Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

Our team of licensed clinicians, social workers and supervised counseling students offers individual, couples and group therapies. To request counseling services, please call a member of our Social Services team at 773-525-1777 ext. 244 or email mentalhealth@nourishinghopechi.org. We will make every effort to get you scheduled for an appointment as soon as possible. Certain times of year are busier than others and a short wait may be necessary. The only residency requirement for our mental health program is that you live in the city of Chicago. As a free, private resource, your goals and hopes determine our course of action.

There are times when we may need support to gain insight and find creative solutions to our challenges. I look to meet people wherever they are on their journey and walk for a while, along-side them. As an art therapist, I believe in the power of creative expression and the role that it can play in self-awareness, growth, and healing. Let's Collaborate. I use art making as a mode of expression and fertile space for creative problem-solving. I found this outlet at a young age and went on to study art formally earning a degree in fine arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Creative expression of all kinds and across mediums has been a part of my personal self-care practice for most of my life. I believe so deeply in the healing power of art that I went on to obtain a graduate degree in Art Therapy so I could share this therapeutic practice with others. In addition to creative expressive therapy, I often integrate mindfulness and meditation techniques into sessions. I am trained in a variety of theories and modalities that support the deep work of trauma processing, such as EMDR, somatic work, and Internal Family Systems. Like a well-composed song or a pigment-layered canvas, a multi-media approach may be in order to best support the therapeutic process. I invite co-collaborators (that's you!) to roll up their sleeves in order to design creative solutions to their challenges and imagine new landscapes for their futures. Let's see what we can create together. The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. ― Aristotle

Do you have unwanted thoughts or habits preventing you from growing and being your authentic self? Are you struggling with some relationships in your life whether they are family, friends, co-workers, or a romantic partner? My goal is to collaborate with you where you are at to begin to process these experiences and develop skills and insights for you to grow. I believe every person deserves to be validated and have a safe space to feel and be heard. My passion and expertise lies in individual counseling for family dynamics and relationships which usually leads to support with self-esteem, identity, boundaries, and/or guilt. Together, we will take the time to process areas you are wanting to improve. I promise to create a comfortable, non-judgmental space where you can bring your honest thoughts and feelings. We will work on increasing insight and changing negative thinking patterns while becoming more aware of yourself and your relationships. After years providing counseling in the education field, I bring a range of experience working with diverse clients and issues. My clients tell me I’m warm, supportive, down-to-earth, insightful, approachable, and genuine. My goal is to provide you with a space to process, feel, and grow. Let’s connect for a phone consultation to see if we’re a great fit.

I am forever amazed by the natural strengths and resiliencies that individual possess. And even with this life is hard. All that we experience and navigate can be overwhelming and can leave us with a jumbled mess of emotions, hurts, and fears that are that can feel daunting and sometimes even debilitating. But you don't need to go through this alone. Together we can begin to better understand your patterns of behavior, thought processes and coping mechanisms, in order to discover and change those that are no longer serving you. We will compassionately face what you have and are experiencing and how those shape you while also moving towards more fullness in yourself and your relationships. I enjoy working with both individuals and couples and take a person-centered, trauma informed approach where holistic care for the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual parts of self are all important. I strive to tailor my approach to meet the client’s needs where they are at and to draw upon the clients’ natural strengths and resiliencies. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD and executive functioning, relationship challenges and spirituality challenges. Additional I spent fair amount of life abroad both as a child and adult and am intimately acquainted with the challenges of transitions, including the losses and grief, as well as struggles with belonging and cultural identity, that can accompany those transitions. I believe this experience positions me to understand and support others with similar experiences and challenges. If you have further questions feel free to email me, or set up a consultation call on our practice website!

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. As a therapist with Grey Area Therapy, I work with clients on needs related to anxiety, depression, OCD, vocational stress, and life transitions. I have a special interest in working with individuals who identify in the LGBTQ+ community. I offer both in-person and virtual appointments. I accept Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Cigna insurance and offer free 15-minute phone consultations to help you find a therapist that works for you!

I am currently accepting new clients both virtually and in-person. Are you experiencing stress, relationship issues, anxiety, insecurity or a life transition? Together, we can work to develop an understanding of life’s circumstances, make positive changes, and find emotional relief. I believe (and have seen!) that healing and joy can come from working through the challenges you are facing. By integrating authenticity, encouragement, and honesty into each session, I provide space for you to process and tools to better manage your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. I am especially passionate about incorporating a biblical perspective for those who request Christian counseling. Please let me know when you reach out if this is something you are looking for, as my clients have varying spiritual beliefs and I respect each individual’s values. I currently have weekday and evening availability. I am happy to provide a 20 minute free phone consultation to answer your questions as you consider if this may be a good fit for you!

Ali King, LCPC, earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She went on to work as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism at the Minnesota Autism Center before moving to Chicago and earning her master’s degree in Community Counseling from DePaul University. After graduate school, Ali worked as a therapist at Insight Behavioral Health Center’s residential facility for people struggling with eating disorders, as well as mood disorders. She led groups and supported people with everyday living tasks, as well as general skills coaching and meal management. Ali recently stepped down as the Director of the Young Adult PHP and IOP programs at Compass Health Center where she worked for 8 years in many different roles helping to build the Young Adult program and support the growth of the organization. While at Compass, Ali provided supervision and mentorship to newer clinicians and helped establish the group curriculum they currently use, as well as instituting effective policies and protocols. While at Compass, she received the award for Continuous Improvement, which highlights her drive and dedication to learning and growth. For over a decade, she has been providing person-centered, solution-focused, skills-based care. Her direct though nurturing, fun, and empathetic approach, is well received and has shown tangible results for her clients. With consistent encouragement and support, clients feel safe to explore their values and to learn successful coping strategies to improve their lives. While Ali has a passion for working with young adults through the tough transitions they face, she also appreciates working with adolescents and adults. She is well-versed in helping people manage struggles with self-esteem, relationships, low motivation, and simply feeling “stuck”. Ali is adept at working with clients with anxiety disorders, mood disorders, adjustment disorders, personality disorders, psychosis and substance use struggles. She has extensive experience working with DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and often incorporates these modalities into her eclectic therapeutic approach. Ali is currently accepting new clients virtually and at the downtown Chicago location.

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.

You’re thoughtful and self-aware. You can name your patterns and handle daily demands and yet you still feel burnt out, empty, or stuck. Maybe you’ve tried therapy before and learned helpful strategies and yet something deeper still feels unsettled. For many, college brings more than academic pressure. It can intensify questions about identity, belonging, relationships, family expectations, and who you’re becoming. Sometimes what looks like anxiety or procrastination is tied to something more relational — how safe you feel being fully yourself, how you learned to manage closeness, or how you’ve had to adapt in order to be accepted. My work is depth-oriented and relational. That means we pay attention to what unfolds between us, not just the symptoms you want to reduce. I won’t rush to give you techniques or quick fixes. Instead, we slow down enough to understand what’s been shaping your experience and create space for something different to emerge.

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.

I provide individual counseling to neurodivergent, anxious adults and young adults 18+. I aim to create a nonjudgmental, direct, supportive, and often humorous environment for neurodivergent, anxious adults, & struggling couples. I am experienced working with high profile, actors, lawyers, government workers, other therapists, and aspiring young adults, tailoring aspects of multiple different behavioral and relational approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure & Response Prevention, Prolonged Exposure, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Psychoeducation, Gottman Method Couples & Marital Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and I’m currently training in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). These evidence based therapies are designed to address a wide range of mental health concerns, from anxiety & adhd to complex trauma. My aim is to help you problem solve and come up with solutions that you think will best work for you. This is through providing talk therapy and a listening ear while also challenging you to think about situations in a different way then you have previously. Together, we can work through your struggles, build on your strengths, and help you achieve the life you envision.

I am a trauma therapist who is passionate about supporting people navigating life’s challenges. My role as a therapist is to support my clients uncover their most loving, powerful, and compassionate self. I like to invite clients to explore and resolve thoughts and behaviors that impact their life experience by acquiring self-leadership skills, new ways of coping and exploring long lasting change. I am passionate about trauma-informed care and particularly find meaning in working with individuals and couples who are experiencing anxiety or depression, life transitions, have complex family dynamics, those balancing multiple roles or adjusting to parenting, complex relationship issues, and those who are in high pressure/stress jobs. I consider my therapeutic style to be conversational, compassionate, and gently challenging.

When we are caught in mental distress, we need a trusted partner to help us face our challenges and act from a place of honesty and courage. This creative partnership provides a secure and supportive connection in which to experience solace, find joy, and transform difficulty into resilience. Art therapy is an established mental health profession that helps clients to access a visual entry point for deepened self-awareness. Through guided engagement with the innate creative process, a new way opens to safely explore and better regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This creative lens is integrated with holistic evidence-based counseling models for effective, personalized care. From a renewed place of expanded perspective and self-acceptance, clients are able to live more emotionally balanced, fulfilling lives in accordance with their personal values and developmental goals.

Dr. Michael Bricker founded Psychological Services PC in 2013 to reflect a practice of compassionate-minded psychotherapy as an art and science. At Psychological Services PC, we endeavor to provide a therapeutic environment that is sensitive and responsive to the role of culture, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability, spirituality, and other multicultural factors in mental health. We practice 21st Century counseling. Our clinicians’ commitment to ongoing professional development and training helps to ensure that the our services are based upon the latest theory and scientific information, giving our clients the best possible chance at achieving lasting changes and improvements in their relationships and quality of life. At Psychological Services, PC, we see our services as a significant personal investment; an investment that can lead to growth resulting in more fulfilling and harmonious relationships, career satisfaction and success, and long-term improvements in overall mood and well-being. We invite you to learn more about the services we offer through contacting us. Psychological Services, PC has offices in downtown Chicago and in the Lakeview neighborhood.

Not every storm is visible, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Whether it's the whirlwind of ADHD, the quiet complexities of autism, or the relentless loop of anxious thoughts, I help individuals navigate what others often don’t see. I specialize in supporting neurodivergent clients and those managing anxiety, with a deep commitment to honoring each person’s unique wiring. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based and scientifically proven practices tailored to your lived experience. We work together to customize therapy to meet you where you are—authentically, collaboratively, and with curiosity. In our work together, you’ll find a space that’s safe, curious, and empowering. I aim to guide my clients through the messiness of growth with compassion and clarity—helping them build self-understanding, reduce overwhelm, and rediscover their inner calm. To me, therapy is not about “fixing” but empowering—offering tools, insight, and support I’ve had the honor of walking alongside clients of all backgrounds as they reclaim confidence, build coping skills, and find language for what once felt unspeakable. Healing isn’t linear, but it is possible—and you're not alone in the journey. Together, we’ll make space for growth, resilience, and meaningful change.

Being a young adult can feel especially overwhelming. You’re expected to build a life, make big decisions, and manage responsibilities—often while still making sense of your past. The impact of trauma, stress, or difficult experiences earlier in life can add another layer of confusion, making it harder to trust yourself or feel grounded in who you are. I offer a supportive space where we can explore your experiences, process what you’ve been through, and find a way forward that feels true to you. In our work together, I offer expressive arts therapy as an additional tool to support healing and self-understanding. This can include drawing, writing, or other forms of creative expression, guided by your comfort. You don’t need to be artistic. Creative processes can help access feelings and experiences that are difficult to put into words. Whether you’re feeling lost, stuck, or simply curious about how therapy might help, I welcome the opportunity to connect. Therapy can offer a space to make sense of your past and strengthen your sense of self in the present. I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can talk about your goals, answer questions, and discuss if working together is a good fit.

At this practice, our mission is to help individuals, couples, and families live authentic, connected, and happy lives, in a way that affirms our shared humanity. Our work is focused on assisting clients in identifying and growing their unique set of strengths while learning the skills that research shows to be necessary for building healthy emotion regulation skills, balanced relationships, and the ability to thrive through challenge. We believe that every person holds within them the capacity to lead a life of joy and connection, and that helping clients fully realize this potential will create individual happiness, stronger families, and more peaceful communities. We recognize the importance of comprehensive care in helping to build greater systemic support for our clients, and utilize wrap around services including skills groups and testing. We have intentionally cultivated a diverse and interdisciplinary team of clinicians, within a culture of collaboration and support. We learn and grow from our colleagues’ experiences and perspectives, and this affirms our shared humanity and allows us to be better and more well rounded clinicians. We provide an emphasis on supporting our clinicians so that they can be peaceful and at ease, and on building clinicians’ skills through ongoing team trainings and weekly supervision meetings.

Through creativity and warmth, we work with clients to facilitate personal growth to help navigate an often confusing world. Together we will increase your self awareness, support you in finding the best answers to life- changing questions, and guide you to a more enjoyable life. ‍ We specialize in Anxiety, Depression, Relationships & Couples Counseling, Quarter Life Crisis, Life Transitions, Trauma, & PTSD and more.

Hello! We are a Chicago-based group private practice, and we offer counseling services for individuals, couples, and adolescents. We are located in the Wicker Park neighborhood right off the Blue Line. We accept BCBS PPO/Blue Choice insurance, out of pocket, and sliding scale payment for services. Please reach out to us at 773-249-2921 or hello@acclchicago.com for more information!

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