Turning difficult moments
into better memories.
Let’s ride the waves together.

Services

See More Details Below About Each Type of Service, Including What You Can Expect, How It Works, and Who It’s For

Ready to take the next step? Contact me today to learn more or schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I’d love to support you and your family.

  • As a Certified Child Life Specialist, I provide age-appropriate emotional support, preparation, and coping strategies for children and families navigating medical challenges or significant life changes. Whether preparing for a medical procedure, managing a diagnosis, or adjusting to life transitions, I guide your family through each step with care and expertise.

  • As a licensed therapist specializing in child and family counseling in Illinois, I support children, teens, and families facing stress, anxiety, grief, and the emotional challenges that come with illness and loss. My compassionate, strength-based approach combines evidence-based practices to help families heal, grow, and find strength during difficult times.

  • I offer short-term, solution-focused coaching and guidance to help parents feel more confident in managing difficult conversations, addressing behavioral challenges, and navigating the stress of parenting. My coaching and guidance provide practical tools and strategies to support children’s emotional well-being and foster positive family dynamics especially in the context of illness and grief.

  • I provide customized workshops, speaking engagements, and content creation for organizations and businesses dedicated to supporting children and families. Whether it’s through training or collaboration, I help organizations develop strategies to better understand and support the needs of those facing medical, emotional, and family challenges.

Children & Families

Child Life Services

    • Coping Strategies for Illness: Helping children manage the stress of chronic or acute illnesses, hospitalizations, and treatments, ensuring that they feel supported and empowered during difficult times.

    • Procedural and Surgery Preparation: Providing age-appropriate explanations, coping plans, and emotional support for medical or dental procedures to reduce anxiety and foster a sense of control.

    • Grief and Bereavement Support: Guiding children through the process of loss with developmentally appropriate education, memory making, and creative expression to help them understand and cope with grief.

    • Virtual sessions are available nationwide, with in-person services available for Illinois-based clients.

    • Services are personalized to meet your family’s specific needs, and can be provided consistently over time or episodically in response to specific medical events, illnesses, or life changes.

  • Children, teens, and entire families navigating medical events, chronic or acute illnesses, or significant life changes. Whether you are preparing for a surgery or dealing with a long-term illness, I’m here to support your family every step of the way.

Child & Family Therapy or Counseling

    • Individual Counseling: Supporting children and teens dealing with anxiety, trauma, or the emotional impact of illness, helping them build coping skills and resilience.

    • Family Counseling: Strengthening communication and connection within the family unit, particularly when navigating illness, grief, or significant life changes.

    • Grief and Bereavement Therapy: Assisting families in integrating loss and adapting to life following a tragedy, helping each member process their emotions in a healthy, supportive environment.

    • Therapy sessions are available both in-person (Illinois) and virtually, depending on your preference and location.

    • Customized care plans are developed from initial intake appointment based on your family’s unique needs and goals, ensuring a personalized approach to therapy.

  • Children, teens, and families facing emotional stress, anxiety, and grief related to illness or loss. Whether it’s processing grief or managing anxiety during medical treatments of themself or a loved one, I’m here to support the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of your family.

Parents & Professionals

Parent Coaching & Consultation

    • Difficult Conversations: Learn how to approach sensitive topics like illness, death, or other challenging life events with your children in an honest, age-appropriate way that fosters understanding and emotional resilience.

    • Behavioral Strategies: Gain practical tools to improve family communication and navigate challenging behaviors, helping to create a more harmonious home environment.

    • Meaning-Making: Develop meaningful rituals and strategies for significant dates or life experiences, helping your family find connection and purpose during tough times.

    • Short-Term Guidance: Sessions are focused, actionable, and solution-oriented, typically lasting 1-5 sessions, to help you address immediate challenges and build lasting skills.

    • Virtual sessions are available nationwide, providing flexibility to meet your needs from the comfort of your home perhaps even after bedtime.

    • Sessions are tailored to address the specific challenges you are facing as a parent, whether it’s supporting a child through a tough conversation, managing stress, or improving family dynamics and are available on an as needed basis with packages available.

  • Parents seeking support with difficult conversations, behavioral challenges, and life transitions. Whether you're navigating illness, grief, or daily parenting stress, I offer guidance that empowers you to feel more confident and capable in your role.

Other Professional Services

    • Speaking Engagements and Trainings: Custom presentations and workshops on critical topics such as supporting the mental health of children and parents navigating illness, grief, trauma, and other stressful experiences.

    • Clinical Consultation and Supervision: Individual or group sessions offering mentorship, support, and guidance for professionals working with youth and families in hospital and community settings.

    • Parenting Workshops: Occasional events designed to equip parents with the tools to navigate difficult conversations, behavioral challenges, and emotional stress.

    • Content Creation & Interviews: Providing expert content for organizations, brands, podcasts, and press outlets focused on topics like cancer, food allergies, illness, grief, and more.

    • And More! Have an idea or request? Feel free to reach out, and we can discuss how to collaborate.

    • Available for virtual or in-person engagements, depending on your location and needs.

    • Topics and formats are fully customizable to align with your organization’s goals and audience, ensuring a tailored approach for maximum impact.

  • Organizations, businesses, non-profits, schools, and professionals seeking to increase awareness, understanding, and competence in supporting children and families facing illness, grief, or other challenges. Whether you’re looking for workshops, consultation, or content creation, I offer expertise that can elevate your efforts in these areas.

I once had a parent in the pediatric ICU tell me, “Somehow, you always knew exactly what we needed.” While I can’t claim to know exactly what anyone needs, I take great care in being present, listening first, and assessing each situation with sensitivity. With my expertise and experience, I offer clear, simple suggestions, strategies, and resources that are helpful, responsive, and collaborative — all within a safe, supportive, and trusting relationship.

Every journey begins with a brief phone call where we’ll discuss your needs, review my services, and create a plan that works for you and/or your child. Since my services involve counseling, consulting, and coaching for both parents and children, the length and structure of treatment will vary depending on your specific situation.

Collaboration is key, and I regularly work alongside parents, caregivers, and external providers to ensure that everyone is aligned and working toward your family’s goals.

See FAQ for more commonly asked questions.

How it works and what to expect:

FAQ

  • What is the difference between child life and therapy?

    Child life services focus on helping children and families navigate medical and life challenges through a child development lens. Therapy involves addressing broader mental health needs, such as anxiety, trauma, or grief, through evidence-based counseling approaches.

    As a child life specialist and therapist - I use my background in medical care together with my mental health training to provide comprehensive care that addresses the overall wellbeing of children and adolescents impacted by illness and grief. I am also uniquely trained to explain difficult terms using age appropriate language, play based materials, and parenting strategies.

  • What ages do you work with?

    I work with children as young as 2-3 years old, along with their caregivers, and continue to support adolescents and young adults up to around 22 years of age. I also have experience working with neurodivergent individuals. My services are available both in-person (Illinois) and virtually, offering flexibility to meet your family's needs.

    To ensure youth remain engaged, I use interactive tools, activities, and play-based techniques, which seamlessly translate into the virtual space. This allows me to provide developmentally-appropriate support. Additionally, I involve parents in the process to improve communication and consistency at home.

    I highly value multidisciplinary care and work in collaboration with outside providers and care teams to ensure comprehensive support. I also provide referrals when necessary to ensure that families have access to the right services and resources.

    For adults seeking complementary support, I recommend visiting my trusted colleagues at Illness Navigation Resources for additional collaborative care.

  • What medical conditions do you work with?

    I provide support for families navigating a wide range of pediatric and adult medical conditions including but not limited to: cancer, food allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, cardiac conditions, auto-immune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

    I am the author of The Dot Method which is an interactive workbook to teach kids about cancer. It’s appropriate for all cancer types, treatments, and relationships.

    Additionally, as a food-allergy informed therapist, I am also member of The Academy of Food Allergy Counseling and have specialization in supporting kids experiencing anxiety with food allergies, recovering from an anaphylactic experience, or preparing and coping with oral immunotherapy and other food allergy treatments and testing. I am working on my second workbook to teach kids about food allergies and immunotherapy.

    If your family is facing a specific medical challenge, feel free to reach out to discuss how I can help.

  • Where are you located and what communities do you serve?

    I am a licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) based in Illinois, located on Chicago’s North Shore. For traditional mental health counseling and therapy services, I am available to clients within Illinois. However, for child life services and parent coaching/consulting, I offer virtual services and am able to work with families nationwide.

    I provide services in a variety of settings based on location, availability, and the specific needs of the family. These include in-office, in-home, in-hospital, memorial services, and telehealth options, ensuring flexibility and accessibility for families in different situations.

  • How many sessions can I expect?

    The number of sessions depends on the goals and focus of our work together. Some families may need only a handful of sessions to address specific medical events or difficult conversations, while others may benefit from ongoing weekly or biweekly support. For some families, services are episodic and intermittent, aligning with the flow of illness, grief, or significant life changes.

    I tailor the frequency and length of sessions to meet the unique needs of each family and child, and I make recommendations based on where you are in your journey and what feels most supportive.

  • How do I know which service is right for my family?

    If you're unsure which service would best meet your family’s needs, I recommend scheduling a free 15-minute consultation. Together, we can assess your situation and identify the most appropriate service for your family’s unique challenges. I will always do my best to provide referrals and recommendations if I’m unable to meet your request or needs.

  • Do you accept insurance?

    I am out of network with all insurance companies. This means that the full fee is due at the time of service, but it also allows me to offer customized care without the limitations of insurance guidelines.

    For child and family therapy services, you may be able to request documentation from me with the necessary codes to submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement. Please note that out-of-network coverage and reimbursement vary depending on your insurance provider, plan, and the specific services provided. I recommend checking with your provider in advance to determine your coverage options.

    Some families also choose to use their Flexible Healthcare Savings Accounts (FSA) or crowd funding as alternative ways to pay for services.

    Feel free to contact me directly to discuss your specific situation and explore the best options for your family.

  • What's the investment for services?

    The cost of my services varies based on the type and duration of support you need:

    Child Life and Therapy Services:

    Intake Assessment: $250 (available virtually and in-person)

    Individual Sessions: $225/hour or $110/30 minutes

    Home, Hospital, or Memorial Service Visits: Pricing varies based on location and additional travel time/materials.

    Parent Coaching & Consultation:

    Single One Hour Session: $250

    3 Hour Package: $700

    5 Hour Package: $1000

    Professional Services (Workshops/Speaking Engagements):

    Pricing varies based on scope and location. Please contact me for a personalized quote.

    Additional Information:

    Discounts and sliding scale options may be available for clients with financial needs.

    Bulk pricing is available for workbooks purchased by hospitals, clinics, and non-profits.

    Feel free to reach out to discuss how we can work together and explore the best options for your family.

  • Can I purchase sessions or packages as a gift for another family?

    Yes! Gift cards are available for child life or parenting sessions and packages, allowing you to support a family in need during challenging times. This thoughtful option can provide them with access to guidance and resources when they need it most. Contact me to arrange a gift card purchase or for more details.

  • Can I book you for workshops or speaking engagements?

    Absolutely! I offer customized workshops, speaking engagements, and content creation for businesses, non-profits, and other organizations that align with my expertise and passion. Contact me with your request to receive a personalized quote.

More questions before getting started? Get in touch.