Therapists for college students near University of Chicago
When looking for a therapist, it can often be a challenge to figure out who will be a good fit based on a bio and a picture. Sometimes there is something very specific that we know we need from therapy, sometimes we are just going in with a vague sense, and it can often feel vulnerable. There is a quote that I often return to in my work: “healing happens at the speed of trust”. When we start our work together, we will be figuring out how to build that trust and communication so that you can do the work and exploration that you need to do to get the most out of therapy. I specialize in supporting individuals navigating addiction and substance use. I also enjoy working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, isolation, and effects of trauma. My work is grounded in a harm reduction philosophy that aims to meet people exactly where they are and recognizes that we are all experts in our own lives. I won’t have all of the answers, but hope to work alongside you. I approach therapy with deep curiosity and a relational lens, believing that meaningful change grows from genuine connection and collaboration. I like getting to know people and find one of the most profound things to come from therapy is a feeling of being understood.
A fulfilling life is not about the absence of problems, but about how you choose to deal with them. We utilize a systemic, respectful, client-centered, and inclusive approach to therapy focused on social justice and shared humanity. Therapy is both an art and a science. Our therapists are trained in effective, evidence-based therapies carried out in a compassionate, personalized way. We always prioritize the relationship with our clients, in combination with skillful interventions that strive to meet your goals. Our practice is culturally competent, anti-racist, LGBTQ+, sex worker, kink, and poly affirming. We believe that human beings are wired for connection. We strive to help you heal yourself and your relationships through honest assessment, courageous communication, self-improvement, and authentic connection. We provide individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy to the communities of Oak Park and the Chicagoland area. Our therapists are able to see clients virtually anywhere in the state of Illinois, as well as Wisconsin and Florida.
Our team is composed of clinicians who value diversity and acceptance. We combine education with experience to deliver professional, effective, personalized counseling to our clients. Our goal is for our clients to be seen and heard and feel like their voices matter. In our client relationships, we function as guides to support and coaches to encourage progress and healing. We treat clinical issues (stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, etc.) through a relational lens. We explore how you function in your relationships, how they may be impacting current challenges and how they can be improved to help you move forward. We promise to treat you with respect and integrity. We are affirming and allied with no bias towards race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, or socioeconomic status. We desire to help you grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward to create the life you want.
We are all about empowering women and femme-folks through psychotherapy! We're located in Chicago and see clients virtually across the state of Illinois. We love to work with college students around relationship issues, stress, and overall managing their mental health.
Hi! I am a clinical social worker with about 15 years of experience working across the lifespan and really enjoy working with young adults. I am in Lakeview/Lincoln Park above the Core Yoga building, and in network with BCBS PPO plans.
Beginning therapy can often seem daunting. It can be the first time you are admitting something isn’t working, or you aren’t feeling okay. I want to provide the space and time for you to sit with that possibility, work together to understand those thoughts and feelings, and use your experiences to guide you toward new, affirming spaces and connections. Together, we can support you in navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, ADHD, neurodivergence, identity and LGBTQ+ related concerns, as well as relationship challenges, family dynamics, and major life transitions. Whether you’re beginning therapy or returning to it, I look forward to connecting and working together.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
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.
Kevin holds a Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University – Fullerton as well as a Master of Music in Music Therapy from Illinois State University. His training includes extensive clinical experience in inpatient psychiatric care, medical and oncology settings, college counseling, and community-based mental health. Kevin is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), and his education integrates relational, trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral, and multicultural frameworks to support individuals, couples, and families across diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Culture shapes what we believe, how we act, and how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. Sometimes these influences clash with our authenticity, leaving us feeling disconnected, uncertain, or overwhelmed. But feeling stuck doesn’t mean staying stuck; you have the capacity to grow, change, and rediscover who you are. Together, we can explore the cultural messages you’ve absorbed and ask: Is this truly me, someone else’s expectation, or a mixture of both? In our work together, you can reclaim your story, challenge limiting expectations, and step into a more authentic and empowered self. As inner shifts take root, they ripple into your relationships, goals, and daily life. Our work together isn’t only about the past, it’s about creating a present and future that truly feels like yours. Whether you are seeking personal insight, wanting to change behaviors, wishing to heal from past traumas, pursuing a sense of connection, and/or looking to reclaim your authentic self, the most important and often most challenging step is starting the process. I would be honored to support you on your journey.
Areas of Expertise (include but not limited to) Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Trauma Stress Management Life Transitions (academic, occupational, relational, familial) Relationship Challenges Identity and Expression
Meridian Psychiatric Partners provides best-in-class mental health services to children, adolescents, emerging-adults, and adults with an expert team of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. Specialists cover many areas, including mood and anxiety disorders, women's mental health, child and adolescent mental health, addictions, eating disorders, ADHD and personality disorders. Let’s work together to achieve your goals of symptom remission, better functioning and improved well being.
Erika Siesennop, Beckie Magnuson, and Sarita Aguirre are Registered Dietitians who specialize in working with individuals who struggle with disordered eating and body image. An anti-diet, weight-inclusive approach. We accept BCBS PPO and Blue Choice PPO plans.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Jennifer Harris PsyD & Associates is a group of warm, down-to-earth therapists offering both in-person and telehealth psychotherapy. We’re based in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, just a few blocks south of DePaul University, and provide telehealth services throughout Illinois and other PSYPACT states. Our therapists work well with students navigating big transitions, questions about identity, or simply looking for someone real to talk to. We aim to create a space where you can feel comfortable being yourself. We’re not afraid to use humor or have honest conversations about what’s really going on. We offer a diverse team of therapists, including those who speak Mandarin and Arabic, and we welcome clients from all backgrounds. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, lonely, or just stuck, we’re here to help you sort through it. Our therapists have specialized training in treating the following areas: Anxiety, Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Family & Relationship Issues Identity Development and Life Transitions International Students Acculturation Depression, Self-Esteem Concerns Trauma & PTSD Get to know us and our different specialties at www.jhpsyd.com
Thank you for honoring the voice inside that has led you here. While it may feel small, searching for this resource was your first step towards healing and growth. I welcome the opportunity to walk with you in your next steps. As an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) practitioner, I will focus our work on identifying your core values in order to shape a life path that is meaningful to you. We begin by identifying the motivators in your life. We will spend time learning how to engage with your inner critic in more helpful ways. We can work to differentiate who you are at your core from the things you are struggling to change. We can work to accept your life experiences, rather than avoiding them, by using tools to reduce the impact of the emotions that come with them. My therapeutic approach honors the power and freedom of setting healthy boundaries, confronting harmful past narratives, releasing habits and behaviors that do not serve you, clarifying the values you hold, and rediscovering what nourishes you. My approach incorporates evidence-based ACT practices including psychoeducation, mindfulness, and somatic activities. In addition to ACT, I utilize the Person-In-Environment framework to understand my clients’ stories as a whole. Women and Girls: Anxiety, Pressure, and Executive Function: We receive messages everywhere we turn - media, religion, family, friends - about what we should do, think, value, feel, and be. The volume of these external forces amplify each other, and can drown out the more quiet internal voice. You may lose track of that voice, of YOU. It can be transformational to identify these influences, separate them out, and see them more clearly. In therapy, we can work together to name these systems and understand how they’ve been impacting you. We will turn down the volume on the external, and create a safe and quiet atmosphere for your internal voice to be heard. When you can hear your internal voice, you can begin to understand what choices and values align with your true self. There is a path forward that is guided by your voice. I enjoy working with clients who are looking to change their anxiety symptoms. This often includes neurodivergent clients working to adapt to their life and environment, as well as improving their environment to meet their needs. I love incorporating practical tasks that can alleviate daily overwhelm, challenge with transitions, and perfectionism. Queer/LGBTQIA+ Individuals and Couples: Queer people experience the full spectrum of human emotions, while existing under homophobic and transphobic systems. This intersection can land us in emotionally intense and vulnerable places, at times without confidence in the support systems around us. Our search for emotional safety can at times be isolating, frustrating, and painful. Queerness is a personal identity, a culture, and an unchangeable way of existing. It is a crucial thread in the fabric of who you are. I know firsthand the importance of a therapist who understands this positionality. I am passionate about working with queer/LGBTQIA+ clients who are at any stage in their journey of self discovery, acceptance, and love. I bring a queer perspective, and will quickly understand the complexities of navigating a heteronormative world as a queer person, couple, and family. In my work with queer couples, I use an Imago therapeutic approach for better communication and understanding that can lead to a stronger relationship. I enjoy working with queer couples to find peace and support in their relationships.
Young adulthood can be both exciting and overwhelming—full of choices, change, and uncertainty. Whether you're graduating from school or navigating college, starting your career, facing relationship challenges, or feeling stuck, anxious, or down, therapy can be a grounding space to sort through it all. I understand the complex stressors that come with early adult life, and I am deeply passionate about supporting adults navigating a range of emotional and psychological challenges, such as anxiety, depression, life transitions, academic concerns, relationship troubles, and grief. My therapeutic style is compassionate and empathetic—I work to create a safe, supportive environment where you feel seen and heard. I also believe in the importance of being direct and gently challenging when needed, to help you grow and move toward meaningful change. I tailor my work to meet your unique goals and with respect to your lived experience.
Hello there, I’m Elisabeth and I have spent my career working with adults across the life span; much of my experience lies in working with folks experiencing challenges within the developmental transitions of adulthood, such as parenting, midlife, and aging. As a therapist I value and aim for a collaborative, warm, and active approach to your concerns. Perhaps you are coming to a crossroads in your life – a challenging life transition, a shift in roles, relationships, or your identity. You may be experiencing increased stress, grief or loss, or physical or mental health challenges. Perhaps you are rethinking what is truly important to you in your “one wild and precious life” (Mary Oliver, The Summer Day). It may be time to find an experienced professional to walk with you as you figure out what’s next, make a change, or how to cope better. My belief is that therapy starts simply with a conversation. Over time and with “a good fit” in the therapeutic relationship, these conversations can lead to a deep, trusting partnership with the capacity to promote self-awareness, growth and healing. My approach is client-centered; you are the expert of your own life, and my role as a therapist is to listen empathically, respond authentically, and use my skills and training to walk alongside you as a compassionate facilitator of your own unique experience. Like many therapists, my way of working is eclectic, yet also “evidence-guided”; this means I tailor my approach to each client informed by my areas of clinical expertise and experience, client preferences and needs, and what clinical research recommends. My work as an adjunct professor for graduate students at UIC, also informs my practice. As a social worker, I approach my work through an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and culturally sensitive lens. This lens requires continual refocusing, awareness of my positionality and privilege, and is constantly evolving. Taking the first steps to finding a therapist can be overwhelming, but if this profile has caught your attention, please get in touch with me to set up a free consultation. I am in-network with all BCBS PPO plans (including ACA plans), United Healthcare/ Optum, and Cigna/Evernorth.
As therapists, we work to build a genuine relationship with each client, create a safe space for discovery, and aim to understand that individual. This allows clients to safely explore alongside the therapist, and begin to see themselves with greater clarity, depth, and honesty. Good, effective therapy will likely not happen overnight (though exciting and wonderful eureka moments certainly occur along the way), and trust, honesty, and humor are invaluable to a beneficial therapeutic relationship. We believe that laughter and tears are equally powerful but that therapeutic change is measured in neither. We believe the act and effort of genuinely and non-judgmentally understanding each client allows for lasting therapeutic change to take place. While each clinician at Dr. Blehart & Associates has a unique method and skillset, we believe it is the underlying interpersonal style and ability to connect and understand that rests at the heart of our work. Dr. Blehart & Associates offers the highest level of expertise, care, and access for adults and adolescents in Chicago. Services are available in English, Spanish, German, and Somali.