Before becoming a therapist, I spent about a decade working in finance. I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and that path made sense on paper. I was good at analysis, I could do the work, and I had people around me who had built successful careers in similar worlds. But spending long days in spreadsheets and financial models left me asking what I was actually doing and whether it felt meaningful to me. I wanted work that involved more human connection and gave me a different kind of purpose. Eventually, that led me to therapy.

That experience shapes how I work with people who feel stuck in their careers. I know what it is like to be capable of doing a job and still feel burned out or unfulfilled by it. But my decision to change careers does not mean I think you need to do the same. Sometimes the question is what you want to change. Sometimes it is how you want to live within the life you already have. I want to help you figure out what matters to you, rather than assume that my answer should be your answer.

My own experience with anxiety and OCD is another important part of why I became a therapist. I know what it is like to feel at war in your own mind, to have intrusive thoughts that you do not want, and to look okay from the outside while something very different is happening underneath. These are experiences I have learned to manage, and they no longer run my day-to-day life. They have given me a lot of compassion for people who are struggling and a real interest in understanding what other people cannot necessarily see.

One of the most useful things I have learned is to take my thinking mind a little less seriously. A thought can feel convincing without being true, and it can show up without needing to determine what you do next. That does not mean ignoring everything you think or trying to force yourself to feel positive. It means learning a different way of relating to your thoughts, so there is more room to be present and make choices based on what matters to you.

As a therapist, I show up as myself. I want our sessions to feel like a natural conversation where you can be honest about what is happening. I am warm and compassionate, but I am also direct and willing to give feedback. If you need space to talk something through, we can do that. If you want help figuring out how to move forward, we can brainstorm, look at the patterns, and work on practical next steps. I want therapy to fit what you need rather than make you fit one way of doing things.

Acceptance and commitment therapy is a strong influence on my work. In everyday terms, that means getting clear about your values, understanding what is pulling you away from them, and finding ways to act on what matters even when difficult thoughts or feelings show up. I also draw on CBT, DBT, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and exposure-based approaches. I am interested in whether an approach is useful for you, not just whether it sounds good in theory. If following through is hard, I want us to understand why and build systems that help.

Outside of therapy, family and music are big parts of my life. I have a wife, a young daughter, and a dog, and becoming a parent has brought a whole new set of responsibilities and changes to our routines. I play guitar, love pop punk, and have seen Blink-182 nine times in three countries. I also enjoy running, being outdoors, and traveling. Those things remind me that a meaningful life includes enjoyment and connection, not just getting through the next task.

I work with adults who want to understand themselves more clearly and find more fulfillment in their lives. Some are dealing with anxiety or obsessive thoughts. Some are questioning a career, adjusting to family life, finding their footing after sports, or working through stress in their relationship or finances. I connect especially well with men, but what matters most is whether we can build an honest conversation and work together. If this sounds like the kind of therapy you are looking for, I would be glad to talk.