Hi, I’m Denton

I became a therapist because I believe that healing isn't just about feeling better. It's about coming home to yourself.

So much of what brings people to therapy is a sense of disconnection: from their own feelings, from their sense of who they are, from what they actually want their life to look like. My work is about helping people find their way back, not to some idealized version of themselves, but to the authentic person who has been there all along.

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Chicago. I hold certifications in mindfulness practices and trauma, and my clinical approach is grounded in depth work, a solid foundation of evidence based practices, and Buddhist psychology: a tradition I've been practicing for over 25 years. The teachings on the four noble truths, impermanence, interconnection, and compassion shape how I show up in my work as a therapist and how I understand what it means to heal. You don’t need to be Buddhist, or spiritual at all, to work with me. I don’t bring religious practice into sessions unless you invite it.

I also bring lived experience to this work. I know what it's like to navigate chronic illness and to walk the path of recovery from trauma. Prior to seeking formal education as a therapist, I helped run mutual aid groups for people healing from the effects of complex trauma for nearly 10 years. These experiences aren't separate from my clinical identity — they're part of why I do this work and how I understand what it actually takes to keep going and find your way through.

Outside the therapy room, I’m an artist working in photography and printmaking, a gardener, and a crocheter. I find that making things by hand and tending things that grow slowly keeps me close to the same lessons I care about in my work: patience, attention, and trusting a process.

How I was trained

I earned my Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where I focused on trauma, LGBTQIA+ issues, crisis intervention, and the experiences of aging populations. Since then, I've completed additional formal training in Complex Trauma, Autism Spectrum Disorder, somatic therapy, and Parts Work.

The modalities I draw on most include:

  • Parts Work — exploring the different inner parts of ourselves that carry beliefs, wounds, and protective strategies

  • Depth Work — looking beneath the surface to understand the deeper patterns shaping your life

  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) — building psychological flexibility and living in alignment with your values

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy — an evidence-based practice designed to treat PTSD by helping individuals evaluate, challenge, and reframe negative thoughts and beliefs connected to their trauma.

  • Somatic practices — using the body and breath as a doorway to healing

  • Mindfulness and contemplative psychology — drawing on Buddhist principles of the Four Noble Truths, awareness, compassion, and impermanence

My approach

I think of therapy as a shared journey. You bring your lived experience, your courage, and your self-knowledge. I bring training, perspective, and a genuine commitment to walking alongside you.

My style is warm, collaborative, and direct. I take intersectionality seriously — meaning I pay attention to how identity, culture, and systemic factors shape your experience. I want you to feel safe here, and I want you to feel like yourself here.

I especially love working with people who are curious about their inner world — who sense that there's something deeper going on and are ready to explore it.

A note on inclusivity

I am committed to providing affirming, culturally sensitive care. I work with clients across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, including transgender and non-binary individuals, and I am sex-positive and kink-friendly. My practice is a space where you can bring all of yourself.