Nora Clark, MS_Ed, Graduate Clinical Intern

(she/her/hers)

My Background:

For the past 15 years, I have been an AP Psychology teacher on the south side of Chicago. During that time, I fell in love with watching students uncover more about themselves, their upbringing, and their mental health. I continually found myself focused on my students’ social and emotional needs, making time and space to hear about their lives and struggles outside of the classroom. While many students saw me as their counselor, I was, in fact, not trained to be one. This motivated me to get my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to better learn the tools and skills required to help students navigate a transformative moment in their lives.

Why I’m a Therapist:

Since becoming a mother, I have become fascinated by this other transformative moment. Becoming a mom has been the hardest and most beautiful aspect of my life so far. I have listened and supported as friends have struggled with infertility, shared my own story when they grieved miscarriages, and celebrated with them as they navigated the experience of motherhood. I’m interested in these periods of transition that can make us question everything we thought we knew. Becoming a parent shifts one’s identity and worldview in such profound ways, and I am passionate about helping clients explore major life transitions like this one..

As a therapist at Flourish, I look forward to providing a relational approach to help clients grieve, process, grow, and challenge themselves to be their best selves. I am passionate about supporting clients through active listening, acceptance, and an unyielding desire to help you achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. I believe that therapy can be a warm and accepting place, a place where a great deal of honesty and growth can happen.

My Education/Training:

For my undergraduate degree, I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in history and sociology. From there, I received a Master of Science degree in Secondary Education from Northwestern University. After teaching for the past 15 years, I am completing another master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Concordia University Chicago. My coursework in Human Development, Family Systems Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Multicultural Counseling have been particularly impactful in helping me navigate the complexities of counseling.

Areas of Specialization:

I am excited about providing compassionate care to individuals, couples, and groups in the following areas: infertility, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, parenting concerns and parent-child attachment issues, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, transitions and adjustment to life changes, and family/relationship issues.