About Merari
It brings a lot of satisfaction to me to be able to become a catalyst for my clients and seeing how they liberate themselves from difficult and troublesome traumatic experiences. I enjoy seeing my clients loving themselves again.
I believe that with guidance and support, everyone can heal from past difficult life experiences. You can gracefully and courageously overcome your deepest fears through acknowledgment and perseverance. This journey of healing will take time and effort, but with guidance, I can help you live a more authentic and gratifying life. This healing path of perseverance amidst life difficulties is how I have come to understand as the “healing journey.”
During the time working as a psychotherapist, I have witnessed the growth of many people with whom I have worked therapeutically in spite of their initial uncertainty and fears regarding exposing their life to someone they did not know. Many have come to therapy with questions about how the process works and how it can be useful to the challenges life is presenting to them. Others might have been in therapy before but have decided it is time to do some additional therapeutic work. All my clients have in common, however, the realization that life has become difficult to manage and are looking for professional support.
As a psychotherapist, I will make use of my ten years of clinical experience, training, and consultation to best support your healing journey. My approach to the work I do is psychodynamic, attachment based and relational. By this I mean, I will pay attention to the way your past relationships and experiences have shaped your understanding of life and the decisions you have made or make in the present. I will also pay attention to the therapeutic relationship we develop, as it will nourish the work we do together. Clients who have worked with me in the midst of life most difficult challenges have said they feel understood and not judged. They seemed relief by the fact there is someone willing to listen with empathy and compassion. I am attuned to my intuition and will use it for your healing journey.
My psychotherapeutic training experiences include working with women and men who have faced traumatic life experiences such as abusive relationships, sexual, physical or emotional abuse as children and sexual assault. I have also worked with clients around issues of sexuality and intimacy in relationships, sexual orientation, and identity issues, parenting after leaving an abusive relationship, divorce, and custody issues as well as family of origin conflicts. Other experiences I have worked with my clients include diagnosis of a chronic health condition such as HIV and fibromyalgia, grief, work related issues, as well as struggling with life meaning and spirituality.
My training and certifications include a Master in Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico and a Phd in Clinical Social Work from the Institute for Clinical Social Work. I am a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Illinois. I have been trained as a relational psychotherapist and as a domestic violence and sexual assault counselor. As part of my curiosity to understand the body’s experience and its connection with emotions, I became a certified yoga teacher (CYT-200) and a LifeForce Yoga Practitioner (LFYP-Level 1). As a result, I have been able to share some of yoga practical wisdom with my clients. I am an adjunct professor at Loyola University Master in Social Work Bilingual Program, have thought courses at the Institute for Clinical Social Work and present on several topics such as immigration, race and psychoanalysis, trauma, yoga, self care and psychotherapy, feminism, race, immigration, colonialism and social justice.
In my work, I embrace my ethnic and cultural backgrounds allowing me for the provision of a rich critical understanding of my clients' inner conflicting experiences and their social context. My client's experiences are complex and a therapist who understands it, due to her complex and diverse background and identities, is an asset. Clients and colleagues have enjoyed working with me due to the unique insights and perspectives I bring to our discussions. I love how my identities enhance the therapeutic process by using them in the best interest of my clients.
I invite you to explore the information on this website to determine if this therapeutic experience is for you. Feel free to contact me for inquiries and questions.
Best regards,
Merari Fernandez
Qualifications
During the time working as a psychotherapist, I have witnessed the growth of many people with whom I have worked therapeutically in spite of their initial uncertainty and fears regarding exposing their life to someone they did not know. Many have come to therapy with questions about how the process works and how it can be useful to the challenges life is presenting to them. Others might have been in therapy before but have decided it is time to do some additional therapeutic work. All my clients have in common, however, the realization that life has become difficult to manage and are looking for professional support.
As a psychotherapist, I will make use of my ten years of clinical experience, training, and consultation to best support your healing journey. My approach to the work I do is psychodynamic, attachment based and relational. By this I mean, I will pay attention to the way your past relationships and experiences have shaped your understanding of life and the decisions you have made or make in the present. I will also pay attention to the therapeutic relationship we develop, as it will nourish the work we do together. Clients who have worked with me in the midst of life most difficult challenges have said they feel understood and not judged. They seemed relief by the fact there is someone willing to listen with empathy and compassion. I am attuned to my intuition and will use it for your healing journey.
My psychotherapeutic training experiences include working with women and men who have faced traumatic life experiences such as abusive relationships, sexual, physical or emotional abuse as children and sexual assault. I have also worked with clients around issues of sexuality and intimacy in relationships, sexual orientation, and identity issues, parenting after leaving an abusive relationship, divorce, and custody issues as well as family of origin conflicts. Other experiences I have worked with my clients include diagnosis of a chronic health condition such as HIV and fibromyalgia, grief, work related issues, as well as struggling with life meaning and spirituality.
My training and certifications include a Master in Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico and a Phd in Clinical Social Work from the Institute for Clinical Social Work. I am a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of Illinois. I have been trained as a relational psychotherapist and as a domestic violence and sexual assault counselor. As part of my curiosity to understand the body’s experience and its connection with emotions, I became a certified yoga teacher (CYT-200) and a LifeForce Yoga Practitioner (LFYP-Level 1). As a result, I have been able to share some of yoga practical wisdom with my clients. I am an adjunct professor at Loyola University Master in Social Work Bilingual Program, have thought courses at the Institute for Clinical Social Work and present on several topics such as immigration, race and psychoanalysis, trauma, yoga, self care and psychotherapy, feminism, race, immigration, colonialism and social justice.
In my work, I embrace my ethnic and cultural backgrounds allowing me for the provision of a rich critical understanding of my clients' inner conflicting experiences and their social context. My client's experiences are complex and a therapist who understands it, due to her complex and diverse background and identities, is an asset. Clients and colleagues have enjoyed working with me due to the unique insights and perspectives I bring to our discussions. I love how my identities enhance the therapeutic process by using them in the best interest of my clients.
I invite you to explore the information on this website to determine if this therapeutic experience is for you. Feel free to contact me for inquiries and questions.
Best regards,
Merari Fernandez
Qualifications
- PhD in Clinical Social Work (PhD)
- Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Bilingual (English/Spanish)
- Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT-200)
- LifeForce Yoga Practitioner (LFYP-Level 1)
- Member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Member of the American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work (AAPCSW)
- Member of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP)
- Member of the Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology Division 39
Unfortunately, we are only able to offer weekdays day time appointments.
We are unable to respond to inquiries related to referral requests.
All sessions are being offered via Telehealth
within the state of Illinois
merari.e.fernandez@gmail.com
(773) 234-7246
