Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

Nicole Barone MA, LCPC is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over eight years of experience in the mental health field. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marist College where she developed a strong foundation in evidence-based practices and person-centered care. She has worked with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and is passionate about helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, stress, and interpersonal difficulties. Her clinical work focuses on helping individuals gain insight and better understand themselves, build coping skills, and improve their overall quality of life. She believes therapy is most effective when clients feel safe, supported, and truly heard. Her goal is to create a warm, nonjudgmental environment where clients can be themselves and explore what’s most important to them. Her approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in evidence-based practices. She incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and motivational interviewing, tailoring each session to the unique needs of the individual. She strives to bring curiosity, empathy, and authenticity into each session.

I center my approach on an unwavering commitment to clients, emphasizing warmth, compassion, positivity, and empathy, which fosters quick and meaningful connections. My primary goal is to offer client a safe space to learn, grow and experience life in more positive and healthy ways, while cultivating the desired changes that bring them into therapy. I enjoy positively helping couples with their relationships. Being trusted with the opportunity to help them get along better, communicate better, and last long term is one of the experiences I find so rewarding in my work. With individuals I like to help them find the answers they are looking for, delving into the past to find the connection to today’s reactivity and behaviors. I work to create a secure space for clients to explore the dynamics of their relationships, and situations actively engaging with both individuals and couples to unravel how their past experiences influence their present and future.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by constant striving, anxiety, or the pressures of perfectionism? Do you feel like you’re stuck in the backseat of your own life? I’m here to help you break free from these patterns and reclaim the driver’s seat of your life. In therapy, I provide a supportive and nonjudgmental space, blending empathy with constructive challenges to help you address what's keeping you stuck and empower you to move toward your goals. My goal is to empower you to achieve your personal goals and develop greater self-compassion, which I believe serves as a foundation for growth and resilience. I use an integrative therapeutic approach tailored to your unique needs, helping you gain a deeper understanding of your experiences. By examining how past experiences and relationships shape your current challenges and perspectives, we’ll work towards meaningful, value-driven change. I am passionate about supporting young adults navigating challenges such as anxiety, perfectionism, depression, relational issues, life transitions, eating disorders, and body image concerns. I believe in your capacity for change and would be honored to join you on your journey toward healing and personal growth.

The Belmont DAC is a clinic that specializes in Anxiety Disorders and Depression, including OCD, PTSD, Panic Disorder, GAD, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias, and Grief. We also specialize in working with LGBTQIA individuals and have clinicians on staff within this population. We are committed to social justice and anti-oppression/anti-racism and work diligently to be a positive organization in our community. We approach therapy from a CBT/ACT/DBT and mindfulness orientation and focus a lot on skills, behavior change, and shifting how we think about things. We are excited to be a part of this change in your life.

Is life feeling heavy, complicated, or just… a lot? I help adults and couples slow down, make sense of what’s happening inside, and take doable steps that actually shift daily life. My style is warm, collaborative, and action-oriented. I blend Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with expressive arts and somatic, body-based practices - breathwork, mindfulness, and gentle movement - so you can regulate emotions, reconnect with your body, and rewrite the story you’re living. I’m bilingual in Spanish and English, and deeply committed to culturally attuned care; every part of you is welcome in the room. You may be navigating anxiety, perfectionism, panic, or a sense of being stuck in old patterns that no longer feel aligned. Perhaps you’re moving through a major life transition - immigration, a new role, the aftermath of a difficult relationship- and want grounded tools to feel more centered and capable. Together, we identify what’s causing overwhelm, build skills for emotional regulation, and create meaningful change through a mix of skill-building, self-acceptance, and deeper exploration. When helpful, we incorporate Jungian archetypes to explore “both sides of the story,” integrating shadow and light to cultivate clarity and compassion. For couples, I work with partners who feel disconnected, stuck in recurring conflicts, or overwhelmed by communication patterns that no longer serve them. I incorporate Imago-informed dialogue, a structured and intentional way of communicating that helps partners move out of reactivity and into understanding. Through this approach, couples learn to slow down, speak from vulnerability, and genuinely hear each other’s needs without judgment or defensiveness. Imago also helps partners explore the emotional histories that shape present-day interactions, promoting empathy, reducing blame, and supporting deeper repair. Together, we strengthen relational skills that rebuild safety, foster intimacy, and create a more conscious, compassionate partnership. As a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist*, I integrate movement, body awareness, and creative expression into sessions for clients who struggle to fully express their experiences through words alone. Because trauma and emotion often live in the body, movement can create powerful pathways for grounding, regulation, and insight. Through gentle somatic practices, guided movement, breathwork, and expressive arts, you can access and process parts of your story that feel harder to articulate verbally. This work supports deeper self-awareness, emotional clarity, and meaningful healing across trauma, anxiety, relationship stress, and major life transitions. As an Imago Therapist in training, I facilitate the Imago Dialogue for couples for the co-creation of intentional relationships that heal.

Our mission at Center Focused Therapy is to provide the highest level of ethical, competent and intentional treatment to our clients. We appreciate how difficult it can be to start therapy and do not take this decision lightly. Whether you have a clear idea of what you hope to address in therapy or are unsure of where to begin, our therapists are determined to meet you where you are in your own journey of healing and growth. Interested in learning more? Email or call us and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

My work as a therapist is deeply rooted in connection. Creating a safe space is essential in order to explore and uncover unconscious thoughts and feelings. Considering important aspects of connection such as attachment style, communication, and intimacy can enhance not only the relationship with one’s self, but also with others. I am passionate about working with individuals who have survived trauma, live with anxiety, depression, grief, codependence, as well as interpersonal and internal conflict. My individualized care caters to each client and meets them where they are, while considering each of their identities. Building strong connections with each client is essential as well as my belief that each person is the expert of their own experience. I have worked with many students and understand academic stress as well as the many adjustments that come along with being a student in higher education. I am here to provide support, understanding, and non-judgement.

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!

You can be externally successful in life but internally worried you are going to have a total meltdown. I want to help you get better at taking care of yourself so you can achieve whatever awesome things you are here to contribute to the world. My career spans decades but for some reason the majority of women working with me are in their 20s and 30s. I help clients get some new perspective and stop beating themselves up. You may need to make some very real changes. It can be hard work but you don’t need to do it alone. Maybe you need to get better at speaking up for yourself, making decisions, managing your time. Maybe your relationship with substances needs to change. I help clients process their stress and add coping skills to build a personal routine that improves daily life. Many women I work with have gone through traumatic experiences in the past. It is important to me that the woman I am working with directs when and if we discuss the actual traumatic events. What I have learned is that adding better coping is possible with or without dredging details. Healing is possible but it takes work and support. I am also dedicated to helping clients expand their supports even if it's just a little bit at a time. I know it's tough to ask for help. I'd rather DIY everything but I know how useful it is to have therapy while you're in school. It saved my sanity when I went to therapy the first time when I was in college. For those wanting online therapy I use Google Meet for telehealth. It is completely HIPAA compliant. I also meet with clients for Walk and Talk therapy sessions when it seems useful and appropriate. North side of Chicago along the lake.

I use my full experience from living in China, France, Japan, and the U.S., and from working in management consulting, nonprofits, and the arts in my work as a therapist. I am adept at working with people from varied backgrounds. I am astute, compassionate, and deeply committed to my clients' well-being. I engage my clients not only on the inner- and inter-personal levels, but also in the contexts of their intersecting roles and identities. I am attuned to the mutual influence that individuals and groups have on one another and the interconnectedness in life's pain and healing. By working with a caring and attuned professional, my clients can feel safe and free to explore and work through their experiences of depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, loneliness, shame, and anger, all the while developing their courage, resilience, understanding, and self-acceptance. I am fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) and can supplement my work with advanced French and intermediate Spanish. I also provide consultation and training to early- and mid- career clinicians in the U.S. and China.

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.

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!

At CFC Therapy Group, we believe in possibilities—and we empower you to realize yours. Working with our team of experienced therapists, you’ll gain the strength to navigate life’s challenges, confront what’s holding you back, and achieve your fullest potential. We are Relationship Experts. Whether you’re looking to create a more positive dynamic with family and friends, a significant other, or simply with yourself, we’ll help you get there. At CFC Therapy Group, we’re committed to your possibility. Contact us today to book an appointment

MARRA is a trauma based practice located near West Loop Chicago. We work with adult clients that are ready to dive into self-exploration and acknowledgement of how present and past experiences impact their current life experience. When working with clients, we take into consideration how race, class, gender, sexuality, and other social systems intersect to shape people’s experiences. As a result, we practice psychotherapy, consultation, and training that affirms the value of difference. We strive to work from an anti-oppressive + anti-racist lens. LGBTQ+ - Sex positive- BIPOC inclusive

Located in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Bailey and Associates Counseling and Psychotherapy offers individual psychotherapy and counseling services and art therapy. You currently have the choice to meet online or in office. I specialize in working with adults seeking change. My approach to counseling is client-centered and trauma-informed, encouraging the expression of personal narrative to build self-understanding and community. I support clients in the use of art-making as a grounding tool to process experiences and relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. My intention is to establish a collaborative space alongside clients that fosters bravery; where we can collect helpful coping tools as we work toward clients' goals together. To me, "healing" lies in seeking peace and a sense of wholeness, and not in achieving "perfection." My specialties include supporting individuals with a history of PTSD, depression, anxiety, grief, and/or living with chronic illness. I enjoy supporting my clients through spiritual exploration and developing a healthy relationship to art. My approach is sex-positive and LGBTQIA2S+ affirming. I love working with artists, Veterans, and existential explorers. I understand how intimidating it can be to start therapy for the first time or to find a new therapist after wrapping up with someone else. I take pride in my ability to put others at ease as we build our relationship with patience and compassion. Please don't hesitate to reach out to schedule a consultation and find out if we are a good therapeutic match.

People often come to therapy to try to understand something: something about themselves, their relationships, or their past experiences. I enjoy joining my clients in these moments of exploration with warmth, attunement, and collaboration. I specialize in working with people of marginalized experiences and identities. If you have ever felt like an outsider because of your identities, past experiences, sensitivity, gifts, or because of how you live in this world, you deserve a space that is dedicated to your healing and growth. I specialize in working with marginalized folks including queer, trans, kinky, polyamorous, and neurodivergent clients.

It's my belief to "Keep life simple." Life is stressful enough. Balancing work, family, social life, friends, and relationships can be overwhelming at times. I practice from a harm reduction holistic theoretical orientation. It combines person-centered (respect for autonomy) with CBT/systemic therapy (a critical look at culture and attachments). By identifying wants and needs, I can assist clients with locating triggers and establishing healthy coping skills to alleviate any mental, emotional, or physical stress. I work particularly with parents and clients dealing with ADHD, Life choices, anxiety, self-esteem and accountability. I assist clients in adjusting to unexpected life transitions by constructing healthier boundaries with themselves and others to balance their lifestyles. I value the importance of creating a supportive, transparent, and collaborative relationship throughout the therapy process. I do this by providing a safe space for clients to embrace their vulnerabilities. Difficult experiences often show up in the body. Accessing embodied experience helps clients evolve. These shifts in the body have a corresponding effect on our actions, routines, and relationships. Through mindful awareness, we discover how the body holds our experiences. We learn to recognize habitual patterns and create new ones. The healing starts now...

Room to Breathe is a group practice of therapists and yoga instructors who understand that your mental and physical health are interconnected. Our therapists offer talk therapy for those interested in exploring and accessing their wellbeing and their personhood, difficulties and strengths through counseling sessions. Our yoga instructors are psychologically-informed and offer trauma sensitive classes for people who are connecting with their bodies and wellbeing through the practices of yoga and meditation. We’re here to support and address your goals holistically; that may be with therapy, yoga, or both. It’s up to you. We’re glad you’re here.

Health in Tandem is an integrative private practice with a team of compassionate therapists who help clients find awareness and balance in all aspects of their health and wellness. We believe that change and growth happen when we focus on addressing four pillars of wellness: mental wellness, emotional wellness, physical wellness, and social wellness.

Grey Area Therapy is a small, private practice conveniently located in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood with easy access to public transportation and an emphasis on building meaningful, authentic connections with clients. As a therapist with Grey Area Therapy, I work with clients on needs related to anxiety, major life transitions, chronic illness, and depression. With individualized approaches to empathetic therapy, we will work to help slow things down, become more intentional, and build awareness of our life experiences. I offer both in-person and virtual appointments. I accept Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Cigna insurance and offer free 15-minute phone consultations to help you find a therapist that works for you!