Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

At Sacred Stories Counseling our focus is on supporting BIPOC, queer individuals and those who hold both identities! Your story matters and we want to support you as you navigate the current reality we're living in globally and nationally, while also holding space for your personal difficulties too! We've got your back if you're working through anxiety, perfectionism / strong black woman struggles. If you're neurodivergent - we got you! The trauma you carry, you don't have to carry it alone - we'll be with you in it and use EMDR and IFS to help you move through it. It won't disappear forever but it will no longer be all consuming, hold you back, or keep you stuck! We're in your corner! Schedule a free 15 min call with us to ask any questions and see if we're a good fit!

***Book a Free Consultation Online at Our Website Below On the outside, people tend to see you as doing fine – or even put-together, independent and successful. Lately, life has you feeling anxious, overwhelmed and stuck grasping for any semblance of control. No one really prepares you for the stress and confusion of the transition to adulthood – it’s a lot of pressure. How do you convince your friends, family, teachers, or boss that you know what you're doing? More importantly, how do you convince yourself? The overwhelm of reality makes you want to nap, doom scroll or binge watch Netflix for a lifetime -- or anything else that will quiet your mind. We specialize in equipping you with the tools needed to feel confident, successful, and independent -- so you can live your life without unnecessary burdens and limitations. You DO belong here and it WILL get easier, but you’re meant to navigate these things with support. Let's collaborate to build you're confidence and emotional control. We’ll break it down so it feels more manageable and work to understand everything in the context of YOU. We'll identify the "whys", practical strategies to help you manage day-to-day, and move towards long-lasting peace, balance and meaning. We’ll clarify your values & identity, boost self-esteem, & achieve a healthy study, work, life, etc. balance. Through the process, you will develop a healthier relationship with yourself and others. The anxiety, overwhelm and defeat cycle is rough. Sometimes the internal dialogue makes it seem like things are beyond repair, but we're here to assure you there is absolutely hope and resolution available to you. We'll help you along that path.

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.

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.

Sometimes it feels like everyone else got a manual for life that you somehow missed. Maybe you're questioning a relationship, feeling disconnected from yourself, struggling with anxiety, exploring your sexuality or identity, or wondering why the version of you that's holding everything together also feels completely exhausted. You don't have to figure it all out on your own. Therapy is a space to get curious about your experiences without judgment, reconnect with your strengths, and create a life that feels more authentic and fulfilling. As an art therapist with specialized training in sex therapy, I bring creativity, curiosity, humor, and authenticity into every session. My approach is warm, collaborative, and nonjudgmental. Together, we'll explore what's getting in your way, strengthen your coping skills, and help you move forward with greater confidence and self-compassion. I especially enjoy working with students and young adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationships, self-esteem, trauma, and identity exploration. I provide affirming care for clients exploring sexuality, kink, polyamory, and diverse relationship structures, and I'm passionate about supporting women and women-identified individuals through reproductive, prenatal, and postpartum mental health experiences. Art therapy is at the heart of my work, offering a creative way to express emotions and experiences that can be difficult to put into words. No artistic experience is needed. I also draw from person-centered therapy, CBT, mindfulness, and Imago Relationship Therapy to tailor our work to your unique needs and goals. Whether you're seeking support as an individual or with a partner, my hope is that you'll leave therapy feeling more connected to yourself, more confident in your relationships, and empowered to move through life with authenticity, creativity, and compassion.

I especially enjoy working with student creatives—actors, musicians, dancers, writers, designers, and more—who are navigating rejection, comparison, self-doubt, and uncertainty. With a background in the entertainment industry, I personally understand the unique emotional challenges that come with being a performer. We can work together to build resilience, strengthen your sense of self, and help you stay grounded in an industry that often feels anything but. My approach is warm, collaborative, and encouraging. Therapy is a space where we slow down, ask the right questions, and help you move forward in a way that feels aligned with the life you want to live. If this resonates, I'd be glad to connect. I look forward to taking this journey together.

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.

Ignite Counseling is trauma-focused private practice located in the Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods of Chicago, with options for in-person or virtual appointments. We provide therapeutic services with a commitment to compassionate, relational, and authentic treatment in a culturally-sensitive and inclusive environment. Our therapists have a specialized focus in trauma along with the treatment of anxiety, depression, grief, relationship distress, family issues, identity struggles, racial/cultural issues, and challenges with life transitions, and we approach all clients through a trauma-informed lens. We are a close knit and highly intentional team of clinicians, and value safety and authenticity in all that we do.

I specialize in working with adults aged 18 or older who are grappling with anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and body image issues. They often feel overwhelmed and isolated, seeking a safe space to explore their feelings and challenges. Motivated and ready to make meaningful changes, their primary goal is recovery and healing—learning effective coping strategies, discovering self compassion, fostering a healthier relationship with themselves and their bodies, and creating space for what they truly desire in life. I support clients with empathy, humor, and authenticity, using a trauma-focused approach. A large part of my practice is teaching coping skills, addressing negative self-talk and sources of shame, while emphasizing self compassion. Specializing in anxiety, trauma, disordered eating/body image issues, I offer psychotherapy, Art Therapy, and EMDR, over telehealth only.

JD Peters (he/him), is Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). He earned his master’s degree in Addiction Studies: Advanced Practice from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, and spent his career walking alongside individuals and families navigating the challenges of addiction to alcohol and other substances, as well as the broader journey of healing and recovery. He works with people facing a wide range of concerns—from anxiety and depression to grief and trauma—and offers both abstinence-based and harm-reduction approaches depending on what feels most supportive for each person. He believes healing is deeply personal, and that change is hard to do alone. His role is to create a space where you feel safe, seen, and empowered to explore what works best for you. JD has experience working with LGBTQIA+ individuals as they navigate identity, relationships, internalized stigma, and family or societal stressors. He strives to offer affirming care that honors each person’s truth and lived experience. He draws from evidence-based practices like DBT, CBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing, blending these approaches into conversations that support growth, healing, and hope. Whether you're just beginning your journey or looking to deepen your understanding of yourself, JD is here to support you with compassion and curiosity.

Emily Hanneman, Christopher Manvel, Emiliana Mladic, Monica Morris, Thia Mathes, Will Bartz and Sarah Mitchell provide psychotherapy services to adolescents, adults and families. They offer telehealth services throughout Illinois and in-office services in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. They work people across the lifespan, including many young adults navigating college, graduate school, or the transition into the workforce. Please note that we do have therapists who accept regular Illinois Medicaid and Blue Cross Community. Unfortunately we are not in-network with other Medicaid plans including Aetna Better Health, County Care, Meridian, Molina or Youthcare or Medicaid from states other than Illinois.

Finding a therapist who feels like a good fit can matter as much as the therapy itself. I work with students who are thoughtful, capable, and often carrying more than they let on — anxiety, stress, self-doubt, trauma, or the pressure to keep it together while figuring out who they are and where they’re headed. I’m a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) with a background in both clinical mental health and higher education. Before returning to full-time clinical work, I spent many years working on college campuses as well as teaching in undergraduate and graduate courses. I understand the unique stressors students face — academic pressure, financial stressors, identity development, relationships, family expectations, and the emotional toll of trying to succeed in an uncertain world. My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I integrate evidence-based practices with a strong focus on nervous system regulation, emotional awareness, and practical skills you can use in everyday life. Therapy with me is a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and learn how to respond to stress and anxiety with more clarity and self-compassion. Many of the students I work with struggle with anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, burnout, or feeling disconnected from themselves. Together, we work on building a sense of safety, learning how to set boundaries, and developing coping strategies that support both mental health and personal growth. I believe therapy should feel human, respectful, and supportive — a place where you don’t have to perform or have everything figured out. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, more present, and more able to navigate life with confidence and care.

At HumanKind Psych we specialize in anxiety and eating concerns, but we also work with a variety of different struggles, from mood and panic to relationship difficulties, addiction, and trauma. We are passionate about helping high-achieving young adults let go of perfectionistic tendencies, treat themselves with more compassion, and stop being so hard on themselves. We also offer ADHD evaluations. We are not here to tell you what to do-- we believe YOU are the expert on yourself and we will help you build trust in yourself to move forward toward the things that matter most to you. We use the Intuitive Eating framework and the Health at Every Size approach when working with food and body image concerns. We work hard to ensure you feel safe and understood, and we welcome your feedback along the way. We're always learning and growing, so if something doesn't land quite right, we encourage you to tell us so that we can move through it together and help you get the support you need. Our therapists are warm and authentic, and it's important to us to keep it real. We don't sugarcoat or tiptoe around things (even the difficult things!) because we truly want to help you live your best life.

Being human means facing change, uncertainty, and moments that stretch or unsettle us. It’s natural to feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure at times. I see therapy as a space where we can work together to explore what’s going on, reflect on the past, and find new ways forward. My goal is to create a supportive, collaborative relationship where you feel heard and empowered to make changes that lead to a more fulfilling life. I have experience working with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and life experiences across diverse clinical settings. These experiences have helped me understand and support people navigating trauma, identity exploration, relationship concerns, grief and loss, and major life transitions. These challenges can affect not only how we relate to ourselves, but also how we connect with others. I work with both individuals and couples to address the impact of these challenges within both personal and relational contexts. Taking the first step toward therapy can feel intimidating, and finding the right support is an important part of the process. If something here resonates with you, I'd be glad to connect and explore how we might move forward together.

We focus on evidence-based treatments, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to help individuals evaluate their relationship to their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so that they can develop the awareness, flexibility, and resilience required to live in alignment with their values. Our clinicians are intimately familiar with helping students and families manage academic stressors and navigate the school setting with minimal interference from psychological distress. We believe in nurturing the therapeutic relationship and recognize the importance of creating a safe and healing space for our clients. Our goal is to help our clients build resilience and add to their repertoire of tools and coping mechanisms to help improve everyday functioning in the home, school, and community.

There are so many things outside of our control that are inevitably difficult to cope with. Even with the unforeseen situations and stressors that life throws our way, the one thing we do have control over is the way we respond to them. However, it is difficult to know how to respond when we are experiencing fear, anxiety, and other heightened emotions. I want to help people strengthen their coping capabilities in an environment that is open, non-judgmental, and collaborative. My goal is to provide support to individuals, couples, and families tackling every day and life stressors with more confidence, hope, self-empowerment. I have been working in mental health for 5 years and have over 5,800 hours of supervised and specialized experience with OCD, anxiety, and ED. I use CBT, ACT, ERP, BA, and DBT Skills to treat a variety of disorders including OCD, skin picking, hair pulling, hoarding, phobias, BDD, GAD, social anxiety, panic, depression, eating disorders, and others. I am a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and a multi-state licensed professional counselor including Tennessee (LPC-MHSP), Kentucky (LPCC), Illinois (LCPC), Oklahoma (LPC), and FL. I currently live in the Chicago area and provide professional counseling to individuals in ALL FIVE states via TeleMental Health services. I look forward to connecting with you!

Growing up, I felt very isolated because I was a half-Japanese child growing up in a predominantly white community. When I was young, I didn’t understand why I was treated differently or why people would constantly ask my Caucasian mom where I was adopted from. Living a life full of questions like “What are you?” “Where are you from…originally?” and being told that I wasn’t able to play with other kids in the community because I was “different” and being bullied because I looked different, really encouraged me to seek more understanding of the world. Throughout my development I found solace in learning more about human relationships, and exploring what I thought about myself, my values, and my hope for what my life could be, rather than allowing the judgements of others to drive my behavior and thoughts of myself. Learning about intersectionality, racism, microaggressions, implicit bias, and social justice changed my life. I know that psychoeducation, compassion, curiosity, and challenging shame can change lives. Kimi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois and Utah. Kimi has a Master’s of Social Work from The Ohio State University and provides evidence-based treatments through EMDR, IFS, ACT, MI, DBT, CBT, TF-CBT, shame-informed therapy, and a self-compassion focus. Kimi has completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and she uses Gottman Method Couples Therapy in her work. Before becoming an outpatient therapist Kimi has worked in community mental health, hospital settings, and has intensive training in acute care, suicidal ideation and self-harming assessment and treatment, and crisis intervention.

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.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hi, my name is River! I work with adults (18+) and my main areas of focus are anxiety, depression, and life transitions. I also have a particular passion for working with people from the queer and neurodivergent communities. I enjoy working with clients who are trying to live fuller, more authentic, values-driven lives, and I am passionate about helping each client carve out a path forward that honors their unique identities. My approach to therapy is all about creating a space where you can bring your full authentic self and drawing on your inherent strengths to overcome whatever challenges you’re facing. I believe the therapeutic process looks different for everyone. Whether you are looking for something more structured and direct or you just need a space to talk things out, I will always strive to meet you where you’re at. I also take a systemic lens to therapy, bringing issues of power and privilege into the conversation. Understanding how systems of power and oppression impact the problems you are facing deepens our understanding of the issue and informs how to best move forward. I understand that starting therapy is not easy, and opening up to a stranger doesn’t come naturally to everyone. It is important for me to meet you where you’re at, whether you have experience in therapy or this is your first time. If you think I might be a fit, I would love to talk about how I can help support you. I look forward to meeting you!