Hey, I'm Liz.
And I'm a psychotherapist located in Oak Park, Illinois.
If you’re wondering how a lifetime of shenanigans led to a therapy practice–read on…
I went to undergrad with an idea that I was going to be a diplomat or work in politics. In retrospect, this fact is hilarious. So naturally, I did what any 18 year old with a know-it-all attitude and a very idealized version of myself would do, I went to Washington DC and studied International Affairs at George Washington University. I got out and went to work in the non-profit space for a few years, quickly realizing that sitting in meetings and behind a computer was not for me. I wanted connection, meaning, and face-to-face job talking in the language of depth, not Outlook calendars. Snoozefest. Spoiler alert: I also secretly wanted to heal myself! So on I went to University of Tennessee to get a master’s degree in social work and left with a diploma and optimism that only a 26 year old can have. Here I am, 14 years in, with less youthful optimism but still in love with the work.
If you’re curious about the technical stuff…
I originally trained from a psychodynamic lens, which basically just means your past (especially your early experiences) shapes your emotions, beliefs, and relationship patterns today. It also uses the relationship between you and me as a real-time lens to understand the deeper emotional and relational stuff that shows up in your life. While lots of different types of therapy have become popular over the years, I think psychodynamic therapy is like Ralph Lauren or a chocolate chip cookie – a classic. I’m energized by what the therapeutic dynamic evokes in us, both for the therapist and the client. When we are courageous enough to give care and attention to the feelings elicited by this unique, abstract relationship – a kind of deep healing is possible. It is the thing that, through years of practice and stints with different modalities, I have found to be my North Star. Back in the day, I did pretty extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, but these days I’m primarily using a psychodynamic approach, an adult attachment lens, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and I am advanced trained in a somatic trauma therapy called Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). You can read more about that here.
I love being a therapist because I get to witness my clients let go of the things that have been holding them back and begin to actively create the life they want for themselves. I am driven to understand my clients as deeply as possible. I work very hard to both understand what is going on in your life and what is going on “in the room” between us.
Around 9 years ago, I was working as a therapist in a medical setting, practicing in an integrated care model at a big hospital system. To be honest, my team members were highly suspicious of me. Some providers wouldn’t even put a consult in for very appropriate situations because they were freaked out by my very presence. I loved working with my patients, but the most meaningful thing that happened to me there was that nurses, physicians, PA’s, and NP’s who thought therapy was voodoo nonsense started to trust me. They started to come to me, to confide in me, to ask for help with their patients and even more importantly, sometimes their own personal or professional struggles. I loved working with my patients but this experience with my colleagues mattered even more.
I try to keep it pretty real both in and out of the therapy room. I was born in Chicago and raised in the western suburbs so “Chicagotude” is a made up adjective a friend once gave to describe me and it stuck. I trained as a classical ballet and modern dancer for my entire childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. I “retired” from dance when I was in my mid-twenties but I think my identity and experiences as a young artist has an impact on how I show up in therapy.
I love being a therapist because I get to witness my clients let go of the things that have been holding them back and begin to actively create the life they want for themselves. I am driven to understand my clients as deeply as possible. I work very hard to both understand what is going on in your life and what is going on “in the room” between us.