Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

Hi! Like many therapists, I'm a 30-something cis, white woman who likes earth tones and metaphors. I especially enjoy working with individuals with mood disorders, complex trauma, chronic illness, and psychosis, as well as those who identify as artists/creatives and recovering perfectionists. I draw from various modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Health at Every Size (HAES), Narrative Therapy, and EMDR. However, my most impactful training has happened in conversation with clients themselves. I recognize how my identities contribute to a power differential with my clients, especially when working with marginalized populations. I work to interrupt this power differential whenever possible by being antiracist in my work and prioritizing humility and transparency. I believe that the relationship between client and therapist is key to any kind of growth and change, and therefore first honor creating an authentic relationship with the clients I work with.

Hi there! I'm glad you are taking a courageous step to focus on your wellbeing. Whether you are seeking therapy for the first time, returning, or looking for a new therapist, you are right where you need to be if you are looking for a warm and caring therapist who is passionate about trauma, grief, life transitions, identity, relationships, and faith and spirituality. I help women of all ages and faiths relieve anxiety and depression, heal childhood and relationship wounds, navigate grief and life transitions, and gain more tools to cope with life, work, and relationships. By working with me, I will be a safe space to bear witness to your thoughts and emotions and honor them by patiently meeting you wherever you are in this season of your life. While taking a holistic approach, I utilize a variety of counseling theories like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotions Focused Therapy, and Person - Centered Therapy. I want to help you reach your fullest potential and support you on your journey to becoming your happiest, healthiest, most-authentic self. I am virtual only, so please email me to schedule your free 15-30 minute consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!

We offer a strength-based, holistic, and highly collaborative approach to therapy. Specializing in relationships, trauma, racial identity and mood disorders, our clinicians provide culturally-sensitive trauma-informed care.

I love working with clients to both identify their strengths and to help them understand what constrains them from reaching their goals. After exploring these areas, we collaborate to create a plan for change. I am an expert on tools and possibilities but you're the expert on you and what will resonate in your life. I'll be asking for your input every step of the way! I know campus culture. I've been a therapist in a busy University Counseling Center and loved my work students and faculty. I've also been a been a professor at the graduate level. I understand that with the all the stressors daily student life being successful means having a support network in place. I'd love to see if I'd be a good fit for your support network.

I am licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), who has been practicing in Chicago for 5 years. My speciality includes working with college age/ young adult individuals who are struggling with life transitions, mood disorders (depression, anxiety), ADHD, executive functioning, self esteem and mild OCD. I am a relationship based therapist, where I put emphasis on building rapport with my client and exploring their experiences, thoughts and feelings. When you meet with me, you will find I am warm, welcoming, empathetic and curious. This is your therapy and I want to make sure that the time we spend together is tailored for YOU, not just anyone else who may have similar concerns. I describe my practice as, "You are in the drivers seat and I am sitting in the passenger seat. You will decide where we go, what direction to go in and how we will spend the time. I will be there to provide support, help bring back to goal at hand, and help to stay on track." You are the expert on your own experience. I believe that if we can combine your lived experience and knowledge with my expertise we can make great progress. Please feel free to reach out to schedule a free 10 min intake phone call to discuss if you are interested in therapy and think I might be a good fit!

Life can be incredibly complex and overwhelming, full of twists and turns we often do not expect. As both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a human being, I have witnessed how receiving professional therapeutic support can guide individuals towards finding a sense of safety and comfort within themselves in a world of ever-shifting dynamics that can distract from or exacerbate the challenges we experience. My clients may be struggling with eating disorders, depression/anxiety, body image concerns, and substance misuse, in addition to difficulty managing stress, life transitions, or intimate/peer/familial relationship conflicts/wounding. I am LGBTQ+ allied, anti-racist, and anti-diet/Health at Every Size aligned and informed. Utilizing attachment theory, values exploration, and mind-body awareness, I work with my clients to re-instill and preserve individual autonomy while healing the relationship between oneself and others. I support my clients in learning new ways to tolerate uncomfortable emotions instead of avoiding or numbing them, and create space to process the inevitable grief that comes with making any changes in life. As a therapist, I embody humor, authenticity, empathy, and patience to create a safe space for my clients to begin exploring both internal/external experiences that contribute to feelings of distress, loneliness, and uncertainty. Values I hold above all else in the therapy space include humanism, autonomy, relational accountability between client and therapist, and the power of ‘any positive change’.

I work with young people about to graduate or young career adults who instead of excitement and anticipation, feel frozen. You have done it all right, gotten the degree that is supposed to be "useful" and yet it feels empty. I work with perfectionistic, high achieving students and early career adults who thought their life would look one way at this stage but are finding it is not what you hoped or thought you would feel. Our work untangles perfectionism, comparison and the pressure to be exceptional at all times.

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist working at the group practice, Emily Hanneman LCSW PLLC. Our office is located in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago and is accessible by Metra and public transit. As a therapist, I believe that everyone deserves access to quality, affirming mental health care. This is especially important during major life transitions, like starting college! I identify as a queer, neurodivergent therapist, and I'm experienced in helping students manage depression, anxiety, and alcohol or substance misuse. My therapy style is warm, collaborative, and relatable. I enjoy utilizing humor as a way to connect and build comfortability within our sessions. It's my goal to ensure that every client feels seen, heard, and valued during our work together. If this approach sounds like it could be a good fit, feel free to reach out for a free consultation.

Are you looking to make changes in your life? Are you looking for a partner to help navigate relationship drama, manage symptoms, or just to listen to the challenges you’re going through? It would be an honor to partner with you on this journey, whatever the reason that brings you in. I can support you in managing stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use disorders, dual diagnoses, and many other concerns. Each person is worthy of a space to feel seen and engage in a meaningful therapy experience. I strive to create a therapeutic space that is centered on the goals and needs of each person while building a collaborative relationship all in the understanding that you drive the direction and focus of our work together. I’m here as a guide to offer strategies, expertise and hope as we navigate through your unique experience in partnership. My therapeutic approach is grounded in strengths-based, trauma-informed and harm-reduction philosophies. Other evidenced-based practices utilized in my work include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and others that are best suited for the person and their particular needs.

Hi and welcome! I'm a clinical psychologist in a small private practice with 2 other clinicians. I've worked extensively with college students and enjoy helping clients sort through life challenges and transitions. I know college can be a time filled with changes related to identity and relationships and I hope to be a sounding board to those experiences while providing support and guidance. Please do not hesitate to reach out to ask questions or schedule an appointment.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hi! I'm Eleanor. I love working with both queer and neurodivergent individuals, especially individuals who are just beginning to explore or understand their identities or may have doubts about if their experiences are “enough.” Many of my clients experience anxiety and struggle to trust themselves or express their needs and are ready to start exploring what is most important to them and how to build a value-aligned life. Additionally, I have a specialty in treating OCD and use a mix of exposure therapy as well as non-exposure based therapies. I am warm, collaborative, and transparent with my clients. In sessions, you can expect me to ask questions, provide education and resources, and add a little humor into the mix. My main goal when working with clients is to help them understand themselves and their patterns better and practice responding flexibly and compassionate to the difficulties that inevitably rise in life. This is often a mix of exploring past experiences and relationships to understand how this shows up in the present as well as learning new coping skills. It can be hard and scary to start therapy! If you're feeling ready, feel free to reach out to me to learn more about my style and see if we might be a good fit.

You are the expert of your own life, and sometimes we need some support along the way. My main areas of focus include work with neurodivergent disabled queer and gender expansive clients at various intersections of identity, complex trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (e.g. medical and religious trauma, trauma navigating systemic oppression). I also work with folks often othered in the mental health and medical fields, sociocultural identity development, and plurality across the lifespan. I seek to co-create a meaningful, collaborative culturally responsive relationship centering a trauma-focused and healing-centered lens. I incorporate an integrative, relational, strengths-based approach incorporating Dialectical Behavior Therapy, somatic therapies, humor (and puns), narrative therapies, and challenge by consent. I seek to provide an affirming and empowering space, especially for folks at various intersections of identity, who have experienced oppression, trauma, and severe mental health diagnoses across the lifespan. It is important to build a mutually collaborative relationship that provides space for self-reflection and growth. I look forward to connecting!

We look at individuals as part of a bigger family system, offering support to folks experiencing low motivation and school refusal, social anxiety, performance anxiety, self-esteem, relationships, depression, and cultural identity.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

My name is Sophia Jelsma and I am a psychotherapist working for the group practice Mezame. At Mezame, we focus on a type of therapy called EMDR that addresses trauma, stress, and emotional dysregulation. To learn more about our group practice, visit our website list at the bottom of the page.

Hi! I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist working with individuals, couples, and families. My clinical focus surrounds helping LGBTQIA+ individuals navigate their identity in the individual and family context, challenging perfectionism and high functioning anxiety/depression in Asian/Asian American communities. With a collaborative yet direct approach, I hope to help you identify and overcome barriers that have previously hindered your progress while nurturing a therapeutic relationship built upon trust, safety, and even humor! First, we’ll focus on behavioral changes you can take to meet your goals. If you still feel unresolved, we can dive deeper into your emotion and the narratives you have to explore obstacles that constrain you from reaching your goals. Paired with my ongoing training to receive EMDR-certification, I hope to provide a collaborative space to make that change. Growing up between Canada, China, Taiwan; working in entertainment in LA, and then pivoting to receive my MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Family Institute at Northwestern University, I accept that life does not always go as planned. Like my journey, I recognize change happens differently for everyone. And, I hope to be apart of yours too. :)

Growing up, I did not know much about mental health and therapy until I was in my own crisis. I was greatly impacted by mental health stigma that has had such a big impact of my Latinx community, and my own experience. I understand stigma is something that many different communities may face, and I hope to help break down that stigma so people can openly receive the help they need. After reaching out for help myself, I was able to start living up to a better version of myself. Now I hope to provide similar hope to others. I believe therapy is not just a tool to be used when you are at your lowest, but a resource in instances of uncertainty, challenge and life transitions. You have unique experiences and have been impacted by the systems that surround you whether they are cultural, familial, religious or something else. My goal is to work hand-in-hand with you to create an empathic space where you can share your feelings and work through learned patterns to discover what serves you best today. Together, we can start the healing process, using with self-awareness, exploring the past, gaining empowerment, and creating meaningful changes within your life and relationships. I have been a clinician with Active Therapies for the past year. Active Therapies offers in person therapy in North Park, Ravenswood and Telehealth.

We are an evolving collective of mental health professionals who have committed to the pursuit of personal and systemic growth on every level of our society. Our practice began as a friendship and has continued to grow as we have built associations with highly competent, seasoned and relationally oriented therapists. We have become a vibrant community, with a broad base of clinical expertise. However, we remain small enough to be accessible and responsive to each individual we support. Our practice is effective, innovative and totally down to earth. The client and our relationship with them is the central focus of treatment. Our clinical expertise and relational approach work in harmony to provide an ideal foundation for exploring a co-constructed, mutual process of growth.

Our group therapy practice has trained our clinicians to be trauma and systems informed, neurodivergent and LGBTQ affirmative, and knowledgeable in incorporating and integrating the body and mind in therapy. We consider the individual, societal, and environmental factors and contexts for each client. We also explore the identities you hold and the intersectionality of how your identities inform who you are. We also recognize how macro societal level systems, those that influence experiences of power, privilege, and oppression, deeply impact the experiences of every individual. We use our expertise and understanding about neurodiversity and learning styles in conjunction with Mary Jo Barrett’s Collaborative Change Model to structure and pace healthy trauma informed therapy. We also acknowledge and take into account that when we experience something painful, we experience it on multiple levels. Our approach allows us to integrate the body into therapy and explore what the body needs to feel safe or calm again.