Nina Helstein

Nina Helstein is the daughter of Ralph and Rachel Helstein who built the house known as the Helstein House with Bertrand Goldberg. Her father was the President of the United Packinghouse Workers of America (a progressive CIO Union) and Nina describes herself as having one foot firmly planted in the world of Hyde Park where she was born and raised. The other foot was in the world of Labor, work for Civil Rights, and the many activists, journalists, members of national and international Labor organizations who visited the house and were the source of endlessly interesting conversation. Growing up in these two worlds, it seems fitting that she also grew up in an unusual house. Nina was a Head Start teacher in two Chicago housing projects during the late 60s and, a Master’s degree later, morphed into a psychotherapist working at Michael Reese Hospital followed by a practice of psychotherapy for the last thirty-seven years.