Supervisor in foster care where I screened, approved, and licensed foster parents. I experienced the joy of placing many foster children into loving, nurturing homes.

I then moved into working with adoptive families, many of whom were adopted from foster care. My previous experience of working in the foster care system aided my new work as an Adoption Preservation therapist tremendously. Raising adopted kids from traumatized or neglectful backgrounds can be extremely difficult and stressful. These children often have been diagnosed with several mental illnesses including Reactive Attachment Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I provided education and support to these families both individually and in a group setting to help them understand and respond effectively to their children.

In December of 2008, I joined Cherry Hill Counseling and began working with a variety of clients in the private practice setting. My extensive background in the field of social work provided me with many rich experiences that I could draw upon while working in private practice. I continued to pursue my passion of working with adoptive families and offered several 10-week parenting courses to adoptive parents during my time there. I received excellent supervision and mentorship while on the Cherry Hill team and was even able to offer my own clinical skills in support of a young therapist in a supervisory role.

In January of 2021, I opened up my own private practice business and am happy to continue providing my therapeutic services to clients in the Chicagoland community. I continue to offer my services to adults, children, adolescents, and families dealing with various issues including grief & loss, attachment, depression, anxiety, self-injury, anger management, and healing from childhood trauma. I enjoy utilizing many therapeutic interventions including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP – trained in Level 1).