Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL
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There are many ways we learn to cope with hurt, stress, and loss and, given our past experiences and upbringing, these ways can often involve avoidance – wanting to escape or numb the pain. This may look like excessive screen use, emotional eating, self-medicating, isolating, self-harm, etc. If you’re noticing that what helped you get by until now no longer works, if it’s impacting your ability to show up in your life and engage with the things you care about most, then I want to be your ally and support you through the process of change. My approach is collaborative, non-judgmental, and warm. In each session I prioritize creating a safe space for you to explore what brings you into therapy while providing a constructive environment, utilizing evidence-based approaches, to help you learn healthier coping strategies and facilitate the change you want to make. I want you to know that you are not alone and asking for help is an act of courage. I want to hear your story and have the privilege to accompany you on your journey of self-exploration, healing, and growth. To quote Brené Brown, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
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Are you struggling with the transition to college while navigating new responsibilities? You’re bright, creative, and motivated and yet finishing anything feels impossible. You call yourself “lazy” when tasks pile up and feel ashamed that simple things seem hard. You want clarity about your brain, tools that actually work, and a therapist who gets it. I am passionate about working with college students untangle executive-function struggles, perfectionism, trauma, and low self-esteem. I’m especially passionate about supporting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ folks. Together we’ll kick shame out of the driver’s seat and build self‑compassion, understanding, and systems that fit you. Sessions are flexible and center your needs: if we need to laugh, move, play, or cry—we will. We explore the “what” with curiosity, not the “why can’t you just…”. I use strengths-based reframes, coping tools, and psychoeducation so you understand how your brain works and can actually use the skills between sessions. Fit matters. If you’re craving relief from shame, clearer systems that fit your life, and a space where all parts of you are welcome, let’s talk. I offer virtual and in-person sessions, a free 15‑minute consult, and accept insurance/sliding scale options when available.
Hello and welcome! Whatever you may be experiencing, I commend you for being here. It’s no simple task to address the challenges you may be facing, but I believe it is the most important step forward. My clinical approach is trauma-informed, strength-based, intersectional, and person-centered while utilizing psychodynamic and somatic modalities. I have experience working with individuals who face difficulties with stress, anxiety, loss, life transitions, self-esteem, relationship/family issues, identity development, trauma, burnout, and more. In our sessions, you'll l find a safe space to explore your personal history and encounter internal thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions while reclaiming a path toward security and equilibrium. Alongside helping you achieve your goals, my role is to foster an environment of compassion, collaboration, and confidence. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Hi, I’m Daphne Black — Here to Support You Through Life’s Transitions As a licensed clinical social worker, life coach, and adjunct professor at a prestigious University, I bring over two decades of experience helping individuals—especially college students—navigate anxiety, identity, academic stress, relationship struggles, and major life changes. College is a time of growth, but it can also feel overwhelming. Whether you’re balancing coursework with personal responsibilities, managing grief, or facing uncertainty about your future, I provide a safe, supportive space to help you process, heal, and move forward with clarity and confidence. My clinical work is grounded in empathy, evidence-based practices, and a deep understanding of the challenges young adults face. With my background in both mental health and higher education, I meet you where you are—with compassion and insight.
As an inclusive therapist and adopted individual, I create a therapeutic space that feels safe, supportive, and honors the intersectionality of your identity. My experience centers around working with children, adolescents, and adults, and I specialize in the treatment of anxiety, depression, grief, identity exploration, trauma, in addition to obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Wherever you are in your journey, my goal is to meet you with openness and a genuine desire to understand your experience. Through a person-centered approach, I draw from evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention, dialectical behavior therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Mindful that therapy is as individual as you are, I take time to get to know what matters to you and tailor our work to fit your values and goals. I am committed to therapeutic work where all aspects of you are acknowledged, respected, and valued. At the core of my practice is upholding cultural humility, and I would be honored to walk alongside you and provide a space where you can learn, regulate, and reflect.
Daniel Lovan, LPC (He/Him) is an LGBTQIA+ therapist specializing in trauma-informed therapy for adolescents and adults. Daniel earned his MA in Community Counseling from Loyola University Chicago and has extensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) that informs his use of other evidence-based practices such as CBT, ACT, and Exposure Therapy. Daniel is also trained in and utilizes Written Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and DBT Prolonged Exposures as discreet trauma protocols for clients suffering from acute trauma symptoms. Due to his history and love of teaching in group therapy settings, Daniel emphasizes psychoeducation and a mindful, non-judgmental approach to help his clients see themselves in a more understanding and self-compassionate way that allows them to strip away the shame, guilt, and fear preventing them from curating their desired life worth living. Daniel prioritizes teaching DBT Skills, Polyvagal Theory, and Somatic experiences in his work with individuals, couples, and family systems. “If you’ve ever felt like you needed someone who just gets it, or if you’ve ever wanted a therapist who feels like a “real person” then you’ve come to the right place. How can I ask you to be your true, vulnerable self without also being vulnerable myself? I want to be on your journey of highs and lows with you and to teach you concrete skills along the way that will help you break free from patterns that you feel powerless to change. I’m looking forward to working with you and teaching you to see yourself, the world, and others, in totally new ways!”
We are here to help people. It’s what we do and who we are. We don’t feel the need to rattle off clinical jargon, write for academic journals or pretend we’ve got all the answers. Our therapy specialties include anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, conflict & trust. We listen with an open heart and help you see options, find clarity, address issues. Your concerns guide our therapeutic approach. We each have diverse specialties so you can choose one of our licensed therapists that fits you. Sometimes you instantly click with a therapist. Other times, you don’t. We want to make sure people get the help they need, even if that means referring you to a mental health therapist outside our practice. Our Chicago community has counted on our psychotherapy practice for over 20 years. The on-site & online therapy services we provide range from individual therapy, couples therapy, mindfulness and child therapy. It’s a true privilege knowing that we have created a highly respected resource for our neighbors. We are an inclusive practice serving individuals, couples and families of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races and ethnicities. All are welcome.
When we are caught in mental distress, we need a trusted partner to help us face our challenges and act from a place of honesty and courage. This creative partnership provides a secure and supportive connection in which to experience solace, find joy, and transform difficulty into resilience. Art therapy is an established mental health profession that helps clients to access a visual entry point for deepened self-awareness. Through guided engagement with the innate creative process, a new way opens to safely explore and better regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This creative lens is integrated with holistic evidence-based counseling models for effective, personalized care. From a renewed place of expanded perspective and self-acceptance, clients are able to live more emotionally balanced, fulfilling lives in accordance with their personal values and developmental goals.
At Bridgepoint Psychology Center clients are the experts of their own lives and we, the clinicians, are here to provide support, guidance, and foster reflection. As a center that honors and celebrates diversity, Bridgepoint provides a safe space for clients to connect with their authentic selves. Equipped with unique specializations and advanced training, Bridgepoint Psychology Center provides superior care to individuals, couples, and families in the Chicagoland area.
As a queer therapist I have since worked with folx navigating areas including anxiety, depression, life transitions, neurodiversity, relationships, stress, trauma, substance use, OCD, and more.
Hello, I am Dr. Calvin Young. I am a Veteran of the United States’ Army where I was trained as a special forces medic. As a mental health clinician my training includes credentials a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology; with a minor in Psychology. I hold a Master of Sciences degree in Human Services Administration; along with a Master of Science degree in Counseling. That credential was earned with an emphasis in Addiction Treatment and Psychometrics [clinical psychology core]. My academic training and credential includes as well, a Master of Arts degree in Human and Organizational Development. I completed most of the dissertation process to be awarded a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Human and Organizational Development and I am the holder of an earned doctorate (PhD) in psychology. I have been nationally(USA) -qualified as a Forensic Assessment and Substance Abuse counseling professional. With over two decades of experience in the field of applied social and behavioral sciences under my (expanding) belt. I have treated patients in inpatient, residential, hospital, and out-patient settings on an Individual basis; or as a part of a therapeutic Treatment Team. My experiences include treating couples, addressing family issues, dealing with organization’s psychological needs-and working as a mental health provider to stakeholders in the Legal Justice system as an Expert Witness in matters related to mental health, addiction and the Law. My forensic work has taken place in the United States, Canada and in the Caribbean (Jamaica). My clinical experiences include work with juvenile and adult substance abusers and sex offenders. And I have treated victims and perpetrators of violence. I have well over a decade of experiences as a contracted provider of clinical mental health and substance abuse treatment. I have been employed at several universities as a professor of Counseling, Psychology, and Sociology, among other related discipline areas. I am an experienced educator, who has taught at the secondary (High School), tertiary and graduate levels. I have trained and conducted seminars and workshops with professional and lay audiences for multiple topics in mental health and addictions. My treatment philosophy is shaped by an acceptance that the successful psychotherapeutic alliance, clients are best assisted with accomplishing the goals identified in therapy through and in a manner that –as much as possible- integrates and involves spiritual systems (church, temple, mosque, etc.), local communities, other social services organization, along with businesses, school districts, and even legislators as the most effective and beneficial manner of moving clients forward in order to achieve and maintain changed behaviors. My overall philosophy of care is eclectic as I do not think it is appropriate to place human beings in a box. I incorporate a wellness model in my psychotherapeutic work utilizing an integrative approach that incorporates the best of conventional and alternative medicine (CAM) into my treatment plan with my clients as as I understand that if the physiological is not considered and addressed, then the psychological and psychiatric will be poorly or at best only partially healed.
Fred Waltzer, LCSW provides psychotherapy to clients with mood and emotional difficulties. His approach is focused on improving behavioral and emotional abilities to cope with daily life. His focus is helping clients reach personal goals related to social and emotional well-being. The techniques utilized are practical and focused on real world results. If you are coping with depression or anxiety, approaches will include identifying thoughts, behaviors and feelings which increase both well-being and relationships. Mr. Waltzer has worked in healthcare and educational settings. Most often interventions are short term result in productive changes in how his clients interact with their environment. . . .
It takes a lot of courage to reach out to someone for help. To share your most private thoughts and feelings with someone you don’t know. Yet entering into a relationship with a therapist is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. Whether you're an 18 - 22 year old student facing the new challenges of college life or a returning student coming back to school after years away, the demands of college can take a real toll on your mental health. I'm here to help you sort out your feelings and organize your thoughts, to help you focus on what really matters to you. I practice depth-oriented psychodynamic therapy. This means that I will spend time listening to you to fully understand what's troubling you and how you got here. Through that shared understanding, we will chart a path towards healing.
Do you find yourself feeling anxious or overwhelmed, be it in social settings, at school, or navigating through the challenges of everyday life? Are you grappling with the burdens of past or recent relationship breakdowns, losses, or circumstances that seem beyond your control? Are you yearning for change and seeking a path towards peace and stability? Together, we can work towards forging that path. We can aim to transform your life into one marked by tranquility, enriched by meaningful relationships, and underpinned by self-confidence. With the help of therapeutic practices, we can strive to free you from the shackles of anxiety and instill a profound understanding of your inherent worth. By exploring your goals, values, and interests, we can create a vivid picture of the fulfilling life you aspire to lead. In my previous role at a "Big 4" consulting firm, I spent years immersed in the challenges and complexities of working in a male-dominated industry. Despite the relentless grind, I pushed forward until I began to comprehend the significant toll it was exerting on my mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. My journey through personal therapy opened a new realm of possibilities, allowing me to transform my professional life from being a source of constant stress and frustration into an engaging, serene, and rewarding experience. I have successfully transferred these skills to all areas of my life, and I enjoy helping my clients achieve the same balance. If this resonates with you, I offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute phone consultation. Reach out today to start turning the page towards a brighter, more balanced chapter in your life.
Do you feel overwhelmed by the roles you are juggling? Do you feel drained or that you're simply getting by, that life is slipping through your fingers? This time is your life is one where you are existing in multiple roles - student, worker, sibling, friend, roommate, caretaker, and/or more; this can bring up so many different emotions, reactions, and struggles. This may even be a time in your life when you are discovering new parts of yourself. I work to provide a safe, secure environment for you to process, hold, and learn this new version of you, in all our messy imperfections. Hey, my name is Nithya (nith-ya) and I am a cat (and dog) lover, a ttrpg enthusiast, and a licensed therapist who is trauma-informed and queer-affirming. As someone who spent half their life in another country, I've learned a lot about myself over the years and I know the difficulties and stresses that come with it. I bring my authentic self into sessions and work with you on discovering beliefs and habits that no longer work for you and understanding and processing past experiences to foster change and bring clarity to your life. I studied at UIC and NEIU for my Bachelor's and Master's, and worked at NPU as a clinical intern. I have experience working with trauma and complex trauma, identity exploration, anxiety/depression, relationship and friendship concerns, complex family dynamics, assimilating to a new culture, ADHD, and career counseling. Most importantly, I believe in your ability to change your life and move through difficult circumstances and I would be delighted to support you in your growth. Email me at nithya@chicagocounselingservices.com to set up an appointment.