Specialties
Anxiety
I help clients with anxiety by helping them Identify negative thought patterns that lead to anxious symptoms. I help clients challenge these thoughts, and help them develop adaptive/rational beliefs. Anxious symptoms can be crippling; I teach clients coping skills to help manage these symptoms. Some skills include self soothing and distraction techniques, breathing techniques, as well as mindfulness meditation.
Depression
I help clients with depression by helping them improve their positive self talk, and develop positive affirmations. I also teach skills to help reduce the symptoms associated with depressed moods. Through a CBT lens, we work on identifying negative thoughts (cognitive distortions) and work on challenging them. Homework assignments like thought logs are given to help clients track, challenge, and develop adaptive beliefs.
Men's Issues
Mental health treatment for men is often stigmatized; and this occurs throughout different cultures. We need to help men heal instead of putting pressure on them to figure everything out for themselves. We need to give men the opportunity to be vulnerable, ask for help, and not treat them like seeking support is a weakness- it is human. The truth is when we help men heal, we help families heal.
Substance Abuse
I am a CADC (certified alcohol and drug counselor). When working with clients to address their substance use goals, I meet clients where they are at in the moment and in time help them through the stages of change. I take a harm reduction approach to substance use, but can also help a client maintain sobriety if that is their choice. I use CBT and MI techniques to help teach coping and life skills, identify internal/external triggers, develop positive social support, and maintain motivation for treatment.
Trauma
I trained in EMDR, which is a therapeutic technique used to help people who experienced trauma. Learning to identify negative beliefs, identifying specific memories where the negative beliefs were held true by the client, and developing adaptive beliefs is an important part of processing with EMDR. We also focus a lot on what is happening with the body when a person is triggered, and find ways to self sooth. It is crucial to teach client’s self-stabilization techniques to help cope with the stressors, or negative emotions that may arise from processing these thoughts. Eventually, by desensitizing triggers, client get to the point where things that used to be overwhelming do not bother them so much anymore. Clients can get out of the cycle of avoiding stressors and get their lives back.
Insurance & Finances
Accepted Insurance Providers
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Choice
- Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
- Cigna
Accepts Sliding Scale
Yes
Patient Focus
Alternate Languages
Age Preferences
Prescribe Medication
No, I cannot prescribe medication
Office Locations
9007 W. Cermak, North Riverside, IL 60546
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Qualifications
Education
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
License
License No. 180011612
Years in practice
4 years
708-554-3812