Who am I?

Hello! My name is Livi Nalepa (she/her) and I am a licensed professional counselor in New Orleans, Louisiana. I moved to New Orleans in 2020 from Chicago, IL in desperate search for a different experience. In New Orleans I have found a community and built a life for myself that I am incredibly proud of, which is something that I did not think was possible 10 years ago.

I received my undergraduate degree in history and international studies with minors in sociology and women and gender studies from Loyola University Chicago in 2016. I was always interested in understanding why things work the way they do and how they got to be what they are today. I found myself struggling to find work in my field, while also struggling with my own mental health. It was during this time that I started my own therapy journey and quickly fell in love with the process.

I attended graduate school at the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, IL and in 2021 I got my MA in clinical counseling and psychotherapy. I chose ICSW because the program focused mainly on psychodynamic psychotherapy. I have been fascinated by how much of life is ruled by various unconscious processes and was hungry to know more. I realized that understanding the background of a person and how they came to be, is inextricably linked to understanding them as they are today. Today, I can see how all my schooling and my various life experiences have prepared me for this work.

During my training I interned at the Chicago School for the Arts and at the Barr-Harris Children’s Grief Center. Following graduation I have worked in residential substance abuse treatment centers. First at Responsibility House, and then I spent the last 3 years working at Bridge House. At Bridge House I had the opportunity and privilege of working closely with individuals from various backgrounds, life experiences, traumas, and access to resources. This experienced has shaped me significantly in who I am as a person, a therapist, and how I want to exist in the world.