I am a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. I have been a nurse for 10 years and an advanced practice nurse for 5 years. I started my own private practice during COVID after I realized so many adolescents had to be put on waitlists for months for urgent psychiatric needs. I wanted to provide my adolescent and adult patients with more time, more flexibility, and higher quality services to meet their needs.
I just recently transitioned to providing Concierge Psychiatric services where I have a smaller caseload of patients. This enables me to give my patients more time, more accessibility to services, and to provide a fully integrated, holistic approach. Overall, Concierge Psychiatry provides highly customized and high quality mental health care to patients.
I love working out- Orange Theory, pilates, yoga, and walking my dogs. I just moved from psychiatric practice to Hinsdale and I work alongside Emily Pagone and her team of therapists at Authentic Growth Wellness. I grew up in Atlanta as a child and then moved to Naperville, where I went to high school and I currently reside to this day with my son and dogs.
I’m excited about growing my practice in Hinsdale and learning more about the community.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I am a single mom to my bright 16 year old son and to our dogs. He plays high school and tournament baseball year round. I’m a busy baseball mom for sure
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I have experience working as a nurse for 8 years in the cardiology and orthopedics at Rush downtown. I then went to graduate school to become a Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and I worked inpatient detox and psychiatry at Northwestern for 3 years and I then opened my own psychiatric private practice in 2021 in the middle of COVID. I have been practicing by myself for the past 3 years and I love it.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Fullers House and Page’s
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Only 6 short months!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Sweden during the fall months. I would love to watch the spectacular Northern Lights and see the beautiful Scandinavian landscape
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Dirty Dancing
Q: What advice would you give to people?
1. Listen more, talk less. Listening is a sign of respect, non-stop chatter may be a sign of insecurity. Conversation is about give and take. Let go of being compelled to fill the silence with your voice. 2. Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Hiking in the Himalayas
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Whitney Houston!
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
The Courtyard consignment shop
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Probably Mariah Carey. She was my idol when I was younger. I think meeting at Fullers would be fun
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love everything about the Community House
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
More kids, remarried, a growing family, and still running my private practice strong
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I have two dogs and I foster other dogs consistently
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Hawaii
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
November, Thanksgiving, my birthday the 20th!
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
The chop salad at Wildfire in Oakbrook
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My father has always inspired me to be kind and never give up
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Peppermint and Cinnamon
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Peace, Love, Rest
