Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

I am a licensed clinical social worker with over 15 years of experience helping people cope with family and social issues. I have worked with clients with depression, suicidal ideations, anxiety, OCD, TBI, intellectual disabilities, conduct disorders, anger management issues, intermittent explosive disorder, domestic violence, identity, family, grief, social and academic issues. I especially working with college and graduate students, and have also provided guidance and support to families in navigating IEP, 504, and LRE concerns in school environments. I believe everyone can overcome challenges; I help provide a supportive and nurturing environment to help clients navigate tough challenges and situations. Counseling is powerful, and I am diligent about supporting my clients and helping them to reach their full potential. I am part of the Path referral network, which means that when you reach out, my team will get back to you quickly to schedule our first session. I am committed to making therapy affordable. Through Path, I am in-network for most commercial insurances, so you're only responsible for your co-pay!

I’ve always been captivated by love, connection, and the strength people show through life’s toughest moments. Being transracially adopted is a meaningful part of my identity—it’s given me a deep appreciation for the complex, beautiful ways people form relationships and a strong commitment to honoring diversity, neurodiversity, and inclusion. As your therapist, I offer a calming, collaborative, and nonjudgmental presence. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, identity exploration, or life transitions, I want therapy to be a space where you feel seen, safe, and supported to explore your story. I believe that everyone deserves to feel heard, valued, and connected—and that real growth happens when we slow down, reflect together, and make space for what truly matters to you. I work with individuals and couples of all backgrounds, and I’m especially passionate about helping people feel empowered in their relationships—with themselves and others. I’m currently earning my Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Adler University. As I grow in the field, I find myself drawn to Narrative, Emotionally Focused, and Collaborative therapies—approaches that center your lived experience and emphasize meaningful connection, healing, and change. I attend supervision with Mia Dal Santo, LMFT. You don’t have to have it all figured out before reaching out. Therapy is a place to begin, and I’m here to walk with you as you move toward clarity, connection, and a life that feels more authentically yours!

Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially when you’ve been carrying things on your own for a long time. Our work together will move at a pace that feels supportive, collaborative, and safe while honoring both your lived experience and your body’s natural wisdom for healing.

I believe that healing begins with a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space—one where you can freely explore your experiences and take meaningful steps toward improved mental health. If you are ready to embark on a journey toward greater well-being, I am here to support you. Together, we can work toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.

I specialize in working with young adults who feel unsettled, stuck, or uncertain about aspects of their lives. These challenges often affect academic performance, relationships—whether with friends, family, or significant others—and overall well-being. Together, we explore how these feelings show up in daily life, identify recurring themes, and uncover behavioral patterns. By working together, I view my role as a clinician to be very similar to a consultant : you are the subject matter expert on your relationships, emotions, and experiences and together we can develop a plan that aligns with your core values.

No matter what is going on right now, you have taken a huge step in seeking out help for yourself and/or your family. It is often very difficult for people to admit that they need help, and now that you have taken the initial step I would be honored to come alongside you and your family and assist you with whatever you are experiencing. I believe in building on your strengths and increasing your resiliency. I specialize in trauma, and utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help you process your trauma. I also enjoy helping families with behavior difficulties, mood disorders, and anxiety. I am able to adapt to you and find a strategy that works best with you. I primarily work from an Internal Family Systems perspective, and incorporate in EMDR as needed.

With 14 years of experience in the mental health field, I am deeply committed to helping individuals, couples, families, and groups navigate the challenges they face. My approach is rooted in a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and person-centered therapy, tailored to meet each client exactly where they are. I believe that healing begins with trust, and I strive to create a compassionate, non-judgmental space where clients can feel heard, understood, and empowered. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working in various settings—community mental health, non-profit organizations, government, and residential facilities—which has shaped my ability to adapt and effectively address a wide range of concerns. Whether it's career difficulties, relationship issues, or struggles with mental health, I work closely with clients to help them identify their strengths and develop practical strategies for moving forward. I encourage active participation, including assignments outside of sessions, to ensure that growth continues beyond our time together. My core values—competence, self-determination, and respect for diversity—guide every interaction I have with clients. I am passionate about empowering those I work with to take charge of their own journey toward healing and success. I find great fulfillment in being a change agent, walking alongside individuals as they work through their challenges, build resilience, and ultimately achieve the personal transformation they seek. If you are looking for a therapist who is compassionate, punctual, and dedicated to your well-being, I am here to support you on your path toward positive change. Together, we can work toward your goals in a collaborative and meaningful way.

The past few years have been incredibly difficult for everyone, regardless of background or finances. In my practice I strive to create a warm and welcoming space where we can curiously and compassionately explore your concerns. I genuinely believe that you are the expert in your own life, and my goal is to assist you with discovering and deciding how to live your best life. Throughout the pandemic I was specializing in working with people struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use, isolation, interpersonal conflict, and grief. I have extensive history working with the college-aged population from my doctoral internship at Illinois State University and Spalding University’s counseling centers. I also have experience working in higher levels of care with non-college aged adults at outpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and inpatient levels of care. While working together we’ll collaboratively explore areas where you may feel stuck and discuss the use of new, more adaptive coping skills to help you move in the direction of your goals. I have many years of experience teaching classes focusing on evidence-based treatments, such as: DBT, ACT, and CBT. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

As a queer and socially informed therapist, my practice is shaped by lived experience, intuitive connection, and a commitment to integrative healing. At Lucid Flame Body & Mind, I offer somatic, sex, and spiritual therapy that honors the complexity of identity, the wisdom of the body, and the power of relational depth. Clients working with me can expect a space that is attuned, inclusive, and rooted in trauma-informed care—where nervous system safety, emotional nuance, and spiritual connection are prioritized. My areas of focus include sexual wellness, disordered eating, identity exploration, and trauma recovery, alongside holistic modalities such as energy work and intuitive practices such as tarot. These are important to me because they reflect the layered ways we heal—through evidence-based support, embodied presence, and culturally respectful integration of spirit and self. Whether you're seeking clarity, connection, or liberation, I welcome you into a practice that centers authenticity, compassion, and empowerment.

I’m a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with experience in both inpatient and outpatient care, supporting patients with acute psychiatric needs, substance use disorders, and complex comorbidities. I thrive in team-based environments and focus on whole-person, evidence-based care that empowers patients and improves outcomes. I’m seeking inpatient or outpatient opportunities in the Chicago area where I can bring my skills, clinical insight, and passion for mental health to a dedicated care team.

What’s keeping you stuck? Are you struggling to understand why relationships keep failing or why your job or school is depleting you? Are you overwhelmed, trapped in a pattern of people pleasing, or struggling with anxious thoughts you can’t seem to stop? Are you high-achieving or perfectionistic and struggling to find peace in your life? Maybe you’re just grappling with the existential questions and wondering what the meaning of all of this is. I specialize in helping people get unstuck, gain confidence, and create the lives they want. I teach you how to cultivate calm in your body and understand how thoughts and internal narratives influence feelings and behaviors. You will learn how to position yourself as the observer of your emotions (like anxiety, irritability), so you can respond intentionally—rather than on autopilot. I provide insightful online therapy that allows you to feel seen, heard, and understood - all in the comfort of your home. I love doing the deep work that helps you better understand yourself and empowers you to build the life you want.

Hi, I'm Mary. I reallly like my job. I specialize in working with individuals who tend to overthink, have been labeled as "too self-aware", intellectualizers, or find themselves knowing their problem, but struggling to feel relief from it. I also work with childhood trauma, and individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. I'm a pretty laid-back person in general, so I try to be that way in session. We're strangers at the beginning, so I do my best to build up our relationship and increase your level of comfortability.

Great to meet you! Hi, I’m Melissa. I work with curious, thoughtful people who are ready to show up for themselves — even when growth feels uncomfortable. Many of the clients I connect with are navigating big life transitions, like adjusting to college or next steps after college, navigating adulthood, or realizing the old path no longer fits. If you’re someone who’s willing to stay with the process and understands that meaningful change takes work, we’ll likely be a good fit. A bit about my approach to therapy I believe the relationship we build together matters more than any single approach or technique. Feeling safe, understood, and respected is where real change begins. Clients describe me as steady, thoughtful, and encouraging — someone who can sit with you when things feel messy and help you think outside the box when the usual answers don’t work. I focus on everyday, “garden-variety” struggles that still have a big impact on quality of life, especially during periods of transition. What you can expect from our first session Our first session is a chance to slow down, get to know each other, and talk about what brought you in and where you hope to go. We’ll explore what’s working, what feels stuck, and what kind of support actually feels helpful to you. Over time, many clients walk away with more clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense that they can create a path forward — even if it looks different than they originally imagined. Growth isn’t always easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.

College can be stressful, the pressure, the pace, the constant push to keep going. It’s no wonder your mind feels overloaded. At Bloom Therapy we’re not just therapists. We’re real humans who get it. We’re here to help you navigate life as a college student without losing yourself in the chaos. Whether you’re working through anxiety, navigating relationships, battling ADHD, or dealing with life balance changes as a college student. We’ll meet you where you are and walk with you toward where you want to go!

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.

Leslie is a licensed clinical social worker. She earned her Masters in Clinical Social Work at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, and her Bachelors in Social Work at Luther College in Iowa. Leslie has experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults with various issues including depression, anxiety, coping skills, difficult life transitions, and building self-compassion. She has worked with individuals in many different settings ranging from individual and group therapy to crisis intervention in the Emergency Room. Leslie practices from a strength-based approach and combines several modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness. Throughout treatment, she works with clients to utilize coping skills, identify their core values, and develop a strong sense of self. Leslie believes that regardless of age, clients are their own expert and therefore aims to build a strong therapeutic relationship that provides a warm and accepting environment that can lead to positive change.

Orange Tree Counseling and Consulting is a therapy private practice currently offering telehealth services in Evanston and the surrounding Chicagoland areas. Our core belief is that each person has the skills and tools they need to thrive within them, and therapy provides a space for those tools to emerge. We welcome adults from all walks of life to work with us, and we have a specialized focus on the unique issues of LGBTQIA and BIPOC college students, Black women and individuals of color. Our hope is to create meaningful change in the lives of every client we are privileged to provide therapy services to. Everyone deserves an opportunity to live the life they’ve imagined. Let us be a part of your healing journey today

Welcome! My name is "Dr. Ed." I'm a Ph.D.-Diplomate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Houston and Governors State. In our multicultural world, therapy is a safe place to respect your values and honor your strengths! √ I'm 4.6 rated with 60+ reviews on HealthGrades, United Health, Aetna and Cigna. My treatment philosophy is built on respect and appreciation of the dignity for each person I work with. Let me emphasize this one more time, YOU don't have to settle for a poor self-image from negative experiences nor settle with poor relationships with your family, spouse, kids and yourself. Let's figure it out..together.. My therapy specialty is working with adults, couples, families, and pre-teens who are dealing with feelings of rejection, grief, and situation anxiousness-including balancing family and work-life stressors. I greatly appreciate listening to the adult male voice in relationships and families. Learning ways to bridge the gap in communication styles between men and women, parents and children, is important work! Prior to becoming a therapist, I was a core faculty member for nine years at Capella University-graduate and doctoral programs in Social Work and Public Service Leadership. Outside of work, Dr. Ed enjoys traveling to Barbados, Cancun, Houston Rodeo, is active in the KAY fraternity, and is an Astros and Cubs fan. "If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me"- Maya Angelou

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

At our best we are well connected, there is congruence. I believe that we experience the deepest sorrows and difficulties when there is disconnection, incongruence. By identifying salient disconnections and working towards reconnection you can get on the path to healing. As a therapist, it is my aim to respectfully and gently sweep that path and guide the way towards meaningful reconnection, healing, and hope. I look forward to collaborating with you in that effort. Here's to meaningful connections!