I’ve been practicing psychoanalytic psychotherapy with adults for the past 25 years. I received my PhD from the University of Chicago and trained at the Center for Religion & Psychotherapy, where I now practice and where I have previously been the Director of Training. My first book, nominated for a Gradiva award, has just come out in a revised edition entitled Race in Psychoanalysis: Aboriginal Populations in the Mind (Routledge, 2018). I enjoy working with people who may find themselves on the margins of the social mainstream, and I’m interested in the spiritual dimension—for better and for worse—of emotional distress.

I see clients once or twice a week, and am most influenced by the relational school of psychoanalysis. This form of therapy sees our symptoms as aspects of ourselves of which we may not be fully aware; aspects which are often holdovers from earlier stages in our emotional development, where we became stymied by particular challenges which were never fully resolved. In therapy we build a relationship of trust where we can encounter and put into words the emotional “stuckness” that our symptoms represent. This helps us better resolve and integrate our challenges, and thus better engage more fully with the world around us.

I help people address a broad range of mental health challenges, but have a special interest in academic and work-related struggles. I believe effective clinical work requires continuous learning and have completed ongoing training in LGBTQ affirmative, trauma informed, and multicultural practice. I find contemporary self and relational psychology helpful in understanding what gets between people and their goals, and have pursued training in this area at several institutes around the country. Before becoming a psychotherapist, I led several education non-profits and oversaw public affairs for a University of Chicago public policy center focused on children and families.

After nearly two decades helping large organizations in the non-profit world make the changes they needed to feel more effective, I decided to help individuals because I think change is an enriching part of life. I like helping people overcome concerns that keep them from embracing change. Using supportive exploration, I will work with you to understand why you feel stuck and unable to move forward. As a social worker, I pay particular attention to the communities and cultures you live in, and I especially enjoy working with the special challenges faced by immigrant families.

My adult residency in Psychiatry was at Michael Reese. My Psychoanalytic training was at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis. I have been a faculty member of the Institute for approximately 30 years. I have a contemporary approach to psychoanalytic treatment.

​I provide outpatient mental health services including psychoanalytic psychotherapy with and without medication management and psychoanalysis.

I am a licensed clinical psychologist with over 25 years experience in practice as a clinical psychologist. I received my B.A in Psychology from Binghamton University, and went on to earn my Psy. D. from the Graduate Institute of Professional Psychology at the University of Hartford. Following the completion of my doctorate, I completed a residency in psychology at the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT. I live and practice in Chicago, where I am a psychoanalytic candidate at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute.

My clinical practice focuses on the psycho-therapeutic treatment of adults and families from a psychoanalytic perspective. Specifically, my areas of interest and expertise are the unique aspects of the psychology of men, couples psychotherapy and group psychotherapy. I have worked extensively with individuals who struggle with substance dependence in conjunction with other behavioral health disorders.

In choosing psychotherapy, one opens to the pursuit of awareness and authenticity. While this journey is sometimes arduous, most experience a sense of fulfillment previously unknown. Those who choose to see me often wish to uncover barriers which prevent them from living creatively, peacefully, expressively, and authentically. I aim to provide a warm, nonjudgmental atmosphere where individuals feel comfortable exploring all aspects of their being, including hidden dreams and desires. Such exploration is often accompanied with reductions in anxiety, depression, impulsivity, or inhibition.

When we approach what is with friendly curiosity, a space for what may be arises. In this deeply meaningful process, one discovers that the complexities and contradictions inherent in being human can be understood and reintegrated in the therapeutic space.

I am a recent graduate of the Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Program at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute.

I did my psychiatry residency at Feinberg School of Medicine/Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I am currently an Advanced Candidate at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.

I view treatment as a collaboration between myself and the patient. I usually begin with asking the patient what brought them to so see me. After a period of discussing their medical and psychiatric symptoms with attendant history a treatment plan with recommendations is formulated and discussed with the patient. From this, based on my recommendations and the patients wishes, a cause of treatment is developed which can include basic medication management up to and including psychoanalysis or combination thereof.

I’ve provided psychoanalytic psychotherapy in the Chicago area since 2001, working with adolescents, adults, and couples. I have a particular interest and expertise in the areas of depression and anxiety, relationships, men’s issues, self-esteem, adolescent development, attachment, blocks to creativity, and the intersection of psychoanalysis, psychology, and spirituality. I completed post-graduate clinical training at the Object Relations Institute for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy of New York, The Center for Religion & Psychotherapy of Chicago, and I’m a certified educator with graduate degrees in both Music and Counselor Education.

While I have a strong resonance with Object Relations theory, I value contributions from across the spectrum of psychoanalytic thought. However, beyond any theory, my understanding of any given patient is informed by the complexity and mystery of the their individual human experience. As such, I am most interested in understanding each person’s unique story and what keeps them in emotional pain.