Therapists in Chicago, IL

Currently accepting clients: I value assisting clients on their journey to cultivating deeper insight into their lives in order to foster personal growth and internal healing. I specialize in treating teens, adults and couples working through generalized anxiety, singleness, OCD, trust issues, life adjustments, addiction, children of addict parents, social anxiety, guilt, addiction, shame, breakups, religious trauma; infidelity, lack of fulfillment, relationship issues, college issues, boundaries, sex issues, kinks, ethical non-monogamy, low self esteem, family conflict, attachment injuries, codependency, and sexual trauma.

Life is unpredictable and can bring stressful and life-altering situations. It makes sense that these situations may be difficult for you to understand, process, and adjust to. I am here to support and assist you with challenges related to the past or present, processing any past painful experiences in a paced way, and creating a coping plan best suited for your needs. Helping you and/or your family return to a place of connection and cohesion is one of my primary goals. I utilize a trauma-informed psychodynamic approach, incorporating CBT, DBT, and mindfulness techniques as needed always meet each client where they are.

Repeated behaviors and feelings show up in our lives and can get in the way of growth, healing, and positive relationships. As your therapist, I will help you connect the dots in your life story to reveal what may be keeping you ‘stuck’. I have seen how transformative it is when someone gains a bird’s-eye view of their life, and I consider it a privilege to play an active role in this process with you.

My goal is to decolonize and destigmatize mental health by dismantling power dynamics and opening the floor to voices that are often silenced or may fall upon deaf ears. Our commitment to rest and rejuvenation, care for self and community, and untying the connections between self-worth and labor production are acts of resistance. In my work with clients, I offer a space to honor their authentic voice. You will not have to filter and censor your true thoughts and emotions in our sessions, as you may have previously in other settings. Come as you are, and I will meet you there.

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.

I have personal experience navigating the complexities of our mental health systems and proceed with gentleness, compassion, and understanding as you seek to find the right therapist for you. I believe in the power of your story as knowledge. I strive to live and practice within the vision of disability justice, particularly while practicing within systems that have been known to cause harm to BIPOC, disabled, queer, and other marginalized communities.

My goal is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space to collaborate with clients at a respectful pace. I trust that my clients are experts on themselves and strive to meet them where they are. I believe in the power of the therapeutic relationship as a mechanism for healing and focus on fostering a relationship defined by authenticity, vulnerability and trust. I am not interested in playing the role of an aloof expert and seek to join clients in their journey of self-exploration on a level playing field.

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, recently married or when becoming a parent. My practice focuses on life transitions, relationships, and stress/anxiety encountered in the early adulthood years. I have a special interest in working with parents-to-be and first-time parents, and exploring the accompanying identity shift.

Are you feeling unheard, misunderstood, struggling to find your footing in this world? Navigating this thing we call life can be a daunting process. Starting therapy can be a difficult decision and my desire in this work is to meet you where you are and build trust as we embark on this journey together. In my work, I seek to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to explore the many layers of yourself. I am honored to participate in the journey of you authoring your own story, one that fully encapsulates the complex person whom you are.

We're a trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive mental health counseling group for multicultural, Asian, BIPOC, immigrants, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized communities. We're passionate about working with individuals, couples and families from different cultural backgrounds, exploring how complex identities and unique personal experiences have shaped us into who we are. We specialize in healing from anxiety, complex trauma, relationship issues, perinatal issues, ADHD, adoption, OCD, stress, cultural identity, cultural/intergenerational conflicts, family conflicts, grief, and other issues.

Jess Murphy, MEd, LPC, NCC, C-DBT graduated from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at DePaul University and has recently joined SpringSource. She has immediate availability for new referrals. Jess specializes in the treatment of individuals struggling with eating disorders, body-image, life-transitions, depression, anxiety, and relationship issues for adolescents and adults. Her clinical foundation is rooted in psychodynamic theory while integrating a trauma informed care perspective. Through humor, empathy, and compassion Jess fosters a therapeutic space to help you achieve a higher sense of self.

I utilize a combination of somatically-focused, cognitive, and psychodynamic approaches to assist you in understanding your concerns. I'd love to help you address current changes you'd like to make, but also address underlying concerns so that current struggles are less likely to resurface. I specialize in tailoring treatments in developmentally attuned ways. With adults I assist clients in understanding how their life journeys have led them to their present concerns, and work on uncovering and undoing patterns you may find less effective.

To me, therapy is a team sport. I'm there to help create a space and relationship where you feel safe exploring the things that are happening in your life. Maybe that thing is identity exploration, depression or anxiety that just won't quit, or figuring out how survive and then thrive after a big trauma. All of this is big stuff. I'm here to help you hold it and find a way through it. I have plenty of tools that I can bring to bear (questions, coping skills training, identifying patterns, and reframing situations), but ultimately, my approach centers around you and what you need to be successful, however you define success.

It takes great courage to come to therapy, and the most important part of being a clinician is the therapeutic relationship I develop with my clients. I provide a space for individuals to feel safe, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves. I utilize a variety of therapeutic modalities including: Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Have you found it difficult to set boundaries in relationships? Are you feeling deflated by societal expectations? Does uncertainty about the future overtake your thoughts? Whatever you may be experiencing, I commend you for being here. It’s no simple task to address the challenges you may be facing, but I believe it is the most important step forward.

Olivia has worked with clients of all ages with various levels of trauma experiences, narcissistic/ sexual/ physical abuse survivors, attachment difficulties, life transitions, codepedency, depression, anxiety, grief, and familial/peer relationship concerns. Practicing both personally and professionally from an anti-racist/ anti-oppressive lens and being LGBTQIA+ affirming, Olivia honors the intersectionalities of identities, lived experiences, and the ways in which these experiences are held in our bodies. She uses movement and expression to promote holistic healing that can aid with how these experiences show up in our bodies.

As a Pakistani-American Muslim woman, I recognize that there is a significant need for counseling services within diverse communities. I'm especially passionate about working with individuals as they navigate major life transitions, such as going college, entering workforce, moving, marriage, parenthood, and so on. I also enjoy working with clients who experience grief and loss. I've worked with clients from various backgrounds and clinical presentations, focusing on addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, family issues, stressors, identity, etc.

Culturally Competent Therapy specializes in building trust and a therapeutic alliance with their clients, so they are prepared to do the work. Clients, often including licensed therapists, feel accepted to be themselves in a safe environment. Individualized tailored approaches include culturally sensitive cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic approaches to treatment that may challenge the client's belief system. I enjoy helping clients of all backgrounds discover the root of their problems and understanding the value of cultural factors such as family, race, socio-economic status, work/career demands, and integration of faith.

As a licensed clinical psychologist I will work collaboratively with you to identify and better understand the challenges you are facing, as well as the strengths and supports you possess to address these challenges. I have seen firsthand how this exploration can lead to desired changes in people's lives. My areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, recovery from trauma, substance abuse, body image and eating problems, grief and loss, relationship concerns, life adjustments, family issues, identity and sexual orientation issues, self-esteem development, immigration, and acculturation issues.