Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

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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.

For a long time, life may have felt overwhelming, even if everything on the surface looks "fine." You might tell yourself, “I’m fine, it could be worse,” yet underneath, there’s a constant sense of tension, exhaustion, and burnout. You may feel detached, you’ve become skilled at hiding your pain and no one seems to notice. This can leave you feeling lonely, even when surrounded by others, and stir up complex emotions like guilt, shame, and resentment. Deep down, you long to live more authentically, but looking inward feels uncertain and even frightening. What’s in that "Pandora’s box" of emotions? What if it’s too much? I believe in the power of relationship and self-exploration. With compassion, curiosity, and a bit of humor, we'll uncover the layers of your experience. Together, we'll create a safe space to explore your emotions, past experiences, and underlying patterns. We’ll build self-awareness, tools for emotional comfort, and guide you with your authentic values. It can feel like you're carrying everything on your own, but you're not meant to. I'm here to support you in a trusting, empathetic therapeutic relationship, one where we move at your pace. If you're ready to explore, heal, and reconnect with yourself, I’m here to walk alongside you when you’re ready.

You don’t have to face this alone. Living with anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder can feel overwhelming—like you're carrying a weight no one else can see. When it feels like nothing is working, it’s easy to lose hope. But healing is possible, and you're not alone. I’m here to help you find your way forward. I specialize in working with individuals who are struggling with mood disorders, and I understand how complex and deeply personal these challenges can be. My approach is grounded in empathy, collaboration, and evidence-based care. Whether you’re navigating intense anxiety, persistent low moods, or the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, I’ll meet you where you are—with compassion, not judgment. Together, we’ll explore what works for you. Whether that means therapy, medication management, or a combination of both, my goal is to support you in regaining a sense of stability, clarity, and control over your life. You deserve to feel better. You deserve support that truly understands you. If you're ready to take the next step—or even if you're just curious about what support could look like—I invite you to schedule a time to talk. Let’s take that first step, together.

Hi! I am an EMDR-Certified and AASECT-Certified Sex Therapist with a specialization in working with college students (both "traditional" and "non-traditional"). I deeply enjoy getting to work with folks who are looking to address challenges they might be experiencing in their relationships: their relationships to partners, friends, family members, and importantly, to themselves. Many life experiences may lead us to feel in disconnection with ourselves: whether you have experienced relational or institutional trauma, are navigating multiple life transitions (e.g. beginning a new degree, receiving a new medical diagnosis), or are exploring social, sexual or gender identity, I am here to help you reconnect with yourself and take steps forward in your healing journey.

I offer a warm, flexible, and low-pressure space where clients can show up exactly as they are. I honor sensory needs and nervous system responses, incorporating mindfulness practices to bring gentle awareness to our experiences. I often use somatic strategies to support connection and foster a sense of safety that is essential for growth. My background includes training in a wide range of approaches from traditional talk therapy to play-based modalities. I’m especially passionate about working with clients who may feel misunderstood or overwhelmed by conventional models of therapy. Clients can expect to feel supported and encouraged without pressure or judgment. I aim to co-create a space that feels steady and grounded. Whether we’re working through emotional regulation, identity, relationships, or everyday overwhelm, therapy can be a space for you. It can feel overwhelming to know where to start, but reaching out is the first step.

Welcome, amazing human. I’m glad you're here. Whether you are feeling stuck or trying to make sense of life, let’s chat and find ways to help you find a new path forward and feel better. Research shows that the key element in counseling is the relationship between the counselor and client. If we click, counseling will likely be effective. So let me give you a sense of my approach to counseling. I think of counseling as physical therapy for the mind and soul. Connection with self and others is key. My job is to create a space for you that feels safe, validating, and supportive, where I can introduce “exercises” that help you sort things out, gain new skills, and start feeling better. And so, whether you are at a crossroads in a relationship or your career, or simply feeling adrift in life, it would be an honor to be a part of your journey. I’d love to walk with you as you move through whatever might be overwhelming you right now: the pain of indecision, anxiety, relationship struggles, or the pressures of daily life. Let’s schedule a time to talk so you can decide if we’re a good fit to work together. Your satisfaction and relief matter most to me. Wishing you well!

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Many of us have been wounded at some point in our lives. Psychological wounds have the capacity to change the way we view ourselves and the way we view and interact with others. Sometimes people experience difficulties articulating the way they feel or find themselves stuck in the same maladaptive patterns in relationships. Therapy can be a useful way to make sense of how your past may be affecting your emotional well being in the here-and-now by putting unformulated experiences into words to help you heal. Using a relational approach to therapy, I aspire to offer my clients the kind of empathic environment that empowers them to heal from the past, work through present-day difficulties, change long-standing patterns in relationships, and move forward in ways that are meaningful for them. If you are looking for a safe and nonjudgmental space to make meaning of your experience feel free to contact me. I value collaborating on ways to help you achieve your personal goals.

Tired of feeling stuck? Anxious? Sad? Do intrusive thoughts get in the way of studying or feeling settled when spending time with friends or family? Are you ready to make a change but having a hard time starting the process? We get it. We know how hard it is. And we can help you. We are a clinically diverse group of clinicians available to meet with clients Monday-Saturday with evening availability (we are solely doing teletherapy at this time). We work with college age students and adults who may be struggling with a life adjustment or transition, unresolved past hurt or trauma, difficulty concentrating and nervousness, negative thoughts or hard to control worry and fears. In our therapy session, we don't just sit back and listen. We teach our clients how to have more control over difficult thoughts and intense emotions, feel more emotionally settled and balanced in daily activities and develop healthier coping skills to combat unhealthy behaviors. And to keep the therapy process moving forward, clients are given homework assignments in -between therapy sessions. We know that you have the ability to make the changes you are looking for. And we are confident we can help you make these changes.

Growing up, I felt very isolated because I was a half-Japanese child growing up in a predominantly white community. When I was young, I didn’t understand why I was treated differently or why people would constantly ask my Caucasian mom where I was adopted from. Living a life full of questions like “What are you?” “Where are you from…originally?” and being told that I wasn’t able to play with other kids in the community because I was “different” and being bullied because I looked different, really encouraged me to seek more understanding of the world. Throughout my development I found solace in learning more about human relationships, and exploring what I thought about myself, my values, and my hope for what my life could be, rather than allowing the judgements of others to drive my behavior and thoughts of myself. Learning about intersectionality, racism, microaggressions, implicit bias, and social justice changed my life. I know that psychoeducation, compassion, curiosity, and challenging shame can change lives. Kimi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois and Utah. Kimi has a Master’s of Social Work from The Ohio State University and provides evidence-based treatments through EMDR, IFS, ACT, MI, DBT, CBT, TF-CBT, shame-informed therapy, and a self-compassion focus. Kimi has completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and she uses Gottman Method Couples Therapy in her work. Before becoming an outpatient therapist Kimi has worked in community mental health, hospital settings, and has intensive training in acute care, suicidal ideation and self-harming assessment and treatment, and crisis intervention.

Here at Harper Grace Counseling, we see a wide variety of clients and offer vast specialties. We work to diligently to ensure you are placed with the clinician who is most skilled and able to help you with your current struggles. We provide both in person and telehealth services to ensure that we are able to service anyone who resides in the state of Illinois. We are able to support clients navigating gender transition, survivors of trauma, LGBTQiA++, couples, polyamorous relationship systems, caregivers, individuals with chronic medical conditions, financial/ career concerns, racial identity, anxiety, depression, grief/loss, addiction, and neurodivergence.

I’m Christine Askeland, a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years of experience in healthcare. I provide compassionate psychiatric care and have a special focus on women’s mental health, pregnancy and postpartum support, and addiction treatment. I strive to create a space where you feel comfortable, respected, and truly heard. I’m known for my warm, nonjudgmental approach and for meeting people where they are. I believe mental health care should feel collaborative and personalized, not rushed or one-size-fits-all. Together, we’ll focus on your goals, preferences, and what matters most to you, so your care feels meaningful and supportive. My approach combines psychotherapy with thoughtful, evidence-based medication management while also looking at the bigger picture of wellness. I value the role of sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and daily routines in emotional health, and I work with you to create a balanced, realistic treatment plan that supports long-term healing and stability.

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Hi, I’m Charles King Hi, I’m Charles King, I’m a geeky therapist who loves to help fellow geeks build deeper connections and feel understood. Too many geeks struggle with anxiety in relationships and in social situations. This often leaves them feeling disconnected from friends, family, and life, and feeling like nobody can understand them. I believe you shouldn’t have to hide your passion for Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop games, Star Trek (even though Star Wars is better, imo), or whatever you geek out about, in order to feel comfortable in social settings and in relationships. I understand what you are going through. I’m a Game/Dungeon Master who has been the one who saw himself as a social outcast or socially on the fringe. It took me a fair bit of time to figure out my path. Now, I have helped over 50 geeks just like you in becoming more connected with others, and more confident in being themselves, no matter the social setting. How does it work? There are three key ingredients to how I do therapy. 1. I’m Geeky but Also Personable And Laidback I can keep a conversation going, and I know the right questions to ask, so it’s never going to be awkward coming into a session. I’m also comfortable being my geeky self in our sessions because I want you to feel comfortable doing the same. 2. I’m Eclectic in My Background I can geek out with you on a lot of topics. It’s not just D&D & Star Wars for me… 3. I’m Highly Motivated to Help You I’ve personally experienced how challenging it is to feel productive and/or successful in my life’s quest while integrating my geekiness. I am intensely passionate about helping other geeks in their own quests. To get started, fill out this get started form. You don’t have to keep feeling like you have to decide between hiding your true self to fit in, or feeling isolated and alone. I can help guide you in your quest to overcome this feeling of being misunderstood, and instead become more passionate, confident about your life, and more successful and connected in your relationships. Come adventure with me here.

From the outside, you are a high-achieving person, the one who everyone in the family relies on to be "fine." But on the inside, you feel like you are drowning in household chores, high expectations, and taking care of everyone else in your life. You just can't do it all. Many of my clients grew up with a dysfunctional, chaotic family and learned from a young age that the people in their lives couldn’t handle them having a bad day. In therapy, we won’t just talk about your stress and overwhelm; we will challenge the old patterns that cause it. I want you to connect with your feelings and take up more space! I offer a safe, welcoming space to explore your unmet needs, confidently set boundaries, say "no," communicate how you really feel, and live more authentically. My goal is to help you feel grounded, seen, and connected in your relationships and within yourself. You have spent your life making sure everyone else is taken care of; now it's your turn.

CLAY “Continue Learning About You” Therapeutic Services is an Illinois state-licensed practice serving the Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg and surrounding areas. We offer psychotherapy and counseling services as well as mediation services. Our therapists love what they do and are committed to being engaged with you to help you accomplish your goals. Our therapists offer a range of approaches and styles to assist you based on their expertise, style and theoretical orientation. We all go through changes in our lives and sometimes the changes are harder than we expect. These changes can be difficult to manage and create stress and uncertainty. Life transitions therapy can create a healthy pathway to navigate the changes and create structure while developing tools to manage the stress. Common life events that would benefit from Life transitions therapy: New job or career Post-divorce Becoming an independent adult Post-divorce dating Living alone for the first time Sobriety Loss of a relationship Going on Disability Retirement Pandemic Our therapists understand the difficulty and array of emotions involved in many life transitions. Change is not always easy, but our therapists are here to remind you that you are not alone and will provide the support and strategies with life transitions therapy you need to keep moving forward.

I value each person for who they are and strive to create a safe, welcoming space where everyone feels respected and accepted. I believe mental health care should be empowering, supportive, and individualized, which is why I take time to understand what matters most to you—so we can work together to create a plan that supports your goals and overall well-being. I focus on understanding your story, goals, and expectations, and work with you to develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs. I aim to be a caring, approachable provider who believes meaningful care starts with seeing the whole person, not just a diagnosis

I am a male therapist and I offer services for trauma, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and men's issues. I am trained in EMDR therapy and specialize in treating individuals who have experienced trauma. I provide a listening ear and individualized treatment plans to help you achieve your goals.

Hi, I’m April! I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and work with clients statewide via telehealth. Often the clients I see are adults that are working through life transition concerns, anxiety, self-esteem, trauma, depression, relationship concerns, grief, and work stress. I have experience working with a wide range of populations and in therapeutic settings treating a variety of mental health concerns. I would describe my communication style as welcoming, calm, and encouraging. I focus on creating a safe, non-judgmental, and empowering space for clients to share their experiences and thoughts in session. I want my clients to feel comfortable being their authentic selves as I believe this is an important element of our work together. Sessions often look like a collaborative effort to assist clients with their goals. I work alongside clients to identify goals that they believe are the most important for them to achieve during our time together. This starts with us building trust and rapport with one another in our sessions so that we can create a strong team environment to assist with goal achievement. I also pride myself on being flexible as I understand goals can shift as clients begin exploring other areas of their lives in session. Please visit my website for additional information on session cost, accepted insurance plans or to schedule a therapy appointment.