Therapists in Chicago, IL

Living as your authentic self is sometimes a struggle with who you expect to be and who others expect you to be. Changing habits can be very difficult but I want you to know that you have the ability to start over and be the best version of yourself. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist, I use a holistic approach to support clients to meet their behavioral health goals.

Therapy is a healthy resource. Everyone needs an objective, non-judgmental person to talk with in a confidential and warm environment. Sometimes you feel something is not quite right, but you can't put your finger on it. Other times, you know exactly what it is. Either way, telling your story can help figure things out by identifying your patterns of thought, behavior and emotions. Are any of them getting in the way? Together we discover the obstacles to achieving a stronger sense of well-being. Most importantly, we figure out how you can remove obstacles to leading a happier, more authentic life.

Having lived in different countries (China, England, and the U.S.) and the life of both a “majority” and a “minority”, from marketing to mental health, I am able to connect with people in their diverse life experiences. I see therapy as a relationship between two people committed to face the deeper truths of our lives. I am here to understand your unique personal story, and support you in sorting out complex emotional and relational concerns. The goal is for you to set yourself free from limiting barriers, build emotional resilience, and develop more fulfilling relationships with others.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over a decade of experience working with individuals, couples and families facing the challenges life presents when dealing with change and transition. Psychotherapy offers a safe place to explore difficult emotions, gain new perspective and heal from painful losses. My approach combines elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, family systems theory, narrative therapy and psychodynamics. I place great emphasis on the therapeutic relationship with my clients and believe that the right personal "fit" is crucial to a successful therapeutic relationship and, in turn, to facilitating greater self-awareness and personal growth.

In my 10 years of practice as a psychotherapist, I have worked with people facing many struggles, including surviving past trauma and abuse, feeling suicidal, and severe/chronic mental illness. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I have worked with many people who identify as LGBTQ, and have supported people through coming out, gender transition, and accessing gender-affirming health care. As a white therapist, when working with BIPOC clients, I use the frameworks of anti-racism and cultural humility, and strive to make space for exploring the impacts of racism and racial differences.

My clinical background includes working with young adults, adults, and adolescents, with a variety of presenting concerns. My main interest is helping clients recover from various types of trauma, overcoming anxiety and depressive symptoms, and eating disorders (mostly anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating). I’m passionate about processing family conflict, mood challenges, self-esteem issues, body-image issues, relationship challenges, women’s issues, interpersonal conflicts, adjustment transitions and conflicts, and emotions.

Are you trying to find more balance in your life? I can help! I specialize in working with adults who are trying to improve their relationships, navigate infidelity and women/couples who are experiencing infertility or alternative paths to build a family. I support clients who are navigating pregnancy and the stress of early parenthood. I also offer therapy to women who are interested in being a Single Mother by Choice. I provide a supportive environment where you can feel heard and seen in a nonjudgmental space.

My hope is to offer clients a new and different perspective, and empower them to attain greater insight. I believe that every client possesses the ability to find their own path that leads to meaning, joy, and fulfillment in their life. I enjoy working with adolescents and adults who struggle with anxiety, depression, or other traumatic experiences. We also address family and relationship issues, such as boundary setting, difficult life transitions, emotional abuse, and social trauma. My ideal client is one who is ready to do the hard work of self-reflection, and to seize control and responsibility for living their own best life.

As a Pakistani-American Muslim woman, I recognize that there is a significant need for counseling services within diverse communities. I'm especially passionate about working with individuals as they navigate major life transitions, such as going college, entering workforce, moving, marriage, parenthood, and so on. I also enjoy working with clients who experience grief and loss. I've worked with clients from various backgrounds and clinical presentations, focusing on addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, family issues, stressors, identity, etc.

Welcome to my practice. In my 19+ years of doing clinical work, I have developed a sensitive awareness for clients' unique needs in therapy . I offer a safe, collaborative space to help clients grow, heal, and work through emotional problems. I get to know my clients well and use a range of therapeutic tools to help them understand and work through emotions, thoughts, and patterns that cause them to feel stuck. I really enjoy working with clients from all different backgrounds in short and long term therapy.

Parenting can be challenging and may leave you struggling to interact positively with your child(ren). Psychologist for Parenting helps parent(s) in 37 PSYPACT participating states (listed below) to gain awareness of their blinders, which helps build insight into family dynamics that are interfering with relationships and communication challenges. (Accepting clients who reside in: AL, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY).

I am a passionate therapist with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Northwestern who worked at the Studio For Change for six years. I use client strengths, humor, parts therapy, and goal setting to resolve problems and work with individuals, couples and families from diverse backgrounds. I take a holistic approach to all my cases combing elements of mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness to bring healing into client's lives. I am a level 1 graduate of Internal Family Systems therapy, and a "Prepare-Enrich" premarital counselor.

Staying centered while balancing the many demands and expectations that our lives place on us may become overwhelming at times. Finding our balance between meeting those demands and creating mind space to explore, grow, replenish, and assert ourselves authentically can be challenging. These imbalances can compromise our psychological and emotional well-being while having a negative impact on our physical and spiritual health. They can also affect our relationships with others, personally and professionally, by influencing the way we perceive our circumstances, communicate with others, and assert our needs.

There are many reasons why people seek therapy. You may be working through problems at home or at work. Grappling with feelings of anxiety, anger, or depression. Or maybe searching for purpose in your life. You may be frustrated with relationships with friends, family, or chosen family. You may be thinking, "this is not how I imagined my life would be". As a therapist with over 30 years of experience, I believe the answers to changing your life are within you—and that you can find them through a safe therapeutic relationship.

I use an individualized, strengths-based approach to ensure both child and parent feel understood and working towards common goals. My experience in both intensive and long-term services make me well-equipped to help with any range of behavioral needs, incl. ADHD, anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, and other social/emotional needs. My focus is on the building of lagging skills and emotional development to decrease behavioral challenges and increase self esteem. I offer individual sessions with children and parent consultation services. I have also served as a mental health expert for the Inner Heroes Universe series!

I specialize in working with families, children, marriages/partnerships and adolescents. I am Gottman trained for couples counseling. I also EMDR trained. I employ a team approach that enhances existing supports and provides tools to assist with barriers. Throughout my twenty-five years of professional experience, I've had the great fortune to learn from the families, adolescents and adults who've placed their well being in my care. I believe in a mind body connection and holistic approach. Mind and body connections are vital to becoming a healthier individual both mentally and physically.

I value the power of the relationship between therapist and client and honoring my clients is foundational to my practice. I have been described as warm, authentic, welcoming, loyal, and someone safe with whom to disclose deeper feelings and experiences. I attempt from the first session to hone in and appreciate my clients' strengths, to listen deeply with genuine compassion, and to hold my clients' shared story with great value and reverence. I seek to facilitate the therapy office as a place where the inner wisdom of the client-- the inner self--can safely emerge.

Clients reach out for help for a variety of reasons: they may feel the loss of a relationship, be struggling with communication with their family or significant other, believe they are under-performing at work, feel depressed, anxious, "down in the dumps," lack self-confidence or may struggle with out of control behaviors. Some clients come to me completely new to therapy, others have explored and worked on themselves for years, but seek a new perspective. I draw on a variety of theoretical approaches to understand a person and explore their perspectives on their life and their issues.

I believe that therapy should be a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space, that offers the opportunity to process and make sense of emotions and experiences, and move towards deeper sense of self understanding. I am dedicated to helping people identify how certain thoughts, feelings and behaviors contribute to distress, and creating a collaborative path to change. My passion for providing therapy comes from the belief that we are inherently aware of what we need to be successful and are capable of making the changes necessary to move in a positive direction.