Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

As a Syrian living in Chicago, I am sensitive to issues of race, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and religion and their influence on mental health. Therapy is one of the rare safe spaces to explore sensitive cultural identity topics. Where you can explore your sense of belonging and recreate your place in this world and how you want to be in it. We cannot change the past but we can change our relationship with the past, which ultimately shifts our present and future.

Who I am as a psychologist is deeply tied to who I am as a person. I am a cis Black man. I am heterosexual. I am from rural Arkansas. I was raised in low-income family. I’m first generation. My background taught me the value of community and resourcefulness. These are the things that shape how I see the world and how I serve in this role. I help my clients create sustainable change by working with them to combine knowledge and skills into purposeful action. A cornerstone of my approach involves "me-search". I believe self-knowledge is essential to insight (our ability to identify, understand, and take steps toward our goals). My goal is offering a brave and empowering space to facilitate that transformation. I look forward to helping you explore how your concerns relate to you, your body, social world, and worldview. My ideal clients are folks who are curious, open to ask themselves really hard questions, and have a willingness to approach change in an honest way. I ideally like to work with clients navigating a life transition (academic, work, identity or relationship based), anxiety, and/or healing from traumatic experience. Overall, I enjoy work that’s depth-based and clients who are interested in therapy that focuses the source and solutions. I draw on my clinical-research expertise exploring meaning in life and liberation to approach healing as an integrative process. I believe there is great value in establishing a brave and affirming therapeutic relationship and space to identify, make sense of, and take action to work toward my client’s goals. Overall, I consider myself a “fellow traveler” and practice from a strength-based approach where I invite collaboration, courage, and trust in the process from those with whom I work.

Thousand Branches Wellness – Chicago Loop offers compassionate, structured mental health care for teens and adults in the heart of downtown Chicago. We provide inclusive, evidence‑informed treatment for individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, stress, and major life transitions. Our mission is to create a safe, supportive environment where clients can heal, grow, and build lasting resilience. Our highly trained clinicians deliver care through adult and adolescent Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), and weekly specialty groups. Using evidence‑based approaches such as CBT, ACT, mindfulness, somatic therapy, and schema‑informed process work, we support both high‑functioning individuals who feel “stuck” and those needing more structure than traditional outpatient therapy. Thousand Branches Wellness is known for a responsive intake process, collaborative communication with referring providers, and culturally aware care. We focus on building stability, insight, and sustainable coping skills—helping clients move forward with confidence and connection.

Hi, I’m Jocelyn Foust—thanks for stopping by. College is a time of change, discovery, and a lot of pressure—whether it’s figuring out who you are, navigating relationships, dealing with anxiety or depression, or just trying to keep your head above water. If life feels overwhelming or like you’re stuck in a cycle of overthinking, sadness, or self-doubt, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to go through it alone either. As a therapist, I believe that healing happens through connection. My approach is warm, collaborative, and centered around you—your goals, your values, your unique experiences. Together, we’ll create a space where you can feel safe enough to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface, and start to build more clarity, confidence, and direction in your life. I often use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which means we’ll work on getting some distance from those painful thoughts and feelings that tend to pull you off track. We’ll also practice making space for your emotions, while moving toward the life you want—step by step, in ways that feel manageable and real. Therapy with me isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about waking up to your own story with compassion and curiosity. You’re the expert on your life—I’m just here to help you reconnect with your own strength, your inner wisdom, and what matters most to you. If you’re feeling stuck or weighed down right now, that makes sense—and it’s okay to ask for help. Therapy can be the place where things begin to shift. Let’s take the next step together when you’re ready.

Do you struggle with anxiety that affects your daily life? Do you feel overwhelmed just getting through the day? Do you hope that life could be better? Now more than ever, people are feeling uncertain in life. I believe there is hope. I offer a safe, holistic, and client-centered approach to therapy, so you can get the help you need. I am passionate about helping young adults learn to cope with anxiety, depression, body image/eating, and life transitions. I will guide you to accomplish your goals.

We are a group of skilled clinicians dedicated to creating space for wellness through thoughtful, evidence based care. Many of us from marginalized communities know what it’s like to have our voices ignored or dismissed. At Ida Lillie, we acknowledge the history and reality of systematic oppression while offering our patients deep healing and change. Our team is passionate about providing reparative care through diverse representation in a field that often lacks it. At Ida Lillie, we offer expert clinicians who support all identities in their mental wellness.

College can feel overwhelming — between classes, internships, friendships, and trying to figure out who you are and where you’re headed. Many students I work with describe feeling anxious, burnt out, or stuck in old patterns that don’t change no matter how hard they try. Others notice that underneath the stress is a sense of loneliness or pressure to have it all together. I work best with students who are curious about going deeper — not just learning coping strategies, but really understanding themselves and healing the patterns that get in the way of feeling connected and confident. If you’ve tried surface-level tools and still feel like something’s missing, this may be a good fit. Together, we’ll create a space that feels supportive, creative, and real — so you can grow in ways that last well beyond college.

Astute Counseling and Wellness Center offers a holistic approach to therapy. Astute Counseling Services offers targeted psychotherapy methods and research-based cognitive behavioral therapy to guide individuals, couples, and families on a self-discovery journey to feeling better and learning effective ways of coping with diverse situations. Head clinician and owner of the practice, Rebecca E. Tenzer M.A.T., M.A., L.C.S.W., CCTP, CGCS uses her more than 16 years of education and therapeutic experience to help individuals take the first step toward healing.

Magdalena is a psychotherapist who specializes in treating anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. She is passionate about supporting adolescents and adults navigating eating and body image concerns, mood and anxiety disorders, relational challenges, life transitions, and identity exploration. Magdalena finds great fulfillment in supporting clients on their path to healing and feels honored to be part of their journey toward growth and well-being. Known for her warm and down-to-earth presence, Magdalena creates a safe, transparent, and non-judgmental space while helping clients work toward their goals. Magdalena's therapeutic approach is integrative, drawing from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), among other evidence-based modalities. She brings compassion, validation, and the understanding that recovery is not one-size-fits-all. Magdalena is committed to helping clients become their most authentic selves and empowering them to pursue meaningful goals. She recognizes that taking the first step toward change can be difficult and meets clients where they are, approaching each person with curiosity and empathy. You can directly schedule online at www.allow-wellness.com

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I’m Zitong ZHENG (Denice). I’m a bilingual (English and Chinese) in-training therapist currently providing services in the Chicago area. For now, I'm only accepting refugee patient at Mount Sinai Hospital. We provide free service for both long-term psychotherapy sessions and medication management. Client does not need to have a medical insurance but have to meet refugee status criteria. Therapy may be new for you, may be not. But no matter anytime you choose come to a session, give your own credit for that braveness! Feeling of sad, nervous, stressful, lonely, confuse, anxious, fear, mad, helpless, hopeless, pain, shame, guilty, and fatigue etc.....these feelings are definitely difficult to cope with and get through in life. Hope therapy can be a safe space for you to talk and provide you insight to understand then express your feeling. In the past practice, I worked in different settings such as hospital and private practice, I’ve been working with client who are from young adulthood to late adulthood with various diagnoses/race/sexuality/gender identity/SES status. I'm open to listen your story and thoughts, to do some exploration with you, then find consistent strategies together that can be useful for you and be kept for the rest of your life. My main approaches are person-centered therapy, psychodynamic, existential, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and narrative therapy. I believe the interpersonal process in therapy sessions is really important for therapeutic effectiveness which can bring you new experiences and insights. I would like to openly discuss about what kinds of methods are exactly working for you. Therapy is not only a treatment which is provided by therapist, also a cooperation between both of us. I would also emphasize the equality and genuineness among therapy. I believe every people is expert for their own life, sometimes we will neglect our own potential. I would also appreciate and respect all people's belief, attitude, and identity. I hold non-judgement attitude for client. There's no right and wrong in life. As a past international student, I’m able to validate the feelings of: challenge, hardness, loneliness, stress, and helplessness that every client is going through. I hope I can provide a safe space for you to talk, and offer you support as best as I can. I know life has too many unspoken moments, which does not only happen during language translation. I hope to create a place for you when you are in need. Every feeling is important, you are important.

The distressing problems that bring you to therapy will later be revealed as the unlikely pathways towards a well-lived life. Pervasive sadness, suicidal thoughts, the heaviness on your shoulders are your psyche’s misunderstood messengers to summon you on a healing journey. Your symptoms have meaning and we will work together to understand them. In therapy, we will first work together to establish a sense of stability: from the first session, we’ll build a trusting relationship that offers a much-needed space for your concerns. You may benefit at this initial stage by simply having a trustworthy ear to hear. As a psychotherapist, I hold the tension of psychotherapy as a mysticism and a science. But it is no snake oil: community, storytelling, and self-exploration are the elixirs which lead to healing. If you would like to learn more about my approach, see if we may be a good fit, or schedule a session, please contact me today by call, text message, or email.

Hello there! I'm Neha and accepting new clients. I emphasize collaboration as a key part of my approach and want to make sure the therapy space feels safe, genuine, and collaborative when working with folks. I take an eclectic approach to therapy with a base in psychodynamic, relational and humanistic theories. I round out my approach with interventions from several different modalities including CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and solution focused. While I pull from several different modalities, my practice is rooted in multicultural humility and intersectionality, tailoring my approach to meet folks’ unique needs and preferences. I highly value multicultural humility and intersectionality. As the daughter of immigrants and holder of several different identities, intersectionality is something I see a lot in both my personal and professional lives. I also know what it feels like to feel isolated or alone in holding different intersectional identities and is partly what motivated me to become a therapist. Feel free to reach out if you think we might be a good fit!

Hi, I’m Maddie Scudiero, and I’m so glad you’re here. If you’re a college student, you’re navigating a time full of transitions, pressures, and questions—about identity, relationships, the future, and sometimes, just how to get through the week. Therapy can be a space to pause, reflect, and build tools that help you feel more grounded, capable, and connected. I view therapy as a collaborative process, where you and I work together as a team. Our relationship is at the core of this work—because growth happens when you feel safe, supported, and truly seen. I’ll show up authentically with you, and together we’ll clarify what you want to work on and check in regularly to make sure you feel like we're moving in a direction that matters to you. In our sessions, we’ll identify the areas where you might feel stuck—emotionally, socially, academically, or in your self-worth—and look for strategies that feel realistic and empowering. I like to think of these as “social experiments” you can try out between sessions. We’ll talk through what happened, what worked, and what didn’t—then fine-tune things so they feel more effective for you. It’s not about getting it perfect; it’s about learning through experience and being gentle with yourself as you grow. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, burnout, identity exploration, relationship challenges, or just feeling overwhelmed by life, I’m here to help you navigate it with curiosity, compassion, and clarity. You don’t have to do this alone—and you don’t have to have it all figured out. Let’s take it one step at a time, together.

We are a group practice of 11 therapists located in Lincoln Square in Chicago. We conduct in person as well as online therapy. We specialize in anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and grief and loss.

Welcome to Mind Body Behavioral Health, your premier destination for comprehensive healthcare services tailored to address your psychiatric, physical, and emotional needs! We are dedicated to guiding you towards optimal health and well-being. With a compassionate approach that integrates care for mind, body, and spirit, we strive to empower you on your journey to wellness. Explore our range of services designed to enhance your health and happiness, including treatment for depression, anxiety, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Personality disorders, trauma-related disorders, substance abuse, and other mental health illnesses. Join us on this transformative journey toward optimal well-being, where every individual is valued, heard, and empowered to live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

The Center for Religion and Psychotherapy is a not-for-profit organization offering psychotherapy and pastoral counseling for adults and adolescents, individuals and couples, since 1965. Fully accredited as a clinical and educational site by the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, the Center also offers education and consultation services. Clinical staff members are licensed by the state of Illinois, and have been trained both in psychodynamic psychotherapy and in the engagement of the spiritual and religious dynamics of human experience. Clinical staff at the Center offer a range of clinical services for individuals and couples, ranging from short-term, problem-focused counseling to long-term, in-depth psychotherapy. People come to the Center from the Chicagoland area, representing a variety of social, economic, ethnic, racial, and both religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Dr. Sarah Sanders is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and life transition issues. Dr. Sanders individualizes her treatment approach to the specific needs of each client, often combining dynamic-relational, cognitive-dialectical-behavioral, and systemic-cultural approaches. Her priority is helping you work through your concerns and make changes in your life in a way that feels effective, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. Dr. Sanders completed her predoctoral internship at Northwestern University and her postdoctoral fellowship at Harper College, gaining significant experience working with life-transition issues, identity development, relationship concerns, eating disorders, and student mental health. Areas of interest also include family dynamics, anxiety, and mood disorders. Dr. Sanders' practice location is just east of Michigan Avenue on Wacker Drive. If you're ready to schedule, you are welcome to do so directly by visiting the Allow Wellness website: www.allow-wellness.com.

I provide individual counseling to neurodivergent, anxious adults and young adults 18+. I aim to create a nonjudgmental, direct, supportive, and often humorous environment for neurodivergent, anxious adults, & struggling couples. I am experienced working with high profile, actors, lawyers, government workers, other therapists, and aspiring young adults, tailoring aspects of multiple different behavioral and relational approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure & Response Prevention, Prolonged Exposure, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Psychoeducation, Gottman Method Couples & Marital Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and I’m currently training in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). These evidence based therapies are designed to address a wide range of mental health concerns, from anxiety & adhd to complex trauma. My aim is to help you problem solve and come up with solutions that you think will best work for you. This is through providing talk therapy and a listening ear while also challenging you to think about situations in a different way then you have previously. Together, we can work through your struggles, build on your strengths, and help you achieve the life you envision.

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