Maybe you’re someone who’s always expected a lot from yourself. You work hard, people know they can rely on you, and from the outside, things may seem like they’re going pretty well. But lately, keeping up with everything feels harder than it used to.

You might overthink decisions, replay conversations long after they’re over, or worry about letting people down. Maybe you’re great at showing up for everyone else but have a harder time knowing what you need. Even when you accomplish something you’ve worked toward, it doesn’t take long before your mind moves on to what’s next.

I’m interested in what’s underneath that pressure. In therapy, we can slow things down enough to understand where these patterns come from, what keeps them going, and what you actually want for yourself. You don’t have to give up the parts of you that are ambitious, motivated, or driven. The work is about making sure those parts aren’t running the whole show.

Sport & Performance Psychology

As a lifelong athlete, I understand how much pressure can come with performing at a high level. Sports can be incredibly rewarding, but they can also bring perfectionism, self-doubt, injuries, burnout, and challenging dynamics with coaches or teammates. When so much time and energy goes into your sport, it can be hard to separate how you feel about yourself from how you’re performing.

My background as a lifelong athlete, along with coursework in sport and performance psychology, gives me a personal understanding of this world. In therapy, we can explore the pressure you’re carrying, how your sport or performance affects the way you see yourself, and what it might look like to feel more confident in yourself both in and outside of what you do.

These pressures aren’t limited to sports. Musicians, performers, students, and other high achievers can experience a similar feeling of always needing to be prepared, productive, or at their best. You can care deeply about what you do and want to succeed without feeling like you always have to be “on.”

My Approach

I believe you know yourself better than anyone else, so I want therapy to feel like a conversation we’re having together, not one where I’m telling you what you should do. Most sessions start with a simple question: “Where do you want to start today?” From there, we’ll follow what feels most important to you.

My style is warm, curious, and flexible. Some days you may need space to talk things through, while other days you may want more direction or something concrete to work on. I’ll meet you there. I draw from CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing when helpful, while making sure our work still feels personal to you and what you’re hoping to get out of therapy.

I also welcome humor into the room. Therapy can hold difficult conversations and moments of laughter, sometimes in the very same session.

Experience

My clinical experience includes outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), and inpatient settings. I’ve worked with adults navigating anxiety, mood concerns, substance use, trauma, identity, relationships, and periods of significant change.

I’ve also worked with people whose experiences have been shaped by prejudice, systemic barriers, or feeling misunderstood. I care about understanding you in the context of your relationships, identities, experiences, and the world around you, rather than reducing you to a diagnosis or the reason that brought you to therapy.

Licensure

I am a Clinical Fellow at Balanced Awakening, completing the final steps toward LCPC licensure. I have several years of clinical experience and I am currently accruing additional supervised practice to be eligible for the LCPC credential in Illinois. I am supervised by Jaleesa Pirtle, LCPC.