Racial Identity Therapists in Chicago, IL

Are you feeling overwhelmed and not sure how to explain what you are feeling? Or do you internalize your stress because it’s hard to get the support that you need? All of that built up pressure can be a lot to carry. I want to help you untangle yourself from the heaviness of your experiences. Let’s work together to figure out how to express your unresolved emotions and reach the healing that you deserve. There is nothing wrong with getting some extra support to figure things out and get back on track. When you are ready, I am here to support and empower you along your journey.

I love building relationships, and helping you explore the patterns, past experiences, and circumstances that shape your life today. I believe that everyone brings strengths and skills to their healing journey, and I use a trauma-informed approach, which means co-creating safety and autonomy in session so that you can build trust in yourself. I believe that taking time to care for yourself and heal can be a radical, transformative act. I love working with folks that are interested in reflective conversation, mindfulness, and body awareness as tools to know themselves more deeply.

I work primarily with QT/BIPOC folks navigating concerns around past trauma, (acute and complex), their racial identity and how it intersects with other identities, their relationship with their bodies, and connection to their community. In particular I work with biracial/multi-racial folks navigating their racial identity development. I work with folks who have eating disorder and body image concerns and use a HAES approach. I work with trans/non-binary folks around embodiment, and their relationships with their bodies, food, and body image.

I value the importance of creating a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment in which clients can empower, explore, and understand themselves. Together we will work to reinvigorate, revitalize, and empower you so you may create the best version of yourself. As a first generation Mexican American, I am passionate about working alongside minority and marginalized communities to educate and make therapy accessible for all individuals. I have worked with teens and adults experiencing issues with racial identity, trauma, depression, anxiety, relationships, men's issues, and life transitions.

Are there parts of your story you wish you could forget? Do you feel like no matter how much you try, you’re never enough? Does your anxiety, shame, and trauma feel crippling? This is a painful place to be, but you don’t have to do this alone. I provide an exploratory space where you can unpack and heal from some of the most difficult parts of your story. As a black, male therapist, I understand how your background and unique context impacts your life. As we explore your story, I’ll help you move from trauma to healing, shame to self-compassion, and anxiety to freedom.

Navigating life is challenging, and sometimes we could use a little help becoming the best versions of ourselves. Sometimes we struggle with depression, anxiety, life transitions, self-esteem issues, relationship challenges, stress, racial identity, feeling stuck, and traumatic situations. But, you do not have to work through it alone; it all happens to be my area of expertise. I help adults and couples overcome those obstacles and transform their lives. My 18-year career has been devoted to supporting and empowering others, especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) clients.

As a therapist, experiencing individuals meet their personalized goals set in therapy has been the most rewarding experience. Individuals choose to begin this journey of themselves for themselves knowing that they are strong enough to become the best versions of themselves. I have experience providing individual and family therapy. I have experience assisting individuals presenting with concerns related to depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, relationship or family issues, and racial identity.

I am a thoughtful, warm, seasoned therapist who combines a relational approach to counseling with sound clinical judgement. I have had the privilege to work with clients who are courageous, hardworking, introspective, and some of the most wonderful people I have met. I am inspired by my clients daily. I greatly enjoy walking alongside individuals and partnering with them as they pursue wholeness. Most frequently, I see clients facing challenges with anxiety, trauma, and spiritual concerns.

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. My name is Kathiana Edouard, and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with over 9 years of experience working with individuals with issues such as Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Women's Issues, Racial Identity, Cultural Stress, and Spirituality. My therapeutic process involves a holistic combination of Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Mindfulness-Based (MBCT), Trauma Focused, Culturally Sensitive, and Holistic therapies. I believe in creating a safe space for my clients and everyone I work with during treatment.

Welcome to Michal Rosenberg, Psy.D., PLLC! I work with primarily adults with a variety of presentations such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), developmental disorders, learning disorders, ADHD, and mood disorders, as well as trauma and challenges related to identity formation. I practice using the cultural humility lens, open and accepting those from all backgrounds including but not limited to aspects of racial identity, LGBTQIA+ communities, those with disabilities, ethnic identities, and religions.

Dr. Peoples is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of Illinois who specializes in working with adolescents, young adults, and adults. She is a member of PSYPACT which allows for her to practice in multiple states (See approved stated here: psypact.org). She is passionate about her commitment to social justice and devoted to providing an environment conducive to mental wellness. Dr. Peoples was drawn to become a mental health professional due to a lack of mental health services available to individuals in dire need.

Everybody deserves a space to feel safe, seen, heard, and respected. Therapy is a possible place for this to happen and I would love to be a part of that journey. Together, we can work through challenging emotions, feelings, thoughts, and social hurdles that come up. My job is to hold space for you and those challenges so that they can be explored without judgement or fear and to remind you that you are not alone when the journey feels lonely. I service teens and adults that are looking to learn more about themselves, grow into their values, and recognize and cultivate the strength that is already within them.

We are all works in progress and the world around us can steer us in the wrong direction. I strive to work with my clients to find the most rewarding path and the healthiest balance of one’s needs, through learning more about oneself, others, and the world around us. It is essential to find a therapist that makes you feel validated, respected, and acknowledged by honoring your intersectional identities. As such, I strive to embody this in the therapeutic approaches that I use with my clients to uniquely address their presenting concerns.

The clients who are the best fit for my clinical approach tend to be people who want to build a stronger sense of self, learn how to center their own needs and set boundaries, and are open to inner child healing. The clients I work with want to change their relationship with themselves to be more compassionate and nurturing. They are recovering people pleasers, people who want to learn how to be more assertive, often have unresolved trauma, and are ready to break cycles in order to establish new patterns. They seek support from me to discuss dating, relationships, sex, childhood traumas, identity, and healing from abuse and neglect.

There is no correct or easy path through trauma and the problems it creates in our lives. It is true when they say that the “only way out is through.” As someone who personally and professionally has experience with trauma, I am able to therapeutically guide individuals through the healing process without judgment. I want others to know it's okay to feel their feelings and that sometimes we need a little help to feel safe doing so. Therapy should be a space that you can create with your therapist, as all of us define safety and comfort in different ways.

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.

My focus areas include anxiety, depression, life transitions, racial identity, and LGBTQ+ issues. Additionally, I am trained in trauma, assessment, and working with juveniles with sexually offending behaviors.

I am an open-minded, empathetic, and solution-oriented mental health practitioner dedicated to supporting and assisting clients with feelings and experiences that can be difficult to navigate. I look to build nourishing relationships and create a safe environment in which clients have the space to change, heal, and learn about themselves, free from judgement and assumption. With a background in sport psychology, I practice with an understanding of the intersection of mind and body, promoting physical and emotional well-being.

The decision to pursue counseling can be a tough but courageous step. People choose to seek out therapy for a variety of reasons, whether it is to explore and better understand parts of self or to address specific areas of concerns. WaterYourFire Wellness Collective works with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and presenting concerns. WYFWC currently operates via Telehealth Therapy (online). WYFWC also provides services in any PsyPact state- see participating states here: https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap)