ABOUT ME

   I graduated with my MSW from the University of Maryland in 1999 and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am on the faculty of the Center for Family Consultation in Evanston and present yearly workshops on family emotional process. I am committed to my own self exploration and believe this is a life long process of discovery. I am originally from Maryland and have been in Chicago for over twenty years. I travelled extensively before moving to Chicago, living for short periods in Israel, Kenya, and England. I have been married and divorced and have been successfully negotiating the challenges of a blended family for 20 years. I believe this work with my own family, has deeply enriched and strengthened my work with my clients. I am a student of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, and try to bring his teachings to my practice. I am certified in EMDR and completed my post-graduate training in Bowen Family Systems Theory in 2014.

I am currently meeting with people via Zoom. At first I thought this would be very difficult but have found it to be a great way to conduct sessions and have been surprised by the intimacy it provides. If you have questions about how this is working please don't hesitate to ask; 773-440-3837 or jhowelcsw@gmail.com

I specialize in working with individuals who are looking for ways to gain more perspective and maturity in order to live a more peaceful, purpose, driven life. I work with people of all ages and backgrounds; individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, panic attacks, estrangement from family and friends, illness, transitions as children arrive and as they leave home, loss of significant relationships through death, divorce, betrayal.  Relationships are our most significant source of strength and stress and learning to navigate them with more perspective goes a long way to softening the challenges we face in our lives.