Therapists in Chicago, IL

I provide quality mental health counseling and therapy that is thoughtfully tailored to your needs. Our work together will address concerns in an empowering and centering way that produces substantive change. My approach is connective (Therapy works best when we are able to connect and work well together) and directive (by directive I mean that I give things for you to do during the week like writing, journaling, reading, exercises, reflections, and/or activities). I'm known for being helpful with people who have been through therapy and haven't had success. I help people find aliveness, creativity, and strength.

Our goal is to serve as your guide and walk with you on your life journey. We aim to help you overcome obstacles that may be holding you back from reaching your dreams, while providing you with healthy strategies to implement in your life outside of therapy. Whether exploring the past, present, or future; discussing coping strategies; processing stressful events; building resiliency; healing from trauma; creative problem-solving, or enhancing communication within your relationship. We serve an array of culturally diverse clients, including: children, adolescents, teenagers, college students, adults, couples, and families.

The crux of my approach is simple, but versatile: I use anything and everything available to make breakthroughs possible. We all do better with an expansive toolkit. EMDR for "stuckness" / trauma and Gottman methods for couples to repair & connect. (Well worth YouTubing either for a sense of them.) Once we understand each other and you are insight-equipped, we'll put insight into action. But in ways that feel authentic to your personal experience of things. Clients often report that my approachable, humorous, "very human" style makes therapy a much more effective experience even when exploring difficult content.

I passionately and compassionately care for the emotional well-being and behavioral health of my individual, couple, family and group clients for over 20 years. I draw upon unique combinations of clinical principals and innovative methods to best support all people within our vastly diverse community. I draw upon my deep understanding of culture, age, gender, race, class, family structure, and the type of or the lack of a support system can have on most all situations. I always provide a totally non-judgmental, safe, and confidential space to help my clients deal with their problems, issues or crisis.

I’m grateful to have this opportunity to connect with you. The therapeutic process is a sacred journey. Here we can share in a safe, non-judgmental place. If we have suffered addiction, anxiety, depression or trauma we can uncover the aspects of ourselves that need healing. The quality of our lives is directly connected to the quality of our relationships - with ourselves and with others. When our relationships are suffering, everything is impacted. For that reason, in our therapy sessions we explore whatever is unfolding in your relationships and we discover how to bring awareness and skill to these crucial connections.

Do you feel disconnected from yourself and what is truly important to you? Do you feel confused and overwhelmed by your thoughts? Are you engaging in behaviors that are no longer serving you? Are you noticing life is difficult because you are unable to connect with others in a meaningful way? You are having a human experience and you are not alone.

Have you been feeling overwhelmed or stuck lately? If disruptions like depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship challenges, or work burnout are causing you stress, I would love to walk alongside you while helping navigate your path toward a more mindful and purposeful life. My focus is helping my clients recognize and identify their inner strengths, and communicate effectively and openly, while also cultivating a nurturing and accepting therapeutic environment in the process with a bit of comedic humor sprinkled in.

 My goal is to provide each client with an emotionally safe environment where they feel comfortable exploring even the biggest challenges, whether it is how to manage overwhelming emotions such as anxiety or depression, rebuild a more honest sense of identity, learn to recognize and fight unhealthy or toxic patterns in life & relationships, confront past trauma or abuse, or other flavors of struggle. Many of my clients battle mood disorders, daunting life transitions, relationship issues, as well as cultural issues, LGBTQ integration struggles, grief/loss, trauma, & body image discomfort/disordered eating.

I believe deeply in the capacity of people to change. If we are struggling and feel stuck in some ways, it’s not because we want to be miserable or are in some way a "bad" person. We simply lack the right kind of support to find our way out. Talk therapy provides a way out. My clients are men, women and couples, who are intelligent and very high functioning yet find themselves struggling with something, or perhaps just have a sense that they are needing something more. Talk therapy can help us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves which can help us live into a fuller and richer life.

Often, people come to us without having explored psychological concerns in a sophisticated way. If they had past therapy, they were at times disappointed that it did not go deeper, as it left the greater meaning (the "roots") of their symptoms unexplored. As psychodynamic therapists, however, our goal is to see comprehensively, with thoughtful attention to the subtle depths and intricacies of your experience. In so doing, we can help to both resolve symptoms and impart meaning to your experiences, even those thoughts, feelings, and emotions that are often deemed painful or meaningless.

Today’s environment makes many assumptions about the nature of psychological health, oftentimes seeing depression, anxiety, or other psychological concerns as only problems to be avoided and eradicated. However, there is much that our symptoms can teach us about ourselves and our world. In fact, they may even hold the key to our psychological well-being.

Currently sessions are conducted virtually- Dr. Waseberg is a psychotherapist and professor of counseling psychology. He helps individuals and couples struggling with relationships, trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, grief, alcohol/drugs, abandonment, anger, OCD, social anxiety, phobia, bipolar/borderline and other psychological issues. He digs deep into the roots of your underlying issues in a safe non-judgmental space with empathy. He has rich experience providing counseling in private practice settings as well as Inpatient Residential Treatment, Partial Hospitalization-PHP, and Intensive Outpatient-IOP settings.

Individuals who are experiencing mental, emotional, or psychological discomfort are often offered temporary solutions or trending advice from family, friends, social media, or elsewhere. Though some of this information might prove to be useful, I believe psychotherapy provides a personalized journey towards understanding and learning to cope with psychological distress.

I specialize in working with students and adults (18-60+) who struggle with addiction, developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, career concerns, relationship struggles, dating concerns, perfectionism, family of origin issues, work/life balance, difficulties in communication, process addictions (workaholism, spending, shopping, internet usage), women who experience anxiety around pregnancy, parenting, and life transitions. I believe in integrating a healthy lifestyle and holistic approach to my therapeutic work while helping clients find their own unique interests to foster a sense of well-being within their lives.

We are dedicated to helping people improve emotional, physical and spiritual well-being by focusing on personal growth. Our team of highly qualified therapists has experience in a wide variety of issues including relationship issues, depression and anxiety. However, we don't dwell on what isn't working; we help you build upon what IS working. Our approach is empowering, empathetic and non-judgmental. We help you identify and release unhealthy behavior patterns, which may interfere with your ability to experience a deeper sense of peace and serenity. We look forward to working with you and in accompanying you upon your journey.

Hi. Come talk about what matters to you most. Together, we walk. Explore. Meander. Clarify. I love what I do and will help you feel better. I can help with multicultural issues, relocation, or if you're struggling with addiction, overcoming trauma, relationships, questions about polyamory, depression or abuse. If life has lost its meaning and you’re missing adventure, intimacy, greater self-expression and passion, let’s go. If you don’t talk about it, it won’t get better. I’m supportive, alternative, warm and kind. You’ll feel comfortable, and challenge thoughts and perceptions preventing you from getting out of your own way.

Therapy is a place to be with what hurts while stepping into being fully yourself. In the presence of a skillful, non-judgmental, compassionate therapist, you will have the opportunity to face these aspects of yourself so that new ways of living emerge.

At the heart of my work, I approach therapy from a relational, psychodynamic therapy model, which means I believe the relationship between the client and therapist can be a transformative component in the growth process. I am a LPC combining modern neurobiology with holistic somatic healing, the psychodynamic therapeutic relationship, and body-based practices to create an experiential awakening on a bodily, psychological and emotional level. I work from a somatic-centered therapeutic approach, meaning that I believe that the body tells the stories and narratives. For more information, my website is: www.kellypastori.com

Private Psychotherapist & Consultant, licensed as a clinical professional counselor and learning behavior specialist with 16+ years experience, serving people on the gifted, talented, twice-exceptional (2e), professional, public-figure, straight, LGBTQIA+, anxiety, depressive, bipolar, obsessive, ethically non-monogamous, ADHD, autism, and other neurodivergent spectrums. If you (or someone you love) feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, depressed, misunderstood, fed up, sad, etc.—or you simply desire to work with a person who facilitates more optimal functioning and genuine wellbeing—then please call or email to check for an opening.