Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

We're here because we've been there, so we can't help but to be wholeheartedly invested in your journey. We want to provide you the warmth, validation, and affirmation that can feel so rare in adulthood. Working with us will challenge you, but it will also feel like coming home. We're fired up about your freedom and fight for it alongside you. Always intersectional, pleasure-positive, and identity-celebrating, we have a low tolerance for boxes, assumptions, and systems that stifle your creative healing. We are your unashamed and unapologetic accomplices in doing life-changing, culture-shifting work. We're obsessed with staying up-to-date on affirming, anti-oppressive language and concepts, and think learning directly from queer and BIPOC community leaders is just as important as gathering data from research. We believe in the transformative power of accurate information about sex, gender, and relationships.

Searching for a therapist can feel daunting, especially when life’s challenges seem to outweigh the moments of clarity. Yet, taking this step toward your well-being is a testament to your resilience and courage. Therapy offers not just a safe haven, but a pathway to understanding, growth, and personal empowerment. Whether you’re an athlete striving for peak performance, or an individual navigating the complexities of daily life, I’m here to support you on your journey. Together, we can navigate the psychology of performance, challenge thought patterns and behaviors, and explore personal beliefs to foster self-awareness, build self confidence, and tap into your inner champion. My approach to therapy is rooted in the belief that true healing involves nurturing both the mind and body. By blending traditional therapeutic modalities with sports psychology techniques, we can cultivate a strong relationship between the mind and body that can promote overall well-being.

Hello and welcome! I am a therapist at Chicago Counseling Collective. I take a collaborative approach to therapy and want to provide a space that meets your unique needs and goals. Together we can explore relationships, emotions, and identity; process events from the past; and build skills and tools for making meaningful changes in the present. I am intentional about attending to the roles that systems of oppression, power, and privilege play both in and out of the therapy room. I use a relational-cultural and interpersonal approach in therapy meaning that one of my top priorities is getting to know you as a whole person. This includes the many layers of your identity and experiences; and your joys, sorrows, and sense of humor! I love working with young adults, undergraduate and graduate students, international students, non-traditional students, and early career professionals. I am passionate about working with survivors of sexual trauma. Finding a therapist who is a good fit is important. If you think we could make a good team, let's chat!

Gretchen Aich (she/her), PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, ADHD, and substance use disorders. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Lewis University and is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Gretchen has advanced training in crisis intervention and trauma-informed care and works with children, adolescents, and adults, including Spanish-speaking clients. Gretchen brings experience from diverse mental health settings, including emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient clinics, private practice, and telehealth. Her background includes supporting individuals in crisis, working in community and court-mandated programs, and collaborating closely with multidisciplinary teams. During her clinical training, she worked extensively with children and adolescents with complex needs, provided substance use and court-ordered therapy, and assisted with advanced treatments such as SPRAVATO and TMS. In her work with clients, Gretchen creates a safe, judgment-free space grounded in empathy, respect, and cultural humility. She believes each person is the expert in their own life and uses a collaborative, flexible approach to care. Through active listening and evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy, she partners with clients to set meaningful goals and support healing in a way that fits their lives.

Do you often feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in cycles of overthinking and self-doubt? You may be navigating academic or career pressure, family expectations, or the emotional complexity of living between cultures. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, and feeling “never good enough,” even when they appear capable on the outside. Therapy can be a space where you slow down, feel understood, and move forward with greater clarity, emotional balance, and self-trust. As a bilingual therapist fluent in Mandarin and English, I bring both professional training and lived experience into my work. Having studied abroad since high school, I understand the challenges of living between cultures and am deeply attuned to the invisible pressures related to identity, family expectations and adapting to new environment. My approach is client-centered and trauma-informed, grounded in empathy, authenticity, and empowerment. I believe that healing begins with understanding—and that every small step toward self-acceptance is a powerful act of growth. I look forward to walking with you on this journey of healing and rediscovery.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Brightland Health is a leading Lincoln Park/Lakeview boutique mental health practice. Our team of Chicago Psychiatrists and Therapists go above and beyond by providing each individual with personalized care.

Birchwood Clinic, LLC provides in person and telehealth mental health services to adults in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. Our holistic approach strives to empower each client to achieve balance, clarity, and overall health and wellness.

I have been in practice as a therapist for over 10 years and have worked in a variety of treatment settings over the course my my career. As a queer therapist, I enjoy working with LGBTQIA+ individuals and the issues we face, and welcome clients of all races, sizes, genders, cultures, abilities and orientations. I specialize in working with clients with depression and anxiety, binge eating and body image distress, Borderline Personality Disorder, and other struggles in regulating emotions and managing relationships.

Sometimes the hardest part of healing is simply starting. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts, stuck in past experiences, or unsure of how to move forward, you’re not alone. Therapy can be a space to breathe, reflect, and begin again on your own terms. I specialize in teen and adult trauma-focused care, with an emphasis on working with survivors of sexual trauma, domestic violence, complex PTSD, and anxiety. Together, we can work on unlearning harmful thought patterns, building self-esteem, and identifying what safety, strength, and autonomy look like for you in an inclusive, warm, and affirming environment. Through my training and clinical work in trauma focused care and sexual violence, I understand the complexity of trauma and how it can affect every part of our lives, mind, and body. Certified in Trauma-Focused CBT, I use an integrated approach that includes psychodynamic, person-centered, and strengths-based therapies that are tailored to each client. Therapy isn’t about fixing you. You aren’t broken. It’s about reconnecting with your resilience, honoring your lived experiences, and giving yourself the care and space you deserve to heal. If you’re ready to begin this process, I would be honored to be a part of your journey. Please call or submit your request on psychology today to get started.

College life can be exciting, but it can also bring stress, change, and uncertainty. My goal is to help you navigate these experiences with care and curiosity. I believe our identities and life experiences shape how we see the world, and therapy is a space to explore that. Since becoming licensed in 2018, I’ve supported college students, Black and Indigenous people, people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, military/veteran populations, and first-generation students. My approach centers cultural awareness, social justice, and emotional healing. I’ll meet you where you are and help you uncover the tools within yourself to create balance, confidence, and clarity.

Is life feeling heavy, complicated, or just… a lot? I help adults and couples slow down, make sense of what’s happening inside, and take doable steps that actually shift daily life. My style is warm, collaborative, and action-oriented. I blend Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with expressive arts and somatic, body-based practices - breathwork, mindfulness, and gentle movement - so you can regulate emotions, reconnect with your body, and rewrite the story you’re living. I’m bilingual in Spanish and English, and deeply committed to culturally attuned care; every part of you is welcome in the room. You may be navigating anxiety, perfectionism, panic, or a sense of being stuck in old patterns that no longer feel aligned. Perhaps you’re moving through a major life transition - immigration, a new role, the aftermath of a difficult relationship- and want grounded tools to feel more centered and capable. Together, we identify what’s causing overwhelm, build skills for emotional regulation, and create meaningful change through a mix of skill-building, self-acceptance, and deeper exploration. When helpful, we incorporate Jungian archetypes to explore “both sides of the story,” integrating shadow and light to cultivate clarity and compassion. For couples, I work with partners who feel disconnected, stuck in recurring conflicts, or overwhelmed by communication patterns that no longer serve them. I incorporate Imago-informed dialogue, a structured and intentional way of communicating that helps partners move out of reactivity and into understanding. Through this approach, couples learn to slow down, speak from vulnerability, and genuinely hear each other’s needs without judgment or defensiveness. Imago also helps partners explore the emotional histories that shape present-day interactions, promoting empathy, reducing blame, and supporting deeper repair. Together, we strengthen relational skills that rebuild safety, foster intimacy, and create a more conscious, compassionate partnership. As a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist*, I integrate movement, body awareness, and creative expression into sessions for clients who struggle to fully express their experiences through words alone. Because trauma and emotion often live in the body, movement can create powerful pathways for grounding, regulation, and insight. Through gentle somatic practices, guided movement, breathwork, and expressive arts, you can access and process parts of your story that feel harder to articulate verbally. This work supports deeper self-awareness, emotional clarity, and meaningful healing across trauma, anxiety, relationship stress, and major life transitions. As an Imago Therapist in training, I facilitate the Imago Dialogue for couples for the co-creation of intentional relationships that heal.

We specialize in working with clients who are struggling with transitions, like new living situations, shifting relationships, job changes, and striking out on a new path. We especially love supporting recent college and graduate school graduates in figuring out their next steps to create a life they love. Please check out our website to learn more about our team! We'd love to meet you.

I enjoy actively engaging with clients and provide a warm, safe, nonjudgmental environment for them to explore all aspects of themselves. Throughout our therapeutic journey, I will tailor my approach to meet you where you’re at and support you reaching your goals and living your most genuine, authentic self/life. I have many years experience working with college/post-college humans, the LGBTQIA+ community and women’s issues. I swear, use humor and self-disclose when appropriate. Reach out!

In a world that tells us to be independent and mask our pain, reaching out for help can feel like a weakness or failure. I am here to tell you that there is strength in vulnerability and that you are not alone. We are built for connection and cannot heal in isolation. You deserve to reconnect with your values, to develop nurturing relationships, and to live as your most authentic self. I believe you are the expert of your own experience, and that the client-therapist relationship is collaborative. We will work together to develop a transparent, curious, and caring environment where you can safely and creatively explore your goals. As an art therapist and counselor, I practice from a trauma-informed, intersectional-feminist, relational, and person-centered approach and have experience working with adults, couples, and groups in a variety of levels of care. I specialize in EMDR, trauma, relationship issues, self-worth issues, mood disorders, grief, eating disorders, and substance use.

You've done what you can to manage your depression, anxiety, or addiction on your own yet what previously worked just isn't cutting it any more. You know a change needs to be made but are unsure as to exactly how you'll do that. You've been wanting to dig deeper, reflect, and do some self-exploration and are seeking a guide for this journey. Taking action to reach out for therapy can be a challenge and here you are taking that leap of faith, making the first step towards an improved you! Together we will achieve your goals by developing healthier coping skills, improving your communication, and exploring and setting boundaries. I specialize in treating those experiencing depression, anxiety, addiction and more. Currently, I predominantly work with young adults and adults. My treatment focus stems from ACT, DBT, and CBT with an emphasis on skills and acceptance. Therapy with me will have you focused on the present moment and provide you with a renewed sense of self. I am an open-minded, warm, and energetic clinician and love to incorporate humor into our sessions. I use a strengths-based, skill-focused, caring approach, and hold an unconditional positive regard for each of my clients. Rapport built within a client-clinician relationship is key and I encourage collaboration in both treatment planning and goal setting.

Everyone tells you that college is the best time in your life and to enjoy it because it flies by. But what people don’t tell you is all the challenges that it can bring. Maybe it’s the first time you are away from your family and friends from home. It can also bring many challenges with pressure to drink or use drugs, navigating friendships and dating in a more complicated way, and figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. You might be in a position where in order to afford school you need to work on top of doing well in all your classes. I know personally how challenging, yet exciting, this time can be, and I am here to tell you that you don’t need to figure it all out on your own or even right now. Are you ready to enjoy your college experience, be fully present in the great moments without feeling stresses weighing you down everyday? It’s time to feel a sense of relief, confidence in who you are, and in your decisions. Together, we can make your life feel lighter and free up space for everything else you have going on! My Approach: I am a strong believer in the power of relationships. Having someone to talk to can increase our sense of happiness and positivity, and most importantly let us know that we are not alone. Life has many ups and downs, but it's what you do with them that matters. I am here to help you transform the tough moments into growth. Therapy with me looks like an open dialogue, where we both respect each other's point of view and collaborate to find solutions that help you overcome what’s been holding you back. We can talk about anything, no matter how hard it is to share. Whether it’s the good things or the bad, I am ready to hold space for even the strongest emotions that come up, because I know we can work through it together. I believe in a holistic approach to therapy that not only looks at your thoughts and feelings, but also how your environment, your cultural experiences, close relationships, and health, affect your mental wellbeing. We’ll use a variety of therapeutic techniques to best fit what you need, because therapy is not a one size fits all approach. We’ll make sure that those techniques are really working for you. It might be practicing mindfulness or trying out different coping skills to help things feel less overwhelming. Our approach will continue to grow as our therapeutic relationship develops. I know that therapy is not always easy, but I am here to support you each step of the way and I will always accept you for how you are in that moment, even the hard ones. A Little About Me: I went into undergrad undecided and had a hard time knowing what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to do something to help people and I wanted a career that I would enjoy. I always felt behind in some way because I didn’t know what I wanted to do right away. I have learned that a lot of people have a unique path to get to where they are. I worked as a school social worker for 8 years before private practice and that is when I really knew I loved counseling and wanted to continue on this path. I have lived in the Chicago area for most of my life and love the city! You can find me by the lake or exploring all the city has to offer. My hobbies are all over the place and include a mixture of baking, triathlons, knitting, going on long walks and finding the best matcha. I also love traveling (but hate flying) and have an ever growing list of places I want to visit.

Increment Therapy provides mental health services for individuals facing obstacles that have been difficult to process and get through on their own. With the world full of challenges that are difficult to navigate, Increment Therapy is the compass that helps guide you to find the courage and strength to help you process and continue moving forward into a life you want to lead. Throughout the process of therapy, I provide a safe and non-judgmental space to share your story. In our sessions, I will help guide you through taking back your narrative and finding your core self. With an incremental approach, I meet you where you are and cultivate a real and strong relationship so that we take on this journey together. You are in the drivers seat and I will help you along the way. Through every hardship, challenge, or obstacle I will support you and provide a space where you can feel understood with unconditional acceptance, affirmation, and positive reflection.

I specialize in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems in adolescents and adults (ages 12 and up). In my work, therapy often focuses on dealing with stress related to academic demands, difficulties in peer and romantic relationships, family conflict, low self-esteem, as well as struggles with self-identity. I also work with young adults who feel overwhelmed during the transition to college or entering the work force for the first time. I draw on elements from empirically supported treatments such as CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I strive to offer an emphatic, non-judgmental approach to treatment. As a Latina, it is particularly important to me to serve my community and I welcome Spanish speaking clients.

Like many therapist profiles, this page could list my degrees and credentials, provide a vague description of what clients I work with, and be distant but warm; however, that is not how I work with clients or how I am in the world. I want this page to help you decide if we’ll work well together, not just list the things I’ve done. What you probably want to know is 1) do I know what I’m doing and 2) are we a good fit in working together. I have been working in the mental health field, specifically with eating disorders, since 2014 in a variety of capacities including inpatient, residential, and crisis stabilization programs. I am passionate about eating disorder recovery and collaborating with patients to find balance in their lives. I am body-positive and Health at Every Size (HAES) aligned. I have experience in working with families, couples, and individuals in addition to facilitating group therapy. My primary focus lies in helping to support clients and their loved ones in understanding and moving forward in the path to recovery through individual and family therapy. I have earned the distinction of being a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS) by the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and have been an officeholder for the Heartland chapter of iaedp since 2019 and remained committed to pursuing ongoing education within the field. There are so many people who hesitate to come to therapy or to move forward in eating disorder recovery due to having been previously unsuccessful with a “one size fits all” approach. I work with you to figure it out. I’m not a smile-and-nod, sit in silence type of therapist. I'll call you out on your BS, but I can do that in a way where we can both laugh. I'm not afraid to talk about anything you need to talk about. Intrusive thoughts? Feeling like you’re the only person to feel this way? You’d be surprised to find that you’re not alone. Therapy will provide a safe space to be yourself and a supportive environment to help meet you where you’re at and work towards creating lasting change in your life.