Narrative Therapists in Chicago, IL

I have current openings in my practice for adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s, marital and pre-marital couples who are experiencing anxiety, depression, experiences of trauma, problematic drug and alcohol use, and relational difficulties. I am part of a group practice, North Shore Psychotherapy, that is located in the Lakeview neighborhood. My priority is to create a non-judgmental space for my clients in which they feel safe and supported. Additional specialties: emerging adulthood, building self-confidence, significant life transitions, disordered eating patterns, and women's issues.

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.

I welcome clients who see themselves aligned with values in my profile, especially those who seeking a better therapy experience grounded in emotional connection, social justice, and authenticity. Therapy has the potential to be incredibly healing, but also comes from a history of harm, having othered people on the basis of age, race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, and disability. I offer a trauma-responsive relationship through which we can explore narrative healing of your authentic self, commitments to anti-oppressive and anti-racist living, anti-adultist parenting support, and supportive community and relationship building.

As a therapist and Founder of iThrive Therapy PLLC, I provide telemental health services in illinois, Florida and Vermont. I work well with millennials and young adults experiencing life transitions, anxiety, depression, relationship issues and adults with serious mental Illnesses. I provide a space free of judgment and shame. Through individual therapy, I help my clients gain a greater awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and develop healthy coping techniques for maladaptive thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

Now Accepting New Clients! Telehealth Only - I believe that all humans possess a drive to be the very best that they can be, but it is not easy being human! As we walk along our path, we can experience obstacles that make it difficult to know our next move; sometimes we need a new perspective to help us find our way again. My areas of expertise include intimacy, interpersonal and marital relationships, anxiety, life transitions, and women’s issues. I work with individuals and couples from all walks of life. LGBTQ-allied & non-monogamy allied.

Working from an integrated Solution Focused/Narrative Therapy framework, you can expect that I will adjust my approach to help you wade through and resolve conflicts, emotional paralysis, betrayal and other relational problems, with a newfound sense of agency, hope and courage. While the problems that bring couples in for therapy may seem daunting, perhaps even feeling insurmountable to some, my work builds on the notion that problems are given their greatest opportunity for resolution by cultivating safe, loving, and secure relational attachments.

Whether you're facing difficulties related to anxiety, depression, stress, or grief, I offer a warm, thoughtful space for exploration and growth. I enjoy collaborating with clients who seek to understand their experiences, identify unhelpful patterns, and find meaning and purpose in their lives. Together, we can work to untangle how past and present events have shaped you and discover new ways to care for yourself.

I help individuals navigate uncertainty and stress, while gaining insight into themselves and their relationships. Many clients find this helpful at times of major transition–recently graduated from college, while in a new relationship, or when becoming a parent. My practice focuses on anxiety, relationships, and the challenges and joys of parenthood; I have a special interest in working with parents-to-be and first-time parents.

I work with individuals and couples wanting to work on anxiety, depression, family and relationship issues, conflict and communication, relational and religious trauma, grief, and low self-esteem. But what this really looks and feels like "people-pleasing" tendencies, shame, anger, fear of the unknown, and difficulty opening up with yourself and others. I am passionate about helping clients navigate these difficulties and helping them become unstuck.

Teens and young adults are struggling with a variety of issues, including depression, anxiety, neurodiversity, identity issues, low self-esteem, stress, and advocating for themselves. As a queer, biracial human, I appreciate and celebrate the identities of my clients and acknowledge that they are the experts in their lives and I'm honored to be a part of their journey.

I hold a shame-free space for you and your relationship partner(s) to understand and reshape patterns that cause distress and distance. Part of my role as a therapist is to gently guide you beyond “who-said-what” so we can understand and honor the emotional roots of conflict. I aim to honor your life stories so far, while also empowering you to create the kind of relationship you want for the future. In addition to relationship partners, I also work with individual clients on gender and sexual identity exploration, trauma, and life transitions.

Have you been feeling overwhelmed or stuck lately? If disruptions like depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship challenges, or work burnout are causing you stress, I would love to walk alongside you while helping navigate your path toward a more mindful and purposeful life. My focus is helping my clients recognize and identify their inner strengths, and communicate effectively and openly, while also cultivating a nurturing and accepting therapeutic environment in the process with a bit of comedic humor sprinkled in.

Joie is a North Side resident with personal experience in coping with childhood and medical trauma, and nurturing chronically ill/disabled, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ identities in an able-focused, neurotypical, and cis-heteronormative world. Joie is a former social emotional and sexual health educator with a background working as a therapist in the schools, and over telehealth with children, adolescents, and adults, with a particular focus on trauma and gender/sexuality identity development.

During my 20 years of servicing children and families, I have supported clients who were experiencing trauma related to grief and loss, sexual assault, first generation related responsibilities, low self-esteem, cultural expectations, dating violence, gun violence and major life transitions. Often, their goals were to manage their circumstances or become empowered to lift themselves out of their uncomfortable experience they were encountering. Their desire was to find tangible ways to not only cope with their stress, but to resolve the impact it had on their wellbeing and mental health.

I believe in creating safe space for self-expression and exploration in a collaborative and affirming way. I have worked with individuals navigating gender and sexuality identity exploration, polyamory struggles and dynamics, sexual trauma – including religious trauma and family of origin trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, HIV+ status, domestic violence, ADHD, suicidality, and milestone transitions. I have also worked with couples around family of origin conflict, communication struggles, parenting, navigating polyamory and kink, gender and sexuality expansion, as well as various role changes across the lifespan.

My focus is working with couples and individuals looking to improve the quality of their relationships. I am passionate about sex positivity and working to unlearn shame and embarrassment that may be ingrained from past experiences. I aim to facilitate open communication between couples to ensure both parties are getting their needs met. When working with individual clients, I can help guide you in advocating for what you need in your relationships with others. I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and specialize in working with queer individuals and couples. I am kink, poly, and sex-worker affirming.

My philosophy in working with clients is to build a trusting relationship with them by learning about their story - their family's story, their personal story, their triumphs and their challenges. I then work with the client to use their strengths to help them form a new story, a story where they change ingrained habits and live the life they have always wanted to live. I like to use the relationship we have built together to help the client feel safe making these changes in a supported environment.

It is exhausting holding up a mask to the world, pretending to be someone you aren’t just to fit in or to make it seem like your life is all put together, when in reality you're just trying to survive. Sound familiar? These feelings are normal, and they point us to our inner wisdom that something isn’t working: a situation, a habit, a relationship, etc. If you’re feeling stuck, you are not alone.

As a clinical intern, I specialize in helping clients navigate sexual and intimacy concerns, societal pressures, identity development, parent/child relationships, and life transitions. I hope to provide a safe and welcoming space for self-exploration, particularly within the LGBTQIA+ and kink communities. In this environment, the focus is on inclusivity, understanding, and supporting diverse relationships. Ultimately, the goal is to empower clients to embrace their authentic selves, build healthier relationships, and pursue a path of fulfillment and growth.