At a glance
Best fit for: LGBTQIA+, trauma, anxiety, neurodivergence, relationships.
Approaches: ACT, – DBT, mindfulness.
Who Am I?
Hi! I’m Alyx (they/them). I’m a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who works with adults, adolescents, families, and groups. Before becoming a clinician, I worked in education, healthcare, research, non-profit program development, and community outreach settings around the US and internationally. Some of my identities include genderfluid, queer, and white/European.
I specialize in working with:
- Neurodivergent folks seeking executive functioning coaching, anxiety and depression support, or just to be understood
- Teens and emerging adults dealing with anxiety, identity development, and learning/ school- related issues
- The LGBTQIA+ community (including GAC/ GAS support for trans/ gender-expansive folks)
- Parents who want to support and understand their kids (of all ages) better.
- Couples and chosen family (poly & kink relationships welcome) navigating relationship challenges
- Trauma survivors and those dealing with Complex PTSD
How I help
My practice is most informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which blends DBT, mindfulness, understanding values, CBT, and psychodynamic principles in a flexible way. It applies to everything from ADHD and executive functioning support to relationship struggles to anxiety. I also bring in experiential work: creative arts, movement, body attunement, play, writing, and our ecosystem, because not everything can be talked through or intellectualized. I’m currently learning Internal Family Systems and the foundations of EMDR. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so I’m always expanding my techniques.
I’ve found that shame drives many of our hardest emotions and behaviors, so I encourage showing up authentically and talking about the messy, “weird” stuff at a manageable pace. Often it’s not as weird as you might think!
What a session with me is like
At your first visit we will spend time getting to know each other, since it can take time to feel comfortable sharing openly. No need to be formal, and therapy looks different for each personYou can ask questions, give feedback, talk about what’s meaningful to you, share your interests,, or take some quiet space. When you’re ready to dig in, expect challenging questions and homework to help you move through whatever is keeping you stuck. I won’t push you past your capacity, but I might nudge you to find it’s greater than you realized. You’ll find vivid metaphors, activities that seem goofy but have a purpose, fidgets, and sometimes irreverent humor. This is a space to be unmasked. All of you is welcome.
What I believe
Therapists have training, but clients are the experts on their own lives, regardless of age, ability, or education. – My job is to collaborate, not control. I practice authenticity, which for me means owning mistakes, making space for difficult truths, doing my best to meet you where you are, and sometimes just acknowledging how ridiculous life can be. As humans, we often cause ourselves the most pain by fighting or avoiding hard feelings— accepting them without getting derailed is one of the most meaningful skills we can build.
A little more about me
I earned my MSW at the University of Chicago. I’m a trained yoga teacher and bring the mind-body connection into everything. I draw peace from being outside, and the lake and forest preserves are some of my favorite things about Chicago. I love music and concerts, reading, and making art even when I’m not “good” at it. Before Chicago I lived and worked in Philadelphia, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, Mumbai, and Singapore, and each place has shaped me.
A few common questions
Do you offer virtual sessions?
Yes, I see clients virtually across Illinois, and in person at our Edison Park office.
What do you help with most?
LGBTQIA+ support, trauma, anxiety and depression, neurodivergence, and relationships.
What insurance do you take?
BCBS PPO, United/ Optum, Cigna, Aetna, and Northshore/Endeavor HMO.
- AetnaBCBS PPOCignaEndeavor/Northshore HMOOptum/United
