Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

Therapy is a unique opportunity to find peace within ourselves. While it may be difficult to find the right therapist to work with, I find my warm, empathetic, friendly, straight-forward approach helps my clients work through issues to find transformation and purpose in their life, as we collaboratively work to find the right approach that fits for you. I work with different types of clients. Some may struggle with challenges of anxiety, depression or mood disorders and the impact it has on their lives, or perhaps not feeling good enough. Others may be working through different life transitions, career struggles or relationship issues. We will work together to help you find self-acceptance of who you are. I also enjoy working with clients trying to navigtate different challenges unique to the LGBTQ+ population. Additionally, I have a special interest and experience working with athletes during different phase-of-life transitions with the uncertainty that comes when having to carve out a new path while struggling the loss of identity of being an athlete.

The past few years have been incredibly difficult for everyone, regardless of background or finances. In my practice I strive to create a warm and welcoming space where we can curiously and compassionately explore your concerns. I genuinely believe that you are the expert in your own life, and my goal is to assist you with discovering and deciding how to live your best life. Throughout the pandemic I was specializing in working with people struggling with depression, anxiety, substance use, isolation, interpersonal conflict, and grief. I have extensive history working with the college-aged population from my doctoral internship at Illinois State University and Spalding University’s counseling centers. I also have experience working in higher levels of care with non-college aged adults at outpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and inpatient levels of care. While working together we’ll collaboratively explore areas where you may feel stuck and discuss the use of new, more adaptive coping skills to help you move in the direction of your goals. I have many years of experience teaching classes focusing on evidence-based treatments, such as: DBT, ACT, and CBT. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Meridian Psychiatric Partners provides best-in-class mental health services to children, adolescents, emerging-adults, and adults with an expert team of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. Specialists cover many areas, including mood and anxiety disorders, women's mental health, child and adolescent mental health, addictions, eating disorders, ADHD and personality disorders. Let’s work together to achieve your goals of symptom remission, better functioning and improved well being.

You've spent time reflecting and understanding your patterns, but insight alone isn't always enough to create the change you're looking for. If you're ready to move beyond understanding and start living differently, I'd love to help. I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, trauma, life transitions, relationship challenges, and identity exploration. I'm especially passionate about supporting clients exploring multicultural and interracial identities, strengthening relationships, building self-compassion, and creating healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. My approach is collaborative, direct, and action-oriented. I'll meet you with warmth and honesty while encouraging you to step outside familiar patterns. Together, we'll build practical tools, strengthen emotional resilience, and create meaningful change that aligns with your values and goals. I offer therapy in both English and Spanish and strive to create an affirming, culturally responsive space where every part of your identity is welcomed. My work integrates DBT, somatic and body-based therapies, Dance/Movement Therapy, expressive arts, and Imago Relationship Therapy to help you reconnect with yourself, regulate emotions, and build healthier relationships. If you're looking for a therapist who will support you, challenge you, and help you turn insight into action, I'd be honored to work with you.

We live in a hectic, high-pressured world. It can be hard to stay connected to one's true self when managing the stress and expectations of our nonstop culture - especially when life doesn't go according to plan. I provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment to help you gain perspective, process past experiences, clarify your values, and experience healing and deeper fulfillment. Together we will use sessions to set goals, identify barriers to growth, increase coping skills, and build on your existing strengths. I enjoy working with individuals of diverse ages, sexual orientations, genders, & backgrounds. I employ an individualized, person-centered approach and utilize aspects from several research-based approaches. I have over 10 years of experience providing therapy for a variety of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, and difficult life transitions. I'm grateful for your courage and interest in therapy. It can be a life-changing process and I would be honored to support you on your journey toward healing and wholeness. If this resonates with you, please reach out today to schedule an initial session with me.

Gretchen Aich (she/her), PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, ADHD, and substance use disorders. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Lewis University and is certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Gretchen has advanced training in crisis intervention and trauma-informed care and works with children, adolescents, and adults, including Spanish-speaking clients. Gretchen brings experience from diverse mental health settings, including emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric units, outpatient clinics, private practice, and telehealth. Her background includes supporting individuals in crisis, working in community and court-mandated programs, and collaborating closely with multidisciplinary teams. During her clinical training, she worked extensively with children and adolescents with complex needs, provided substance use and court-ordered therapy, and assisted with advanced treatments such as SPRAVATO and TMS. In her work with clients, Gretchen creates a safe, judgment-free space grounded in empathy, respect, and cultural humility. She believes each person is the expert in their own life and uses a collaborative, flexible approach to care. Through active listening and evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy, she partners with clients to set meaningful goals and support healing in a way that fits their lives.

Clients come to me for support with overcoming adversity in order to start living their best life. My style is affirming, empathetic, and encouraging, which fosters your ability to identify unhelpful patterns, process complex emotions, and strengthen the coping skills you need for personal growth. Life can be hard and we all could use extra support. In our first session, you can expect to go at your own pace. My priority will be your comfort and emotional safety. You can expect our sessions to provide a nonjudgemental space for you to feel safe to explore, grow, and heal. We'll take time to get to know each other and talk about expectations as well as explore your current concerns, challenges, and goals for therapy. Together, we'll sketch out a plan for how to move forward with creating meaningful change in your life.

Does it feel like having a person to talk to would make life less hard? While acknowledging that I cannot determine whether a space is safe or not, I strive to offer a space of non-judgement, validation, compassion and growth where you can get to know yourself more, build insight and acknowledgement of your strengths, and talk about whatever you need to for an hour. Areas that I work with include body positivity/ body image, sex positivity, LGBTQ+, self-harm, anxiety, and trauma. Using multiple therapy frameworks grounded in mindfulness, a social justice lens, and the Health at Every Size (HAES) model, I work with you to live life a way that is important to you. Whether you need to vent, address unhelpful coping skills, rant about your roommate, process trauma, or show me a funny therapy TikTok that you felt spoke to you too much, I look forward to working with you.

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.

AVID Intimacy is a practice that specializes in Relationship and Sex therapy. We work with individuals and people in relationships to navigate relationship issues, anxiety, depression, as well as issued related to sexuality including intimacy issues, exploration of sexual and romantic orientation and recovering from sexual abuse or assault.

I specialize in working with adolescents, teenagers, college students, and young adults struggling with anxiety, self-esteem, and stress, specifically related to their relationships and school functioning. I help clients reflect, access their strengths, and challenge negative mindsets, guiding them to make choices aligned with their values. I look forward to connecting with you to help you grow into the best version of yourself!

I work with clients who experience anxiety, depression, body image issues, disordered eating, and struggles with life transitions. I am passionate about creating an empathetic, nonjudgmental space where you can be fully yourself! I strive to cultivate a therapeutic bond based on trust and authenticity. I want therapy  to be collaborative, because I truly believe you are the expert on your own life. Therapy sessions  should be unique to you and your goals, and I want to ensure that you feel heard. I take a systemic approach that prioritizes the impacts that culture, power imbalances, and larger societal systems can have on your life, while also attending to your personal narratives. I aim to facilitate healing by offering compassionate perspectives and attentive listening.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Life can be hard and the idea of starting the process of therapy can add to that stress and anxiety. You've already taken the first step by being here. If you are constantly feeling frustrated, anxious or overwhelmed, I am here to help you figure out what's going on and move towards the life you want to live. I will support you on your journey towards positive change and emotional well-being. My approach is warm, engaging, collaborative and sometimes even humorous. I have a strengths-based and non-judgemental mindset to assist you in creating goals for therapy that fit your needs in order to cope with the curve balls life has thrown. Whether those curve balls are long-last anxiety, depression, self-esteem, etc. or new stressors such as grief, life transitions, general life or work, we will come up with a plan. It is my top priority to make sure you feel comfortable. Whether it is your first time in therapy or you are looking for a fresh start with a new therapist, new is uncomfortable and sometimes that stops us from following through with this. I genuinely hope you find the strength to reach out and begin this journey because you deserve to feel content in life.

At Birch Tree Psychotherapy (Chicago, Northwest Suburbs), we provide general mental health care, with a focus on outpatient eating disorder treatment. Our team provides outpatient size and gender inclusive treatment to adults, youth, & families. With a commitment to weight neutrality, body liberation, and radical self acceptance, our therapists and dietitians work within an intersectional feminist, Health at Every Size (HAES) framework. Birch Tree Psychotherapy, founded by Dr. Catharine Devlin, is a private , woman-owned, psychotherapy practice located in the Chicago Loop and South Barrington. The South Barrington location is convenient to Palatine, Inverness, Schaumburg, and Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

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.

My background is in psychodynamic therapy. This type of therapy helps you to better understand patterns that play out in your life, how your mind works, the internal conflicts you wrestle with, the defense mechanisms you use, and other things you might not be fully conscious of. By learning more about yourself and your struggles, you are better equipped to make changes in your life, solve your problems in the ways you want to solve them, and break out of the self-defeating patterns you find yourself stuck in. I specialize in working with adults with longstanding difficulties, including depression and anxiety, overwhelming emotions, issues with self-esteem, impulsivity, and self-destructive behavior. I am not a believer in quick fixes or easy answers. Being in therapy is hard work and a major commitment. I often meet with people long term and sometimes in twice-weekly therapy. I aim to be an ally as you work to make changes that won’t just make you feel better today but will change your life in the years to come.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

If it feels like everyone else got the handbook for adulthood except you, you're not alone. I work with young adults navigating anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, and relationship stress. You might struggle with intrusive thoughts, panic, people-pleasing, or the pressure to have everything figured out. Together, we'll move beyond insight by building practical tools, facing fears gradually, and creating healthier patterns so you can feel more confident, grounded, and free to fully engage in your life. Our work is collaborative, supportive, and focused on real change. Together, we'll understand the patterns keeping you stuck while building practical skills to regulate your nervous system, face fears, and respond differently to life's challenges. Therapy isn't just about talking—it's about helping you feel more confident, grounded, and free. Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you're used to handling everything on your own. You don't have to keep carrying it all alone. If you're looking for a space that's both supportive and practical, where we can work toward meaningful change together, I'd love to connect and see if we're a good fit.

Great to meet you! I prioritize authenticity in therapy; I will show up open, honest, human, and ready to laugh at your dark humor. I am a therapist who is fully accepting of diverse identities and cultures. I believe mental health and wellness is something that can always be improved and strengthened. I have my masters degree and clinical license in social work with a history working in health care and acute mental health settings. Please visit my website listed at the bottom of the page to see my availability.