Spirituality Therapists in South Loop, Chicago, IL

Let's be honest- adulting is hard. Establishing a career, moving to a new city, dating, making friends...while all of these things are great, they can also create stress, anxiety, and confusion. Sometimes, you just need a place to talk through it all. Therapy is a great space to process and clarify your goals, learn more about yourself, and develop skills to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you see yourself ideally.

Whether you’re seeking therapy due to dissatisfaction regarding a specific issue in your life or just trying to find peace in the midst of world events, I strive to help clients develop self-compassion, resilience, healing and greater happiness. While suffering is a normal part of being human, therapy provides a safe space to explore our response to internal and external stresses and develop a greater sense of peace, meaning, and fulfillment. In addition to genuine concern and empathy, clients have mentioned my 'particular blend of pragmatism and humor' as helpful in establishing a collaborative therapeutic relationship.

I welcome individual adult clients who want to work through issues related to self-esteem, self-confidence, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, career/vocation, grief and loss, aging and other matters. It's important to me to hear and understand your story and how you wish to create a fuller and more satisfying life. I strongly believe in the power of listening well and offering “hospitality” for your experience, both its joys and struggles. I view the counseling relationship as a sacred trust, and seek to foster a dynamic partnership with clients, which is a key to gaining insight, finding healing, and building hope.

We all struggle with wondering who we are and what we are here for! This is part of being human us all. Unfortunately, if you are struggling it can feel horrible and influence the lens you see the world through. I don’t know what you’re looking for & what has brought you to a place of needing support. Maybe you’re looking for healing and restoration around a painful event or relationships. Are you searching for your voice? Your faith and spirituality are important to you, but do you experience disconnect in knowing how to live a transformed life? Do you just want to be a more authentic person and know counseling helps in some way?

My areas of focus are on women/WOC, gender, trauma (complex/secondary), sexuality, dating/ relationships (traditional/non-traditional), anxiety, life transitions, identity, religion/ spirituality , & racial/cultural concerns. I believe the most important aspect of the therapeutic space is having a collaborative, genuine, & empathic relationship with the client. My hope for those that I am so fortunate to work with is for them to reach a place of peace, acceptance, & liberation. I have confidence in my client's ability to cultivate change, create new meaning, & rewrite their stories. I am LGBTQIAI+, kink- & CNM- responsive.

I enjoy working with a diverse population of clients. I have experience providing both individual, couples and family therapy and I have worked with a wide range of ages. I work with individuals who are experiencing life transitions, anxiety, depression, complex trauma, and spirituality . I am also highly specialized in treating trauma – I work with survivor/victims of community violence, violent injuries, sexual abuse or assault, self-harm, suicidal ideations. I am a LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist and work with all clients, no matter their background or identities, from a trauma-informed framework.

Are you going through a hard life transition? Do you need relationship support? Do you feel stuck, anxious, and in need of a space for personal reflection? As anxiety builds, it has a way of controlling our life; our mood, self-esteem, relationships, work, school, and sleep all suffer. My holistic approach addresses clients as a "whole," and we dive into how you feel presently, your future expectations, and how your past contributes to your current feelings. We reflect on who you are, the environment you're surrounded by, and where there is opportunity for change.

Elena Vassallo has twenty-eight years of experience helping people with anxiety, depression, grief, phase of life transitions, low self-esteem, feelings of meaninglessness, relationship issues and more.

I am a Chicago native eager to help others create change in their lives. I am compassionate, creative and believe in the power of change. I combine mindfulness and spirituality into my work. I specialize in treating anxiety, mood disorders, life transitions, race trauma, LGBT issues and more. I use a holistic approach.

Phoenix Rising Counseling and Guidance, LLC is a holistic practice built on the premise of helping individuals like you to recognize your strengths and potential and rise up from the ashes that have negatively impacted your life. We strive to combine the treatment of mental health with mindfulness and spirituality . We believe that everyone has the tools and the innate ability to change their external world by working through the blockages, thought perceptions and cloud of their internal world.

Many of us are feeling a deep unease right now because the trajectory of our personal stories has been derailed by the overpowering story of the global pandemic. Without our accustomed habits, roles and scripts we feel lost in the present. Worse, we can no longer easily imagine ourselves into the future... even though we spend half of our waking lives trying to do just that. The way out of this predicament is to climb to a higher level of storytelling - to perceive our individual role in the collective drama that is unfolding and embrace the totality of the experience. Learning how you can change your story is true empowerment.

Are you a person of faith who also identifies as gay (LGBTQ+) or same-sex attracted? Are you looking for a trauma therapist who's passionate about working with teens and young adults who have experienced trauma? My life's work is focused on teens and young adults who are exploring their faith and sexual identity and who are recovering from past trauma. Common symptoms are anxiety, depression, and PTSD. My goal is always to walk with my clients to find freedom, fulfillment, and an integrated identity. I love getting to know my clients - being entrusted with your story is an honor to me.

To me, therapy is about seeking wholeness; it is a journey of more fully integrating our minds, bodies, & souls. Many of us live trapped in patterns & scripts that weigh us down & that keep us from living full, authentic lives. As a trauma-informed therapist (& former spiritual director), I take into consideration the whole person, noting that past or ongoing traumas, wounds, & injustices shape the way we understand and engage with ourselves and the world. I help clients draw connections between formative past experiences & current ones in order to identify & shift those relational patterns & ongoing struggles.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist, I specialize in working with individuals, couples, and families while maintaining a systemic perspective. My goal is to create a safe, supportive, and reflective space that empowers clients to build insight, achieve balance, and accomplish their goals. Through the strength and security of the therapeutic relationship I seek to facilitate restoration, growth and transformation.

If you are struggling with feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed or experiencing increased life stressors due to work, family or other responsibilities, psychotherapy can help. Strengthening your interpersonal, behavioral and relational strategies will bring you relief. Together, we will explore how the complex patterns of your experiences are affecting your current life challenges, emotions, and behaviors. Whether working with children, adolescents, teens or adults, my approach is to be compassionate and attuned to your unique set of needs, providing a space for you to feel understood, appreciated and learn self-acceptance, ultimately achieving more effective strategies for dealing with life's stressors.

Julia is a licensed clinical social worker who has experience working with individuals in education, nonprofit, and private practice settings. Julia utilizes a strength based and relational approach. She sees the importance of holistically integrating all aspects of an individual’s life, such as culture, family origin, spirituality , relationships, and internal thoughts and emotions, to foster healthy growth. Throughout her experience, she has worked with new moms and parents, adults with mental disabilities, essential workers, young professionals, and individuals working through every day life challenges.

Sharing one's thoughts and feelings with a complete stranger can seem awkward and bizarre. My goal early on in therapy is to make the experience feel as comfortable as possible by creating a space without judgement and aiming to understand you as a whole person, rather than simply a set of symptoms or a diagnosis. I believe that we all have the capacity to overcome life's many obstacles and live closer to our fullest potential. Although therapy is ultimately very serious, I use humor whenever possible so it doesn't feel like you're talking to a robot.

As I experience all the shifts life has to offer, I have developed more of an understanding of the value in considering others and my own mindset. Problems, uncertainty, and challenges are not going away; they are always going to be in our lives. The thought things must always be set in stone is an illusion from the start. However, if we change our mindset and change those same problems, uncertainty, and challenges into growth moments without limitations or limiting beliefs and focus on solutions; we are left feeling empowered to create change, and I am excited to go on the journey with you.

My professional background includes working with a wide variety of clients from children to older adults. I have provided mental health and substance abuse outpatient counseling including individual, group and family therapy. I have worked with a broad range of presenting issues including anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, adjustment difficulties, grief and loss, relationship problems, family conflict, mood disorders, personality disorders, psychosis, thinking disorders, codependency, domestic violence, self-esteem, women’s issues, spirituality , chronic illness, chronic pain, dual diagnosis, and addictions.

It takes a great deal of courage to share your experiences with someone, and I am honored to walk this journey with you! Together we can explore how current (and past) stressors and uncertainties may be impacting your lived experience. I aim to co-create an open and warm therapeutic space of collaboration where we can unfold your experiences and culture while strengthening insight, healthy coping skills, and self-compassion. In this process we can explore a holistic understanding of your self in the context of your relationships and the world. I offer easy-to-use, HIPAA-compliant TeleHealth/teletherapy services.