Therapists for college students near Chicago, IL
Eleni Marsh
I support LGBTQIA+ students experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and body-image or health concerns, using ACT, DBT, EMDR, and solution-focused therapy. I believe the therapeutic relationship is central, creating a safe, collaborative space to explore new ways of thinking and coping. With over 20 years of experience, I've worked with students facing grief, abuse, postpartum challenges, and complex mental health struggles. My goal is to help you build skills, clarify your goals, and feel empowered to grow. My pronouns are she/her.
Emily Moquin
I support LGBTQIA+ students navigating trauma, dissociation, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and identity exploration, using ACT, DBT, IFS, EMDR, and coping skills like TIPP. My approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and grounded in cultural humility, always centering your values and goals. Together, we'll build tools for self-regulation, resilience, and stronger connections. Whether you're working through religious trauma, family struggles, or feeling stuck, I provide a safe space for growth, authenticity, and healing. My pronouns are she/her.
Karen Krehbiel
I help students manage anxiety, family or personal crisis, relationship struggles, and life transitions. My approach is warm and client-centered, drawing from ACT, CBT, EFT, and psychodynamic tools. I believe you already have the answers, and together we'll break challenges into manageable steps. My goal is to create a supportive space where you feel heard, confident, and empowered to grow. My pronouns are she/her.
Keena Bradley
I support LGBTQIA+ students navigating identity concerns around gender, race, and sexuality, as well as anxiety, bipolar challenges, and relationship struggles. My approach is solution-focused and strength-based, integrating Gottman, DBT, and family systems work. As a queer woman of color, I value creating inclusive spaces that affirm all identities. My goal is to help you reconnect with yourself with courage and purpose. My pronouns are she/her.
Maeve Raphelson
I support students facing trauma, anxiety, depression, and big life transitions using EMDR, relational therapy, and parts work. My style is laid-back and eclectic. We follow what you need, using talk, EMDR, and deeper work when it feels right. I believe you are the expert of your own experience, and therapy should be a mirror where you can safely explore what's shaping your life. My goal is to help you heal, grow, and move forward with confidence and clarity. My pronouns are she/her.
Matthew Raftery
I support LGBTQIA+ students exploring gender, identity, anxiety, grief, and life transitions using psychodynamic and narrative therapy. I believe your past experiences and stories shape how you feel today, and together we'll build clarity and resilience. You set the pace, and I'll meet you with support and curiosity. My goal is to create a safe, affirming space where you feel understood and empowered to grow. My pronouns are he/him.
Michael Manocchio
I'm a queer, non-binary therapist using ACT, CBT, IFS, somatic work, and strength-based methods to support students in exploring identity, gender transitions, and navigating trauma. I believe your story, your history, culture, and lived experience matter deeply and shape how you heal. In our work together, you set the pace; I create space for authenticity, clarity, and relational connection so you can grow with intention. My goal is to help you feel seen, empowered, and more aligned with who you are. My pronouns are he/they.
Rachel Pallmeyer
I support queer, trans, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and polyamorous students exploring identity, sexuality, and relationships. My approach is person-centered, feminist, and affirming, weaving in somatic practices and IFS to help you connect with your whole self. Therapy with me is a collaborative, creative space where your story and identity are valued. Together, we'll build clarity, self-acceptance, and meaningful growth. My pronouns are she/they.
Rebekah Ray Nguyen
I support LGBTQIA+ students navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, bipolar disorder, and identity exploration, including gender and cultural identity. My approach is collaborative and adaptive, drawing from CBT, ACT, DBT, and attachment-based practices to find what works best for you. I'm LGBTQ+ affirming, culturally responsive, and committed to supporting neurodivergent and disabled students. Together, we'll build coping skills, confidence, and a stronger sense of self. My pronouns are she/her.
Samuel Irvine
I support students navigating issues around sex, intimacy, gender identity, relational dynamics, shame, creativity blocks, or spiritual and religious trauma, using holistic, trauma-focused, interpersonal, and EMDR-informed approaches. I believe therapy should create a space where your truth matters, your experiences, your identity, and your spirituality all shape how you heal. Together, we'll work to build tools, growth, and connection so you can move past what's hurting you and towards what you value. My goal is to help you feel seen, empowered, and more in tune with who you are. My pronouns are he/him.
Veronica Diaz
I'm a bilingual (Spanish/English) therapist supporting students navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, identity concerns, and life transitions. My style is culturally sensitive, strengths-based, and LGBTQIA+ affirming, creating a safe space where your background and identity are respected. Together, we'll build coping tools and confidence so you can move forward with support and resilience. My pronouns are she/her.
Vincent Marocco
I support students exploring gender identity, LGBTQIA+ concerns, anxiety, depression, intimacy, and stress related to academic or work/life balance. My approach is client-centered, drawing on CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and psychodynamic tools, with tools you can use here and now. I aim to create a space where who you are is honored, your experiences are heard, and your identity feels valid. My goal is to help you build confidence, strengthen your relationships, and feel more grounded in your life. My pronouns are he/him.
Monica Berns
I help LGBTQIA+ students dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development, and issues around culture/LGBTQIA+ belonging. My approach is strengths-based, insight-oriented, culturally sensitive, and trauma-focused. I want you to feel seen as your whole self. We'll work together to build tools that help you cope, gain clarity, and grow in confidence. My aim is to create a supportive, affirming space where your story matters, and you can explore toward healing on your terms. My pronouns are she/her.
Rachel Rood, LSW
Have you ever wondered why you keep falling into the same patterns, even when you know better? Maybe you replay conversations in your head, shut down during conflict, worry about how others see you, or feel overwhelmed by emotions that seem to come out of nowhere. Therapy can help you understand where these patterns come from and how to begin responding differently. I work with college students and young adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, emotional overwhelm, and life transitions. Together, we'll explore how your past experiences, attachment style, and nervous system may be shaping the way you think, feel, and connect with others. As those patterns become clearer, you'll begin building new ways of responding with greater confidence, self-compassion, and emotional balance. My approach is warm, relational, and collaborative. I believe you're the expert on your own life, and my role is to help you better understand yourself with curiosity, compassion, and practical support. Along the way, I'll offer tools you can use between sessions so the work we do together becomes part of your everyday life. I integrate CBT, DBT, ACT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment-focused therapy, somatic therapy, and polyvagal-informed approaches to meet your unique needs. Our work may include gentle nervous system regulation practices, such as grounding, breathwork, and mindfulness, alongside traditional talk therapy to help you feel more connected to yourself and better equipped to navigate life's challenges. I also support clients healing from childhood, relationship, and sexual trauma, as well as those navigating self-harm or suicidal thoughts. My goal is to help you feel safer in your own mind and body, strengthen your relationships, and move through life with greater confidence, resilience, and self-compassion.
Isa Martinez Mulcahy, LCPC, R-DMT
You may understand your patterns and still find yourself repeating them. Insight can be an important first step, but sometimes you also need support turning that understanding into real change. I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, trauma, life transitions, relationship challenges, and identity exploration. I especially enjoy supporting clients exploring multicultural or interracial identities, strengthening communication, building self-compassion, and creating healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. My style is warm, direct, and action-oriented. Together, we’ll identify the patterns keeping you stuck, build practical tools, and help you make changes that feel aligned with your values. I offer therapy in English and Spanish and integrate DBT, somatic and body-based approaches, Dance/Movement Therapy, expressive arts, and Imago Relationship Therapy. Therapy with me is a culturally responsive space where every part of your identity is welcome, and where you can expect both support and honest encouragement.
Dr. Megan Devine
College and graduate school can make everything feel up for question: your relationships, your future, your identity, and who you are outside of other people’s expectations. You may be burned out, navigating ADHD, recovering from painful experiences, or trying to find a stronger sense of purpose. I work with college students, graduate students, and young adults navigating relationship concerns, life transitions, trauma, mood challenges, stress, burnout, and identity exploration. I especially enjoy supporting clients exploring gender or sexuality and those who want to better understand themselves and their relationships. My style is warm, collaborative, and grounded in humor. Together, we’ll explore the beliefs and patterns keeping you stuck, build on your strengths, and help you make choices that feel more aligned with your values. I also work with individuals and couples around intimacy, communication, and sexual well-being. Therapy with me is an affirming space where every part of your identity is welcome and you can show up fully as yourself.
Aria Counseling
I am a clinician dedicated to providing a space for every client to better understand themselves, others, and how they fit into the world. My role as a therapist is to show clients that they are understood and accepted so that they may develop the courage and confidence to make their own decisions. I work with adults, adolescents and couples of all backgrounds. I collaborate with the client in analysis of thought, feeling, and action to gain insight into and mastery over the self. With couples, sessions are emotion-focused and informed by the Gottman method, with the goal of improving communication. If you experience problems related to divorce, trauma, sexuality, grief, loneliness, anxiety, life transition, or a general sense of purposelessness, I have confidence that I can help.
Xuan (Spring) Huynh, MSN, APN, PMHNP-BC
Holistic, Culturally Attuned Psychiatric Support in English & Vietnamese. As a bilingual Vietnamese psychiatric nurse practitioner in Chicago, I provide compassionate, trauma-informed psychiatric care for adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, and other mental health conditions. Being a second-generation Vietnamese American, I understand the complexities of identity, family expectations, and cross-cultural stressors that often go unspoken in traditional mental health spaces. I approach care with cultural sensitivity, humility, and an appreciation for the role identity plays in emotional well-being. Whether you’re exploring psychiatric care for the first time or looking to adjust your treatment plan, I’m here to help you move forward with confidence. Empowerment, Collaboration & Holistic Healing. I believe mental health care works best when it centers you—your values, your story, and your goals. My treatment plans integrate evidence-based medication management with: • Supportive education about your diagnosis and treatment • Open, respectful communication and shared decision-making • Trauma-sensitive, stigma-free care • Consideration of lifestyle, cultural background, and personal strengths Together, we’ll build a plan that feels personalized and sustainable—never one-size-fits-all. Conditions I Commonly Treat: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Generalized Anxiety Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Major Depression & Dysthymia • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) • Trauma and PTSD • Sleep concerns and burnout • Adjustment issues related to culture, work, or identity
Churan Wu, MA, LPC
As an Asian therapist based in Chicago, I am deeply committed to supporting individuals, couples, and families—especially those from marginalized communities—who are navigating mood disorders, life transitions, self-esteem challenges, interpersonal conflicts, cultural identity questions, and the healing of trauma. Therapy with me is not about “fixing” you—it’s about understanding and honoring who you are, so that healing can naturally unfold and guide you toward the life you want with authenticity and confidence. I integrate multiple approaches to personalize your care, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Psychodynamic theories, Expressive Arts Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Somatic practices. I offer trauma-informed therapy in both Mandarin and English, creating an affirming, nonjudgmental space for you to feel heard, understood, and supported—especially if you’ve never had that opportunity before.
Ellie Schendzielos
Ellie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who believes healing begins within safe, trusting relationships. She works to create a warm and nonjudgmental space where individuals feel seen, heard, and understood. Her work is informed by psychodynamic and attachment theories, and an understanding of nervous system regulation. She is attentive to how early relationships and life experiences shape emotional patterns, self-perception, and how we relate to others. Ellie also helps clients recognize how their nervous system responds to stress, supporting them in becoming more grounded, connected, and in control. Her approach invites greater self-awareness, emotional flexibility, and lasting change. Ellie is passionate about working with individuals who have dealt with various forms of overwhelming stress and trauma, focusing in particular on work with children and adolescents. She incorporates a range of modalities including play, talk, and art therapy, recognizing the unique ways children express themselves and explore their worlds. She meets each child where they are at and allows play and the relationship to serve as powerful tools for healing, growth, and connection. Ellie also strives to support parents and caregivers in understanding their child more deeply and fostering strong and healthy family relationships. Whether working with a child, teen, or adult, Ellie brings warmth, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s story.