IN-PERSON IN CHICAGO & EVANSTON
TELEHEALTH IN ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, and TEXAS
Catholic Counseling
"Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage."
– St. Francis de Sales
"Do not be afraid of a little suffering. It is a powerful means of grace."
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself."
– Matthew 6:34
Faith-Based Counseling:
A Bridge to Belonging & Healing
Faith-Based Healing and Restorative Justice
My practice offers a unique blend of traditional faith and modern clinical insight. As a graduate student at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in the Reconciliation & Restorative Justice Practices Program, I specialize in helping individuals move from brokenness to wholeness. Whether you are navigating Catholic religious trauma or seeking spiritual accompaniment, my goal is to help you find peace within your faith journey.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Catholic Therapy
Finding a Catholic therapist who truly understands the LGBTQ+ experience can be challenging. I provide a specialized "lens" for those feeling uncertain about their place in the Church. I am deeply moved by the spirit of Fiducia Supplicans, and I am committed to creating a space where your identity and your Catholicism are both honored.
How We Can Work Together
My practice provides a non-judgmental, grace-filled space for you to explore your relationship with God and the Church. Whether you are seeking healing from "religious trauma," looking to integrate your identity with your spirituality, or simply wanting a therapist who "gets" the nuances of a Catholic life, I am here to walk with you.
Our focus may include:
Reconciling LGBTQ+ identity with Catholic faith.
Healing from spiritual or ecclesiastical wounds.
Integrating Catholic Social Teaching into personal growth.
Navigating life transitions through the lens of grace and restorative justice.
Integrate
Faith & Therapy
Therapy that intentionally integrates a Catholic client's faith is not only as effective as secular approaches in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, but it is also proven to be significantly more effective in strengthening their spiritual life. Research has consistently demonstrated that this integrated model provides a unique and powerful benefit, allowing for the simultaneous healing of the mind and the deepening of one's relationship with God. By incorporating a client’s spiritual beliefs and resources—such as prayer and Scripture—into the therapeutic process, Catholic psychotherapy offers a holistic path to healing that a purely secular approach may not.
Navigate
Guilt & Shame
By incorporating Catholic frameworks like the distinction between guilt (a feeling about a specific act) and shame (a feeling about one's entire self), clients can learn to separate their actions from their intrinsic worth as a child of God. This approach can help them recognize that we are all imperfect humans striving for holiness. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, for example, offers a powerful model for understanding genuine repentance, forgiveness, and new beginnings, which can be explored metaphorically or directly within therapy. Ultimately, this integration allows clients to view their struggles not as irredeemable flaws, but as opportunities for grace, growth, and a deeper relationship with both God and themselves.
find
purpose & self
Discover a deeper sense of purpose and cultivate greater self-confidence by integrating the principles of their faith into the therapeutic process. This approach helps individuals reframe their personal struggles and unique gifts within the context of a divine plan, recognizing that their life has inherent meaning and is not a random series of events. By exploring Catholic concepts like vocation, clients can identify how their talents and passions align with God's call for their life, whether in their career, family, or community service. This process fosters a sense of uniqueness and divine purpose, moving beyond worldly validation to a deeper, spiritually grounded self-worth.
I’m here to help with:
+ LGBTQ+ Identity & Catholicism
+ Grief & loss
+ Spirtual Accompaniment
+ Seeking catholic community
+ Pre-marital counseling
+ repair & forgiveness
+ navigating doubt
+ deepening practice
If you’re ready to…
01
Navigate the intersection of Faith & Identity.
02
Heal from possible Church-related wounds.
03
Find your God-given purpose & meaning in life.
04
Address Moral & Ethical Dilemmas you are experiencing.
05
Embrace your personal vocation with the Catholic faith.
…then let’s get to work.
because, At the end of the day:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
-Psalm 139:13-14
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St. Dymphna is my favorite saint to ask for intercession because of our shared Irish Catholic heritage and her powerful patronage. As the patron saint of mental illness, her legacy provides comfort and hope. I am particularly moved by the enduring tradition in the Belgian town of Gheel, where pilgrims seeking her intercession for mental health have been welcomed into residents' homes for over 500 years, a testament to her lasting influence. This unique history of communal care is a powerful example of her spirit in action.
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Yes, absolutely!. As a member of the LGBTQ community, there have been many times when I've struggled with a sense of belonging. However, I have come to believe that these periods of desolation are a normal part of the spiritual journey, just as St. Ignatius taught that "the ebb and flow of consolation and desolation is the normal path of the Christian life."
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My prayer life is a fluid and evolving practice, intentionally shifting day by day to meet the needs of each moment. I find it beneficial to pull from many different traditions rather than adhering to a single, strict routine. Some days, I enjoy praying the Franciscan Rosary while walking or reading the Daily Roman Missal, while on others, I will journal on the day's Gospel in the tradition of Lectio Divina. In addition, I often pray a novena when I am seeking special guidance or protection from God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the saints.