Therapists in Chicago, IL

Do you often ask yourself "Why did I react that way?" or "Why am I attracted to that?" Well, regardless if it's anger issues, being “too sensitive”, or exploring sex/your sexuality, I can help you figure you out and get you where you want to go. I look forward to talking with you.

You are stressed with your personal life, relationships, or work and feel like you haven't tapped into your true potential. My name is Kirk Johnson and I'm a Licensed Counselor/Therapist. My clients typically start therapy to improve their stress/anxiety management, interpersonal relationships, identity exploration, self-confidence, and trauma response. Often times, clients need to go deeper to find meaning in their past and present experiences and the narratives they tell themselves. These crucial conversations can help stabilize big feelings, and build inner strength.

I served for two decades in pastoral ministry and nonprofit leadership. Those leadership experiences inform my role as a therapist. For those seeking spiritual integration, I blend my pastoral training and experience into your therapeutic care.

Chicago Pride Center offers a breadth of specializations and training to tailor the therapeutic experience to the needs and preferences of each client, serving children and adults throughout the life-course. We bring a depth of experience in work with LGBTQ+, Gender Expansive folx, Allys, non-monogamous relationships as well as veterans through trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, transformative justice and empowerment-based frameworks.

As a leader in the neurodiversity movement, I have dedicated my work as a therapist, educator, speaker, supervisor, business owner, and writer to support major shifts in conceptualizing mental health and create lasting change for neurodivergent folks. I specialize in working with clients who are exploring ADHD, AuDHD, autism, race, creativity, artistic identity, queerness, executive functioning, and relationships through individual, couples, and family therapy. I lead with authenticity and a unique focus on language that helps my clients design a life that reflects their unique wants, interests, desires, goals, and identities.

The ideal client is anyone with the courage it takes to ask for help whatever the issue I am in support of their goals. What a client wants and why are the focus of our healing/growing partnership.

My practice specializes in helping clients actualize their personal goals. In my approach I attempt to empower clients to modify their thoughts and behaviors in ways that help them meet their particular goals. I also maintain sensitivity to a clients cultural background. I specialize in helping clients with relationship difficulties, anxiety/stress, depression, and impulsivity. I have extensive experience working with children with behavioral challenges and have developed a free app on managing bullying that is available in the apple itunes store (Hero App).

Bola earned his M.A. in Clinical Professional Psychology from Roosevelt University, Chicago. He is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and has experience working with individual, couple, group, and family of diverse backgrounds and psychological issues. Area of interest include anxiety, depression, substance use, anger management, grief and loss, trauma, marital conflict, family issues, and crisis intervention. Along with CBT, Bola utilizes strength based approach, collaborating with clients in identifying, nurturing, and utilizing the identified innate strengths in attaining clients improved mental/emotional well being.

Joseph Thomas, LCPC. I specialize in working with adolescent and adult clients with concerns ranging from depression, relationship issues, and phase of life issues. I bring 25 years of clinical experience to mentoring and support of clients who desire self-improvement in their lives. My therapeutic approach is grounded in patience and non-judgment. I believe in establishing a comfortable and stable environment to allow clients to assess their strengths, self-assess areas for growth, and explore themselves in more depth. I have overseen programs dedicated to stabilizing and empowering adolescent and adults struggling with societal, cultural and personal issues.

Do you know what you need to do or think, but still can't do it? Do you understand how to move forward but find yourself stuck nonetheless? Maybe you have medically unexplained health problems, or doctors telling you it's in your head? These are some of the reasons people seek psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I have been practicing psychotherapy for over 20 years in various settings including a university student counseling center and public mental health clinics for the seriously mentally ill and have effectively worked with clients struggling with conditions ranging from adjustment disorders (reactions to stress) to schizophrenia.

I conceptualize therapy as a mutually created, deeply personal experience. No two therapies will ever be exactly alike given that we are all unique individuals shaped by the stories, desires, and expectations of ourselves and others. I start from a place of deep humility and honor, knowing that coming to therapy means turning to a professionalized stranger for help with what may be extremely difficult sufferings. In the beginning there may not be words for what is wrong, where it hurts, why things are the way they are. This is where we start. Together. Courageously.

For the past 15+ years, I have had the pleasure of helping individuals and couples find relief from life's stressors. I work with a wide range of concerns and am especially effective with life transitions, depression, anxiety, relationship, LGBTQ, grief, and family stressors. I aim to provide a safe, supportive, confidential space to help you deepen your self-understanding, change problematic patterns, and enhance self-esteem. As a feminist and multicultural psychologist, I am also sensitive to the ways oppression and marginalization affect psychological wellbeing, and I welcome clients from diverse backgrounds and identities.

My philosophy of care is grounded in the notion that every person has a gift within themselves. People do not need to be fixed; they need support to be able to return to their core self. I am here to support you whether you are going through a transition, dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges. Please consider reaching out if you want to make meaning of your life, use difficulty as an opportunity to grow, and/or you are someone deeply committed to improving society. I am here to provide a place to process, balance, and develop.

Welcome! I believe that one of the essential ingredients of change and transformative psychotherapy is the relationship between the individual and the therapist. Feeling understood and comfortable only helps reduce one's symptoms, encouraging self-acceptance, but also leads toward deeper work which promotes lasting change and a deeper experience of one's whole self.

I would definitely say being a psychologist is my calling. I am very passionate about helping others and making humanity and the world a better place, both personally and professionally. My approach to therapy is to create a safe space in order to help you examine yourself and your path to a meaningful life. I help you identify and build off of your strengths and values and help you with the parts of your personality that may be getting in the way of your having a more fulfilling life and feeling deeply connected in your relationships.

There comes a time when help is needed from a professional to cope with many of life’s challenges. We are three bilingual Spanish-speaking mental health providers committed to promoting the well-being of minority communities. We provide culturally appropriate counseling services in Chicago´s Uptown area.  We are here to listen and support you on your journey toward healing and self-discovery. Therapy is a space where we can engage in brave self-exploration, a space to figure what may be holding us back from being our best selves.

Along the journey of life, some challenges and suffering are inevitable and there often are not always clear or easy answers. We want our lives to have value, meaning and purpose. Knowing these things for ourselves can be a tremendously liberating and empowering experience that gives us the hope, courage, and tenacity we need to face life's challenges. However, the process of discovering or defining these "truths" can be confusing, frustrating or even scary. We all require support and solidarity from trusted comrades during our journey. Knowing when to stop and ask for help along the way does not make us weak, it makes us strong!

I help my clients to find their way through challenging times and feelings so that they can have warmer, richer lives with more satisfying relationships. You may be feeling hopeless, angry, confused, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed; perhaps, you are going through major life-changes such as loss, new beginnings or relationship difficulties. From a strengths-based and collaborative approach, we can explore meaning and significance in your life and endeavor to help you achieve what you you wish to attain while dissolving obstacles Perhaps, you are stuck creatively or simply want to live more soulfully.

You may be experiencing a period of mental unrest and uncertainty. When you have the space and willingness to reflect on past traumas and experiences to understand their impact on your current circumstances, you gain a new awareness that often leads to powerful insights. As a licensed clinical psychologist who understands the need for inner healing first, it is my goal to support you in identifying core sources of pain, confusion, fear, and stress in order to get to the root cause of the issue. By working with you to form a deeper sense of clarity, I am able to guide you in taking the next steps along your journey of healing.