Experience

• I have 14 years of experience
• Graduated from Rockford College in 1997 with a BS in Psychology  
• Graduated from Aurora University in 2002 with a MSW in Social Work  
• Obtained my LCSW from the state of Illinois in 2004
• My Illinois license number is 149-011090
• I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
• I have experience working with adults, adolescents and children. 
• Certified Online Therapist

 My professional experience includes:

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender issues
• HIV
• Crisis Intervention
• Domestic Violence
• Self-Esteem
• Anger Issues
• Stress
• Mood Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Adjustment Disorders
• Coping with Loss
• Suicide
• Addiction Issues
• Assertiveness Training
• Child Welfare
• Adolescent Sex Offenders
• Conduct Disorder
• Coping
• Coping with the past, including trauma
• Personal Growth
• DSM-IV
• Supervision
• Consultation
• Training
• Quality Improvement
• Program Development
• Research
• Presenting

I am a results oriented individual with accomplishments in creating and developing programs and working effectively in counseling clients of all different ages and backgrounds.  Particular expertise in striving to help individuals reach and exceed goals both institutionally and personally through professionalism and ethical practice. 

 Treatment approach

My therapeutic orientation is eclectic. In other words, I draw on various theories, as well as scientific research, to attempt to pinpoint the best treatment for you and your difficulties at this point in time. The selection of a specific technique, like social work itself, is both an art and a science. Here are some of the most important points:

• Overall, establishing a healthy and trusting therapy relationship is one of the most important aspects of therapy.
• If you are new to therapy, we may focus on symptom relief early on. These symptoms may include sleep problems, social isolation, depressive symptoms or panic among others.
• Much of this treatment is likely to be taken from many theories.  Those theories are called:
  • General Systems Theory, looking at the impact of the environment on individuals.  
  • Ecological Theory, focuses on the inter-relatedness between people and the environment and how people cope.  
  • Theories of Human Development, there are many different theories on how a person develops.    
  • Object Relations Theory, how one defines themselves after separating and becoming independent from their parents.  
  • Cognitive Development Theory, how one views their world.  
  • Moral Development Theory, how one develops their moral reasoning.
  • Social Roles, how one defines themselves in their life.  
  • Feminist Theory, how someone's gender explains their behavior in society.
  • Communication Theory, how one communicates to another through verbal and non-verbal  communication.                  
• During sessions, we will also jointly examine your pattern of difficulties, and explore alternative behaviors and thoughts through different treatment models.  Those models are: 
  • Problem-Solving Approach, how people choose to problem solve.  
  • Psychosocial Approach, looking at how one interacts with the external world. 
  • Crisis Intervention, an event that is causing great stress in a short amount of time needing quick intervention to resolve the issue.  
  • Brief Treatment, therapy that is completed within 8 to 12 sessions.  
  • Behavioral Approaches, looks at all observable behavior and how that behavior relates to the external world.  If the person acts negatively, then the goal is the help change those behaviors to a positive behavior.    
  • Cognitive Approach, looks at how one views their situation.  If the person thinks negatively the goal is to help change those thoughts to a positive thought.  
  • Family Therapy, this approach uses many different interventions.  Therapy is designed to focus on the family as a system and how they function together.  
  • If possible, Group Work can be used in a group setting.  There are many different interventions that can be used.  
  • Community Social Work/Community Organization,  is an emphasis on the community and the environmental factors that affect its citizens. 
• If you are experienced in therapy or have fewer symptoms to start out, we will address such issues as self-image, relationships and personal goals.