Therapists for college students near University of Chicago

I incorporate trauma-focused approaches and specialize in working with adults and college students who struggle with stress, anxiety, creating life balance, and showing up for themselves in their relationships. My therapeutic orientation is humanistic integrative. I adapt evidence-based therapeutic models and interventions to the unique needs of each person that I work with. Given the complexity of each person’s life experiences, I emphasize multicultural sensitivity and the use of a holistic approach to therapy. Honoring who you are is an essential part of experiencing a collaborative and compassionate relationship. Therapy is a space for you to feel seen, validated, and supported while working towards goals that reflect your own needs and desires in wellness and personal growth.

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Many people I work with feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of their next steps. They want clarity, steadiness, and a space where they can slow down and feel genuinely understood. I welcome clients from all backgrounds and strive to be culturally responsive, with a deep respect for those from marginalized or stigmatized communities. I offer a calm, collaborative space where you can explore your story, reconnect with your strengths, and move toward meaningful, lasting change. I support adults navigating substance use, shame, guilt, or impulsive patterns. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in harm-reduction and emotional insight. Together, we slow things down, build awareness, and create practical strategies that support healthier choices and greater self-trust. Reaching out can feel intimidating, and it’s okay if you’re unsure where to begin. I offer a brief 15–20 minute consultation where you can ask questions and get a sense of whether we’re a good fit. When you’re ready, I’m here to help you take the next step.

We provide trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive mental health counseling for multicultural, Asian, BIPOC, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized Communities. Our clinicians speak multiple languages and have experience working with students from diverse backgrounds.

Dr. Shana Mehta works with teenagers and adults who struggle with various forms of anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. She has expertise with individuals who experience mood difficulties, generalized anxiety or panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, addiction, trauma, divorce, parenting difficulties, and significant life transitions. Additionally, she specializes in eating disorder treatment, specifically binge eating, compulsive overeating, emotional overeating, and mindless eating. Dr. Mehta views therapy as a collaborative process. She works with her client to gain a deeper understanding of past struggles and tendencies, assist in managing current challenges, and develop achievable goals. She uses a combination of evidence based therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive-Behavioral, Dialectical Behavioral, and Exposure Therapy. Dr. Mehta believes that there are many complex components that make ‘life change’ difficult. She finds passion in assisting clients in uncovering emotional layers, helping them to achieve realistic improvements, and finding enjoyment and happiness in life. If you're ready to schedule, visit www.allow-wellness.com to directly reserve an intake time.

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!

Guided Pathway Counseling, PLLC helps support individuals struggling with an array of mental health issues, some of which include depression, anxiety, trauma, stress management, life transitions, and issues relevant to the LGBTQ community.

I am passionate about working with young adults and first generation immigrants that are struggling with anxiety, burnout and stress. I understand the unique challenges college students face because I myself have been a student on/off for over 10 years. I come from a first generation household and have worked with immigrants my entire professional life. I know how hard it can be to grow up in a culture that has different values than those at home and how this can lead to questioning your own identity and where you feel you belong. I welcome the opportunity to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself to live in alignment with your natural strengths and ambitions.

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I joined Relational Insight in 2023 to provide affordable therapy to individuals, couples, and families. I apply collaboration within therapy to help clients tell their story to practice new perspectives or behaviors. I aim to help clients find validation, healing, and growth within life struggles and transitions. I have a passion for reaching underserved clients, especially men of color and other members of marginalized groups. Also, I connect easily with adolescents struggling with emotional or behavioral concerns. I strive to provide a warm welcome with tangible support for individuals and families who may be new to focusing on their mental health. Looking to assist those struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, interpersonal conflict, and professional challenges. After transitioning from the professional world as a sales director and consultant, having a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology allows me provided insight for clients facing professional challenges and questions.

Many of the students I work with feel like they’re carrying more than what shows on the outside. Between school, family expectations, friendships, and figuring out who they are, it can feel like there’s never enough space to just breathe. Some describe feeling anxious, weighed down, or stuck between different parts of their life; like they’re trying to hold it all together but don’t always know how. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I work especially well with students who: ◦ Feel pressure to succeed academically while juggling family or cultural expectations ◦ Notice anxiety or low moods making it harder to focus or enjoy daily life ◦ Struggle with relationships, whether that’s family, friends, or dating ◦ Are first-generation, or navigating life between more than one culture ◦ Want a space that feels supportive, flexible, and understanding Therapy with me is about having someone on your side who understands those layers. We’ll take it step by step, focusing on what matters most to you so you can feel steadier, less weighed down, and more like yourself again.

I understand that seeking change or trying something different can be difficult. I enjoy working alongside my clients to help each individual achieve their therapy goals in a way that feels comfortable for them. By using an empathetic and client centered approach, I support and encourage my clients to focus on their strengths to overcome life’s challenges. I strive to create a safe and empowering space where clients can be vulnerable, explore new perspectives, and speak openly in an environment where they feel accepted rather than judged. I believe the relationship between client and therapist is essential in the helping process.

For four years, I sat in my corporate cubicle daydreaming of becoming a psychotherapist. I could only ignore my calling to work in service of the human condition for so long before ultimately embarking on a 180° career change. Since then, I have come to intimately understand that transformation does not happen in isolation. In the sanctity of private sessions, I have witnessed clients encounter shame with tender curiosity, reparent themselves, uncover and mindfully address values-incongruent tendencies, reframe disempowering personal narratives, implement boundaries, somatically resolve trauma, and develop deep trust in intuition. Stigma often mischaracterizes the pursuit of psychological healing and emotional reckoning through therapy as a testament to one’s weakness. But the term “psycho-therapy” translates to “serving the soul.” Commitment to the therapeutic process, and therefore acknowledging a need for additional support, is a reflection of one’s quiet strength, humility, and capacity for self-advocacy. Within my professional purview, a person’s choice to seek therapy is an act of redemptive warfare for their soul. My clinical interests include counseling adolescents, young adults, and adults seeking support for anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD, and recovery from early childhood trauma. My therapeutic style is predominantly informed by psychodynamic theory and neuroscience, however my educational and clinical experiences have equipped me with the skills necessary to facilitate interventions aligned with additional modalities, such as CBT, DBT, and ACT. I am compassionately direct in my counseling approach and appreciate the injection of humor into sessions where appropriate. I have received certification in both Levels I and II of Applied Polyvagal Theory (PVT) in Yoga (16-hour) and I am currently a student in the Somatic Experiencing (SE™) Professional Training Program, seeking to complete the educational & related requirements of the program to use the Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) credential.

Do you struggle with feelings of quiet desperation, affecting your ability to be engaged in life? Do you feel like you’re treading water, lost in how you ended up here? Do you wonder if you could be more present and intentional? Now more than ever, people are feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do and experience a loss of meaning in their life. I believe there is hope and answers. I offer therapy to people who feel stuck. We start by exploring your past and problems you face to understand what you’re trying to move on from. We’ll challenge the assumptions keeping you stuck and create actionable steps to make positive changes. I offer a safe, steady space where you can talk openly, get feedback, and create lasting progress. Helping people understand themselves and make positive changes is my passion. We’ll work together to build a better understanding of yourself, improve your engagement, and feel more alive. Give me a call or email today for a free consultation and we’ll see if this all makes sense for you.

We live in a hectic, high-pressured world. It can be hard to stay connected to one's true self when managing the stress and expectations of our nonstop culture - especially when life doesn't go according to plan. I provide a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment to help you gain perspective, process past experiences, clarify your values, and experience healing and deeper fulfillment. Together we will use sessions to set goals, identify barriers to growth, increase coping skills, and build on your existing strengths. I enjoy working with individuals of diverse ages, sexual orientations, genders, & backgrounds. I employ an individualized, person-centered approach and utilize aspects from several research-based approaches. I have over 10 years of experience providing therapy for a variety of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, and difficult life transitions. I'm grateful for your courage and interest in therapy. It can be a life-changing process and I would be honored to support you on your journey toward healing and wholeness. If this resonates with you, please reach out today to schedule an initial session with me.

I want to support you in finding mental and physical health through counseling and body-centered approaches to healing. Whatever challenges you may be facing at this time, I look forward to helping you meet your goals and find a satisfying life filled with ease, happiness, and connection!

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I understand how challenging it can be to find a therapist that feels like a good fit. I earned my doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University and spent 8 years working and training in college counseling centers (e.g., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Purdue, DePaul). The last 5 years I've been continuing to build upon my experience working with unique people. I am a neurodivergent and creative person as well. My areas of expertise are in working with young adults experiencing difficulties related to mood, anxiety, and trauma (recent or past). I enjoy working with adults with ADHD and other neurodivergencies to deepen their understanding of how their brain works and to develop practical strategies to reduce the burden of living in a neurotypical world. My therapy style is warm, casual, and humorous. My approach is client-centered; I work to tailor therapy to the unique needs of each individual while building a trusting relationship over time. I incorporate CBT, ACT, DBT, humanistic, and existential theories and interventions in my work. I am LGBTQIA+ competent, trans/gender affirming, sex and body positive. I welcome individuals with non-traditional/non-monogamous relationship styles or family systems, artists, musicians, performers, individuals who do not conform to the typical 9-5 lifestyle, and folks navigating difficult family dynamics or complicated romantic relationships. Finding a therapist can be daunting. If talking briefly would help you feel comfortable moving forward, please reach out! I’m happy to make accommodations/be flexible in scheduling. It's intimidating to take steps towards meaningful change, but you deserve to be content in life. I'd be honored to be a part of that process. Resilience lies within all of us.

For a long time, life may have felt overwhelming, even if everything on the surface looks "fine." You might tell yourself, “I’m fine, it could be worse,” yet underneath, there’s a constant sense of tension, exhaustion, and burnout. You may feel detached, you’ve become skilled at hiding your pain and no one seems to notice. This can leave you feeling lonely, even when surrounded by others, and stir up complex emotions like guilt, shame, and resentment. Deep down, you long to live more authentically, but looking inward feels uncertain and even frightening. What’s in that "Pandora’s box" of emotions? What if it’s too much? I believe in the power of relationship and self-exploration. With compassion, curiosity, and a bit of humor, we'll uncover the layers of your experience. Together, we'll create a safe space to explore your emotions, past experiences, and underlying patterns. We’ll build self-awareness, tools for emotional comfort, and guide you with your authentic values. It can feel like you're carrying everything on your own, but you're not meant to. I'm here to support you in a trusting, empathetic therapeutic relationship, one where we move at your pace. If you're ready to explore, heal, and reconnect with yourself, I’m here to walk alongside you when you’re ready.

Hello, I am a huge advocate for school and I am so glad you want to better your life! I offer a welcoming environment for students and encourage you to be open. This is a judgment-free zone. I specialize with clients whom are experiencing depression, anxiety, school stressors, life stressors, and in many other areas.