Quinn Pennington

(they/them)

In-person therapy at two Chicagoland locations;
virtual therapy anywhere in Illinois

How I’d describe myself: thoughtful, playful, curious, tenacious

I name my plants (e.g., Edgar Allen Pothos, Basil Van Der Kolk)
I have a deep and abiding love for NK Jemisin and other science fiction writers of color who have helped me reimagine the world
I worked in public health communication and environmental justice prior to entering graduate school
I love incense, candles, and poetry
I’m queer and nonbinary and feel very grounded in queer community
My sister and I work together to break intergenerational cycles in our own family (we’re both therapists, which helps a little bit!)

“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

— Proverb

Hi! I’m Quinn, and I’m glad you’re here.

Hurting is a normal part of being alive. You’re not sick, you’re just a person.

Together, we can learn to honor the strengths and skills you have picked by surviving and work to figure out what role you want them to have in your life going forward.

Experiment and Explore

Often, folks come to therapy when they want something to be different. There are a lot of things that are outside of our control, but changing what we can control requires being open to trying new things—new ways of feeling, thinking, and acting—both inside the therapy room and out in the world.

My goal is that we can work together to create a space where you will feel safe enough to begin opening to the possibility of change.

My commitment to my clients is to always show up for them from a place of empathy, curiosity, and non-judgement, no matter what.

Qualifications

Current Master’s degree student in clinical social work and public policy at the University of Chicago

Jointly enrolled in Masters of Social Work and Masters of Public Policy programs
Enrolled in a Trauma Responsive Program of Study at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Work
Clinical focus on the mind-body connection, relationships, and understanding effects of social and political context on individual wellbeing
Policy focus on public health and environmental justice

Interned at the Center for HIV Elimination providing case management for folks living with or at risk of HIV, conducting data analyses, and facilitating logistics for a research study
Worked for several years in communications on issues of public health and environmental justice at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Consistently supported and facilitated queer/trans affinity spaces across ten years and a handful of institutions
Extensive experience facilitating trainings, workshops, and other brave spaces for community discussion