Therapists for college students near 60611

Hello! I work with neurodivergent clients who might have challenges with school, relationships, executive function, identity, or other stuff that gets in the way of living your life how you want to. I tend to work well with clients who feel like they don't quite fit in the mold of society and are trying to figure out how to understand themselves better and exist in the world we live in! I also use CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) to support clients who are struggling with sleep and insomnia.

You thought you’d feel more certain by now. You’re going to class, working toward a degree, and making plans for the future, but still feel anxious, stuck, or unsure of what comes next. You may be questioning a relationship, struggling with confidence, or trying to figure out who you are outside of family, cultural, or academic expectations. I work with college students, graduate students, and emerging adults navigating anxiety, academic stress, relationship and family concerns, identity exploration, and major life transitions. Therapy with me is a place to slow down, say what has been difficult to put into words, and understand the patterns shaping your choices and relationships. Together, we’ll work toward greater clarity, confidence, and self-compassion so you can move forward in a way that feels true to you. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. You can begin exactly where you are.

About Compassionate Healing Psychotherapy & Consultation (CHPC) College and graduate school can be exciting, but they can also feel overwhelming. Many students come to us feeling anxious, burned out, emotionally exhausted, or stuck. Others are trying to heal from difficult experiences while balancing classes, work, relationships, and family expectations. You don't have to navigate those challenges alone. At Compassionate Healing Psychotherapy & Consultation (CHPC), we provide a warm, supportive, and affirming space where you can slow down, make sense of what you're experiencing, and develop practical tools to feel more grounded and confident. We believe therapy is more than just talking—it is about understanding yourself, building resilience, and creating lasting change. Our clinicians work with students experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, attachment trauma, ADHD, relationship challenges, low self-esteem, perfectionism, life transitions, identity exploration, and the impact of difficult childhood or family experiences. Whether you're adjusting to college life, struggling with academic pressure, feeling overwhelmed, or wanting healthier relationships, we're here to support you. We take an individualized approach because no two people heal in the same way. Depending on your needs, therapy may include learning skills to regulate emotions and calm your nervous system, understanding unhelpful patterns, processing difficult experiences, strengthening self-confidence, and building healthier ways of coping. We are an LGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practice committed to creating a safe, respectful environment where you can feel heard and accepted. We offer telehealth throughout Illinois as well as in-person therapy in downtown Chicago, making it easier to access support around your academic schedule. No matter where you are in your journey, we're here to help you move toward greater balance, healing, and hope. We would be honored to be part of that journey with you.

About Bianca Berryhill, LPC, NCC College and graduate school can bring a lot of change, pressure, and uncertainty. You may feel overwhelmed by anxiety, struggle to stay focused, question your self-worth, or feel like you're constantly trying to meet everyone else's expectations while ignoring your own needs. Therapy can be a place to slow down, understand what's happening beneath the surface, and begin making meaningful changes. Bianca works with adolescents, college students, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, identity exploration, relationship concerns, and life transitions. She has a special interest in supporting neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD and autism, as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Bianca also works with clients healing from childhood trauma, foster care or adoption experiences, family conflict, and the lasting impact of difficult relationships. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and affirming. Bianca believes that therapy should feel like a safe space where you can be yourself without fear of judgment. She works alongside clients to better understand their thoughts, emotions, and life experiences while helping them develop practical skills to navigate life's challenges with greater confidence. Bianca integrates evidence-based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed interventions. She tailors therapy to each person's unique needs, helping clients strengthen emotional regulation, build self-compassion, develop healthier relationships, and reconnect with their values and sense of identity. Whether you're struggling with academic stress, burnout, relationship challenges, identity questions, or simply feeling stuck, Bianca is committed to helping you move toward a life that feels more balanced, meaningful, and authentic. Bianca provides telehealth therapy throughout Illinois and welcomes students seeking a compassionate, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist.

Xylem is a psychotherapy practice offering in-person and teletherapy. Each of our qualified therapists brings lived experience and a non-judgmental approach to truly seeing you for who you are and who you want to become. We are located in Lakeview, walking distance from the Brown and Red lines and with both Ashland and Belmont buss stops at our front door.

I want to work together toward growth that feels rooted, intentional, and aligned with the life you are trying to build. My work is shaped by the belief that healing often begins quietly, in the moments when we feel safe enough to pause, listen inward, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we have learned to silence. I strive to create a space that feels steady, grounded, and deeply human. My approach is warm and relational, guided by curiosity and respect for your lived experience. I integrate evidence based practices with an appreciation for the ways people grow in their own time, often in ways that are subtle but profoundly meaningful. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I support adults moving through anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, stress, life transitions, and emotional challenges. My training as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor informs how I understand coping patterns, and helps me support clients who want to explore their relationships with substances.

Do you often feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in cycles of overthinking and self-doubt? You may be navigating academic or career pressure, family expectations, or the emotional complexity of living between cultures. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, and feeling “never good enough,” even when they appear capable on the outside. Therapy can be a space where you slow down, feel understood, and move forward with greater clarity, emotional balance, and self-trust. English | 中文 Do you often feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in cycles of overthinking and self-doubt? You may be navigating academic or career pressure, family expectations, or the emotional complexity of living between cultures. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, and feeling “never good enough,” even when they appear capable on the outside. Therapy can be a space where you slow down, feel understood, and move forward with greater clarity, emotional balance, and self-trust. As a bilingual therapist fluent in Mandarin and English, I bring both professional training and lived experience into my work. Having studied abroad since high school, I understand the challenges of living between cultures and am deeply attuned to the invisible pressures related to identity, family expectations and adapting to new environment. My approach is client-centered and trauma-informed, grounded in empathy, authenticity, and empowerment. I believe that healing begins with understanding—and that every small step toward self-acceptance is a powerful act of growth. I look forward to walking with you on this journey of healing and rediscovery.

I work with clients navigating eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, grief, perfectionism, relationship concerns, and life transitions. My approach is warm, collaborative, and relational, integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and themes of Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). I believe the therapeutic relationship is the foundation of healing. Together, we’ll explore the patterns that have shaped you while building practical skills for lasting change. I’ll support and gently challenge you, and when appropriate, bring humor into sessions so therapy feels genuine, human, and like a place where you can truly be yourself. My work is grounded in cultural humility which honors each person's unique story and identity.

Alexandra (she/hers) specializes in the treatment of adults, marital and pre-marital couples, college aged individuals who are experiencing anxiety, depression, experiences of trauma, problematic drug and alcohol use, and relational difficulties. Additional specialties include: complicated family systems, emerging adulthood, significant life transitions, disordered eating patterns, and building self confidence. Alex’s approach to therapy is collaborative and she incorporates ACT/ DBT, mindfulness, Imago relational work, motivational interviewing, solution-focused, and narrative therapies into her practice.

Alissa (she/hers) specializes in the treatment of a mood, identity, and relationship struggles with adolescents and adults in their 20s and 30s. Alissa works with her clients to help them resolve difficulties with connection, build insight, and establish healthier relationship patterns. She helps her clients find meaning in their struggles, understand their symptoms, and find ways to get development back on track. She believes that the process of growth and healing is deeply connected to the relationship between the therapist and the individual seeking therapy. Alissa is trained in EMDR and has completed the Fundamentals of Psychoanalytic Thought program of study at the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute.

Healing is never a straight line, there will be ups and downs, and sometimes moments where one can feel stuck. Counseling is an important component of our healing journey and I hope to be of service to my clients to walk along their healing path. Looking deep inside can make one nervous and scared, but to look deeply inside is a very courageous step. Creating a safe space where my clients can feel seen and heard is very important to me. I obtained my B.A. in Psychology in 2011 and my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2023. I provide services in both English and Spanish. I actively engage in ongoing research on ADHD and neurodivergence and draw on both professional knowledge and personal insights and lived experience, as I have ADHD, along with my husband and one of my children, to support clients working through ADHD related concerns.

My practice is guided by curiosity and nonjudgment. Therapy is a place to let go of shame, where all topics can be brought to the table. My goal is to provide a safe space where we can question, cry, laugh, and feel it all together. My style is deeply empathetic and introspective with a sense of playfulness and lightheartedness. I practice from an emotions-focused, attachment, and psychodynamic lens. My approach also includes existential, narrative, trauma-informed, and harm-reduction frameworks. As a Certified Yoga Instructor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) who has trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE), I enjoy incorporating somatic work to deepen the therapeutic process via movement, breath work, and somatic mindfulness. I work with folks with ADHD/neurodivergence.

It's exhausting when your inner critic never seems to quiet down. Maybe you're constantly second-guessing yourself, struggling with body image, feeling anxious about the future, or wondering why it's so hard to show yourself the same compassion you give everyone else. Therapy can help you step out of those patterns and build a healthier relationship with yourself. I work with college students, graduate students, and young adults navigating eating disorders, body image concerns, anxiety, depression, identity exploration, relationship challenges, and life transitions. Together, we'll explore what's contributing to your distress while building practical tools to help you feel more grounded, confident, and connected to yourself. My approach is collaborative, strengths-based, and rooted in the connection between mind and body. I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and somatic approaches to help you better understand your emotions, strengthen self-compassion, and create lasting change. Rather than striving for perfection, we'll work toward building a life that feels balanced, authentic, and aligned with your values. I have a special passion for supporting clients healing their relationship with food and their bodies. Together, we'll work toward reducing shame, building body neutrality, developing healthier coping strategies, and strengthening trust in yourself. I also support individuals navigating the perinatal journey, including pregnancy, postpartum adjustment, and infertility. My hope is that therapy helps you reconnect with your strengths, treat yourself with greater compassion, and move through life with more confidence and self-acceptance.

College and young adulthood can bring excitement, uncertainty, and a lot of pressure. You may be navigating a major life transition, feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or depression, processing trauma, exploring your identity, or learning how to set healthier boundaries. Wherever you are, you do not have to move through it alone. Therapy can be a place to slow down, feel heard, and better understand what you are carrying. My goal is to create a space where you feel welcomed, respected, and accepted just as you are. Together, we will explore what is contributing to your current challenges, build on your strengths, and develop tools to help you manage stress, emotions, relationships, and change with more confidence and self-compassion. My approach is relational, client-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based. I tailor our work to your needs and goals, drawing from CBT, mindfulness, mind-body practices, motivational interviewing, art therapy, and psychodynamic and intersectional feminist perspectives. I strive to offer therapy that is LGBTQ+ affirming, culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive. I welcome conversations about identity, belonging, discrimination, marginalization, and the systems that may impact your mental health and well-being. My hope is that our work together helps you better understand yourself, honor your emotions, build healthy boundaries, and cultivate a deeper sense of resilience, safety, and peace within yourself.

Liz Casaclang Melo is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Illinois. She graduated from Argosy University with an MA in Clinical Psychology. Liz is a very open and empathetic person who values having a therapeutic relationship with her patients. Liz has had the opportunity to work with patients from different backgrounds, ethnicity, and BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. Outside of work, Liz enjoys the outdoors, especially biking and swimming. She loves hanging out with her family and their 3 dogs, and barbeques. She admits she is a foodie.

Cara McGhee, LPC takes a holistic eclectic approach to therapy. With the holistic aspect, Cara addresses symptoms as one way an individual's cognizance can convey consideration to an individual's advance perception. In the eclectic aspect, Cara uses various theoretical approaches to meet client's needs. Cara also addresses the therapeutic relationship with the belief that a stable relationship incorporates trust, authenticity, autonomy and optimistic outcomes. Cara has experience with survivors and offenders of domestic violence, substance use, parenting, and ran a court ordered anger management program. Mood disorders, anxiety, and depression are some of the main areas Cara treats. Cara earner her M. A. in Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Stephen Sullivan is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Illinois who has been practicing since 2018. He has a bachelor's degree in theology and a master's degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from Concordia University. Stephen sees huge value in building a trusting relationship with his clients and providing them with an objective and non-judgmental point of view during sessions. As a therapist, Stephen prioritizes creating an open space for clients to safely share their story. He finds that this gives people permission to develop a loving and secure relationship with themselves. Stephen specializes in working with adolescents, adults, and couples who are dealing with challenges in their lives. He has a wealth of experience working with people who are going through anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma, mood/behavioral challenges, and couples/relationship issues. He utilizes a variety of therapeutic approaches, personalized to each client?s needs. Some strategies he uses are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and trauma-informed therapy. Stephen can also provide spiritual counseling, specifically Christian-based counseling.

Karla Rivera is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Illinois. She has an M. A. in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University. Karla is committed to helping individuals navigate life?s challenges and achieve their fullest potential. She has a warm and empathetic approach and creates a safe and non-judgmental space where clients can explore their self holistically. Karla helps clients develop effective coping strategies, build resilience, and enhance their overall well-being. She tailors therapy to the individual as no two people are the same. Karla works in collaboration with the client as she believes the client is the expert of themselves as she is here to foster growth and support them toward healing and self-discovery. Outside of work, Karla enjoys reading, car detailing, tattooing, and baking. She loves spending time in nature and trying new restaurants in Chicago.

Hanan Abdelwahab is a Licensed Social Worker in Illinois who has been practicing since 2017. She completed her graduate degree at Loyola University in Chicago. During her time at Loyola and after graduating, while working in different hospitals, Hanan has been offering patients resources during crisis and in English and Arabic, as well as exposing myself to a number of different demographics and cultures. After several years working in hospitals, Hanan has transitioned to working in private practice. Private practice allowed her to move beyond the crisis and treat patients long term, giving her a deeper understanding of life and how each person is navigating it in this time period. Outside of work, Hanan enjoys drinking and learning about tea, reading, and yoga.

Emily Wheeler is a compassionate and dedicated Licensed Social Worker (LSW) at LifeStance Health, serving clients across Illinois. Emily specializes in helping individuals navigate life's challenges with a person-centered approach, ensuring that therapy is tailored to each client's unique needs and goals. With a focus on evidence-based practices, Emily creates a supportive and nonjudgmental space where individuals can explore their thoughts and emotions while building strategies to improve their well-being. Emily works with adolescents, adults, and seniors, addressing a range of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Emily has extensive experience supporting clients from diverse backgrounds, including those within the LGBTQ+ community and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Emily's expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) enables them to help clients develop practical tools for managing challenges and fostering resilience. Emily is particularly passionate about working with individuals exploring their gender identity and supporting clients in navigating this deeply personal journey.