Dr. Woodruff (she/hers) has 8 years experience in counseling adolescents and adults in agency, university, and private practice settings. She currently serves as a professor of counseling and is a former professional theater director, a proud “aunt-E”, and mother to Scout the Wonder Dog. In her spare time, she plays multiple musical instruments, reads legal thrillers, visits with friends, and engages in physical exercise.

Dr. Woodruff provides services for the following challenges:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-Traumatic Stress, Complex Trauma, and associated experiences
• LGBTQIA+ Identity Development
• Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria
• Mind/Body Wellness
• Medical Issues, Chronic Illness, and Somatization
• Death and Dying
• Developmental Transitions (i.e., leaving home, retiring)
• Career and Vocation
• Spiritual and Values Identification and Development

Approaches

Dr. Woodruff honors and celebrates your past experiences, cultural identities, and personal preferences and will take them into consideration when shaping your therapy experience. She is trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Third Wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Trauma- and Neuroscience-informed models as a foundation for services. In addition, she uses elements of Adlerian Therapy, mind/body approaches, and five-factor wellness models. Her approach involves helping you develop a relationship with the things that distress you, thus giving them less power, so you can turn attention to the things that make your life meaningful. She will help you identify strengths, values, and goals, so you are empowered to focus on those things no matter what life throws at you.

Dr. Woodruff’s Personality

Dr. Woodruff’s personality is warm, vibrant, and inquisitive, and she is forever grateful that her job allows her to revel in how unique each individuals’ story can be. She knows from experience that life can be confusing and messy, and she has seen her share of pain, but our greatest challenges can become our greatest assets when we process them with intention and care. Colleagues say that her love for her work is infectious, and a few years ago, a group of her university students told her they had started calling her a “wizard” for her innate ability to adapt to meet the needs of the moment. In appointments, she will help you process your pain and frustrations, identify strategies that have gotten you this far, and help you build them into a toolbox that you can continue to develop long past your final therapy appointment. The therapeutic process takes courage, but when you call the practice, you will have already taken one of the hardest steps. From that moment on, she will have a kind, committed, and optimistic ally to walk with you through your ups, your downs, and all the stuff in between.

Dr. Woodruff works with teens (over 13) and adults of all ages. Please contact info@lifesolutionsgroup.org to request an appointment.

Professional Memberships

American Counseling Association

Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities

Illinois Association for Adult Development and Aging

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision

Education & Training

PhD Counselor Education and Supervision, Northern Illinois University

Graduate Certificate in Trauma Informed Counseling, Northern Illinois University

MSEd. in Counseling, Northern Illinois University

BA in Theater Arts, Humboldt State University

License & Certifications

Licensed Professional Counselor