Therapist
She/Her/Hers
heather@wearehelpful.com
(847) 323-9679
Prior to starting private practice I co-led an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for a substance abuse treatment center & was a therapist for a DCFS contracted program for families with substance exposed infants. I earned a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern University's Family Institute. Outside of work, my life is a work in progress. I attend and value my own therapy. I have 3 young kiddos and a partner of over 10 years. Sometimes it’s a shit show. Sometimes it’s magical. I work hard to live a life - both personally and professionally - that aligns with my values. Ultimately, my hope is that folks who work with me feel a sense of genuine care and acceptance that feels healing to them.
“I firmly believe that, with support, we can all feel comfortable with who we are & that by simply being ourselves we can make meaningful contributions to the world around us.”
How my lived experiences shape my work
I believe the real change agent in life is connection. In therapy, that is the therapeutic relationship. In life, that is community. Often it’s hard to find community or feel at home in community when we don’t know and value ourselves. So - with that context - clinically, I work from a systems perspective, where regardless of how many people are in the room, I am mindful about how all systems and people outside the room also impact and shape our own story and how we function. I utilize a combination of treatment modalities ranging from behavioral models like CBT and DBT to more client/relationally focused models like IFS, psychodynamic and self-psychology, depending on the client's goals. What does this mean IRL? You’re the expert on yourself. I happen to have a bag of tricks (training) that may provide additional support to you getting where you want to be. My role is to support you in unlearning whatever narratives are no longer serving you and work towards peace and balance within you. As a white, hetero, cis woman I am forever committed to gaining more awareness of my own privilege and leveraging it in ways that work towards dismantling systems of inequity and oppression. All my work is done through an anti-oppressive, trauma lens.
The clients I work best with
I enjoy working with individuals, couples, and families from diverse backgrounds and experiences. I have a particular interest in the challenges (and sprinkles of joys) that come along with parenting young children, substance abuse/adult children of addicts, codependence/boundaries, life transitions, sexuality/gender identity, anxiety, work/life balance, & trauma.