Great to meet you! My name is Akina (she/her) and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I'm originally from Honolulu, Hawaii and now live in Chicago, Illinois. 

I work with teens, adults, and couples experiencing depression, anxiety, grief and loss, chronic illness, adjustment to life transitions, and relationship discord.

In my free time I enjoy chasing my toddler around, cooking, spending time with friends, and home improvement projects. 

Welcome! 

I’m a mom, social worker, and advocate who believes in the power of connection and community. I’m honored to walk alongside others as they make sense of their experiences and discover their own resilience. I believe healing happens when we’re seen, heard, and supported together. 

I support clients dealing with perinatal mental health concerns, grief and loss, chronic illness, and anxiety, among other issues and life transitions. I truly enjoy connecting with others, learning from each other, and supporting you as we navigate all the ups and downs of life! 

Outside of my role as therapist, I enjoy spending time with my family, tap dancing, playing trivia, and catching up on new movies & TV. 

An environment that is collaborative and trusting. I believe it's important to create a space where you feel supported and safe to be vulnerable, challenge ingrained beliefs, and discover new perspectives.

It is my goal for you to leave sessions feeling seen and heard, equipped with practical tools, and a greater sense of balance.

I will reference skills and ideas from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and creative interventions to support your goals for growth and progress.

a safe, warm, and inviting place to land. We'll spend the first few sessions getting to know each other, as I believe the relationship we establish is one of the most important factors contributing to positive change and growth. Together, we’ll make space for all the mixed emotions that can arise when facing a transition or challenge. We’ll explore coping strategies that work for you. Life can feel messy and uncertain, but it’s often in that “messy middle” where we discover our resilience, grow, and come out stronger on the other side.

Supporting, collaborating, and partnering together with:

• Individuals struggling with life transitions and/or daily life stressors

• Those facing chronic illness, an unexpected medical diagnosis, or medical crisis along with their caregivers

•  People experiencing grief and loss

• Teens or adults exploring therapy for the first time to learn skills and new perspectives

• Anyone struggling with feelings of depression or anxiety

• Couples experiencing relationship discord

Supporting birthing individuals and partners - The transition and journey to parenthood can bring joy, heartache, excitement, and so many other mixed emotions. Whether you are trying to conceive, pregnant/postpartum, dealing with loss and/or infertility, or adjusting to parenthood - having a therapist to talk through these experiences and emotions can be invaluable.

I also enjoy collaborating with clients to tackle challenges related to chronic illness & pain, body image & self-esteem, and anxiety. 

I obtained my Masters in Social Work from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), credentialed to practice in Illinois and Hawaii. 

Much of my career has been working in hospitals (Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital) supporting patients and families experiencing chronic and acute illnesses. Most recently, I worked in a group therapy practice providing individual and couples counseling to teens and adults. 

I have a Masters in Social Work from New York University. I hold an LCSW in Illinois & an LISW in Ohio. I am certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. 

I have worked in community mental health, substance use prevention, and in youth mentorship. More recently, I worked as a Medical Social Worker for the Neuromuscular/MDA team at Lurie Children's Hospital and spent several years at a group practice providing individual therapy to teens & adults.