My Story

My road down this path started with the arts. I spent most of my youth involved in music and got to feel what happens when we feel safe enough to take creative risks around others that won’t let us fall. What brought me to become a therapist was in fact my 10 years in improv comedy. What I learned but didn’t have language for at the time was that I wasn’t there for the laughs. That being able to express myself in my words and my body while also reveling in what others had to share had the impact of making anything feel safe and possible in ways I did not know could happen. This is one of the feelings I hope our work together can elicit.

My Background

Professionally, I graduated from Adler University with a PsyD in 2012. My training experiences included providing therapy and assessment services in clinics and after prison programs on Chicago’s west side. I then trained at Valeo, an LGBTQ+ focused substance abuse program. My advanced training, internship, and postdoctoral fellowships were all in University counseling settings at UIC and Emory University, respectively. Prior to opening Freelife, I worked for 7+ years at IntraSpectrum Counseling, an LGBTQ+ focused private practice in Chicago serving as a therapist and as the Executive Director.

My Approach

Therapy with me is focused on your needs and working to identify what could feel different and what could practically be better in life. Sometimes, we don’t even have words for what is bringing us to therapy exactly, but we simply know that something isn’t as it could be. My work with clients starts with a thorough look at where they come from, what messages were given to them about who they are, what they are worth, and what they are and are not capable of. Together, we will explore what was learned and the way these messages interact with clients lives right now in their relationships, jobs, and with themselves. Through this process, clients begin to recognize that there are more choices than previously imagined and we are often freer to grow and thrive than we were ever allowed to feel.