Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL
I’ve always been captivated by love, connection, and the strength people show through life’s toughest moments. Being transracially adopted is a meaningful part of my identity—it’s given me a deep appreciation for the complex, beautiful ways people form relationships and a strong commitment to honoring diversity, neurodiversity, and inclusion. As your therapist, I offer a calming, collaborative, and nonjudgmental presence. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship challenges, identity exploration, or life transitions, I want therapy to be a space where you feel seen, safe, and supported to explore your story. I believe that everyone deserves to feel heard, valued, and connected—and that real growth happens when we slow down, reflect together, and make space for what truly matters to you. I work with individuals and couples of all backgrounds, and I’m especially passionate about helping people feel empowered in their relationships—with themselves and others. I’m currently earning my Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at Adler University. As I grow in the field, I find myself drawn to Narrative, Emotionally Focused, and Collaborative therapies—approaches that center your lived experience and emphasize meaningful connection, healing, and change. I attend supervision with Mia Dal Santo, LMFT. You don’t have to have it all figured out before reaching out. Therapy is a place to begin, and I’m here to walk with you as you move toward clarity, connection, and a life that feels more authentically yours!
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.
As a Syrian living in Chicago, I am sensitive to issues of race, ethnicity, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, and religion and their influence on mental health. Therapy is one of the rare safe spaces to explore sensitive cultural identity topics. Where you can explore your sense of belonging and recreate your place in this world and how you want to be in it. We cannot change the past but we can change our relationship with the past, which ultimately shifts our present and future.
There are many ways we learn to cope with hurt, stress, and loss and, given our past experiences and upbringing, these ways can often involve avoidance – wanting to escape or numb the pain. This may look like excessive screen use, emotional eating, self-medicating, isolating, self-harm, etc. If you’re noticing that what helped you get by until now no longer works, if it’s impacting your ability to show up in your life and engage with the things you care about most, then I want to be your ally and support you through the process of change. My approach is collaborative, non-judgmental, and warm. In each session I prioritize creating a safe space for you to explore what brings you into therapy while providing a constructive environment, utilizing evidence-based approaches, to help you learn healthier coping strategies and facilitate the change you want to make. I want you to know that you are not alone and asking for help is an act of courage. I want to hear your story and have the privilege to accompany you on your journey of self-exploration, healing, and growth. To quote Brené Brown, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”
Sage Therapy Chicago specializes in working with college-aged students who might be experiencing stress, worry, anxiety, depression, stressors surrounding life transitions, trauma & PTSD. We offer in-person and virtual sessions and together we can help you increase your self awareness, support you in finding the best answers to life- changing questions, and guide you to a more enjoyable life. If you're looking to see things in a different way, feel free to get in touch!
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. Our therapists offer a range of specialties and address needs related to: -Anxiety -Depression -Body Image -Race/Ethnicity/Culture -Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity -Individual/Generational Trauma -Identity -Family-of-Origin -Life Transitions -Careers/Professional Goals Our therapists offer both in-person and virtual appointments and have weekend and evening availability. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and United/Optum insurance and offer free 15-minute phone consultations to help you find a therapist that works for you!
Innovative and experienced therapy group with offices in both Illinois and Michigan. Also taking appointments virtually. Specializing in young adult mental health treatment. Specializing in crisis counseling, first responders, women's mental health, substance treatment and overspending. Provide counseling for animal/pet loss and ESA assessments.
I earned my master’s degree in social work, with a concentration in mental health, from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at UIC in 2017. Since then, I have worked in multiple settings, including residential treatment, schools, and traditional clinical placements. I have a passion for doing this work and absolutely love my job. I have worked primarily with adolescents and families from diverse backgrounds, and I am excited to work with clients from all walks of life, whether they are on specific journeys of growth and healing, or just trying to figure some things out. I believe that everyone already has within them the inner strength and talents they need to create the life they want. Sometimes, we just need some help recognizing or tapping into our gifts. I’m a firm believer in the strengths-based approach, along with cognitive behavioral and reality therapy, and work from a combination of these perspectives. This means that in essence, I believe that learning the how and why behind the choices we have made in the past, is the most important part of learning how to choose wisely in the future. My goal is to create a safe place where we can talk openly about those choices without judgment, process the consequences both good and bad, and progress towards making different choices leading to different outcomes.
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.
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We specialize in treating complex co occurring addiction, eating disorders, mood disorders and related trauma. Our patients are complex human beings and our goal is to treat the whole person and not just a single diagnosis.
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My therapeutic process is rooted in the values of openness, acceptance, and collaboration. I believe that accessing what genuinely exists inside ourselves helps us to know who we really are. I draw from various therapeutic approaches, focusing on the mind-body-spirit connection, to illuminate underlying issues, free up blocks, and heal old wounds. My goal is supporting clients in their efforts to discover and become more fully the person they were created to be. Being a recreational triathlete and endurance sports participant has drawn my focus towards the biopsychosocial approach to one’s overall health and wellbeing.
Feeling anxious? Overwhelmed? Depressed? College can be tough, but The Ward Practice can help! Dr. Cheriece McNeely is a double board certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist proficient in providing psychiatric care throughout the lifespan. She specializes in treating college students as they are navigating transitioning to college, being away from family, taking on more responsibilities and contemplating career choices. She utilizes a holistic, individualized approach in partnership with students to develop a treatment plan which aligns with their goals. She understands that various factors affect you and the way you show up in the world. She will support you as you navigate the stress and anxiety of life transitions, she will help you to overcome the effects of traumatic life experiences, and she will embolden you to make your peace a priority in order to enjoy a vibrant, thriving life. After an initial psychiatric evaluation, Dr. McNeely may develop a treatment plan which may include psychoeducation and medication management. Most importantly, Dr. McNeely understands the stigma associated with seeking and receiving psychiatric treatment, and is dedicated to demystifying mental health concerns to make psychiatric care less intimidating and more accessible. Thus, she offers HIPAA compliant virtual appointments so that you have the opportunity to receive care in a place which is comfortable for you, as long as you are located in Illinois.
Group therapy practice located in downtown Chicago specializing in Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adults, Adolescents and Families.
I have experience working with students who are diagnosed with ADHD, on the Autism Spectrum, identify with LGBTQ+ and who have anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. I like to create a safe and comfortable environment for my clients. I am accepting both virtual and in person clients at this time.
I love working with clients to both identify their strengths and to help them understand what constrains them from reaching their goals. After exploring these areas, we collaborate to create a plan for change. I am an expert on tools and possibilities but you're the expert on you and what will resonate in your life. I'll be asking for your input every step of the way! I know campus culture. I've been a therapist in a busy University Counseling Center and loved my work students and faculty. I've also been a been a professor at the graduate level. I understand that with the all the stressors daily student life being successful means having a support network in place. I'd love to see if I'd be a good fit for your support network.
Our focus is on helping our clients create a life of presence, passion and purpose. We are a practice of 42 diverse, authentic and skilled therapists. Having a large team of therapists allows us to cover many specialties and treat most mental health disorders. We serve over 1000 clients each week, many of whom are students struggling with adjusting to college life, "adulting", anxiety, stress, OCD, trauma, depression, eating disorders, body image and identity development. Our therapists are LGBTQ+ affirming and consistently work on anti-racism. As therapists we are both creative and collaborative in helping you become the best and most authentic version of yourself.
I specialize in supporting individuals facing challenges such as mood and anxiety disorders, life transitions, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, or those simply seeking a safe space for self-reflection, personal growth, and emotional exploration. At the core of my practice is a genuine therapeutic relationship—one built on trust, empathy, and collaboration. With a foundation in evidence-based treatment methods, I combine clinical expertise with a compassionate, empowering approach. Humor is often woven into sessions where appropriate, helping to create a comfortable and engaging environment. By taking the time to truly understand each client’s unique personality, experiences, and goals, I tailor my approach to meet individual needs and foster lasting, meaningful change. I deeply believe that everyone has the potential to create positive transformation, and therapy can be that powerful catalyst for growth. It is a privilege to walk alongside my clients on their journey, helping them build momentum toward the changes they seek.