Therapist + Clinical Designer
She/Her/Hers
mburton@wearehelpful.com
(708) 317-9056
I earned my M.A. with Academic Distinction in Counseling from Northwestern University. I’m a career changer that pivoted to mental healthcare after a number of years in the nonprofit and higher education spaces. Those experiences allowed me to help support projects and individuals at home and abroad, building my appreciation and respect for difference. I also know firsthand what it’s like to dig deep into values examination to make career decisions that feel aligned! Before becoming a therapist, I was also a frequent performer in Chicago’s improv scene. “Yes, and” still applies… I support the direction my clients want to go, and seek to find the emotional core. Not to mention, I know the power humor can have to fostering connection, levity, and joy, even/especially in therapy! Outside of work, I can typically be found near Lake Michigan, watching NYT Cooking videos, trying to keep up with "The Artist’s Way" and my morning pages, or trying new craft projects.
“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” -Carl Rogers
How my lived experiences shape my work
At the heart of my approach is a belief that therapeutic change happens through a supportive, accepting, and authentic relationship in which we learn from each other. In every session I hold, I strive to bring my authentic self with the hope of empowering you to bring yours. I utilize an integrative, person-centered approach based on psychodynamic, feminist, multicultural, and relational-cultural theories and techniques. We’ll connect the dots of your life: early childhood experiences and messages, relationships, values, unique intersecting identities, and the impact of sociopolitical systems. I believe that by connecting the past to the present, you can better understand the future you want to work towards. Let's understand the forces that impact you, then restructure and rewrite the narratives that no longer serve. As a white practitioner, I’m committed to continuous examination of my privilege in and outside of the therapy space. I engage in training and self-evaluation to foster an anti-oppressive, anti-racist practice. I don’t see myself as a blank-slate authority dispensing knowledge; on the contrary, I humbly seek to learn about your unique identity, and bring awareness to the influence of systems of oppression.
The clients I work best with
I have experience working with both individuals and couples wanting to self-examine and make change. I enjoy working with self-esteem concerns, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, life transitions, relationship concerns, burnout/career issues. I particularly enjoy working to support folks in the LGBTQIA+ community, emerging adults, artists of all sorts, and potential career changers.
