About
Has destructive thinking gotten the best of you?
Bad things happen.
Maybe you had a nasty disagreement with your wife, and it feels like you can’t find your way back to each other.
Or perhaps emotional leftovers from the past get in the way.
Lost your job… or you got into a car accident and are ticketed for drinking and driving.
And how do you cope? Turning to drinking, drugs, over-eating, getting into fights, harmful behavior towards others and yourself…
Sure – you may feel better for a little while, but those destructive habits will make life much worse.
“Just smile and wave….”
This is what you remind yourself whenever someone greets you – wearing a mask of confidence even though you’re a wreck on the inside. You are trying your best to hold it together.
“Please don’t ask me how I am doing.”
You are scared, really scared that you may never get your life together, and hopelessness creeps in again.
The destructive thoughts that cross your mind frequently won’t stop. You feel emotionally flooded.
Friends and family are worried about you. Every part of your life is affected by what you are dealing with. You are trying to solve your current difficulties and challenges, but nothing helps make your life better.
Negative thinking can cause you to become emotionally disconnected. You become overly critical towards others and ourselves. For example, when you only focus on the negative, it’s easy to ignore anything positive that can turn your situation around for good.
Feeling hopeless, alone, guilty, and tired? Then, you’ve come to the right place.
Choosing to get help takes so much courage.
We all just want to feel valued and understood and know someone is out there that gets us. And that’s where we come in at Encouraged Counseling Services.
We can help. How?
First, it means dealing with your mess and really looking at what’s holding you back from the life you want and the person you want to be. Then, figure out what needs to happen for you to get there. It means learning new ways to manage your emotions, challenge your negative thinking in ways you never have.
It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth the change you want to see in your life and yourself.
Encouraged Counseling Services offer you hope and healing.
When you reach out…
We’ll gather the information that will help us determine how we can best serve you. You’ll also learn how Encouraged Counseling Services can serve you.
Whether we meet in person in our office or through video conferencing (telehealth)…
Creating a safe place to talk is so important. So we’ll start by talking about your current situation – what brought you to us.
We will also assess your needs then work on a plan to help you find relief from your current struggles.
Working together, this is our commitment to you…
You will be able to share anything with me without criticism or judgment.
Your stresses, anxieties, loneliness, and relationship difficulties will all be heard. You will be understood.
You’ll heal because you’ll have the freedom to be real in a safe place.
You will find rest, inner peace, and relief.
Your relationships will begin to improve.
About Me
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an Ordained Minister of the Gospel…
… I’ve spent over 20+ years with people whose lives have been impacted by anxiety, trauma, grief, crisis, violence, and other messed-up stuff no one likes to talk about.
I became a therapist so I could work towards helping the hurting people in my community, Humboldt Park, Northwest side of Chicago. I want to be the one person who comes alongside a client and knows that I really have their back and understand them in a world where it seems no one understands each of them.
Puerto Rican from the Hood of Humboldt Park…
I am a strength-based, cognitive-behavioral therapist and provide my clients with helpful strategies and tools to feel better overall.
After I graduated from Trinity Christian College with a bachelor’s in Psychology and Theology and a master’s in Social Worker from Loyola University, I have worked in both elementary and high schools as a school Social Worker.
As an Ordained Minister at New Life Covenant, it has been a great honor and privilege to work with the hurting in the Humboldt Park Community.
I love my job as a therapist. Helping people struggling with mental health issues find relief and joy once again is my greatest joy.
I have been married to the greatest woman in the world for 32 years. Together, we have three beautiful adult daughters. We love them dearly. They mean the world to us. In addition, we now have a granddaughter. She has been a tremendous gift to our family.
For fun, I still play softball and hang out with my family.
Faith is really important to me. I work every day to grow in my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Without him, I would not be the man I am today. He has made me a better husband, father, minister, and therapist.
My Mission
Grow in my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Be the best husband I can be to the woman that deserves to be honored and respected, provide my daughters and grandchildren with Godly wisdom to help them be the best they can be, and help my clients become stable, heal, and reach their goals.
We’re here to help. Let us guide you on your journey.
Are you ready to work on your past hurts preventing you from experiencing true joy?
Are you ready to work on ways to help you think positively?
Are you ready to make healthy choices that will improve your relationships?
The choice is yours!
Reach out today, and let’s schedule your free consultation: (312) 600-7364.