Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At Urban Wellness, we are committed to social justice and anti-racism. We are dedicated to providing services to individuals, couples, and families that are accessible, culturally relevant, and free of stigma.
Here at Urban Wellness, we celebrate and affirm all backgrounds and identities. We strive to provide a brave space where voices can be heard and liberated.
Insurances I Accept:
Ages I work with:
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Hello and welcome! I’m Chris (she/they/them), a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I specialize in working with young adults and adults. Having recently moved to Chicago from Buffalo, NY, I’m truly enjoying city life.
As a social worker and activist, I ground my therapeutic approach in anti-racist and liberation perspectives. I believe healing can be challenging and uncomfortable, so I strive to make our work inspiring, worthwhile, and even fun. I love to laugh and incorporate creative modalities, including applied improv, into our sessions.
I enjoy working with adults and young adults who are struggling with persistent patterns of thinking, behavior, or relationship patterns that they’ve been unable to shift. I have a particular affinity for helping professionals and creative individuals. As a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, I’ve had a strong passion for supporting folx from this community throughout my career.
I work with you holistically to achieve balance, self-compassion, and overall well-being. Together, we’ll tap into your inner wisdom and all aspects of yourself as you embark on your healing journey. As an EMDR therapist who integrates an Internal Family Systems approach, I incorporate all eight phases of EMDR, helping you uncover and resource your strengths, potential, and courageous Self. This process removes past barriers and trauma, working with you towards building a life worth living.
Drawing on my experience as a yoga teacher, I help individuals connect their physical and emotional selves. My therapeutic approach integrates mindfulness-based techniques, expressive/creative arts, applied improv, Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Our work together may involve exploring your past to understand its current impact, reprocessing difficult emotions, thoughts, and body sensations that contribute to feeling stuck, or utilizing creative expression as a healing tool. Often, our sessions will encompass a blend of these approaches, tailored to your unique needs.
I believe in the innate human capacity for a joyful and expansive life, rooted in the connection between mind, body, and spirit. My approach to life and counseling is values-based, and I enjoy helping others identify their core values. For me, these are integrity—choosing courage over comfort, what is right over what is easy, and practicing our values rather than simply professing them (definition by Brené Brown)—and connection.
Together, we’ll design a session structure tailored to your individual needs. As a DBT and EMDR therapist, I utilize a flexible yet structured approach. We’ll typically begin by reviewing our last session and addressing any new concerns before delving into our core work. This may involve creative methods, such as improv games, podcasts, or music, to explore and process past trauma or current stressors. We might also examine attachment styles and patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Our ultimate goal is to help you explore and release old patterns of thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviors, while learning new ways of thinking and being that better align with who you aspire to be and how you wish to show up in the world.
When I’m not working, I’m often found enjoying nature, spending time with dogs, creating art, reading and writing poetry, or gardening. My favorite poet is Andrea Gibson. Indoors, I enjoy listening to podcasts, drinking coffee, dancing, baking, experimenting with vegetarian cooking, and solving puzzles. I have a passion for travel, new experiences, live music, and fostering queer community. I’m drawn to anything odd, weird, magical, and wondrous, and I’m always seeking out new adventures that fit that description. I also have a fondness for tiny objects—my desk is usually adorned with a random collection of small items, rocks, glitter, and crystals.
Schedule your first appointment. For follow up appointments (existing clients), please contact your therapist at 773-774-4444.
Land Acknowledgment: Urban Wellness acknowledges that the lands on which our practice resides with locations in Chicago and Forest Park, Illinois, are on occupied land, and was originally inhabited by Peoria, Bodwéwadmi (Potawatomi), Myaamia, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Hoocąk (Ho-Chunk), and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) peoples before their forced assimilation, labor, and removal from their ancestral lands. We recognize the Native peoples of these lands and invite all to consider supporting Indigenous communities and the fight for Indigenous racial justice.
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