Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

You may feeling like you are not supported, seen or heard by others. You could be feeling alone, frustrated or hurt. Perhaps you’ve been putting others’ needs first and allowing no space for yourself. This could lead to burnout, frustration or even depression. You deserve to have someone listen to you, and someone to talk to who is not judging you, your feelings or your situation. You can have space and time for yourself. I have always been drawn to helping people since I was a very young age. I know what it is like to feel frustrated with your everyday reality and fumbling to figure out what is the next best step forward. Through my own experience and work environment, I can firsthand confirm how helpful it is to lean on someone. I provide a warm, understanding, and grounded presence. I strongly encourage people to have self-love and acceptance as we begin to talk through problems and concerns. I'm dedicated to helping people shift towards the changes they want to see. I understand how difficult it is not to feel like yourself or be understood by others. You are not alone and deserve to be heard. I am dedicated to creating a healing space where we can explore your unique experiences, perspectives, and obstacles. I am here to support you no matter what you are coping with. Let’s work through things together.

Life is a bit of a masterpiece in the making, and I would be honored as an art therapist to guide you as you add new brushstrokes to your unique journey. It is truly beautiful to make the decision to invest in yourself, and I’m here to help you navigate your well being with genuineness, humor, candor, and a bit of quirk. I have specialized training in sex therapy, while other focus areas also include anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship issues, polyamory, sexual exploration/kink, and more. I’m deeply passionate about maternal mental health and the well-being of all women-identified individuals, and I’m committed to addressing the unique needs of your femininity with care and understanding. I strive to foster a safe, compassionate, and inclusive environment where diverse identities are valued and respected. Whether you're seeking support for perinatal mental health, reproductive/birth trauma, sexual health, or other concerns, I’m here to provide a supportive and nonjudgmental space where you can process challenges, uncover strengths, and grow. My Creative Approach My therapeutic style is deeply rooted in my expressive identity as a multidisciplinary artist, while also grounded in authenticity, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. I work to meet you where you are, collaborating to create a personalized roadmap for your healing journey. I’m passionate about using creativity as a pathway to healing because I’ve seen firsthand how the act of creating can unlock deep self-discovery and provide lasting change. Whether through painting, sketching, or hands-on crafts, I’ve witnessed how different mediums help people express what words often can’t. At the heart of our work together will be art therapy—a creative approach that fosters exploration, healing, and self-awareness. Art therapy invites you to trust the art-making process, engage in creative expression, and reflect on your work through emotions and body sensations. Each session is tailored to your unique needs, drawing from the techniques such as the Open Studio Process, Person-Centered Therapy, CBT, and Mindfulness. We’ll use art as a tool to connect with your inner world. No artistic experience is required—art therapy is about the process, not the product. Together, we’ll use creativity to help you explore your story, heal, and move forward.

I aim to create a space of warmth, respect and curiosity where, together, we can explore the nuance and depth of your story. While everyone's individual challenges differ, I believe that fundamentally, the process of feeling, experiencing and examining our struggles promotes growth—increased awareness, new ways of being, more empathy, different ways of relating to ourselves and others, and more meaning and connection. Please be in touch if you'd like to explore working together.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

It's been some time since you felt like you. Have you noticed that you been withdrawn? Overwhelmed? Maybe you are noticing that your feelings of being down, sad, worried, or anxious just aren't going away. Maybe you're unsure about the future of a relationship, that your life is turned upside down, or just feel that you aren't living the life you were meant to lead. You've thought about reaching out for therapy, but you weren't sure. It's ok. We are here. Reach out today. We help you feel like you again. Through engaging in counseling we will assist you in accomplishing your goals. We believe that each of us encounters our own challenges in the course of creating a full life and that through partnering with a helping professional the path of improving your own wellness may be a bit brighter. We strongly believe in each individual’s capacity for growth and insight. Engaging in therapy with one of our therapists and starting (or continuing) your healing process, we believe you can develop and strengthen your own inner light and we hope to share in this process with you. As your collaborative partner, our clinicians will use their attuned listening skills, reflections, and specialized training to provide quality, individualized, and counseling and psychotherapy. Taking the first step towards change is never easy, but is often rewarding. When you are ready to take a step on a new path, let us be there to help you strengthen your own Bright Light. Our clinicians work with young adults, college students, and adults who are diverse in their identities, life experiences, and backgrounds. Areas of expertise include treating anxiety, depression, life transitions/adjustments, emotion regulation, traumas and stressful experiences, cultural and racial stress, and relationship issues. Additionally, each of our clinicians have their own areas of expertise. You can learn more about our clinicians on our website.

My therapeutic style is one of flexibility, active engagement, and a commitment to helping my clients cultivate change in areas of their lives in which they feel stuck. Although people come to therapy for countless reasons, common themes that emerge in my work include relationship concerns, life transitions, identity issues, existential distress, and anxiety and depression. I value helping my clients develop self-compassion, interpersonal awareness, intentionality, and balance in their lives. With an appreciation for the many facets of identity that shape each person’s worldview, I offer a holistic and culturally-informed approach to therapy. Genuine curiosity and cultural humility are guiding forces as I prioritize understanding people within their unique contexts. Prior to private practice, my professional life included experience in university counseling centers and community mental health. As a former professional musician, I continue to maintain a passion for creative endeavors, which I integrate in my therapy work, especially with professional and emerging artists.

I absolutely love working with young folks who feel stuck, anxious, or alone in dealing with the stressors that life brings. I am a relational therapist that holds space for young adults to build connection, develop mindfulness, and explore what values will be motivating for their life choices. This work is rooted in prioritizing self-acceptance: one of the best gifts we can give ourselves in individual talk therapy. In a group therapy setting, I aim to create freedom for individuals to get better at feeling emotions and communicating them to others, as a way to navigate symptoms of anxiety, depression, or trauma. Let’s talk more about how I can help you explore self-doubt, dysregulated emotions, academic anxiety, peer conflict, grief, apathy, anger, addiction, shame, or sadness. The experience of emerging adults today is not hopeless; there is ample opportunity to build resources for connection. This connection creates confidence in your ability to cope, grow, and heal on the journey towards a meaningful life!

I approach therapy as a collaborative endeavor. I strive to create a warm and accepting space where clients can safely explore the roadblocks they are encountering. My belief is that we are all capable of being resilient; we all have strengths we can rely on to support us through confusing and challenging times. Through therapy, my clients feel empowered to discover new ways to understand themselves and relate to others. My expertise includes relationships, family issues, academic stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. Born and raised in Taiwan, and having later moved to the U.S. as an international student, I am deeply attuned to the excitement, opportunities for growth, and challenges of studying abroad and navigating new cultures. In addition to offering bilingual (English/Mandarin) psychotherapy, I actively investigate how language and culture shape our identities and the way we interact with the world around us. Throughout my professional career, I have been an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. At the University of Indianapolis, I was an ambassador for international students at the Center for Global Engagement. I led initiatives to foster cultural humility among staff at Purdue University, as well as workshops on culturally-informed approaches to self-care at the Asian and Asian American Resource and Cultural Center. I am committed to working with people struggling with discrimination, microaggressions, language barriers, and identity explorations. I completed my Doctoral Internship at Purdue University, Counseling and Psychological Services. As part of my clinical training, I worked at university counseling centers in the Midwest (DePauw University, Indiana State University) and hospitals in Taiwan. I obtained a doctoral degree in Psychology (Psy.D.) from the University of Indianapolis, a program accredited by the American Psychological Association.

We work with adults of all ages as well as teenagers. We see many clients who are working through anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, "failure to launch," and the effects of trauma. Our clinicians have expertise in neuro-diversity including ADHD/ADD and ASD. We have therapists with clinical interests in so-called “men’s issues” as well as therapists who identify as LGBTQIA+ and who speak Mandarin. We facilitate a process by which clients are able to build their resiliency skills, empowering them, long-term, to survive the inevitable challenges of life.

NK Psychological Services is a consultation-centered practice providing comprehensive psychological services across the lifespan. We offer psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families, along with neuropsychological and diagnostic assessment. Our psychodynamically-informed clinicians work collaboratively, bringing multiple perspectives to complex cases. We work with children, adolescents, and adults facing challenges from life transitions to longstanding patterns that no longer serve them.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Bella Valore Therapy specializes in individualized treatment for each client and couple, intermixing holistic practices with evidence based psychological healing interventions. This creates a safe space to explore needs, desires, relationships, traumas, and more, by bringing awareness to the self. We can then identify patterns, communication, internalized belief systems, and thought processes in which we operate. Treatment can include a variety of holistic modalities to create healing that has never been possible before. This will allow yourself the time, space, and attention it takes to find healing and create the meaningful changes in your life that you desire.

I'm a bilingual therapist offering both in-person and virtual sessions. Whether you're navigating life transitions, pursuing personal growth, or simply in need of support, I commend you for taking this meaningful step. My goal is to create a space where you feel safe, understood, and genuinely supported. Together, we’ll explore your experiences, uncover your strengths, and develop practical tools to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. I bring a unique perspective to my practice, rooted in connection, trust, and shared understanding. My approach is shaped by my professional experience, education, and personal journey—including my roles as a wife, mother, large family dynamic, and as a Chicago native. I look forward to the opportunity to support you on your path to growth and healing.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

SpringSource Psychological Center was founded by two Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologists as a collaborative practice to help individuals heal from eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship concerns, and life stressors and transitions. While we work with clients across the lifespan, we have a particular interest in early adulthood, due to the number of transitions and demands that occur during this phase of life. We have a diverse range of clinicians with many years of insight oriented and skills-based training, so we can accommodate both long and short term psychotherapy, dependent upon the client's needs. We have clinicians with expertise in Latinx issues and LGBTQ+ issues, and we have the ability to conduct sessions in Spanish and Russian. We strive to be a warm, welcoming practice where we work with individuals to improve their emotional, behavioral and mental health.

I create a space where you are encouraged to express your most authentic self without the fear of judgment or the need to appear in a certain light, all while being witnessed, supported, and challenged. I tend to work best with individuals who possess some insight into their behavior and have a sense of curiosity about themselves and the world around them. At a certain point, reoccurring struggles lead us to look for a therapy to not just lessen the effects of mental health symptoms, but that engages us in a collaborative and authentic experience to produce long-term growth and self-understanding. Through a strong therapeutic relationship, I help individuals understand how past experiences shape current thoughts and behaviors, allowing them to take agency and confront/change what is problematic with greater clarity, intention, and effectivity. I have formal training in psychodynamic therapy and often see individuals multiple times per week. Searching for a therapist is difficult, and oftentimes it's hard to tell who might be a good fit from reading profiles alone. I am happy to speak with perspective patients/clients over the phone before scheduling anything concrete. This way, we can both get a better sense for whether or not we feel that we'd be a good fit to work together. I tend to be laid-back and relaxed, mixing in humor often. I draw primarily from my psychoanalytic training, which emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship, as well as developmental and childhood experiences. Additionally, I have experience with cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, and mindfulness therapies.

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.

First of all, I appreciate your time reviewing my profile. Here's what you can expect from our work together: I deliver evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally competent treatment for a wide range of mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders. In every session, I aim to empower clients with mental health education, acknowledge strengths, and bring compassion and honesty to vulnerable moments in therapy. It is my hope that we can spend time understanding how past experiences are influencing the present and work towards more authenticity and self-led actions in the future. Skilled in Acceptance and Commitment, Solution-Focused, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques, I assist clients to develop deeper self-awareness and mindfulness, process underlying feelings and beliefs, improve psychological flexibility, and strengthen coping skills as clients work towards their specific goals. I received my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling along with an additional certifications in trauma, sex-informed counseling, substance use counseling, and grief and loss. I use an integrated, person-centered approach to treat a variety of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, panic, life/education/career transitions, trauma, struggles with interpersonal relationships and attachment, ADHD, self-esteem, chronic mental health issues, and less healthy coping mechanisms such as substance use, people-pleasing, self-criticism, and other self-punishing behaviors. Please reach out if you have any specific questions/concerns, I would be happy to address them with you. Certifications: LCPC, CADC, ADHD-CCPS, CCTP, CAGCS, CSTIP

At Piece by Piece we offer comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for children, adults, and older adults facing a range of cognitive, behavioral and emotional concerns. We have locations in Oak Brook and Lake Forest and now in Chicago in the Lincoln Park area. We are now offering services including therapy, executive functioning coaching as well as telehealth evaluations so we can offer services to a wider population who may not have access otherwise. We also offer neuropsychological evaluations in Spanish. Common reasons for referrals include ADHD, ASD, learning disorders, dementia, brain injury and various neurological conditions. Our evaluations are fast, with a typical two-week turnaround time and we work closely with referring providers to ensure all referral questions are addressed. We accept most insurance as well as offer self-pay and pro-bono options.