Therapists for college students near 60611

I have a deep desire to connect with my clients and walk alongside them through life’s ups and downs. My approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. Whether you come to therapy with a clear goal or simply a sense of pain you can’t yet name, I’ll work with you to find a path toward healing and growth. I use an integrative approach, drawing from strengths-based, person-centered, and cognitive behavioral therapies, while tailoring treatment to each client’s unique needs and goals. Together, we’ll build on your strengths, develop coping skills, and create meaningful change that supports the life you want. I welcome diversity in all its forms and have experience working with people from many different backgrounds, cultures, and life stages. As a woman of color, I am especially passionate about supporting minorities and creating a safe, judgment-free space where clients can be their most authentic selves. I hold a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. I also offer therapy in Urdu and Punjabi, providing culturally responsive care for clients who feel most comfortable in those languages. A little about me: Outside of therapy, I love spending quality time with family and friends, exploring new cafes and restaurants, experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, or curling up with a good book.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor and Art Therapist who believes in the power of art to help us communicate, explore, and understand our inner worlds. I combine talk therapy with creative expression to help clients process their experiences, uncover insights, and create meaningful change - whether or not you consider yourself “artistic.” My approach is collaborative and tailored to you. I take cues from each client to ensure therapy sessions meet your individual needs and goals, moving at a pace that feels comfortable. I practice radical empathy and unconditional positive regard, providing a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore challenges and work toward growth. I specialize in supporting adults navigating substance use, depression, anxiety, identity concerns, and the complexities of being a child of immigrants. I also enjoy working with neurodivergent clients and LGBTQIA+ individuals, providing affirming and inclusive care. A little about me: Outside of therapy, I love creating arts and crafts, spending time outdoors, and exploring the Midwest. I also enjoy quality time with my family and our cat.

I work with individuals, couples, and families ages 16+, helping clients explore and address challenges in relationships, mood, and communication. Trained in systemic therapy, I view each client holistically, examining patterns within the individual, family, and relational systems to foster meaningful growth and change. I create a safe, judgment-free, and positive space where we can explore core issues, relational dynamics, and past trauma. My approach is collaborative, solution-focused, and often infused with humor, empowering clients to step outside their comfort zones and build healthier relationships with themselves and others. I specialize in supporting clients navigating relationship challenges, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, and communication difficulties, providing guidance and tools to create the life and connections they desire.

I am committed to providing person-centered, diversity-affirming care where clients feel safe, supported, and empowered to explore their experiences. My passion lies in helping individuals heal from trauma, complex trauma, and intergenerational trauma, reclaiming their voice and building the life they want to live. As a Hispanic American therapist, my lived experiences, along with my professional and educational background, have shaped my dedication to offering culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and neurodivergent-affirming therapy. I value honoring each client’s unique perspective while creating a therapeutic space where authenticity and growth are always welcome. My career has spanned outpatient substance abuse treatment, inpatient and intensive outpatient programs, and private practice across urban, suburban, and rural communities. These experiences have strengthened my belief in meeting each client with empathy, respect, and collaboration. Together, we’ll build on your resilience while developing new ways to cope, shift unhelpful patterns, and create a more balanced way of seeing the world. I use an integrative, individualized approach, drawing from CBT, ACT, EMDR, ERP, and DBT to provide therapy that adapts to your needs and goals. A little about me: Outside of therapy, I enjoy playing video games (especially J-RPGs and fighting games), reading, baking, and crafting — particularly needle felting and diamond painting.

I have over a decade of experience supporting high-performance students and professionals in academic, medical, and military settings. My professional background also includes roles promoting community wellness, with organizations like the Clinton Foundation and NYU Law School. I am trained in a range of clinical modalities which allows me to use an integrative and holistic therapeutic approach that is individually tailored to each of my clients and rooted in empirically-supported treatments. I am excited to support you in building on your strengths and taking steps towards positive change.

My approach to therapy is warm, laid-back, and collaborative. I want my clients to feel like they’re sitting with someone who genuinely cares and meets them where they are, without judgment or pressure. I focus on creating a safe and comfortable space where you can open up, explore your thoughts and emotions, and move at your own pace. My goal is to support clients with a wide range of mental health concerns and promote overall well-being through culturally-responsive care, with a warm, empathetic, detail-oriented, and solution-focused approach.

Life can feel messy, complicated, and overwhelming at times. Therapy offers a space to pause, breathe, and untangle the parts that feel heavy. My goal is to create a warm, collaborative, and judgment-free environment where you can show up exactly as you are. I work with teens and adults navigating life transitions, grief, relationship or family challenges, ADHD or autism, anger, trauma, and the process of rediscovering yourself after major life changes. My approach is trauma-informed, flexible, and rooted in mindfulness. Together, we’ll use a blend of evidence-based approaches—including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic therapy—to support your unique goals and pace. I believe that healing happens through connection. In our work together, I bring warmth, curiosity, and compassion to help you feel seen and supported as you learn to make sense of your experiences. You may also get to meet my calm and gentle poodle, Ralph, who often joins sessions as a grounding and comforting presence. If you’re feeling stuck, anxious, or ready for change, therapy can be a powerful space to find clarity and connection. I’d be honored to walk alongside you on that journey.

I am deeply passionate about supporting young adults who are navigating the heavy waves of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These challenges often speak much louder than our day-to-day living, making it difficult to feel present or "at home" within ourselves. I also specialize in walking alongside those moving through grief, trauma, and major life transitions—those seasons where the ground feels like it has shifted and you’re searching for a new way to stand.

As a therapist who specializes in Dance Movement Therapy, I believe in the full integration of mind and body in the therapeutic process. I strive to provide a space where all parts of you can be seen and accepted. I want to hear your story and support you as you cultivate a more compassionate relationship with your body and mind. I specialize in supporting people dealing with complex trauma, anxiety, struggles with identity, neurodiversity, and body image issues. I am strongly committed to challenging systems and narratives that tell people their worth is tied to their size or ability. Everyone deserves to inhabit their body with dignity, compassion, and freedom from shame. I see therapy as a collaborative process, building from a place of safety and authenticity. Together, we will cultivate a sense of open curiosity to help you find and use your inner strengths and resilience. My process is strongly rooted in body justice and fat liberation, and I approach our time together through trauma-informed and neuro-affirming lenses in order to decolonize the therapeutic process. These values will guide our verbal and embodied processing, and our work together in these ways will help you to connect the body and mind and aid you in self exploration. We will find a pace and structure that feels safe for your body and mind, and give you a space to step into your most authentic self.

I'm Liam, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in downtown Chicago where I offer individual therapy appointments. I primarily use the methods of Strengths Based, Client-Driven, and Person-Centered talk therapy. That basically boils down to me believing that you know yourself best and my role is to help you find a path forward. Everybody's life is wildly different; I can assist you in your decision and achievement of treatment goals that ring truest to you, even if that goal is just having someone to talk with. Wanting a better quality of life and seeking support in that is totally normal. Frankly, reaching out for help in and of itself is terrifying; let alone help from a stranger on the internet. If you are struggling I would be glad to hear from you. To avoid phone tag I am most accessible via e-mail to set up a time for us to talk and see if you'd like to come in for a session.

Hi! My name is Destinee Wells (she/hers). I enjoy getting to know new clients and look forward to our potential work together! I believe that we all go through times in life when we encounter challenges that are rooted in our past and affect our present. Therapy can be a great place to make these connections and gain insight and power over our present-day experiences. As a therapist, I am focused on how our past experiences can form who we are and how we interact with others in the present. I am curious about your early relationships, the relationships you have today, and the relationship we will build together. As we look at patterns in your life, we can work together to make sense of present day experiences. I have worked with a variety of identities including different cultural and racial backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations. I have worked with differing levels of needs from depression and anxiety to substance use, complex trauma and dissociation to name a few. I approach each client with their unique needs and with a trauma-informed lens.

Many young professionals come to therapy feeling torn between who they are and who they think they should be. You might feel anxious, burned out, or uncertain about how to balance your needs with others’ expectations. Perhaps you’re navigating relationship challenges, loss, or identity shifts that leave you feeling unmoored. However, as a therapist in Chicago, I offer a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming space where you can pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself—so you can move toward clarity, confidence, and belonging in both work and life. In my clinical approach, I combine trauma-informed and solution-focused therapy to help clients manage anxiety, workplace stress, and relationship issues. Additionally, I specialize in working with young professionals, first-generation individuals, and LGBTQIA+ clients who want to cultivate balance, purpose, and self-acceptance. I also provide couples therapy to strengthen communication and foster understanding, helping individuals and partners deepen connection and growth both within and beyond their relationships. Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially when you’re used to managing everything on your own. Nevertheless, you don’t need to have all the answers before beginning. Whether you’re exploring identity, searching for balance, or healing after change, I’ll meet you with warmth, curiosity, and care. If you’re ready to feel supported and understood, I’d be honored to walk beside you on your path toward healing and growth. Finally, learn more about our LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy and how it can support your well-being.

I create a space where you are encouraged to express your most authentic self without the fear of judgment or the need to appear in a certain light, all while being witnessed, supported, and challenged. I tend to work best with individuals who possess some insight into their behavior and have a sense of curiosity about themselves and the world around them. At a certain point, reoccurring struggles lead us to look for a therapy to not just lessen the effects of mental health symptoms, but that engages us in a collaborative and authentic experience to produce long-term growth and self-understanding. Through a strong therapeutic relationship, I help individuals understand how past experiences shape current thoughts and behaviors, allowing them to take agency and confront/change what is problematic with greater clarity, intention, and effectivity. I have formal training in psychodynamic therapy and often see individuals multiple times per week. Searching for a therapist is difficult, and oftentimes it's hard to tell who might be a good fit from reading profiles alone. I am happy to speak with perspective patients/clients over the phone before scheduling anything concrete. This way, we can both get a better sense for whether or not we feel that we'd be a good fit to work together. I tend to be laid-back and relaxed, mixing in humor often. I draw primarily from my psychoanalytic training, which emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship, as well as developmental and childhood experiences. Additionally, I have experience with cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, and mindfulness therapies.

You may be navigating a rupture in your relationship, adjusting to a major life transition, or trying to reconnect with yourself and those around you. Maybe you’re part of a family balancing the pressures of athletics, or you’re working to reintegrate into a familiar or new life context. At the core, you want to feel understood, rebuild trust, and find a sense of stability and connection within yourself and your relationships. I specialize in working with couples rebuilding trust after infidelity, families of athletes navigating sport and family life, individuals facing major life transitions, and those reintegrating into their environments. My therapeutic style is collaborative, supportive, and systemic, drawing from approaches like CBT, EFT, narrative, IFS, and more. I tailor therapy to each client’s needs, often using metaphors and shared interests to make the process relatable, meaningful, and personal. As a bilingual speaker, I am able to provide therapy in English and Thai. Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to take that step alone. I know how important it is to feel seen, hopeful, and reassured when facing challenges in life and relationships. Together, we can explore what feels heavy, uncover your strengths, and create space for healing and growth. If you’re ready to reconnect with yourself and those who matter most, I’d be honored to support you on that journey.

Life can be challenging. I believe psychotherapy with a therapist who is a good match can help one more successfully navigate those challenges. I work collaboratively with my clients. I aim to create a nonjudgmental and supportive environment to explore difficult issues together -- to better understand what one is currently facing, to help manage those difficulties, and to ultimately make life more rewarding and meaningful. I have over 30 years of clinical experience and have worked in a variety of settings including university counseling centers (Univ. of Illinois, Univ. of Michigan, Northwestern Univ., The School of the Art Institute of Chicago), and LGBTQ and feminist services (Howard Brown Health Center, Planned Parenthood, Chicago Women's Health Center). I maintain a general practice where I see a wide diversity of men and women for issues including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and identity.

Light On Anxiety offers evidence-based, efficient, effective and action-oriented treatment for anxiety, OCD and related disorders. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychiatric medication management and neuropsychological testing are our core services offered to children, adolescents and adults, both in-person and via telehealth. We utilize empirically-supported practices and always incorporate the latest advancements in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. Light On Anxiety treats the whole person, with deep respect for the human spirit and the challenges we all face on our journey through life. We strive to make treatment as short-term as possible, and to inject compassion, joy and your values into the anxiety treatment process.

Dr. Sarah Sanders is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the boutique mental health practice, Allow Wellness. She is a specialist in treating depression, various anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and identity development concerns. She has been working with the mental health needs of graduate and undergraduate students of the Chicagoland area since 2006. Please visit the Allow Wellness website to learn more: www.allow-wellness.com.

I offer engaged, purposeful therapy on relationships, work and school-related issues, life transitions, and stress management. I specialize in working with adults as they navigate increasing responsibilities at school and work, while also managing life transitions such as dating, marriage, parenthood, and losses. Many of my clients describe feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed. I integrate current research and traditional approaches: many benefit by learning skills for emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness; others explore bigger-picture issues related to values and sense of purpose. I completed my clinical training (Doctoral Internship and Fellowship) at Northwestern University after having graduated with a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School. In my previous life, I obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University.

Chicago Counseling Collective is an inclusive, downtown Chicago-based group practice offering collaborative, culturally informed care for individuals, couples, and groups. We provide both in-person and virtual sessions.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.