Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

If you’re here, chances are you are looking for a change. Maybe you are unhappy in your relationship, or struggling with body image or food, or perhaps you are stuck in what seems like a never ending cycle of depression, anxiety and hopelessness. It might feel like you can’t catch a break, and that life is coming at you too fast. It's okay if you've gotten knocked down- let's get you back on your feet. As a therapist specializing in anxiety, eating disorders, depression, and adolescent/young adult life transitions I can help you reconnect with your true self and lead a life full of value and meaning. I take a non-pathologizing approach to therapy and focus on the therapeutic alliance to help you feel comfortable, capable, and in charge of your own path. If you are ready to create lasting change that helps you build a life worth living, take the first step and visit my website to learn more. I practice many types of therapy, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Let's get honest, let's laugh (or cry), and get going. I think you'll learn you are already on your way!

Hi, I’m Dan (they/them). Life can feel heavy sometimes, and we all reach moments when we need support. Mistakes, falling back into old habits, and difficult periods are often seen as signs of failure, but in mental health, these moments are often part of the process rather than the end of it. During these times, it can become easy to feel disconnected from yourself, your progress, or the direction you once had. Therapy can become a space to explore your experiences, make sense of them, and reflect on how you want to move forward. Because everyone brings different experiences, needs, and goals into therapy, I approach the process collaboratively and individually. I believe your insight, lived experiences, and understanding of yourself should remain central to the work we do together. I utilize a holistic, harm-reduction-based approach to create a non-judgmental space where you can feel free to be yourself while recognizing that you are not defined by the difficulties you face. I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy. Many of the ways we respond to stress, relationships, emotions, and uncertainty are shaped by earlier experiences and coping strategies that may no longer fully serve us in the present. Moreover, there are aspects of life and our circumstances that we may not be able to change. Therapy can provide space to better understand those patterns while exploring new ways of coping, relating, and responding to those experiences with greater awareness, flexibility, and intention. I work with individuals navigating trauma, substance use, LGBTQIA+ related experiences, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. My goal is to create a space where you feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported throughout the therapeutic process. If you feel ready to begin exploring these experiences more deeply, I would be honored to support you through that process.

I joined Relational Insight in 2023 to provide affordable therapy to individuals, couples, and families. I apply collaboration within therapy to help clients tell their story to practice new perspectives or behaviors. I aim to help clients find validation, healing, and growth within life struggles and transitions. I have a passion for reaching underserved clients, especially men of color and other members of marginalized groups. Also, I connect easily with adolescents struggling with emotional or behavioral concerns. I strive to provide a warm welcome with tangible support for individuals and families who may be new to focusing on their mental health. Looking to assist those struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, interpersonal conflict, and professional challenges. After transitioning from the professional world as a sales director and consultant, having a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology allows me provided insight for clients facing professional challenges and questions.

I am passionate about working with adolescents, teenagers, and young adults navigating anxiety, depression, body image challenges, life transitions, and more. I value being able to support people through the variety of challenges life may bring to help process, guide, and problem solve. I strive to create a warm, welcoming space where clients feel heard, valued, supported and empowered. Deeply committed to helping people navigate life‘s challenges, I work collaboratively to explore patterns, process behaviors, strengthen coping strategies, build resilience, increase emotional regulation skills, and promote self-growth. I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to be the best version of themselves through healing and growing from their experiences. As a clinician who utilizes a variety of approaches with my clients, I incorporate modalities specific to each individuals needs, often incorporating skills from ACT and CBT to help support clients shift negative thoughts. At the center of all of my interactions and interventions, I understand the importance of keeping a person centered and focusing on strengths. I am passionate about creating an authentic, collaborative and understanding environment where we work together toward meaningful goals to promote lasting growth.

Ellen is a Licensed Professional Counselor and art therapist. She received her Masters degree in Art Therapy & Counseling from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ellen loves working with children and young people. She has experience working with neurodivergent children on issues such as social skills, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Ellen also has experience in providing affirming care to the LGBTQIA+ community. As an art therapist, Ellen utilizes art and art making to facilitate therapeutic discussions and insights with her clients. She utilizes a wide variety of art mediums to explore, create, and investigate within therapy. This practice appeals to a wide variety of populations and experience levels–no prior experience with art is required! Ellen firmly believes in the healing power of art making and sharing that power with others. Ellen’s practice as a therapist is founded on social justice and feminist frameworks, as well as relational-cultural theory. This means she conceives of therapy as a collaborative partnership between therapist and client, one that that relies on respect for each other’s knowledge and perspectives. Ellen holds space for all of a potential client's identities and cultures as you work together in the therapeutic space.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Clients come to me for support with overcoming adversity in order to start living their best life. My style is affirming, empathetic, and encouraging, which fosters your ability to identify unhelpful patterns, process complex emotions, and strengthen the coping skills you need for personal growth. Life can be hard and we all could use extra support. In our first session, you can expect to go at your own pace. My priority will be your comfort and emotional safety. You can expect our sessions to provide a nonjudgemental space for you to feel safe to explore, grow, and heal. We'll take time to get to know each other and talk about expectations as well as explore your current concerns, challenges, and goals for therapy. Together, we'll sketch out a plan for how to move forward with creating meaningful change in your life.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Collaboration is a key part of my work with clients. As we explore the change needed for growth, I hope to honor your voice and provide a safe, welcoming and empowering environment that at the forefront creates trust. I want to meet you where you are and come from a strengths-based perspective in creating a path towards understanding yourself, as well as aligning your behavior with your values as much as possible in your everyday life. When in session, I like to pursue a mind-body approach and believe that how we treat our bodies physically will have a ripple effect on our mental health. Therefore, I do like to work around this idea of meeting primary needs for our body as well as our mind. As an eclectic therapist, I believe that there is no one modality that can be utilized for every client, instead I like to pull different techniques from DBT, ACT, Mindfulness, and CBT. As we explore what your goals are, we will make a tailored approach in utilizing skills and talk therapy to create an environment for change. Disordered Eating & Body Image: Navigating disordered eating can feel impossible and exhausting. Exploring the frustrations around unhelpful behaviors is the first step in becoming aware of how disordered eating has impacted your life. With past IOP and individual therapy experience, I support individuals who are trying to understand themselves better when it comes to their body and self-esteem. My approach focuses on creating a supportive and collaborative environment in the therapy space while we build a toolbox of healthy coping mechanisms when triggers come on. By utilizing a combination of therapy modalities, we can create an open dialogue on how to get to body neutrality and reduce disordered eating thoughts & behaviors. Experience: As a growing clinician, I am constantly wanting to expand my knowledge about all things female-presenting clients are navigating from teen years to adulthood. Recently, I passed my Perinatal Mental Health Certificate (PMHC) which covers extensive training in working with families, mothers and fathers who are going through their perinatal journey. Exploring emotions and decision making during this life transition can be overwhelming, to put it lightly, so I hope to act as a guide as we explore this deeply personal journey together. Practicing what I preach is something that I have found to be important to me as I ask for you to do the work in our therapy space. Therefore, I currently am interested in learning more about somatic therapy and how that can be intertwined with my work of mind-body connection.

Cloud Nine Counseling specializes in helping college students and young adults navigate anxiety, relationships, body image concerns, life transitions, and spirituality. Balancing school, work, friendships, and personal growth can be overwhelming, but therapy can provide clarity and support. Using evidence-based approaches—including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS)—Cloud Nine Counseling helps clients reduce anxiety, build meaningful relationships, improve self-image, adjust to life changes, and explore faith and spirituality. For those seeking faith-based guidance, Christian counseling is available upon request. Cloud Nine Counseling offers a nonjudgmental, strengths-based approach to help clients gain confidence, heal from past experiences, and create a fulfilling future. Looking for support during college and beyond? Reach out to learn more about how therapy can help.

Resilience Psychological Services is a private practice in Chicago which offers psychotherapy services to adults in our community. Our like-minded team of therapists is dedicated to responsibly providing compassionate and competent care to all who walk through our doors. While our therapists have multiple areas of specialty and utilize various empirically supported treatment modalities, we share a common intention of helping our clients to recognize and enhance existing strengths, while working together to develop new strengths which can help them to successfully navigate life’s challenges.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by constant striving, anxiety, or the pressures of perfectionism? Do you feel like you’re stuck in the backseat of your own life? I’m here to help you break free from these patterns and reclaim the driver’s seat of your life. In therapy, I provide a supportive and nonjudgmental space, blending empathy with constructive challenges to help you address what's keeping you stuck and empower you to move toward your goals. My goal is to empower you to achieve your personal goals and develop greater self-compassion, which I believe serves as a foundation for growth and resilience. I use an integrative therapeutic approach tailored to your unique needs, helping you gain a deeper understanding of your experiences. By examining how past experiences and relationships shape your current challenges and perspectives, we’ll work towards meaningful, value-driven change. I am passionate about supporting young adults navigating challenges such as anxiety, perfectionism, depression, relational issues, life transitions, eating disorders, and body image concerns. I believe in your capacity for change and would be honored to join you on your journey toward healing and personal growth.

Health in Tandem is an integrative private practice with a team of compassionate therapists who help clients find awareness and balance in all aspects of their health and wellness. We believe that change and growth happen when we focus on addressing four pillars of wellness: mental wellness, emotional wellness, physical wellness, and social wellness.

When looking for a therapist, it can often be a challenge to figure out who will be a good fit based on a bio and a picture. Sometimes there is something very specific that we know we need from therapy, sometimes we are just going in with a vague sense, and it can often feel vulnerable. There is a quote that I often return to in my work: “healing happens at the speed of trust”. When we start our work together, we will be figuring out how to build that trust and communication so that you can do the work and exploration that you need to do to get the most out of therapy. I specialize in supporting individuals navigating addiction and substance use. I also enjoy working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, isolation, and effects of trauma. My work is grounded in a harm reduction philosophy that aims to meet people exactly where they are and recognizes that we are all experts in our own lives. I won’t have all of the answers, but hope to work alongside you. I approach therapy with deep curiosity and a relational lens, believing that meaningful change grows from genuine connection and collaboration. I like getting to know people and find one of the most profound things to come from therapy is a feeling of being understood.

As a therapist and pleasure activist I strive to create a safe, accessible environment for you to connect with and express your most authentic self. During sessions, your trust and safety are priorities for me. I practice from a relational and client-centered framework, understanding that you are the expert in your own experience. With my warm and direct approach, I seek to ask the right questions to help you make new connections and provide a fresh perspective. I have experience supporting clients through gender-identity development, C-PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, gender dysphoria, anxiety and depression. As a therapist, researcher, and pleasure activist I strive to create a safe, accessible environment for you to connect with and express your most authentic self. During sessions, your trust and safety are priorities for me. I practice from a relational and client-centered framework, understanding that you are the expert in your own experience. With my warm and direct approach, I seek to ask the right questions to help you make new connections and provide a fresh perspective. I have experience supporting clients through gender-identity development, C-PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, gender dysphoria, anxiety and depression. With my lived experience as a transgender woman, I bring a compassionate and affirming approach to my therapeutic practice. I am passionate about working with transgender/gender diverse, Autistic, and Disabled clients, and pride myself as a kink/BDSM, polyamory/ENM, and sex-worker allied therapist.

We work with adults of all ages as well as teenagers. We see many clients who are working through anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, "failure to launch," and the effects of trauma. Our clinicians have expertise in neuro-diversity including ADHD/ADD and ASD. We have therapists with clinical interests in so-called “men’s issues” as well as therapists who identify as LGBTQIA+ and who speak Mandarin. We facilitate a process by which clients are able to build their resiliency skills, empowering them, long-term, to survive the inevitable challenges of life.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

You’re thoughtful and self-aware. You can name your patterns and handle daily demands and yet you still feel burnt out, empty, or stuck. Maybe you’ve tried therapy before and learned helpful strategies and yet something deeper still feels unsettled. For many, college brings more than academic pressure. It can intensify questions about identity, belonging, relationships, family expectations, and who you’re becoming. Sometimes what looks like anxiety or procrastination is tied to something more relational — how safe you feel being fully yourself, how you learned to manage closeness, or how you’ve had to adapt in order to be accepted. My work is depth-oriented and relational. That means we pay attention to what unfolds between us, not just the symptoms you want to reduce. I won’t rush to give you techniques or quick fixes. Instead, we slow down enough to understand what’s been shaping your experience and create space for something different to emerge.

Finding a therapist who feels like a good fit can matter as much as the therapy itself. I work with students who are thoughtful, capable, and often carrying more than they let on — anxiety, stress, self-doubt, trauma, or the pressure to keep it together while figuring out who they are and where they’re headed. I’m a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with a background in both clinical mental health and higher education. Before returning to full-time clinical work, I spent many years working on college campuses as well as teaching in undergraduate and graduate courses. I understand the unique stressors students face — academic pressure, financial stressors, identity development, relationships, family expectations, and the emotional toll of trying to succeed in an uncertain world. My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I integrate evidence-based practices with a strong focus on nervous system regulation, emotional awareness, and practical skills you can use in everyday life. Therapy with me is a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and learn how to respond to stress and anxiety with more clarity and self-compassion. Many of the students I work with struggle with anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, burnout, or feeling disconnected from themselves. Together, we work on building a sense of safety, learning how to set boundaries, and developing coping strategies that support both mental health and personal growth. I believe therapy should feel human, respectful, and supportive — a place where you don’t have to perform or have everything figured out. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, more present, and more able to navigate life with confidence and care.

Lieser Counseling Services assists in discovering your true self, allowing you to live in ways that bring peace, meaning, and deep joy to daily life. Within the space we work to create trust and good rapport which allows for authentic growth and transformation. In this safe space we can tackle and heal wounds from trauma, eradicate unhealthy self talk, improve relationships, as well as re-frame depressive and anxious mindsets that prevent you from flourishing. No matter your gender identity, sexual orientation, or ideology I believe that we can create a healthy connection that will serve you in your day to day interactions.