Adult Psychotherapy and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Often, individuals and families contact me after having tried therapy or different types of behavioral treatment(s). Intellectually, many understand their anxieties, depressive feelings, or family struggles, to name a few, but continue to repeat the same emotional patterns. The psychoanalytic frame, in particular, offers a nuanced understanding of both conscious and unconscious experiences while addressing longstanding patterns within ourselves and in our relationships. This approach is gradual, takes time, and is not guided or directed.
Through your story, we listen deeply, explore dreams and desires, attend closely to thoughts, and follow feelings and experiences that may be difficult to put into words or action. These foundational experiences are often pushed away throughout our lives in response to the systems we live in or as a response to trauma.
We will attentively reflect on what emerges within the therapeutic relationship, allowing us to make sense of experiences that may initially feel confusing, unknown, overwhelming, or unspeakable. Through this process, new meanings, possibilities, and opportunities for change can begin to emerge.
I work with adults across the lifespan, along with all backgrounds and experiences.
Specialization includes:
- anxiety (including panic and phobias)
- depression
- intimacy
- trauma
- addiction/recovery
- divorce/separation
- suicidal thoughts
- relationship struggles
- psychosis (often along with related sleep struggles)
- obsessions and compulsions
- grief/loss
- somatic concerns (i.e., bodily responses to various current and past experiences)
- dreams
Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
As with adult psychotherapy, many caregivers reach out to me for help because they have tried various inpatient and outpatient treatments for their child. Many found that the progress made in programs through the use of 'tools' and 'skills' was not sustained or transferable to life after discharge or graduation.
I am certified in child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy through the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute (formerly known as the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis). My training and research are intensive and depth-oriented. I work with children, adolescents, and families to support inner growth. The heightened level of privacy, confidentiality, and quality of care as a private practitioner is especially important given the age, developmental needs, and future-oriented life experiences of children and adolescents.
Child/Teen specialization includes:
- self-esteem
- anxiety
- academic issues (includes avoidance and struggles with separation)
- destructive aggression vs. helpful aggression
- social difficulties
- screen/tech use
- addictions
- trauma
- psychosis
- suicidal feelings
- grief/loss
- adoption
- deficits with attention (sometimes referred to as ADHD or other similar diagnoses)
- impulsivity
- autism spectrum disorder
- anger
- fatigue
Psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapy for children or teens offers the opportunity to expand one's capacity to feel, think, and relate independently. This approach helps one better understand complex feelings, inner experiences, and 'symptoms.' Through play and open conversation, treatment creates a space where developmental growth can unfold in fluid, nonlinear ways.
As a psychoanalytic therapist, I have been deeply influenced by Winnicott’s view of play as central to what we understand as health. For Winnicott, play is not simply an activity, technique, or the use of a designated toy; it is a way of being in which a person can experience spontaneity, creativity, and a sense of being real or in contact with something authentic.
Why is play central in child treatment? Play takes many forms and often emerges within the space between two people. In therapy, this can mean discovering new ways of experiencing oneself or a new capacity to express inner feelings. Play may also emerge through music, art, imagination, or other forms of creativity. What matters is creating a space where one can be more spontaneous and engaged, rather than simply adapting to expectations or directives. In this sense, therapy can provide a setting where the capacity to play can gradually develop. This can create the potential for developmental growth.
In a safe, empathetic environment, we address these complex needs while working through the underlying, unspoken experiences that may be affecting mood, school, self-esteem, family struggles, and relationships. This thoughtful, engaging, and creative process creates space for meaningful change.
If unsure of what direction to take with your child or teen, I provide consultation to caregivers, medical professionals (psychiatrists, pediatricians, and family doctors), and school staff. I also have a preferred provider network to support growth. This includes referrals to inpatient programs, psychiatrists, OT/PT's, addiction recovery groups/inpatient programs, and other supplemental therapies.
Psychotherapy and Intensive Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
As a Candidate in Psychoanalysis at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis, I also offer three to five sessions weekly for those seeking intensive psychotherapy or psychoanalysis. A sliding scale fee is available when insurance or finances cannot cover the frequency of sessions. I invite you to contact me for an initial consultation.