After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1983 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, I began a career in the Chicago area in information technology. After realizing that people are more interesting than computers, I changed my career path to human resources management. I later combined both fields until I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I first got my feet wet in counseling while volunteering as a telephone crisis worker. In 1993, I returned to school to follow my calling to become a therapist. I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1995 with a Master of Social Work degree in mental health. I then worked in various settings, including an inpatient psychiatric hospital, community health clinics, a family counseling center, and a treatment center for sex offenders. In 1998, I opened my private practice to offer treatment for a broad range of psychosocial issues for individuals, couples, and families.

I taught courses in mental health at Loyola University Chicago from 2005-2010 and at University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2011-2020. I also served as a psychological consultant for the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services from 2014-2021. I am mostly retired now but still maintain a small private practice.

I have learned to appreciate the benefits of therapy myself through various challenges in my own life. This is what most inspired me to choose a career in mental health.