Margaret Peterson received her formation as a psychotherapist during her years as an academic. Having earned a PhD in theology and ethics from Duke University, Dr. Peterson taught theology and, later, psychology on the undergraduate level for twenty years. Among her most popular course offerings were classes on health psychology and addiction and recovery, as well as a senior-level class on marriage that eventually served over a thousand students. Dr. Peterson found working with her students around all of these issues so compelling that she returned to school herself for a degree in marriage and family therapy, eventually moving from classroom teaching into full-time work as a therapist.

During a year as a Doctoral Fellow in Families, Illness, and Collaborative Healthcare at the Chicago Center for Family Health, Dr. Peterson received extensive training in working with individuals, couples and families around issues of acute and chronic illness. She has worked in primary care medical settings where she has had opportunities to collaborate with medical professionals and to assist in teaching resident physicians to collaborate with mental health professionals. These clinical experiences, along with Dr. Peterson’s background in bioethics and her own history with illness, disability, caregiving and bereavement, energize and support her work as a therapist with persons affected by these universal human realities.

When you work with Dr. Peterson, you will find yourself with someone who listens with attention, respect, compassion, and good humor, who has faced her own challenges with courage and tenacity, and who is committed to helping you do the same. Recognizing that people are different and bring distinctive strengths and resources to the table, Dr. Peterson will collaborate with you to identify potential next steps that fit for you and that can open up new ways of coping and thriving.