Hi, I’m Celina.

I help people understand the patterns they keep finding themselves in—and change the ones that are no longer working for them.

Sometimes those patterns show up in relationships: overthinking what someone said, struggling to trust, shutting down during conflict, putting other people’s needs first, or finding yourself in the same painful dynamic again and again. Other times, they show up as anxiety, feeling disconnected from yourself, or realizing that experiences from your past are still affecting you more than you want them to.

My approach to therapy is warm, curious, and engaged. We’ll make sense of what’s happening in your life now while also paying attention to the experiences that shaped how you learned to relate to yourself and other people. The goal isn’t simply greater self-awareness—it’s being able to do something different with what you understand.

Individual & Trauma Therapy

You can understand exactly why you react the way you do and still feel unable to change it.

That’s one reason I’m drawn to trauma work. Our experiences don’t only become stories we remember; they can influence what feels threatening, how we respond to other people, what we believe about ourselves, and what happens in our bodies when we’re overwhelmed.

Clients often come to me for help with:

• Anxiety and overthinking
• Difficult or painful past experiences
• Relationship and attachment patterns
• Trust and vulnerability
• Self-esteem and self-worth
• Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or shut down
• Understanding and communicating their needs
• Patterns they understand intellectually but still struggle to change

I’m trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and also draw from attachment-based, emotion-focused, mindfulness, and somatic approaches. Depending on what you need, our work might involve processing painful experiences from the past, noticing patterns playing out in the present, or helping you develop a different relationship with emotions and reactions that have felt difficult to control.

You don’t need to identify with the word “trauma” to benefit from this kind of work. Many of the people I work with simply know that something keeps getting in the way—and they’re ready to understand it and begin changing it.

Relationships & Couples Therapy

Relationships are an important part of my work, whether you come to therapy on your own or with a partner. How we connect with other people can reveal a lot about what we’ve learned to expect from relationships, what makes us feel safe, and what happens when we feel hurt or disconnected.

In individual therapy, we might explore why certain relationships affect you so deeply, why you tend to take on a particular role with other people, or why it can be difficult to communicate your needs, trust someone, set boundaries, or feel secure in a relationship.

I also work with couples who care about each other but have gotten stuck in patterns they don’t know how to change. Couples may come to therapy because they’re:

• Having the same arguments over and over
• Feeling emotionally or physically disconnected
• Struggling to communicate without becoming defensive or shutting down
• Trying to rebuild trust after hurt, secrecy, or betrayal
• Navigating differences around intimacy, family, parenting, or the future
• Trying to feel like partners again instead of roommates

I draw from the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and attachment-based approaches to help couples understand not only what they’re arguing about, but the patterns underneath those conflicts. The goal isn’t to determine who is right—it’s to help you understand what happens between you and create new ways of responding to each other.

Money, Emotions & Relationships

Money can bring up much more than finances. How we spend, save, avoid, share, or think about money can be connected to our experiences with safety, independence, family, success, control, and self-worth.

I help individuals and couples explore concerns such as:

• Financial anxiety or avoidance
• Different spending and saving habits
• Recurring arguments about money
• Debt and financial stress
• Differences in income or financial responsibility
• Secrecy, resentment, or loss of trust around finances
• Different financial values or family backgrounds
• Creating shared goals while maintaining individual autonomy

As part of my work toward becoming a Certified Financial Therapist (CFT) through the Financial Therapy Association, I bring additional training in the emotional and relational aspects of money into my work with both individuals and couples.

What Therapy With Me Is Like

My style is warm, engaged, and collaborative. I want therapy to be a place where you feel genuinely understood, but I also want our work together to help you move toward something different.

I’ll help you notice patterns, make connections, slow down important moments, and look at situations from perspectives you may not have considered before. Sometimes that means looking at the past. Other times, it means paying close attention to what’s happening in your life—or even in the therapy room—right now.

I believe emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being are deeply connected, so I take the whole person into account in our work together. For clients who want it to be part of therapy, I can also integrate Christian faith into our work. Faith integration is always based on your preferences and is never assumed.

Training & Credentials

• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
• National Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Trained in the Gottman Method for Couples Therapy
• Working toward Certified Financial Therapist (CFT) certification

A Little About Me

When I’m not in session, I’m probably laughing loudly, writing for my Substack, doing puzzles, taking long walks with my husband, or trying to keep my plants alive.

Ready to Get Started?

You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Part of our work can be understanding what feels wrong, where certain patterns came from, and what you want to be different.

If you’re looking for individual or couples therapy in Chicago or online throughout Illinois, I’d be glad to help you get started.