At a glance
Best fit for: EMDR and trauma/PTSD, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, healthcare workers, creative arts; healing process, adults.
Approaches: EMDR, DBT, ERP, IFS, somatic.
Who Am I?
Hello and welcome! I’m Chris (she/they/them), a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I specialize in young adults and adults, and having recently moved to Chicago from Buffalo, I’m loving city life. As a social worker and activist, I ground my approach in anti-racist and liberation perspectives. Healing can be uncomfortable, so I strive to make our work inspiring, worthwhile, and even fun, and I love to laugh and bring in creative modalities like applied improv.
I specialize in working with:
- Adults and young adults stuck in persistent patterns of thought, behavior, or relationships they haven’t been able to shift
- Helping professionals and creative individuals
- Members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community
- Later in life diagnosed neurodivergent folk
- Folx that have complicated experiences and relationships with religion or spirituality
How I help
I work with you holistically toward balance, self-compassion, and overall wellbeing, tapping into your inner wisdom as you begin healing. As an EMDR therapist who integrates Internal Family Systems, I use all eight phases of EMDR to help you uncover your strengths and courageous Self and move past old barriers and trauma. Drawing on my background as a yoga teacher, I help connect your physical and emotional selves, integrating mindfulness, expressive and creative arts, applied improv, Exposure and Response Prevention, EMDR, and DBT. Sessions usually blend these, tailored to you.
What a session with me is like
Together we’ll design a session structure that fits you. As a DBT and EMDR therapist, I use a flexible but structured approach: we usually start by reviewing our last session and any new concerns, then move into the core work. That might involve creative methods like improv games, podcasts, or music to explore and process past trauma or current stress, and we may examine attachment styles and patterns. The goal is to help you release old patterns and learn new ways of being that align with who you want to be.
What I believe
I believe in the human capacity for a joyful, expansive life rooted in the connection between mind, body, and spirit. My approach is values-based, and I love helping people identify their core values. For me those are integrity (choosing courage over comfort and practicing our values rather than just professing them) and connection.
A little more about me
When I’m not working, you’ll find me in nature, with dogs, making art, reading and writing poetry (my favorite poet is Andrea Gibson), or gardening. Indoors, I love podcasts, coffee, dancing, baking, experimenting with vegetarian cooking, and puzzles. I have a passion for travel, live music, and building queer community, and I’m drawn to anything odd, weird, magical, and wondrous. I also love tiny objects, so my desk is usually covered in small things, rocks, glitter, and crystals.
A few common questions
Are you accepting new clients?
Not at the moment
Do you offer virtual sessions?
Yes, I see clients virtually across Illinois, and in person at our Portage Park office.
What do you help with most?
Trauma and EMDR, stuck patterns, LGBTQIA2S+ affirming support, and work with helping professionals and creatives.
What insurance do you take?
BCBS PPO, Cigna, and BCBS HMO Endeavor.
- BCBS PPOEndeavor/Northshore HMO
