Therapists in Chicago, IL

Making the decision to enter therapy can be frightening and may weigh heavily on us yet it can make all the difference when we feel stuck, conflicted, or alone. If you have something in mind that you would like to see change, we can work collaboratively to address emotional barriers, past experiences, stressors, or relationship patterns that may be exacerbating your concern. I believe that a safe, warm, validating, culturally competent, and empathic therapeutic relationship is the foundation for change.

I work with individuals to acknowledge both painful as well as joyful experiences. In my practice I apply a trauma informed lens to give space to the connection between the brain and the body as well as the impact trauma has on the way one moves through the world. It is my hope to partner with you to build awareness and utilize that awareness to create balance in the areas of life most significant to you.

I work at SpringSource Psychological Center and am currently accepting new patients. I believe in connection as healing and will work to cocreate a space in which you feel seen and heard. I have a strong foundation in treating disordered eating and am committed to being a fat-positive, Health At Every Size informed clinician. As a queer-identified clinician, I am passionate about working in the LGBTQIA+ communities and helping folks explore their authentic selves. I am devoted to being keenly aware of the intersectionality of identity, and the systems of oppression that impact individual functioning.

My practice involves helping individuals, couples and families identify,and build strengths and resilience, while identifying and shifting issues that constrain the fullest potential of stability, satisfaction and joy. I am collaborative and relational in style. I have experience working with issues including, anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, eating disorder and addictions. My approach involves the provision of support, understanding and encouragement to enhance awareness and success for the creation of meaning and satisfaction. My style is interactive and I offer strategies and feedback to enhance client's achievement of goals.

Do you feel overwhelmed by painful thoughts and feelings but don't know what to do about them? Are you stuck in patterns of behavior that no longer work for you? Do you wish you had the tools to respond to anxiety differently? I use personalized mindfulness and exposure-based therapies to help you build awareness and skills to address what is leaving you feeling stuck and in pain. I am currently offering telehealth and limited in-person services for adults 18 and older.

I offer trauma-informed psychodynamic therapy through a leftist/feminist theoretical perspective. I am passionate about serving those who have felt let down by the mental healthcare system or disempowered by past providers, and welcome skepticism about the healthcare system in late-stage capitalism. I draw from IFS, developmental and evolutionary psychology, and more. I reject the hierarchical nature of traditional Western healthcare and encourage collaboration to achieve empowerment. I know effective therapy requires trust, and that I have to earn yours. My goal is to decolonize and destigmatize mental health.

It's hard to know what someone will be like by simply reading a few paragraphs on a screen. Finding the right therapist is frustrating, so I will try my best to tell you who I am and how I can help. With a direct yet empathetic approach, we will address difficult topics using clinically proven treatment interventions. I will challenge and push you during sessions while saving room for humor because I believe that with this combination, we can find strength, resilience, and connection that help motivate us toward a more empowered future.

My experience includes working with grief, loss, anticipatory grief and trauma. Anxiety, panic and mood disorders. Lifestyle concerns and modifications including chronic illness, pain and co-occurring (mental health and substance abuse) disorders. I am certified in thanatology (death, dying & bereavement) from the Association of Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). I am certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) from EMDRA.

I am a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois with over 15 years of experience working with individuals, children and families. In my practice, I have successfully helped clients improve their family and interpersonal relationships, cope with grief and loss, find ways to address difficult situations, navigate life transitions and survive unexpected life events. I am committed to helping you work through the difficulties and celebrate the joyful moments in life. It takes courage to change, and I'm here to help free you from the problems you have been encountering.

My goal as a therapist is to help guide adolescents and adults towards greater meaning, satisfaction, and peace in a warm and nonjudgmental space. In our work together we can process and make sense of the past, as well as focus on strategies to enjoy the present and work towards your desired future. I am available online only. I have experience working with the neurodivergent population, and enjoy assisting those with ADHD and Autism as they navigate relationships, life responsibilities, and transitions. I am queer-allied, body-neutral, and sex-worker affirming. I offer virtual therapy as well as phone sessions.

Whether you desire to make changes, heal wounds or develop a more genuine and authentic life, Aimee invites you to partner with her in creating a safe, supportive space for reflection and growth. Examine, explore and discover how maintain a more gratifying and joyful lifestyle. As your story unfolds, she tailors a wholistic approach that meets your personal needs, goals and aspirations.

Establishing trust is essential for counseling and building a therapeutic relationship. At times during the building of this relationship, you may come to feel the most vulnerable. It will be at those times; you will have my undivided attention. Therapy allows individuals the ability to process through unexpected life circumstances as well as troubling event occurrence. At present, all appointments will be virtual. My office location has handicapped accessibility and I offer late evening as well as weekend availability for appointments.

I work collaboratively with clients from a relational, psychoanalytic perspective and view the therapy relationship as an opportunity to explore, bring awareness to, and transform patterns of relating to others and oneself. I remain curious, open, and engaged with my clients, whom I view as the authorities on their own lives.

I believe that being a therapist is a privilege. I understand that starting therapy or beginning to see a new therapist can be a vulnerable experience and it is an act of self-compassion. When a person has experienced trauma or is undergoing life challenges, it can be difficult to see a path forward. My role as a therapist is to assist you in finding ways to look ahead and to live a life that feels more aligned with yourself.

We specialize in complex trauma/C-PTSD, PTSD, depression/anxiety, relationship issues, dissociative disorders, personality disorders, life transitions/adjustment, anger management, obsessive-compulsive behaviors/OCD, self-esteem/shame, oppositional defiance in children, substance abuse, ADHD (children and adults).

I utilize a supportive and warm approach that is integrative of mindfulness and dialectical-behavioral principles. I work from the perspective that the client-therapist relationship is paramount to progress, and believe that it is the stepping stone to growth and change. Clients set their own pace and can process each step of their journey. I believe in gentle challenging to move through patterns that are not serving anymore and provide practical skill-use in and out of the office.

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.

At the end of the day I believe we are all basically doing our best . My job is to facilitate in understanding the meanings behind behaviors and feelings that are disrupting your life or relationships. I work on getting to know you at your own pace, as I believe that this is the best way for an authentic relationship to develop.

If you're struggling with painful thoughts and feelings or a challenging life event, it's important that you feel understood and supported. It is crucial to find a safe place to work on these issues where you will not be judged. I'm a licensed psychotherapist with 13 years of experience assisting people suffering from anxiety, depression, history of trauma, postpartum adjustment, chronic stress, dysfunctional environments, grief and loss. It can be important to explore historical life events, and my approach also consists of skill-building and learning coping skills for the present.