Therapists in University Village, Chicago, IL

Following my 20-year career in Human Resources, I am filled with joy to be in the mental health field helping others find their path to improved mental health. I have a deeply rooted belief that through positive human connection & service we can help ourselves and each other heal, repair ruptures in our relationships, & rebuild our communities. My ability to connect with clients, establish a foundation of trust, & engage them in meaningful work early in the therapeutic process is a gift & privilege that I don’t take lightly. I’m known for being honest, direct, welcoming, affirming, creative, & infusing fun into therapy!

Do you live in your head where you rethink all that you do? Is it hard to sleep at night due to life's stressors? Are you seeking direction and purpose in your life? Wearing a mask to exist through life can be draining and hard to maintain. On the other hand, developing the courage to share your true feelings authentically and inner emotions can be liberating. Therapy is where you can create positive habits and rituals to help manage stressors, heal trauma, and live a healthy life. Living with intentionality takes strength, awareness, and daily practice.

Are you ready to really feel better, to heal old wounds, to feel more connected to yourself and others, to lead a fuller life? We all hold the capacity to thrive in our lives. At times, we feel stuck or face obstacles that hold us back. My goal in working with you is to meet you where you are, support you in identifying the root of your difficulties, and help you find your inner strength and wisdom to build resilience

Life never goes the way we plan. In fact, more often we find ourselves just trying to get by. There's a lot of pressure to feel like we have to know who we are, what we are doing, and what our purpose is, all the while needing to put on a brave and happy face. But the ripple effects of life's fluctuations will challenge that every time, and can put us in positions of emotional and psychological distress. Through the process of therapy, I collaborate with you to parse through the hard circumstances and challenging questions life throws at us, and aid in you finding deep profound meaning, healing, and growth in a safe space.

Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, or PTSD? We can help. Stella offers in-office medical treatments for mental health paired with virtual integration therapy to bring dramatic healing in the window of transformation following treatment. Get relief from symptoms like disrupted sleep, panic attacks, irritability, hypervigilance, difficulties concentrating, sexual dysfunction, and more. Our protocols include medical and biopsychosocial assessment, ketamine infusions, the dual sympathetic reset - an advanced stellate ganglion block (SGB), trauma-informed integration therapy, and more.

Growing Boundlessly is a holistic wellness collective dedicated to providing a variety of wellness services to individuals, couples, and families to promote holistic healing, cultural awareness, and spiritual exploration specifically to BIPOC. Our goal is to help you cultivate and grow into a boundless life by providing support as you journey through healing with therapeutic support, self-care practices and wellness offerings.

At times everyone experiences difficulties they cannot overcome through their usual means of coping and problem-solving. I can help you move forward by understanding patterns in your past experiences, relationships, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, as well as how they contribute to your current symptoms and concerns. My goal is to empower you, and help you develop adaptive skills so you can make the changes you want. I am passionate about helping adults, adolescents and children find effective and realistic solutions to trauma related symptoms that reflect their individual personality.

Whether you are experiencing a temporary stressor in life, or are feeling more consistently overwhelmed, therapy can help you achieve a sense of well-being. Therapy begins with a collaborative and confidential conversation. It is my responsibility to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where you are able to tune-in and cultivate meaningful insight. I will work to provide you the guidance necessary to determine a thoughtful, intentional, and value-congruent path forward.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to release. With all of life's circumstances, take time to awaken the serenity in you. Therapy can be used as a guiding tool to release, recover, and take a much-needed step forward. To help my clients achieve these goals, I create a warm, authentic, and safe environment that allows for a peaceful, fulfilling journey.

You deserve to be loud, messy, sensitive and angry- and loved exactly for who you are. You’ve gotten used to living with your anxiety, but it’s a struggle. Things are hectic and your mind just never stops. If you’re waiting for the world to slow down, you may be waiting for a while. I know what it’s like to try to control your world through endless schedules and to-do lists, to power through, to live on auto-pilot. To ignore long-held family stories that influence how you show up in the world, to criticize yourself so harshly. Together in therapy, we can begin by helping you slow down enough and get curious about what's next.

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.

My experience prior to private practice stems from my work in community mental health systems. I have had the honor to work with a variety of individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, fertility issues, grief, and loss . I have extensive experience helping men and women recover from shame, oppression and exploring their voice within complex family systems. From personal experience with recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility, I understand the complex emotions and I can guide you through your journey. I believe that we cannot begin a conversation about change without examining our environment.

Are you or your teen struggling with navigating your identity? Have you experienced trauma, bullying, communication issues, self-harm, or suicidal ideation? Has your gender and/or sexuality impacted your mental health and you are wanting to learn how to embrace your most authentic self? Knowing how to navigate your own identity, or knowing how to support your child as they discover parts of who they are, can be a scary process. In order to embrace authenticity we need safety, security, and an ability to communicate. We will work together on finding healing, cultivating healthy communication, and creating a sense of safety.

I believe that therapy is most successful when there is mutual respect and trust between the therapist and client. I have successfully worked with families, teens, and adults from diverse sexual orientations, ethnicities, cultures, and religious backgrounds. Some of my clinical specialties include couples/family conflict, social and cultural stressors, anxiety, depression, trauma, and meaning making.

You are enough. Your life is worth living. People love you deeply. Your existence is, itself, a wonder. A miracle you're even here speaking to whomever you're speaking to, hurting however you're hurting, laughing over whatever. You series of unlikely events. You star-hearted little fiend. You've made a mess of everything. That's part of being alive. Now we will fix it. Which is also part of being alive. You're doing just fine. - Author unknown

A psychotherapist, life coach and yoga instructor whose passion is to help you illuminate yourself so that you can build a life that reflects your authentic self. I have worked with clients who truly want to understand themselves and live to their purpose and potential without the pitfalls or traumas of the past burdening them. Engaging with a willingness to take a multifaceted approach to mental wellness is beneficial however sometimes we need help finding our spark for motivation too. Life can take on new meaning and we can always rebuild and repurpose, no one needs to stay stuck in shame or pain.

Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both the state of Michigan and the state of Illinois. She earned her Masters in Social Work at the University of Michigan, and received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her Master’s level Clinical Internship at the Michigan Medicine Outpatient Department of Psychiatry and a preceptorship in Medical Social Work at Michigan Medicine. She spent several years working at Beaumont Health in Family Medicine focusing on trauma-informed care, and additional time at the Trinity Health Department of Behavioral Health In-patient Psychiatry.

I often work with clients who are feeling stuck, lost, and struggling to move forward with their life. Seeking help might be intimidating, but therapy can be a space to receive support with navigating the constant struggles of life, and it can be an empowering journey of finding more meaning in your life and thinking more thoughtfully about your relationship with yourself and others. Born and raised in Italy, I have experience relating with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, which has informed and shaped my therapeutic approach.

Finding a therapist that meets your needs and makes you feel comfortable makes all the difference in the therapeutic process. It’s one of the most important factors that impact treatment and recovery. Therapy is a journey that should be shared with someone you’re comfortable with and trust. Working with me you will find a sympathetic and genuine therapist. I partner with my clients and gently challenge them in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. I encourage them to explore their thoughts, feelings, and fears in order to understand the obstacles they are experiencing and help them make the changes that are necessary to improve life