Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

My areas of expertise include the treatment of anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, self-esteem deficits, academic underachievement, perfectionism, family of origin issues, LGBT concerns, and women's issues. I also specialize in working with college students and emerging adults.

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I am a trauma therapist who is passionate about supporting people navigating life’s challenges. My role as a therapist is to support my clients uncover their most loving, powerful, and compassionate self. I like to invite clients to explore and resolve thoughts and behaviors that impact their life experience by acquiring self-leadership skills, new ways of coping and exploring long lasting change. I am passionate about trauma-informed care and particularly find meaning in working with individuals and couples who are experiencing anxiety or depression, life transitions, have complex family dynamics, those balancing multiple roles or adjusting to parenting, complex relationship issues, and those who are in high pressure/stress jobs. I consider my therapeutic style to be conversational, compassionate, and gently challenging.

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.

Evolve Wellness is a modern therapy practice designed for college students navigating life’s challenges. We offer a warm, inclusive space to explore stress, anxiety, trauma, identity, relationships, and the impact of today’s social and political climate. Affirming & inclusive: We provide compassionate support for LGBTQ+ and nonbinary students, honoring every part of who you are. Trauma-informed care: Our therapists help you process and heal from past experiences safely and at your own pace. Flexible & accessible: Choose in-person or virtual sessions, with evening and weekend options that fit your schedule. Holistic growth: We integrate evidence-based methods (CBT, ACT, Mindfulness) with a focus on self-understanding, values, and connection. At Evolve Wellness, you’re not alone. You belong. You matter. Let’s heal and grow together.

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I use my full experience from living in China, France, Japan, and the U.S., and from working in management consulting, nonprofits, and the arts in my work as a therapist. I am adept at working with people from varied backgrounds. I am astute, compassionate, and deeply committed to my clients' well-being. I engage my clients not only on the inner- and inter-personal levels, but also in the contexts of their intersecting roles and identities. I am attuned to the mutual influence that individuals and groups have on one another and the interconnectedness in life's pain and healing. By working with a caring and attuned professional, my clients can feel safe and free to explore and work through their experiences of depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, loneliness, shame, and anger, all the while developing their courage, resilience, understanding, and self-acceptance. I am fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) and can supplement my work with advanced French and intermediate Spanish. I also provide consultation and training to early- and mid- career clinicians in the U.S. and China.

As a previous university counseling center therapist, I work well with students who feel stuck and unhappy, and who are looking to make some sort of change in their lives, whether it is related to mood, purpose, addictions/habits, and/or relationships. I also work well with student who are experiencing nervousness about their academic and/or personal lives, and who are feeling overwhelmed with stress. I help students figure out how to be successful as they transition into young adulthood.

As a therapist and pleasure activist I strive to create a safe, accessible environment for you to connect with and express your most authentic self. During sessions, your trust and safety are priorities for me. I practice from a relational and client-centered framework, understanding that you are the expert in your own experience. With my warm and direct approach, I seek to ask the right questions to help you make new connections and provide a fresh perspective. I have experience supporting clients through gender-identity development, C-PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, gender dysphoria, anxiety and depression. As a therapist, researcher, and pleasure activist I strive to create a safe, accessible environment for you to connect with and express your most authentic self. During sessions, your trust and safety are priorities for me. I practice from a relational and client-centered framework, understanding that you are the expert in your own experience. With my warm and direct approach, I seek to ask the right questions to help you make new connections and provide a fresh perspective. I have experience supporting clients through gender-identity development, C-PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, gender dysphoria, anxiety and depression. With my lived experience as a transgender woman, I bring a compassionate and affirming approach to my therapeutic practice. I am passionate about working with transgender/gender diverse, Autistic, and Disabled clients, and pride myself as a kink/BDSM, polyamory/ENM, and sex-worker allied therapist.

At CFC Therapy Group, we believe in possibilities—and we empower you to realize yours. Working with our team of experienced therapists, you’ll gain the strength to navigate life’s challenges, confront what’s holding you back, and achieve your fullest potential. We are Relationship Experts. Whether you’re looking to create a more positive dynamic with family and friends, a significant other, or simply with yourself, we’ll help you get there. At CFC Therapy Group, we’re committed to your possibility. Contact us today to book an appointment

At Sacred Stories Counseling our focus is on supporting BIPOC, queer individuals and those who hold both identities! Your story matters and we want to support you as you navigate the current reality we're living in globally and nationally, while also holding space for your personal difficulties too! We've got your back if you're working through anxiety, perfectionism / strong black woman struggles. If you're neurodivergent - we got you! The trauma you carry, you don't have to carry it alone - we'll be with you in it and use EMDR and IFS to help you move through it. It won't disappear forever but it will no longer be all consuming, hold you back, or keep you stuck! We're in your corner! Schedule a free 15 min call with us to ask any questions and see if we're a good fit!

Charissa Simon-Wright earned her BA in Criminal and Social Justice from the University of Arizona (formerly Ashford University), MS in Psychology with a Specialization in Addictions from Perdue University (formerly Kaplan University). Charissa has received a doctoral degree at Walden University- Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Health Psychology. She is a member of Psi Chi, International Honor Society in Psychology, since June of 2019. Charissa has also obtained certifications as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), a Co-Occurring Disorder Professional (CODP-I), and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). Charissa has worked passionately in the behavioral health field for over fifteen years with children and families in multiple roles such as a case manager, housing specialist, family preservation worker, and counselor. While working at the second largest health department in Illinois, Charissa gained vast knowledge and skills that encompasses group counseling, individual counseling, clinical assessments, crisis counseling, addiction counseling, and trauma counseling. Charissa believes in treating the whole person. This means that she takes into consideration the underlying factors that can inhibit a person’s ability to practice healthy habits, so that she and the client can address the root of the issue and not just the symptoms in a collaborative manner. Charissa believes that the client is in charge of their own treatment which creates a sense of autonomy and empowerment that enables the client to move towards identified goals.

Are you carrying pain that feels too heavy to name, let alone heal? Do the things you’ve lived through feel like a weight you can’t put down, or old wounds that echo into the present? Do you struggle to trust your emotions, or feel like they run the show? Or maybe you feel disconnected from others? Yet, even in the midst of all that, there’s a part of you longing for something different? Hello and welcome! I work with folks navigating complex trauma, deep emotional pain, and unjust systems. Through the use of collaborative, non-judgmental, and anti-oppressive frameworks, we center your resistance, healing, and self-determination. I integrate a variety of therapeutic interventions including Internal Family Systems (IFS)/ parts work, DBT, grounding techniques, and mindfulness to help you accomplish your goals and move through shame, guilt, depression, loneliness, anxiety, overwhelm, anger, trauma/c-PTSD, suicidal ideation, self-hatred, interpersonal distress, and emotion regulation. Here, healing is not a linear path or a checklist to complete. It is a remembering, a reclamation, radical act, it is relational. As an autistic, queer, trans non-binary therapist, I believe that you are inherently worthy as you are, and still, you deserve to carry heavy burdens more lightly. If you're ready to begin, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Located in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Bailey and Associates Counseling and Psychotherapy offers individual psychotherapy and counseling services and art therapy. You currently have the choice to meet online or in office. I specialize in working with adults seeking change. My approach to counseling is client-centered and trauma-informed, encouraging the expression of personal narrative to build self-understanding and community. I support clients in the use of art-making as a grounding tool to process experiences and relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. My intention is to establish a collaborative space alongside clients that fosters bravery; where we can collect helpful coping tools as we work toward clients' goals together. To me, "healing" lies in seeking peace and a sense of wholeness, and not in achieving "perfection." My specialties include supporting individuals with a history of PTSD, depression, anxiety, grief, and/or living with chronic illness. I enjoy supporting my clients through spiritual exploration and developing a healthy relationship to art. My approach is sex-positive and LGBTQIA2S+ affirming. I love working with artists, Veterans, and existential explorers. I understand how intimidating it can be to start therapy for the first time or to find a new therapist after wrapping up with someone else. I take pride in my ability to put others at ease as we build our relationship with patience and compassion. Please don't hesitate to reach out to schedule a consultation and find out if we are a good therapeutic match.

Dr. Hannah Waldman is a psychotherapist who works with emerging adults, young adults, and older adults facing a range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship challenges, and difficulties related to stress and life transitions. She takes an integrative and collaborative approach to therapy, blending symptom-focused techniques—such as CBT, DBT, and ACT—within a relational framework. Hannah is committed to staying current with the latest research, particularly in areas relevant to her clients’ needs. She has experience supporting individuals dealing with aging, grief, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, eating disorders, chronic pain, and navigating gender-affirming care. Throughout her career, Hannah has worked with clients from diverse backgrounds across the lifespan, including varied identities in terms of gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, culture, nationality, and socioeconomic status. Her additional clinical interests include mood disorders, personality disorders, and religious trauma. In her work, she strives to empower clients while fostering deeper insight into the self, personal history, and relationships.

Do you need a space to sort through the complexity of adulthood? Have you realized some mental health concerns as you navigate through college and beyond? Therapy Atlas, founded by social worker Sophia Jelsma, helps you unpack what's coming up and cope in healthy ways. She uses an evidence-based approach rooted in CBT, DBT, and EMDR.

Hi, I'm Sierra! I'm a licensed therapist in Chicago offering fully virtual sessions. I have expertise in helping people heal from trauma, anxiety, and depression. As a once first-generation college student, I understand the difficulties of navigating this particularly trying time in life. Working with a new therapist can sometimes feel daunting, so I get to know each person on a human level with a bit of (appropriate) humor. I'm queer, gender-affirming, and like to incorporate skills in sessions to help you develop better coping strategies. I accept all major insurance plans and can work with anyone in Illinois. If you'd like to see if we'd be a good fit, feel free to email me and we can set up a time to chat! Interested in a therapist with a different specialty? I work with Cityscape Counseling, a group practice in Chicago with over 55 licensed therapists offering treatment both in-person and online for eating disorders, substance use, OCD, and more. Connect with us at cityscapecounseling.com!

Being a student or young professional can feel overwhelming. You may be balancing academic demands, career uncertainty, relationship challenges, ADHD, perfectionism, or questions about who you are and what you want for your future. Even when you're accomplishing a lot on the outside, it can feel exhausting to keep up with the pressure. I am a doctoral-level Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years of experience helping graduate students, healthcare workers, young professionals, and other high-achieving adults navigate anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, ADHD, relationship concerns, and life transitions. My clients often come to therapy feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated by patterns they can't seem to change. I have particular expertise working with ADHD and concentration difficulties, as well as the challenges that come with high expectations and demanding environments. Whether you're struggling with procrastination, time management, decision fatigue, stress, or burnout, we'll work together to find strategies that fit how your brain works while building a deeper understanding of yourself. Relationships are another core area of my work. Whether you're navigating dating, communication challenges, family conflict, or friendship struggles, I can help you better understand the patterns shaping your relationships and develop healthier ways of connecting with others. My approach is collaborative, curious, and tailored to your goals. Drawing from CBT, ACT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Gottman Method principles, I combine practical tools with deeper self-exploration to help you create meaningful, lasting change. You don't have to figure everything out on your own. Therapy can help you feel more grounded, confident, and connected as you navigate this chapter of your life.

MARRA is a trauma based practice located near West Loop Chicago. We work with adult clients that are ready to dive into self-exploration and acknowledgement of how present and past experiences impact their current life experience. When working with clients, we take into consideration how race, class, gender, sexuality, and other social systems intersect to shape people’s experiences. As a result, we practice psychotherapy, consultation, and training that affirms the value of difference. We strive to work from an anti-oppressive + anti-racist lens. LGBTQ+ - Sex positive- BIPOC inclusive

The Aspen Center is a small group practice providing insight-oriented psychotherapy. We offer a personalized approach that focuses on individualism, partnership, respect, and education, with an emphasis on the mind-body connection. We see you as a “whole person,” recognizing that your symptoms are only a part of the picture. We work with you to understand what might be out of balance in your life, and then develop strategies to restore that balance and promote well-being. At The Aspen Center, you can expect an environment that conveys warmth, comfort, confidentiality, and professionalism. We offer you the flexibility of seeing your therapist in-person or via Zoom for Healthcare, allowing you to meet with your therapist regularly to get the support you need.