Therapists in South Loop, Chicago, IL

Tired of just coping and ready to start improving your life? I understand, and my collaborative, interactive approach can help. As a solution-focused therapist, I skip lengthy analysis and focus on your goals to efficiently find practical solutions. In just eight compassionate sessions or less, you'll feel understood and leave each week with immediate strategies and a customized game plan providing concrete next steps tailored to you. I don't just stop at counseling - as your short-term concierge, I recommend tailored follow-up resources for you to pursue once our work is complete.

Being a therapist is my second career. I know what it means to search to find a life that feels more meaningful. I have a master’s degree in counseling, completed a year-long immersion in narrative therapy, and have recently finished coursework for a PhD in social work focused on psychodynamic theory from ICSW. My psychodynamic training means I have experience in listening in a particular way. Gaining insight means learning to listen to ourselves in a deeper, more curious, and open way. Currently, I am studying the impact of dating apps on relationships for my dissertation. I understand that modern dating can feel like a landmine.

My specialties include working with individuals and couples struggling with infidelity, infertility, and/or difficulty with emotion regulation.

Are you the person you want to be? Are you having difficulty in your relationship or career? Do you often feel as if you are not good enough? As a man, do you avoid or deny your feelings? Are you stung by a recent breakup/divorce? Ask yourself a different question. Are you ready to feel empowered and thrive? My goal is to help you increase self-awareness & make positive lasting changes in thoughts and behavior. I provide integrated therapy and consulting customized to your unique situation, goals, personality, strengths, and history. To help you become a better version of yourself and reach your unlimited potential.

You are a whole person who deserves to be seen, supported, and given access to the tools that can help you thrive through whatever you are going through. I am both sex and religion positive and enjoy working with people who are struggling, or have strengths that they’d like to access, in either area. My main passions include men’s mental health, relationships, and intimacy and I believe that the greatest change in all of these things comes from working on it with others— working with couples and families is the way I most enjoy tackling issues!

We believe that health shouldn't be complicated; there is hope, and there are answers! At Holos Integrative Healthcare, we offer an allopathic approach with a holistic feel. We start with meeting the patient where they are and determining the best path forward. We help you by taking a macro view of your lifestyle, and customizing a program that meets your needs. We offer: an integrated approach, decades of experience, and the latest in scientific break-throughs so you can move forward with confidence, knowing you have the experts in the field to guide you to your end-goal.

Are you and your partner(s) at a place where you realize that your communication, sex life, and emotional safety are at a breaking point and you need more help? As a sex and couple therapist, I believe that all problems are relational- one of you is not "the problem"- your patterns of relating to one another that have become twisted with hurt and resentment over time are the problem. My style of conducting therapy is validating, structured, goal-oriented, observational and direct, with an element of coaching through in-session interventions and homework to complete outside of our meetings.

Feeling stuck or unhappy in your life or relationships? Are you looking to change old patterns, unhappy emotions, or habits that are keeping you from being your motivated and authentic self? I’m passionate and skilled at working with individuals and couples struggling with life transitions, anxiety, self-esteem, relationship/sex difficulties, and family discord. I see my clients as unique, strong, and capable beings and I utilize your strengths to support bringing about positive change. I believe we all need a shoulder to cry on, and a place to be honest & vulnerable, so I make sure you feel safe and comfortable in session.

Is addiction, an eating disorder, body image issues or trauma getting in the way of living your best life? Do you feel like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh? Your outlook on life is gloomy at best. Perhaps your food/exercise obsession is out of control. Maybe you’re attracted to risk and, as such, using drugs/alcohol to the point where it's derailing your life. Is shame what controls you? It could be fear getting in your way. Does your stomach ache, your palms sweat, or your anxiety give you that sinking feeling in the bottom of your belly that stops you in your tracks? With all this madness, there’s no time to thrive; merely survive.

I believe in a strength-based approach to therapy where the unique needs of each client are addressed in the safety of the therapeutic space. I strive to create a non-judgmental, empathic environment where clients are supported in attaining personal growth. I provide therapeutic services and guidance to individual adults (18+), couples and families. I have experience working with anxiety and depression, with a broad spectrum of unresolved traumatic experiences, and with issues surrounding adjustment to life transitions along with the general stressors of adulthood.

My clients want to make changes in their lives. They believe that healing is possible for both body and mind. When they feel safe enough, they bravely share the old stories about themselves and the no-longer-helpful ways of dealing with the world that kept them feeling sick or stuck. They keep showing up when the going gets rough, because they’ve seen for themselves that they can trust the process, and they’re willing to keep working it until it works, one day at a time.

Could you use a safe space to process a major life transition? Are you looking for guidance on improving your relationships? I see therapy as a valuable tool to reflect on life, unpack how you're feeling, and discover what changes you can make to be more satisfied. My therapeutic style tends to be a good fit for clients who identify as perfectionists, struggle with anxiety and uncertainty, or who are experiencing stress from significant phase of life changes like a new job, marriage, or having kids. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C).

Accepting NEW clients. Wendy Galyen & the counseling TEAM at Thrive for Life offer VIDEO &PHONE-based counseling. Online counseling services are great for busy professionals, college students, stay-at-home moms, retirees, or other clients who do not have time for traditional in-person sessions but who would benefit from counseling support in their daily lives. Free consultation available to determine if this type of counseling can meet your unique needs. Some insurances accepted or private pay from $75-$150/session. IL team includes: Wendy Galyen, Marilyn Verbiscer (couples), Emma Flores, & Lindsey Welch (life coach).

My goal, when working with families, couples, or individuals, is to provide the tools needed that will create the change you are seeking. I am a strong believer that starting with small tangible goals will lead to a greater change. What makes working with me a rewarding experience is that while creating an authentic and safe place, I'm not an expert in the room. You are the expert of your own life, and I'm here for support, Not to judge or create pressure.

I have been practicing therapy for over 10 years and am passionate about working with patients who want to better understand themselves. When we know ourselves on a deeper level, we feel more fulfilled and connected internally and with others, and we become better equipped to identify our needs. Is therapy right for you? You might minimize anxious feelings because you still function fairly well. You might dismiss symptoms of depression, because they only impact part of your life. These are indicators that there is something worth exploring beneath the surface. Therapy can help you identify emotions and improve your life experience.

The step to enter into counseling is a courageous one, it encompasses your willingness to connect, to be vulnerable, and to seek hope in healing. I see counseling as a way for clients to make change, to liberate one’s self from patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that may not be serving you effectively. These patterns are often imposed by society, family, and ones' own culture and/or gender. Counseling is a space to help navigate all that comes with life’s changes. In practice, I specialize in anxiety, depression, grief/loss, OCD, infertility, postpartum, relationships, job change/loss, and other adjustment related stressors.

We are all works in progress and the world around us can steer us in the wrong direction. I strive to work with my clients to find the most rewarding path and the healthiest balance of one’s needs, through learning more about oneself, others, and the world around us. It is essential to find a therapist that makes you feel validated, respected, and acknowledged by honoring your intersectional identities. As such, I strive to embody this in the therapeutic approaches that I use with my clients to uniquely address their presenting concerns.

Extensive research shows the client-therapist relationship is the most essential part of therapy. I encourage you to find the right fit. Topics I have helped clients successfully work through: complex trauma, helping change attachment styles, boundary identification & implementation, infidelity, dysfunctional communication, repetitive arguments on the same topic, kinks or differences in sexual interests (ex. BDSM, non-monogamy, cuckolding, etc.), and severe anxiety/depression. I help clients dig deeper than average talk therapy sessions - reaching core emotional wounds that often drive behavior.

I use a collaborative model, where sessions feel like two people having a conversation in my living room, versus a stereotypical doctor/patient interaction. I don't view your issues as coming from an abnormal psychopathology, but instead as a reaction to living in a stressful, complex, and contradictory world. I seek to understand your issues in the context of your unique experience rather than viewing you as having something wrong or being broken. My focus is on what you need from me....I take my lead from you.