Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

Feeling burnt out? Keeping up with college life can be overwhelming. We specialize in working with college students and we're here to support you! Schedule an appointment today! We look forward to meeting with you. We are accepting new clients and have immediate openings, both in person or virtual. We accept insurance, self-pay, and sliding scale (reduced fee).

My passion for psychiatry began during my undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, where I graduated with a degree in neuroscience and a GPA of 3.9. Due to my academic excellence, I was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest honor society, which includes 17 former U.S. Presidents and 40 Supreme Court Justices among its members. Before pursuing a career in medicine, I taught Algebra to middle school students in New York City as a public school educator. I was initially hired to help students pass their state exams, and to my surprise, they succeeded. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of education. At Rush University, I hold three administrative roles: Executive Chief Resident, Education Chief, and Internal Moonlighting Coordinator. As Executive Chief Resident, I organize two literature review series: Rush’s Journal Club and a program called “Controversies in Psychopharmacology,” which explores new and controversial topics in psychiatry. Together with faculty, I also coordinate the PRITE exam review series. As an enthusiastic test-taker, I achieved scores above the 90th percentile in neuroscience on the 2020 and 2021 exams. Additionally, I oversee the Balint group, a support group aimed at addressing physician burnout and promoting wellness among residents. In my role as Education Chief, I manage Rush’s Teaching Clinic, designed to support medical students. I regularly lecture to both medical students and residents. I have collaborated with my co-residents to create a personalized tutoring series for at-risk medical students focused on helping them pass their NBME shelf exams; I’m proud to report that 100% of my mentees have successfully passed. Furthermore, I co-lead a neuroscience curriculum aligned with materials from the National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative (NNCI) and deliver lectures to my co-residents. As the Internal Moonlighting Coordinator at Rush, I ensure continuous and effective psychiatric care in the emergency department. I have logged over 1,000 hours in the emergency room, gaining experience in stabilizing high-acuity situations such as psychosis, mania, and agitation. This role has also provided me with valuable experience in accounting and bookkeeping, allowing me to work closely with the payroll department. I am actively involved in the Illinois Psychiatric Society, the Illinois branch of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). I serve on several committees, including the anti-racism committee and the government affairs committee. My interests lie in interventional psychiatry, and I currently work at Rush’s TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and ketamine clinic. In October, I collaborated with IV Chicago Solutions and shadowed Dr. Eugene Lipov, a pioneer of the stellate ganglion block procedure for treating PTSD. You can easily schedule your session through our online booking link. Click "Website" to find a convenient time for you.

At Tailwinds, we believe mental healthcare should be accessible, transparent, and deeply human. Too often, people seeking support encounter long waitlists, confusing costs, or clinicians stretched thin by systems that don’t support them. Our vision is to remove those barriers, creating a practice where clients and clinicians alike feel valued, supported, and equipped to thrive. We see mental healthcare not just as a service, but as a partnership that helps individuals, families, and communities move forward with strength, sureness, and compassion.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the owner of Turn On the Light Therapy Services, a telehealth private practice serving adults throughout Illinois. I have over 10 years of experience working with adults navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, ADHD, and the many demands that come with trying to balance work, relationships, family, and taking care of yourself. My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and practical. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and family systems approaches, tailoring treatment to each person’s individual needs and goals. I also have specialized training as an ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider and am completing additional training focused on pain psychology using CBT and ACT-based approaches. One of the things I value most about therapy is creating a space where people can slow down, be honest about what they want, and reconnect with themselves. Often, people come to therapy feeling stuck or trying to figure out how to make everything work. Therapy can provide an opportunity to explore what is underneath that feeling, understand patterns, build confidence, and make intentional choices about what comes next. Through Turn on the Light Therapy Services, I provide convenient, compassionate virtual therapy for adults across Illinois. My goal is to help clients feel more understood, empowered, and equipped to create meaningful change in their lives.

Meet Emma Flores – Your Support for Life’s Transitions and Challenges College is full of new experiences—some exciting, some stressful, and some that catch you completely off guard. Whether you’re starting your first semester, adjusting to campus life, or preparing for what comes after graduation, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at times. Emma Flores is here to help you navigate it all. Emma is a warm, approachable therapist who truly understands the unique challenges college students face. She knows that life during these years isn’t just about getting good grades—it’s about finding your identity, managing relationships, coping with change, and balancing independence with responsibility. She creates a safe, welcoming space where you can talk openly about what’s on your mind without fear of judgment. Emma works with students who are feeling anxious, stressed, stuck, or uncertain about the future. She also supports those dealing with depression, relationship issues, self-doubt, and big life transitions. Her style is collaborative—you bring your experiences and goals, and together you’ll explore what’s getting in the way and how to move forward. One of Emma’s strengths is making therapy feel comfortable and relatable. She understands that reaching out for help can be intimidating, so she meets you exactly where you are. Her sessions feel like a genuine conversation with someone who’s fully in your corner—someone who will listen, guide, and challenge you in ways that feel safe and encouraging. Emma is especially passionate about helping students: Manage anxiety, stress, and burnout Navigate family, friendship, and romantic relationship changes Build confidence and self-worth Adjust to new environments or cultural transitions Develop healthy coping skills for academic and personal challenges She believes that therapy is not just for times of crisis—it’s also a tool for growth, clarity, and self-discovery. Working with Emma means gaining insight into your patterns, building resilience, and creating the life you want, one step at a time. If you’ve been feeling like you have to “hold it all together” on your own, Emma wants you to know that you don’t. She’s here to remind you that it’s okay to ask for help—and that doing so is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether you’re looking for short-term support to get through a rough patch or ongoing therapy to help you grow and thrive, Emma is ready to walk alongside you. Your college years are a time of change, growth, and possibility. With the right support, you can face challenges with confidence—and Emma Flores is here to help you do just that.

Hello! As a mental health therapist, I'm here to offer a supportive and confidential space for you to navigate the unique challenges of college life. It's completely normal to feel overwhelmed by academic pressure, social changes, and the process of figuring out your future. My goal is to work with you to develop effective coping strategies and build confidence so you can thrive during this important chapter. Whether you're dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, or just need someone to talk to, please know that reaching out is a sign of strength. I look forward to connecting with you.

I graduated from Illinois State University in Normal, IL with my Bachelors of Social Work. I continued my education and graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL with my Masters of Social Work, specializing in mental health. While earning my graduate degree I worked on an inpatient psychiatric floor at Methodist Hospital. Mainly I worked with adults experiencing severe mental illness, however, I was also able to work with adolescents and the geriatric population from time to time. Simultaneously, I worked for a local high school as a long-term substitute teacher which provided me the opportunity of working closely with teens and their guardians. Additionally, I completed my internship in the Behavioral Health Emergency Department at Methodist Hospital where I completed assessments and linked people with resources in the community. Upon graduating, I moved to Virginia with my husband who was serving in the United States Navy, where I worked primarily with women on the postpartum units at Norfolk General Hospital. During my time at Norfolk General, I was able to assist women immediately following birth who were experiencing or at higher risk for postpartum depression and anxiety. I was also able to provide support to families who were experiencing an extended stay in the NICU. Since returning to Illinois, I have been back on one of the inpatient psychiatric units at Methodist Hospital working as a clinician. I have been primarily working with adults experiencing severe mental illness and their families by providing individual, family, and group therapy. In addition to therapy, I have been providing case management which has allowed me to familiarize myself with many of the local resources in the area. My husband and I are in the most amazing and exhausting time of our lives raising two toddler boys. We love spending time experiencing life through the eyes of our little boys. Family is everything to us. In my free time (what is that? ha-ha), I love watching Friends or One Tree Hill on repeat, going shopping with my mom, and playing video games. I believe in a holistic and person-centered approach. It's important to me for you to be the leader of your therapy. We will work as a team to set goals and work on what you feel is most important. I want to create a nonjudgmental and unbiased space for you to talk about the hard things. Your life is worth my time.

You may look like you’re keeping it together on the outside, but inside you’re exhausted from overthinking, carrying stress, and trying to manage emotions that feel bigger than you can explain. Maybe you’ve learned to push through, stay busy, or take care of everyone else while ignoring what’s happening in your own mind and body. I work with clients who are tired of surviving on autopilot. Many are navigating anxiety, ADHD, trauma, difficult relationships, or major life changes, and often feel stuck in patterns they understand logically but can’t seem to change. They may feel emotionally drained, disconnected from themselves, or frustrated that they’re struggling even when they’re doing “all the right things.” Therapy with me is a space to be real without judgment. You don’t have to minimize your experiences, make them sound less serious, or show up with the perfect words. Together, we can make sense of what’s beneath the overwhelm, understand the patterns that keep repeating, and create meaningful change that feels sustainable — not performative. If you’re used to being the strong one, the self-aware one, or the one who holds everything together while quietly falling apart, you don’t have to keep doing it alone.

We provide individual, couples, family, and group therapy to people of all ages and for most problems in life, including depression, anxiety, and relationship difficulties. Our mission is to deliver the highest-quality, culturally-sensitive counseling services in a client-friendly manner. We are driven by a desire to empower clients to heal, grow, and achieve balance. Our therapists have experience providing therapy to people from all walks of life. We work with life-long residents of Chicago as well as people who are more transitory. Many of our clients are students, faculty, and staff of local colleges and universities. Wherever you live and whatever your reason for seeking help, we are here to support you (or your child) in reaching your goals.

Do you struggle with racing thoughts, distressing feelings, anxiety, depression, or trauma? Are you and your partner(s) struggling with communication, intimacy, or distrust? Exploring how counseling can be beneficial is a brave first step that I am so glad you are taking! Regardless of what you want to work on in therapy, I treat my clients with compassion, respect, and empathy. I help you navigate this progression while creating a safe and supportive space to explore and create new ways to grow towards your goals. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with children, adults, and couples across a variety of settings with various clinical needs. My goal is to provide services to diverse populations across socioeconomic backgrounds. My skills in counseling include LGBTQ+ and BIPOC affirmative care, trauma-informed practice, and human sexuality. I believe that forming a strong therapeutic alliance is principal to healing and growth. Should we work together, you can trust that I will prioritize building a therapeutic relationship based on empathy and positive regard in a judgment-free space. After sessions, I hope you feel equipped to tackle the challenges in your life by tapping into your potential.

The decision to seek therapy is a very important decision, but choosing the right therapist is even more important since one of the best predictors of a positive therapy outcome is the fit between client and therapist. I strive to provide the people with whom I work an environment that is comfortable, nonjudgmental, and genuinely validating. My job is to provide a space for you to access your strengths and attributes, and with this I can provide psychological approaches to help you address the concerns that brought you in for therapy. I have extensive experience in treating anxiety disorders, (GAD, phobias, panic). I also have extensive experience in treating mood disorders, such as depression. I also have extensive experience in treating trauma. Additionally, I treat academic challenges, such as procrastination and perfectionism. Finally, I also treat psychosis, anger management issues, relationship problems, and tough life decisions, and a host of other issues. Initially, my job is to listen and help us understand the problem. Also during this time, I'll share diagnostic and other relevant information, and then give options on how we might address the problem. We will also periodically evaluate our progress in therapy to ensure that your goals are being met.

We meet you wherever you are on your journey and assist in helping you navigating anything and everything so you can feel empowered to create the life you want to live. We offer you a space to to feel held and heard so you know you are not alone. We see mental health care as everyday wellness where we radiate warmth and foster connection.

As a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC), I am dedicated to providing holistic care that addresses both the physical and mental well-being of my patients. In my role as a PMHNP, I strive to offer compassionate support and evidence-based treatments to individuals facing mental health challenges. Through therapeutic interventions and medication management, I aim to empower my patients to navigate their emotions, overcome obstacles, and achieve optimal mental wellness. Simultaneously, as an FNP, I am committed to promoting overall health.

KB & Associates is a multicultural practice with clinicians that look like you. We work with you in exploring your identity, growing your self esteem, and finding healing. We welcome you free of judgement, providing helpful tools for you to use to process your feelings and connect the dots. We are client focused and aim to provide you with what you need to move forward. Personal Introduction: The pain that currently exists in your life may feel like a weighted blanket, but it’s vital to remind yourself that the pain will not last forever. My name is Naseem and I’m a clinical mental health therapist based in Chicago, IL with about 2 years of therapy experience. I am a first generation Palestinian-American with parents born and raised in Palestine. Growing up, my parents never spoke about the importance of mental health, only physical health. Looking back on my childhood and the knowledge I gained over time, I learned that one can affect the other; both of them are equally important and are important for improving overall health. I identify as a queer Palestinian woman. In my culture, discussing mental health-related topics is foreign. One of the main reasons why I chose to pursue therapy as a career path is to be that first step in normalizing conversations on mental health in cultures that don’t discuss it enough like my own. It wasn’t until my adult years that I learned keeping my thoughts to myself 24/7 is doing more harm than good. My parents always told me to “get over it” and I found that wasn’t working for me anymore as I got older. My parents did not have the same opportunities as I do today when they were living in Palestine; they are another main reason why I chose this path. I received my bachelor’s from University of Illinois at Chicago (or UIC) in Psychology and my master’s from Adler University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I also hold a certificate in sex therapy from Adler University as well. In my past and most recent clinical experiences, I had the privilege and pleasure of working with individuals from the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability community dealing with difficult life transitions, relationship problems (including infidelity), gender identity exploration/issues, grief/loss, and trauma (including racial and generational trauma). As your therapist, I will help you tap into your inner resources and power so you are able to create and experience a much more fulfilling relationship with the people around you, your life, and, most importantly, yourself. Within my work, I mainly utilize a narrative and person-centered approach. In our therapy space, your safety and comfortability is a top priority. Our space is highly collaborative as well; I want to know how I can best support you as you learn how to support yourself. Lastly, one of my favorite poets, Yung Pueblo, once said “I cannot make you happy, but I can commit to support you in the creation of your own happiness.” Together, we will do exactly that. A little about me (because I am human after all): Outside of work, I enjoy playing with my pup, meeting up with friends and family, reading, painting, playing wordle, and watching 90 day fiancé every Sunday (can’t miss it!).

Our lives' narratives sometimes may not be pleasant nor self-fulling. Nonetheless, the therapeutic space can serve as a starting point to reflect and create new beginnings. It can also be a space where we revisit past narratives that may have marked you significantly or try to embrace our fears for the future. In our work together, I aim to connect with you in a way that not only allows for safety, trust and vulnerability but instills a sense of empowerment that affirms your ability to endure uncertainty. I view therapy as a space where both you and I can help each other to co-narrate your life experiences. My philosophy of life is- we all experience the world differently and are the experts on our may need support with processing and reflecting. For these reasons, I work from an integrative relational, humanistic, trans-affirmative, multicultural and liberating perspective. As a queer therapist of color, I value liberation, social justice and intersectionality. In creating a therapeutic space rooted in multiculturalism, I aim to instill a sense of safety for all clients, especially those with marginalized identities such as LGBTQ+, trans and non-binary, Kinks+, immigrants, and POC'S. I make a point to show up authentically in session as a compassionate, empathic, energetic, reflective, nerdy/geeky, and a bilingual person.

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.

For Real Therapy is a culturally, creatively and community inspired group practice. We value and emphasize clients coming from diverse / intersectional backgrounds including: QTBIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and first generation immigrants. For Real Therapy is rooted in the belief that therapy is a political act -- where resilience and rest are supported simultaneously. It is a practice for people who recognize the ripple effect of their impact on the world at large, and why it is integral to commit to the work of intentional self-healing to relate to yourself so you can best relate to others.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Providing culturally sensitive and inclusive therapy services to adults, including college students. "To care for another individual means to know and to experience the other as fully as possible." - Irvin D. Yalom, M.D. As a South Asian therapist, I understand the deep value of family and the intricate meanings tied to being an immigrant and a woman of color. I believe that every person's lived experiences uniquely shape their life and perceptions, which is why finding congruence and meaning in one’s life is important. This helps align one's actions with their true values, reducing internal conflict and enhancing overall well-being. As a therapist, I understand that building trust and rapport are critical for effective progress and meaningful change. To do so, I provide my clients with a safe and supportive environment for them to explore their inner thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, to foster personal growth and healing. In my practice, I utilize an integrative approach that blends systems, humanistic, and multicultural frameworks. My goal is to empower you to achieve your personal and psychological goals while providing a safe, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive space where you can explore your inner self. I am committed to creating an environment where you can feel at ease, be your authentic self, and build a trusting relationship with me. Together, we'll work collaboratively to build insight, draw on your strengths, process difficult emotions and experiences, and form a meaningful narrative for your life. With a kind, empathetic, and compassionate approach, I strive to create a therapeutic environment where you feel supported and empowered to achieve your goals. I look forward to accompanying you on your path to well-being and self-discovery.

We face struggles in this life and through introspection, humor, and support, we persevere. From the development and focus on our individual resources, we gain the momentum to overcome. It is my belief that supportive relationships tend to be of utmost value to us when we are faced with struggle. Through these relationships, we find direction. It is my desire to support you in finding that very direction. My approach is purposeful, collaborative, and authentic. I will work hard to develop a strong therapeutic alliance with you. I see the client-therapist relationship as the foundation of the change-making journey. I am warm, welcoming, and validating while also direct and goal-focused. I operate from a strength-based approach and am devoted to helping you to explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I am committed to helping you to increase self-awareness and to develop resources to better cope. My areas of expertise include working with adolescents and young adults who present with challenges that may include anxiety, depression, and trauma. In addition, I am skilled in helping clients to manage urban stress, navigate life transitions, and enhance their self-worth. We will begin exactly where you are at, and I will be honored to assist you in creating that life that you so desire.