I have been "in college" for more than 30 years, first as an undergrad then graduate student, then as a psychotherapist and student success specialist at 3 Illinois colleges, most recently Northern Illinois University.

​​The bottom line: I know about college culture, college stressors, and college success.
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My expertise is in helping students navigate through college by working through personal crises as well as critical decisions about college persistence and career goals, particularly with first-generation college students.
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Students who seek out my services may be experiencing a variety of difficulties, often including things like:

- feeling lost or lacking direction in college
- experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression
- adjusting to the loss of an important relationship
- trying to establish a strong sense of identity and self-esteem
- exploring their sexuality
- building skills for "adulting"
- coming to terms with family dysfunction

In addition to psychotherapy with students, I was Director of Counseling at Aurora University and was Director of College Readiness and Completion at the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) in Chicago, where I managed a mentoring program for (mostly low-income, first-generation) incoming freshmen that involved 150 students at seven campuses throughout Illinois.

As a student, I attended the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for my BA, and completed my Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago. I'm licensed as a Clinical Social Worker by the state of Illinois and maintain an independent psychotherapy practice.