Gottman Method Therapists in Cook County, IL

With warmth, compassion, and extensive experience, I've dedicated 20 years to supporting adults, children, adolescents, and families from diverse backgrounds facing anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, and eating disorders. I specialize in guiding individuals and couples through significant life transitions, including the journey into young adulthood, forming partnerships, and managing prenatal/postpartum mental health. Additionally, I offer valuable assistance to those struggling with infertility, providing guidance along paths such as IVF, donor egg/sperm, and surrogacy.

I believe all clients are experts in their lives. As humans, we all have an innate ability to overcome challenges, which come up daily. I work hard to foster a safe and collaborative space to develop understanding to guide you to identify and discover your strengths to overcome these barriers through an integrative approach to cultivate change. I believe we live in a multifaceted world which can make it difficult for us to be our authentic selves. I want to help deepen your understanding of who you are through actions, meaning, and emotions, and how you can share yourself with the world.

As a therapist, my hope is to give people a space to feel safe, heard, understood, and affirmed while navigating their concerns surrounding sex, relationships, and sexuality. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who received my Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from DePaul University. I completed my post graduate training in sexual health at the University of Michigan's Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education program to become a certified sex therapist and sexuality educator.

Accepting new clients in-person or virtual. Our approach is goal-oriented at all levels and we truly believe everyone deserves to be free from the things holding them back. At CFC you will find a team of therapists who truly care. We take our time to get to know our clients and create goals that we can support you with. Whether it is you and your partner seeking intimacy or you are looking for relief from anxiety that doesn't seem to ever go away; we are here to help. Our motto is to walk beside our clients and share in this journey. We have 3 EMDR trained therapists, 4 couples counselors, a somatic pain specialist, and 3 interns.

I love working with children, the inner child in every adult and couples. I take a warm, collaborative and judgement-free approach. I’ll include you in your treatment planning because I think you’ll be more invested in a plan if you had a part in creating it. I particularly specialize in working with trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD and relationship issues.

You have the answers - my role as your therapist is to collaborate with you and bring your capacities and experiences to the forefront. My personal identities (i.e. latine and South Asian), along with my education in psychology, religion, and social work, inform my practice through an anti-oppression lens that is affirming of people on the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum, people of all sizes, genders, racial, and religious identities, parenting and non-parenting people, diverse relationship structures, kinksters, people who have been incarcerated, and people who work(ed) in survival economies (i.e. sex work).

I bring a down-to-earth, approachable presence to therapy and place the utmost importance on fostering a warm and friendly, yet professional relationship with my clients. It is from that foundation of a strong therapeutic rapport that I work with my clients to explore pathways towards healing and experiencing a happier, more fulfilling life.

I work with individuals, couples, and families with a broad range of presenting issues. I know that seeking help can be a difficult step, especially in communities in which mental health is particularly stigmatized. Reaching out takes a lot of courage, which does not go unnoticed for me when working with my clients. I approach each client with a lens of empathy and understanding, creating a supportive space to gain insight about problems and to work together to find meaningful solutions.

As the world moves around us and things feel out of control, you might need help to sort through it all. I am committed to holding space for you to work through the challenges you are facing and to helping you find ways to create a more balanced life. If you are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, needing more from your relationships, or wanting to get to know yourself on a deeper level, you are in the right place. I help clients living with grief + loss, anxiety, and trauma as well as those who are experiencing life transitions.

I provide relational, psychodynamic, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, and culturally-responsive therapy to adults of all ages. I am trained on the impact of trauma on the body and the brain, the connection between thoughts and behaviors, what motivates us to change, the relationship between people and their environment, and grief and loss. As a trauma-informed yoga instructor, I believe that there is a critical connection between the mind and body and assist in the process of helping the two work together in synchronicity toward healing.

Telehealth sessions available; I currently have openings. With our everyday stressors, life will leave you feeling as if you are unreachable & helpless. I'm honored to work with ALL people that are looking for support & desire a change in their life. I support clients who are dealing with anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders (including binge eating disorder) to reconnect my clients with their lives & to get unstuck, this I'm committed to. There are many struggles that often contribute greatly to our anxiety & make it challenging for us to focus on the here & now. I offer credit counseling. My You Tube Channel: bit.ly/3MOGd2D

Everyone needs a little help sometimes on their journey toward mental well-being. I am here to create a safe environment that will support you on your path toward change. Whether you are seeking help for your family, your relationship, or yourself, I want to be on your team.

The path of change, growth and healing undoubtedly requires courage and vulnerability. Many of these strengths are called upon even in deciding to start therapy, as doing so can evoke fear, concern and/or embarrassment. While these feelings are very real, they may also drown out the voice saying you’re worthy of being supported, heard and understood. I’d like you to take this opportunity to recognize and appreciate your commitment and bravery to yourself, and know that it is this commitment, alongside my commitment to you, that will guide you towards becoming your best self.

Do you and your partner love each other, but you are not lining up when it comes to sex and intimacy? If sex has become a chore . . . if one of you has a way lower drive than the other . . . if initiating has gotten really awkward . . . reach out and let's talk! When left unchecked, sexual issues can become the elephant in the room and can even lead to the end of the relationship. I know this from personal experience! But, there is so much you can do to diagnose the real issues and get you back on the right track. Sometimes you just need a guide who has been down that road before.

My experience has primarily been working with adults and older adults who are coping with anxiety, depression, complex grief, loss (of any kind), end-of-life planning, major life transitions, caregiving stress, and chronic or terminal illness. I am passionate about facilitating empathic conversations which address the social stigma and fear around death and dying, and helping clients identify what it means to have “a good death.” I am also interested in working with young adult (18+) and adult clients, particularly those facing “quarter-life crises,” relationship issues, and difficulty with substance use.

Safety, trust and encouragement are imperative ingredients to a successful therapeutic relationship. As a seasoned therapist my ideal client seeks a collaborative relationship and is eager to invest in greater self-understanding and willingness to take action. Clients battling stress-related issues that compromise performance in work, school, or intimate relationships are a good match. Transforming anxiety, despair, and self-doubt into courage, inspiration, and confidence is my strength. I'm comfortable addressing thoughts that disempower or emotions that are frightening.

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, we have the power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom” by Victor E. Frankl. If you find yourself in between and need that space - making sense of different experiences you have had, the story you hold, and navigating life transitions, then I am here to provide that space for you. It may sound daunting for some and inviting for others, and everything in between for a few. Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum, I applaud you for taking the first step in seeking therapy - I see a great advocate for yourself in YOU.

My clinical work is informed through an integrative, client-centered approach. I prioritize building a strong therapeutic relationship that prioritizes safety, warmth, and acceptance in session. I am dedicated to working with individuals, families, and groups in a holistic manner, while focusing on clients’ strengths to cope with life-stressors and bravely execute change. My areas of interest and specialty include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relational conflict, trauma, self-esteem, and life transitions.

As an individual, family and couple therapist I work with clients who struggle with a range of symptoms that impact their daily functioning in relationships with themselves and others. I value a relational perspective and understand that the human experience is not meant for isolation. Maladaptive coping can leave us feeling disconnected and lonely. We are a part of many systems in our lives and struggling in one area can bleed into others. I work with clients to create connection and meaning in the human experience in order to show up in their relationships as the most authentic version of themselves.