Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

As a previous university counseling center therapist, I work well with students who feel stuck and unhappy, and who are looking to make some sort of change in their lives, whether it is related to mood, purpose, addictions/habits, and/or relationships. I also work well with student who are experiencing nervousness about their academic and/or personal lives, and who are feeling overwhelmed with stress. I help students figure out how to be successful as they transition into young adulthood.

Wellington Counseling Group is the trusted resource for adults, children, families, and couples looking for professional emotional and psychological support. Our diverse team specializes in anxiety, depression, life transitions, behavioral issues, trauma recovery, family dynamics, couples, and so much more. Each of our therapists offers a unique perspective that helps their patients find relief from symptoms, transcend the boundaries of mental health conditions, and craft a life they are proud to lead.

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.

Our relationships with our bodies and food are complicated and hard to navigate. You are not alone. Wherever you are in your journey - an eating disorder, disordered eating, and/or weight/body image concerns - you deserve support and compassion. As an eating disorder therapist, my work is grounded in a person-centered, Health At Every Size (HAES) approach. I integrate both psychodynamic and behavioral (ACT, DBT, CBT, etc). I have over 7 years of experience in direct client treatment services - spanning residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient settings—and have worked with clients experiencing a variety of mental health concerns. While I focus my practice on eating disorders, I have a generalist background and am skilled in working with a range of clinical issues. I am committed to providing trauma-informed care rooted in cultural humility. I love working with the LGBTQ+ community to provide a safe, affirming space for clients to explore their identities and experiences. Starting a relationship with a new therapist can feel daunting—it’s a deeply personal and courageous step. By simply being here, you’re already showing strength and a commitment to your well-being. I sincerely hope you will take that next step and reach out. Together, we can work toward peace with your body and food.

Hi, I'm Sierra! I'm a licensed therapist in Chicago offering fully virtual sessions. I have expertise in helping people heal from trauma, anxiety, and depression. As a once first-generation college student, I understand the difficulties of navigating this particularly trying time in life. Working with a new therapist can sometimes feel daunting, so I get to know each person on a human level with a bit of (appropriate) humor. I'm queer, gender-affirming, and like to incorporate skills in sessions to help you develop better coping strategies. I accept all major insurance plans and can work with anyone in Illinois. If you'd like to see if we'd be a good fit, feel free to email me and we can set up a time to chat! Interested in a therapist with a different specialty? I work with Cityscape Counseling, a group practice in Chicago with over 55 licensed therapists offering treatment both in-person and online for eating disorders, substance use, OCD, and more. Connect with us at cityscapecounseling.com!

Hi there, are you looking for someone to talk to? I have Friday evening openings. I'm good at helping my clients with loneliness, feeling disconnected, longing for love and pushing people away. Your symptoms will improve over time, but I don't focus on correcting your symptoms. I prefer to look at our shared human conditions, earning your trust over time so we can take an in-depth look at what hurts beneath the surface, and why you feel so stuck. I'm here to listen, and help you reconcile with yourself. My therapy approach is respectful and candid. You are welcome to take the lead, or I can initiate conversations until you feel more comfortable. Together we will learn more about what you need, and why you feel at odds with yourself or the world. We will pay attention to neglected parts of yourself, be it feelings or memories, and find kindness for them. I promise it can get better. I want to help. Let's talk.

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.

Meredith Starr is a Registered Dietitian and Director of Nutrition Services at Allow Wellness in Chicago. She is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Chicago Coordinated Nutrition Program and began her nutrition career at UI Health general inpatient services while working part-time at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders. Meredith is deeply passionate about the treatment of eating disorders and has been practicing in this field for the past nine years. Meredith's personal nutrition philosophy centers on building a healthy relationship with food and is inclusive of mental, emotional, physical and social health. Meredith aligns herself with size-inclusive and non-diet nutrition approaches. She is passionate about empowering others in their relationship with food and their bodies. Allow Wellness is currently offering outpatient group nutrition sessions and profession presentations. Meredith welcomes all stages of readiness with regard to your relationship with food and your body shape and weight. If ready to schedule, please contact her today.

Cloud Nine Counseling specializes in helping college students and young adults navigate anxiety, relationships, body image concerns, life transitions, and spirituality. Balancing school, work, friendships, and personal growth can be overwhelming, but therapy can provide clarity and support. Using evidence-based approaches—including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS)—Cloud Nine Counseling helps clients reduce anxiety, build meaningful relationships, improve self-image, adjust to life changes, and explore faith and spirituality. For those seeking faith-based guidance, Christian counseling is available upon request. Cloud Nine Counseling offers a nonjudgmental, strengths-based approach to help clients gain confidence, heal from past experiences, and create a fulfilling future. Looking for support during college and beyond? Reach out to learn more about how therapy can help.

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.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

**I currently offer Telehealth sessions Monday-Friday and in-person sessions on Thursdays** Hi! I work with **female-identified clients** who are seeking therapy for anxiety, school stress and burnout, self-esteem, life transitions, relationship difficulties, and more. I believe that, when entering a space of vulnerability, it is important to feel safe and secure. As a therapist, my job is to provide you with a non-judgmental therapeutic environment to support you in your healing and growth. I am here to offer a collaborative approach to empower and foster change in your journey. I see therapy as another support or tool in our tool box. The friends, family, peers, co-workers that we have in our life can provide great support but sometimes it is helpful to have one more person that we can lean on during our difficult times.

Sometimes life can be overwhelming- whether we are held back by our past, experiencing present obstacles, or anxious about things to come. I view therapy as a collaborative relationship between therapist and client, and value creating a safe and nonjudgmental environment. In my work with clients I am mindful of the ways in which social identities (gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.) impact the way we navigate mental health journeys and the world in general. Whether working with older adolescents, adults or with couples, I am passionate about supporting others in overcoming life’s difficulties and reaching their goals. My goal as a therapist is to support clients in restoring a sense of hope and positive self-worth. Everyone has the capacity for personal growth within them. My job is to help clients identify and access resources they have in order to achieve this. I work with individuals seeking support with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, interpersonal issues, and mood regulation. I also provide relationship counseling. I am happy to set up a free 10-15 minute phone consultation to get to know each other better and determine if we're a good fit!

Welcome! I’m so glad you’ve taken the first step toward growth and healing. As a therapist, I believe that the stories we tell ourselves shape our lives and experiences. Sometimes the narratives we hold can limit us, causing us to feel stuck or disconnected from our true selves. My approach is centered on collaboration— together, we can work to identify your strengths, explore the stories that shape your life, and gently challenge any patterns that may no longer serve you. Through our work, we’ll explore how the stories you tell yourself have influenced your relationships, sense of identity, and overall well-being. From there, we can uncover opportunities for living in more alignment with your values and goals, creating a life that feels meaningful and expansive. I approach my work with warmth, humor, cultural humility, and curiosity to create a space where you feel empowered to create changes that support you in feeling in sync with your true self. I specialize in working with: Sex, relationships, and intimacy: I work with both individuals and couples who are seeking to deepen your relationships by exploring dynamics that influence how you relate to others to create relationships that feel healthy and joyful. Existential concerns and meaning-making: Life’s uncertainties, existential questions, and the search for meaning are part of the human experience. Together, we’ll explore how to live authentically, even in the face of life’s unknowns. Life transitions: Big changes, whether personal, professional, or relational, can stir up feelings of uncertainty. In our work, we can find ways for you to navigate these transitions with confidence and clarity. Identity exploration and self-compassion: Whether you’re exploring your gender, sexuality, or other aspects of your identity, I provide a supportive environment for self-discovery and self-acceptance. Trauma: Healing from past trauma requires compassion and patience. By co-creating an environment where you feel safe, we can process and reframe traumatic experiences in a way that supports recovery and resilience. Mood disorders and ADHD: I enjoy working with individuals managing mood disorders and ADHD, helping you develop practical tools for managing emotions and behaviors.

Intuit Healing is for people who are ready to take initiative of their own life. We’re more than a spa, where after your 90 minute massage you’re back to your same old life. No, our goal is that you find true life-long healing. At Intuit it is all about you. We are your oasis, your getaway place. We will give you the tools you need to become your best self. How exactly do we make this promise? We provide healing modalities to take care of your body, mind, & spirit. We have everything you need for your self care journey all under one roof. So you can have talk therapy followed by a massage. Or maybe a reiki session followed by a sound healing class. From experiencing physical pain, to healing grief, to dealing with burnout, we are here to support you through all of life’s transitions. If you’re on your pregnancy journey, we’re there for you too. Our perinatal classes & our maternity massages ensure that you will be physically & mentally ready for baby. We’re a home for people who are looking to better themselves. Feeling like you have so much more to offer but you’re stuck? Make an appointment with us & we’ll help you sort things through.

Everyone tells you that college is the best time in your life and to enjoy it because it flies by. But what people don’t tell you is all the challenges that it can bring. Maybe it’s the first time you are away from your family and friends from home. It can also bring many challenges with pressure to drink or use drugs, navigating friendships and dating in a more complicated way, and figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. You might be in a position where in order to afford school you need to work on top of doing well in all your classes. I know personally how challenging, yet exciting, this time can be, and I am here to tell you that you don’t need to figure it all out on your own or even right now. Are you ready to enjoy your college experience, be fully present in the great moments without feeling stresses weighing you down everyday? It’s time to feel a sense of relief, confidence in who you are, and in your decisions. Together, we can make your life feel lighter and free up space for everything else you have going on! My Approach: I am a strong believer in the power of relationships. Having someone to talk to can increase our sense of happiness and positivity, and most importantly let us know that we are not alone. Life has many ups and downs, but it's what you do with them that matters. I am here to help you transform the tough moments into growth. Therapy with me looks like an open dialogue, where we both respect each other's point of view and collaborate to find solutions that help you overcome what’s been holding you back. We can talk about anything, no matter how hard it is to share. Whether it’s the good things or the bad, I am ready to hold space for even the strongest emotions that come up, because I know we can work through it together. I believe in a holistic approach to therapy that not only looks at your thoughts and feelings, but also how your environment, your cultural experiences, close relationships, and health, affect your mental wellbeing. We’ll use a variety of therapeutic techniques to best fit what you need, because therapy is not a one size fits all approach. We’ll make sure that those techniques are really working for you. It might be practicing mindfulness or trying out different coping skills to help things feel less overwhelming. Our approach will continue to grow as our therapeutic relationship develops. I know that therapy is not always easy, but I am here to support you each step of the way and I will always accept you for how you are in that moment, even the hard ones. A Little About Me: I went into undergrad undecided and had a hard time knowing what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to do something to help people and I wanted a career that I would enjoy. I always felt behind in some way because I didn’t know what I wanted to do right away. I have learned that a lot of people have a unique path to get to where they are. I worked as a school social worker for 8 years before private practice and that is when I really knew I loved counseling and wanted to continue on this path. I have lived in the Chicago area for most of my life and love the city! You can find me by the lake or exploring all the city has to offer. My hobbies are all over the place and include a mixture of baking, triathlons, knitting, going on long walks and finding the best matcha. I also love traveling (but hate flying) and have an ever growing list of places I want to visit.

Are you carrying pain that feels too heavy to name, let alone heal? Do the things you’ve lived through feel like a weight you can’t put down, or old wounds that echo into the present? Do you struggle to trust your emotions, or feel like they run the show? Or maybe you feel disconnected from others? Yet, even in the midst of all that, there’s a part of you longing for something different? Hello and welcome! I work with folks navigating complex trauma, deep emotional pain, and unjust systems. Through the use of collaborative, non-judgmental, and anti-oppressive frameworks, we center your resistance, healing, and self-determination. I integrate a variety of therapeutic interventions including Internal Family Systems (IFS)/ parts work, DBT, grounding techniques, and mindfulness to help you accomplish your goals and move through shame, guilt, depression, loneliness, anxiety, overwhelm, anger, trauma/c-PTSD, suicidal ideation, self-hatred, interpersonal distress, and emotion regulation. Here, healing is not a linear path or a checklist to complete. It is a remembering, a reclamation, radical act, it is relational. As an autistic, queer, trans non-binary therapist, I believe that you are inherently worthy as you are, and still, you deserve to carry heavy burdens more lightly. If you're ready to begin, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or like you are falling behind no matter how much you achieve? Many of my clients are students and young professionals who appear successful on the outside but are silently struggling with burnout, anxiety, and pressure to be perfect. I help individuals break the cycle of overfunctioning, manage anxiety, and recover from the emotional weight of high expectations; whether academic, cultural, or personal. You don’t have to keep holding everything together alone. Therapy is a space to slow down, understand what is driving these patterns, and learn healthier ways to cope so you can feel more balanced, grounded, and at peace.

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.

Ami Goetz received her Masters from the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice (Top-Ranked). She is a compassionate and motivated therapist who strives to create a safe, accepting environment to help clients overcome obstacles, strengthen relationships, and achieve their goals. Ami has extensive experience partnering with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. She has high interest in the areas of depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, sexual assault, life transitions, grief, disabilities, executive functioning, and relationships. Ami also works well with patients who struggle with executive functioning and time management as a part of her disability background. She utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Informed approaches, Mindfulness, and Contemporary Psychodynamic Psychotherapy to foster self-acceptance and build resilience. Ami applies a strengths-based, holistic approach that tailors treatment to each individual’s particular needs. She is certified in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), is a Certified Trauma Professional (CTP), and practices cultural competency, attunement, and humility to cultivate a nonjudgmental, safe space where the therapeutic relationship can continue to evolve and progress. Ami values transparency, equity, loyalty, and unconditional acceptance which she emulates in each session. She is passionate about partnering with clients to improve their daily lives and achieve their desired outcomes.