Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

I have experience working with students who are diagnosed with ADHD, on the Autism Spectrum, identify with LGBTQ+ and who have anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. I like to create a safe and comfortable environment for my clients. I am accepting both virtual and in person clients at this time.

Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling school, relationships, identity questions, and pressure to “have it all together.” My role is to offer a grounded, compassionate space where you don’t have to perform or explain yourself perfectly to be understood. I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with experience working with college students and young adults navigating anxiety, trauma, depression, identity development, relationship concerns, self-worth struggles, and life transitions. I’ve worked in a variety of settings including higher education, group therapy, and community-based car. My approach is collaborative, relational, and trauma-informed. I don’t believe therapy is about fixing you. It’s about helping you understand yourself more deeply, unlearn patterns that no longer serve you, and build a life that feels aligned with who you actually are. Together, we work at your pace, honoring your history while focusing on practical tools that support emotional regulation, boundaries, confidence, and resilience. Students often tell me they appreciate that sessions feel both reflective and grounding. We can explore the “why” behind your experiences while also building skills you can use day to day. I welcome clients who feel stuck, disconnected, emotionally overwhelmed, or unsure how to trust themselves again. Reaching out for support is a meaningful step, not a sign of weakness. If you’re looking for a therapist who is thoughtful, honest, and genuinely invested in your growth, I’d be honored to work with you.

Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago provides exceptional counseling and therapy services to individuals of all ages, couples, and families from a faith-based perspective. We would love to work with you to find a counselor well-suited to talk with you about your life situation.

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Therapy is a space for us to show up as we are, and be met with warmth, consideration, and trust. I strive to create a comforting and collaborative therapeutic space where we can discover what is uniquely meaningful, useful, and healing for you. In addition to my strengths-based approach, I implement a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My areas of focus include (but are not limited to) self-esteem, identity exploration, life transitions, values work, relational concerns, anxiety, and mood disorders. I work with all ages, but most commonly with adults. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, seeking to provide a safe space to heal and grow, for all people. I welcome those who are well-seasoned to therapy, brand new to it, or somewhere in between. If you feel ready to begin or continue your mental health journey, I am eager to hear from you and support your process!

Therapy is a place that balances acceptance and change. Maybe you have noticed an imbalance in your life and are struggling to either find out or work towards what matters most to you. I want to be your collaborator as we work towards what you care about by integrating mindfulness, looking at past patterns, and understanding how larger societal systems impact you. My goal is to help you live a life you feel connected to and are proud of. The success of our work together is dependent upon the establishment of a solid relationship between us and collaboration. My areas of specialty include processing emotion, identity, relational conflict, depression, anxiety, self-compassion, and LGBTQ concerns. I have experience in multiple settings, including private practice, community agency work, and group practices. Therapy can be a difficult process to begin. Call or email to set up a 15-minute phone consultation. We'll discuss what is bringing you to therapy and if I will be a good fit. Please include your insurance carrier and primary concern in your initial voicemail or e-mail message.

I aim to make therapy a space where, above all, two humans can come together to connect, while working to understand and process the difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations that come along with life. I work primarily with adults, and always seek to create a therapeutic space based on connection, empathy, understanding, and sometimes humor. I specialize in the treatment of OCD and anxiety diagnoses, as well as experiences with chronic pain, illness, and other somatic-based problems. Others areas within my experience include: depression, trauma-based diagnoses, relational problems, and psychodynamic informed talk therapy. I aim to make therapy a space where, above all, two humans can come together to connect, while working to understand and process the difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations that come along with life. I work primarily with adults, and always seek to create a therapeutic space based on connection, empathy, understanding, and sometimes humor. I specialize in the treatment of OCD and anxiety diagnoses, as well as experiences with chronic pain, illness, and other somatic-based problems. Others areas within my experience include: depression, trauma-based diagnoses, relational problems, and psychodynamic informed talk therapy. I have experience and expertise working in CBT, specializing in the modality of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). I also utilize techniques and philosophies from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) and RO-DBT (Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy). We will work to clarify your strengths, current obstacles in life, and create a path forward.

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I earned my master’s degree in social work, with a concentration in mental health, from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at UIC in 2017. Since then, I have worked in multiple settings, including residential treatment, schools, and traditional clinical placements. I have a passion for doing this work and absolutely love my job. I have worked primarily with adolescents and families from diverse backgrounds, and I am excited to work with clients from all walks of life, whether they are on specific journeys of growth and healing, or just trying to figure some things out. I believe that everyone already has within them the inner strength and talents they need to create the life they want. Sometimes, we just need some help recognizing or tapping into our gifts. I’m a firm believer in the strengths-based approach, along with cognitive behavioral and reality therapy, and work from a combination of these perspectives. This means that in essence, I believe that learning the how and why behind the choices we have made in the past, is the most important part of learning how to choose wisely in the future. My goal is to create a safe place where we can talk openly about those choices without judgment, process the consequences both good and bad, and progress towards making different choices leading to different outcomes.

New Light is a Lincoln Park based therapy practice, providing in-person and telehealth sessions for children, families, and adults. Founded to extend our expertise beyond the school setting, our clinicians have experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families with a range of presenting challenges. With a wide variety of clinical approaches including psychodynamic talk therapy, play therapy, EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy, our foremost goal is to provide each client with individualized, compassionate, and culturally sensitive therapy. At New Light, we support and include people of any ability level, gender, age, race, religion, or sexual orientation

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I approach my work grounded in the belief that understanding the deeper layers of your experience can create meaningful and lasting change. I work collaboratively to explore how past relationships, unconscious patterns, and emotional experiences shape your present life. I often work with individuals who are navigating challenges related to self-esteem, anxiety, life transitions, relationship stressors, grief, and trauma. Through a consistent, attuned, and compassionate therapeutic relationship, I aim to create a space where you can feel understood, reflect more deeply, and develop new ways of relating to yourself and others.

I have extensive experience working with young adults and adults struggling with issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, trauma, ADHD, life-transitions, relationships, low self-esteem, college/grad school adjustment, communication issues, boundary issues and athletic and performance psychology. My goal as a therapist is to assist clients to develop positive and healthy coping skills that empower them to navigate current and future issues while improving self-regulation and creating a stronger and healthier mindset.

Are you looking for support in order to achieve the kind of life you envision? Maybe you are struggling to succeed in one of life's domains including socially, work, school, or family relationships. I would be honored to have an opportunity to work with you. The warm and supportive environment in my office helps clients feel comfortable working through personal challenges such as depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, family conflict, ADHD (adult and children), trauma, job stress and other life stressors. I have worked extensively helping adults, adolescents, couples, and families. I employ a human-centered cognitive behavioral approach with a solution-focused emphasis. Often the first step is the hardest. The voice you will hear on the other end of the phone will be sincerely interested in helping you.

Whatever challenges are impacting your life, you don't have to face them alone. That's where I come in – to help you heal, gain new insights and perspectives, and develop the tools you need to best care for yourself. At the heart of my approach is building an authentic, egalitarian therapeutic relationship where you feel safe, heard, and best able to work towards your goals in a supportive environment. My primary population focus is LGBTQIA+ clients, and as a queer woman myself, I believe creating a safe, affirming space is key to successful counseling. I provide therapy that is culturally humble, trauma informed, and strengths-based. As a creative person, I am keen on customizing counseling to you and your passions in life. My integrative counseling approach combines humanistic/person-centered principles with techniques including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), creativity, and mindfulness. Since every client has different needs, goals, and nuances, the two of us will work together to develop a treatment plan that is as unique as you and able to grow with you. I graduated from Roosevelt University with an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I completed my internship year at Renew You Counseling Center where I worked with a diverse array of individuals, couples, and groups ages 18-65. In my free time, I love playing guitar, rock climbing, going on nature walks, writing, performing stand-up comedy, gaming, and spending time with my loved ones and two cats. Reaching out for help is never easy, so my aim is to provide unconditional acceptance of all aspects of your identity and experience. My hope is to support you on your journey of healing and growth.

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.

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I am forever amazed by the natural strengths and resiliencies that individual possess. And even with this life is hard. All that we experience and navigate can be overwhelming and can leave us with a jumbled mess of emotions, hurts, and fears that are that can feel daunting and sometimes even debilitating. But you don't need to go through this alone. Together we can begin to better understand your patterns of behavior, thought processes and coping mechanisms, in order to discover and change those that are no longer serving you. We will compassionately face what you have and are experiencing and how those shape you while also moving towards more fullness in yourself and your relationships. I enjoy working with both individuals and couples and take a person-centered, trauma informed approach where holistic care for the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual parts of self are all important. I strive to tailor my approach to meet the client’s needs where they are at and to draw upon the clients’ natural strengths and resiliencies. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and executive functioning, relationship challenges and spirituality challenges. Additional I spent fair amount of life abroad both as a child and adult and am intimately acquainted with the challenges of transitions, including the losses and grief, as well as struggles with belonging and cultural identity, that can accompany those transitions. I believe this experience positions me to understand and support others with similar experiences and challenges. If you have further questions feel free to email me, or set up a consultation call on our practice website!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Lincoln Park Psychology was founded by Dr. Kati Wax, with the mission of providing comprehensive, affirming, and ethical clinical services to a variety of populations. Lincoln Park Psychology offers services for adults, children, adolescents, and families, as well as consultation and supervision services to organizations such as schools, classrooms, and mental health programs. We believe that each client is an individual with unique strengths, abilities, and challenges and we work closely with you to assess your specific needs, set attainable goals, and help you reach your potential. Our clinicians are skilled at working with a variety of presenting issues including: mood disturbances, depression, anxiety, fear, trauma, Autism Spectrum Disorder, relationship issues, family conflict, social skill deficits, career stress, young adult transitions, self-image issues, identity building, loss, and many others. As dynamic human beings, no one issue looks the same in every person; therefore, we value each client's history, personality, disposition, and needs.