Meet Carli

ABOUT

Hello! I’m so glad you’re here! My name is Carliann. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), in both Illinois and Colorado, and a Certified Yoga Instructor who absolutely loves to support individuals on their journeys of healing. Whether I am working with Children, Adolescents, or Adults, my goal is to provide a safe and supportive space, full of empathy and warmth, for you to process your feelings and experiences. Life can be such a whirlwind, but you are not alone; I will meet you where you currently are without judgment, and we will work through this as a team.

My mixture of professional and personal experiences will assist me in meeting your needs. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Lake Forest College, with majors in Psychology and Spanish. My focus was on Cognitive Psychology research. Completing research in Spain and Costa Rica for a year changed my life forever. I switched gears completely after graduating, starting with backpacking and volunteering alone in New Zealand and Norway, and earning my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certificate to work abroad. After falling in love with working with students, I taught high-schoolers in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Special Education departments in the Chicagoland area. Then, my partner and I took a scholarship opportunity to teach elementary students in Spain for two years.

My different experiences in work with students revealed that I felt most passionate about helping them with Social-Emotional Issues and with Processing Trauma and Out-of-School Problems. Returning to Chicago, I completed my Master in Social Work (MSW) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where I specialized in the SchoolConcentration and completed my internships at high schools in Chicago and Evanston. These opportunities gave me incredible skills that I am still grateful for, such as strengths-based and Person-In-Environment Perspectives, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Play Therapy interventions, and experience in work with RestorativePractices and those who are going through Community Violence.

Throughout two years of the pandemic, I worked as an Elementary-School Social Worker in the Northwest suburbs, where I provided services to those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans, and to students in the general education system. I studied the management of Grief and Crisis Response. I completed the required 200 hours of training to become a Certified Yoga Instructor, which I’ve used with both children and adults to help in managing feelings, trauma, and chronic pain. In the fall of 2022, I earned my LCSW and took online classes for a 500-hour yoga certification to become a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist. These classes have included the following: trauma-informed yoga, women’s health, the nervous system, restorative work, meditation, and specific anatomy. I also completed training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to enhance my ability to support those who have experienced trauma. I also, most recently, worked as a Sixth-Grade School Social Worker for District 65, right here in Evanston, Illinois.

Personal challenges during these professional experiences have given me firsthand insight and understanding regarding Grief and Life Changes. These challenges have included personal health problems, chronic pain, mental-health battles, parents being diagnosed with cancer, financial stress, home and job changes, and other situations. I know that healing takes time and is a process. My professional and personal experiences have shaped me as a therapist and taught me the power of resilience and personal strength.

I use a holistic and integrated approach to healing, selecting tools that will help YOU specifically. Everyone should have an individualized plan that best supports his/her needs and goals.Taking those first steps can be overwhelming--reaching out to a therapist, completing the paper work, and telling your life story. I will say this many times: You are not alone! We will take those steps together to help you reach your version of success and well-being. No matter how many curveballs life throws at you, I will help you to feel empowered, resilient, and strong.

SPECIALTIES

ADHD, Adolescents and Emerging Adults, Anxiety, Behavioral Challenges and Dysregulation, Child Development, Chronic Pain, Chronic Stress, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Coping Skills, Depression, Grief, Health and Illness Adjustments, Life Transitions, Mindfulness, Play Therapy, Problem-Solving, Relationship Challenges, School Refusal, School-Related Stress, Self-Esteem, Self-Harm, Trauma, Women’s Issues, Yoga and Movement Therapy.

MORE ABOUT CARLI

When I’m not working, I love spending time with my husband, cats, and loved ones. I really enjoy practicing yoga and exercising outdoors, such as hiking and walking by Lake Michigan. Whenever I can, I read, take pictures of nature, write, and travel. Much to my family’s delight, I also love to bake!