Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL

Welcome! My approach to therapy is warm, affirming, nonjudgmental, and inquisitive. I am passionate about helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with compassion and evidence-based care. I have experience working with people across various stages of life who are managing stressors, anxiety, depression, trauma, disordered eating, body image issues, and self-esteem concerns. My work is rooted in empowering clients to foster personal growth and resilience. By blending empathy, advocacy, and practical skills, I tailor my approach to meet the unique needs of every client. Collaboration is at the heart of my practice. Whether it’s helping you build healthier relationships, overcome internal struggles, or set meaningful goals, I am committed to supporting you every step of the way. If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing and transformation, I am here to guide and support you. You deserve a safe, comfortable space to process and feel, and to find the joy you’re looking for. Let’s work together to create meaningful change!

Just because you are pursuing therapy doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. It doesn’t mean that you are not strong. And it definitely doesn’t matter if you think other people have it worse than you. This is about your life and how we can help to make it better.

We love working with college students. Our team brings a wealth of experience working in college counseling centers, helping undergrads and grad students navigate the unique demands of balancing school and life. We provide individual, couple, and family therapy to students of all ages and in all phases of life, and we offer assessment/testing to identify issues such as ADHD or learning challenges, so that students can show up with personalized strategies and skills to best support their learning. Beyond challenges that can emerge academically, we know that students struggle with trauma, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns, and they often need help managing relationships, making big decisions, or dealing with pressures or demands in their families. We are here to help.

We provide individualized and effective mental health care in a warm and welcoming environment to individuals of all ages, developmental levels, and orientations to address the concerns and problems they are facing. Our approach is inclusive, intersectional, neuro-diversity affirming, relational, strength-based, and trauma-informed. If you are feeling overwhelmed, over stressed, and know that your mental health needs support and care, we can help.

Sometimes the struggles that bring us to therapy aren't obvious from the outside. You may be the person others see as happy and confident, navigating life’s challenges with a smile while quietly wrestling with anxiety, self-doubt, and perfectionism. Perhaps you're feeling stuck in familiar patterns, questioning long-held beliefs, or longing for a deeper understanding of yourself. Therapy can be a safe space to begin processing your lived experience. As a relational therapist, it is my hope to help support you in reclaiming your narrative and reconnecting with parts of yourself that may feel burdened or unseen. I enjoy working with individuals who find themselves caught in patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, or self-criticism. I also support clients navigating OCD, religious trauma, relationship challenges, and life transitions. I use integrative, evidence based frameworks including CBT, ACT, and parts work. My approach is rooted in the belief that you are more than your thoughts. Together, we can explore what has shaped you, identify patterns that keep you stuck, and build on your existing strengths to help you feel more aligned in your purpose. Beginning therapy is the first step in that process, and I am honored to accompany you on this healing journey.

At Emerge, a group of multi-national mental health professionals, we embrace and respect diversity and consider the intersectionality of identity in treatment. We provide holistic psychological and counseling services and empower you, through knowledge-based treatment, to understand, improve, and maintain your behavioral and mental health. Our practice provides mental health and therapy services to children, adolescents, adults, and couples. We are located in Chicago’s Loop, Lakeview, Uptown, and Ravenswood neighborhoods, and provide in-person and telehealth services.

We offer a strength-based, holistic, and highly collaborative approach to therapy. Specializing in relationships, trauma, racial identity and mood disorders, our clinicians provide culturally-sensitive trauma-informed care.

I am a queer, neurodivergent, South Asian adoptee and first-gen immigrant who is dedicated to social justice and equitable care. I take a collaborative, compassionate approach, creating a safe and open space to explore your identities, experiences, and goals. I know finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming—particularly when navigating complex and marginalized identities. My priority is building an authentic, warm relationship where you feel truly seen and heard. Together, we’ll customize our work to support your growth and healing at a pace that feels right for you. I’m passionate about working with marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ folks, immigrants, adoptees, neurodiverse people, and people of color. I have a particular interest in autistic adults and ADHD, and also have experience working with mood disorders, anxiety, complex PTSD, and substance use concerns. I use trauma-informed applications of Client-Centered Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Video Game Therapy (ask me about it!). I believe that you’re the person who knows yourself best. It’s my hope that in our work together, we can find ways for you to implement compassion, kindness, and empathy in your life. A little about me: I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) with a master’s in social work from the University of Chicago. Outside of therapy, I enjoy playing video games, learning about herbalism, and engaging in artistic expression. If you’re interested in working together, I’d love to hear from you!

I support people experiencing life transitions, stress, and relationship issues. I personalize treatment to each client using our relationship, scientific approaches, and collaboration to meet your goals. I also provide trauma centered therapy and EMDR.

Therapy is a space for us to show up as we are, and be met with warmth, consideration, and trust. I strive to create a comforting and collaborative therapeutic space where we can discover what is uniquely meaningful, useful, and healing for you. In addition to my strengths-based approach, I implement a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My areas of focus include (but are not limited to) self-esteem, identity exploration, life transitions, values work, relational concerns, anxiety, and mood disorders. I work with all ages, but most commonly with adults. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming, seeking to provide a safe space to heal and grow, for all people. I welcome those who are well-seasoned to therapy, brand new to it, or somewhere in between. If you feel ready to begin or continue your mental health journey, I am eager to hear from you and support your process!

I am a thoughtful, warm, seasoned therapist who combines a relational approach to counseling with sound clinical judgement. I have had the privilege to work with clients who are courageous, hardworking, introspective, and some of the most wonderful people I have met. I am inspired by my clients daily. I greatly enjoy walking alongside individuals and partnering with them as they pursue wholeness. Most frequently, I see clients facing challenges with anxiety, trauma, and spiritual concerns. I provide a safe place to explore concerns about family, racial identity, gender and sexuality. I have interest in clients who have shifting belief systems or have wounds from faith communities. I also enjoy working with those in the Helping Professions including: therapists, teachers, social workers, first responders and medical professionals. No matter your background, I would be glad to talk with you to see if we would work well together or if I know of a therapist who would be right for you. Finding a therapist can feel daunting but doesn’t have to be. My first step is a 15 minute call to explore whether we would be a good fit. Feel free to email and I would be glad to arrange a conversation.

Lieser Counseling Services assists in discovering your true self, allowing you to live in ways that bring peace, meaning, and deep joy to daily life. Within the space we work to create trust and good rapport which allows for authentic growth and transformation. In this safe space we can tackle and heal wounds from trauma, eradicate unhealthy self talk, improve relationships, as well as re-frame depressive and anxious mindsets that prevent you from flourishing. No matter your gender identity, sexual orientation, or ideology I believe that we can create a healthy connection that will serve you in your day to day interactions.

Life can be difficult and everyone needs help at some point. I believe in a humanistic/person-centered approach that emphasizes the potential within people. Everyone has a different story, a different journey, a different destination. My goal as a therapist is to give you the support you need to get to where you want to be. Therapy is a collaborative effort and so it is through the combined work of the therapist’s experience in the mental health field and the client’s expertise in themself that this process is most effective. My previous work has primarily been focused on people within the LGBTQIA+ community as well as individuals dealing with substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions including but not limited to anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, mood disorders, and personality disorders Between my time working at a residential sober house and a community mental health center, where I led substance use and LGBTQIA+ support groups, I have experience working with individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds dealing with a wide variety of mental health issues.

I work with adolescents and adults. I specialize in working with ADHD, with a focus on executive functioning skills such as organization, time management, motivation, emotional regulation, and follow-through. I also specialize in treating social anxiety, using exposure-based approaches to help clients gradually face feared situations, reduce avoidance, and build confidence in social and performance settings. We will work at your pace, creating structured and manageable exposures while also addressing the thoughts and physical sensations that keep anxiety going. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in evidence based practices including CBT, ACT and ERP.

College can feel overwhelming — between classes, internships, friendships, and trying to figure out who you are and where you’re headed. Many students I work with describe feeling anxious, burnt out, or stuck in old patterns that don’t change no matter how hard they try. Others notice that underneath the stress is a sense of loneliness or pressure to have it all together. I work best with students who are curious about going deeper — not just learning coping strategies, but really understanding themselves and healing the patterns that get in the way of feeling connected and confident. If you’ve tried surface-level tools and still feel like something’s missing, this may be a good fit. Together, we’ll create a space that feels supportive, creative, and real — so you can grow in ways that last well beyond college.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Dr. Gonzales takes a personalized, collaborative approach that thoughtfully integrates medication management with evidence-based therapeutic techniques. He believes every patient deserves a safe space — one built on trust and open communication — because lasting change requires feeling safe and genuinely heard. He specializes in treating anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, PTSD, and ADHD across the lifespan — with a particular focus on the unique challenges facing early career professionals, young adults, college students, transitional aged youth, kids and teens. Whether you're seeking psychiatric care for the first time or you've tried other providers and are looking for a better fit, his goal is always the same: to help you grow, develop coping skills that actually work in real life, and build the kind of emotional foundation that holds. Dr. Gonzales believes that mental health care should be readily accessible — because the easier it is to engage in care, the more likely meaningful progress follows. His practice is primarily telehealth-based, removing barriers like commute time, scheduling conflicts, and the hesitation that can come with walking into an office. He currently sees patients virtually across Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, and Texas. In-person appointments are also available in Chicago, IL for those who prefer them.

Jiapei helps students manage anxiety, depression, social anxiety, ADHD, and the stress of major life transitions, from adjusting to freshman year to navigating the uncertainty of graduating and life after college. She offers a safe, non-judgmental space to be heard and find calm amid the overwhelm of college life. Jiapei helps students balance school, family, friendships, and romantic relationships, while gaining clarity and direction. She builds insight into thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, alongside real coping skills for daily life. Using CBT, ACT, and DBT, she brings a culturally responsive lens as a bilingual (English/Mandarin) clinician supporting BIPOC and international students.

Do you struggle with anxiety that affects your daily life? Do you feel overwhelmed just getting through the day? Do you hope that life could be better? Now more than ever, people are feeling uncertain in life. I believe there is hope. I offer a safe, holistic, and client-centered approach to therapy, so you can get the help you need. I am passionate about helping young adults learn to cope with anxiety, depression, body image/eating, and life transitions. I will guide you to accomplish your goals.