LGBT therapists in Illinois

With over 20 years of clinical experience, I bring a compassionate, understanding and results-driven approach to therapy. My education began at Chicago State University where I received bachelor's degree and Jane Addams College of Social Work where I received my masters. I specialize in helping individuals navigate anxiety, depression, mood, and personality disorders with clarity and confidence. Together, we’ll build practical tools and deeper insight so you can feel more in control and live your best life.

Hi, I’m Gretchen, a board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, ANCC) with a Master of Science in Nursing from Lewis University. I work with individuals, teens, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, ADHD, and substance use concerns, providing care in both English and Spanish. I bring experience from emergency departments, inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and private practice, and I strive to create a safe, judgment-free space where clients feel heard, respected, and supported. I value collaboration and flexibility, tailoring each session to your needs so you can feel empowered to make meaningful changes.

I help adults navigate anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, stress, and the effects of trauma so they can feel more balanced, confident, and in control of their lives. If you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or like the patterns in your life are no longer working, therapy can help you gain clarity, recognize your strengths, and create meaningful change. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

I understand what it's like to feel overwhelmed, stuck, or constantly on edge. Maybe you're emotionally drained, unmotivated, overthinking everything, or simply not feeling like yourself anymore. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, family conflict, divorce, co-parenting, work stress, grief, low self-esteem, and major life changes. I also specialize in supporting individuals who have experienced unhealthy relationships, domestic violence, emotional abuse, or narcissistic abuse. My goal is to provide a warm, down-to-earth, nonjudgmental, and safe space where you can feel understood, supported, and comfortable being yourself. You're not stuck. Healing is possible, and you do not have to go through it alone. When you're ready to take the next step, I'd be honored to support you on your journey.

I am a queer, neurodivergent art therapist. I graduated from the School of the Art Institute with a Masters in Art Therapy and Counseling in 2020 and recently acquired LCPC licensure. I have a background working with diverse populations, including experience in both inpatient and outpatient facilities focused on adults with a range of mental health disorders/multiple diagnoses, education spaces with adolescents, and public art-making spaces focused on community wellness.

Greetings, I'm Debbie Palmer Thomas, a clinical social worker from Colorado. My approach to counseling is both welcoming and engaging. I uphold the values of respect, understanding, and kindness in every interaction. I firmly believe that everyone possesses inherent strengths, and with a sprinkle of hope, resilience is within reach for all. When you're prepared to make that leap, know that I stand by your side, ready to uplift and guide you.

I was born and raised in Montana and have a genuine passion for nature and the outdoors. I received my Bachelors in Psychology at Montana State University in 2001. I then pursued my Masters of Social Work degree and graduated in 2008 from the University of Montana. This graduate program had a focus on providing a social justice and integrated practitioner perspective. I have an eclectic style that can be tailored to each unique individual. My primary therapeutic methods include Mindfulness Based, Holistic, Exposure, Narrative, Cognitive and Behavioral, Strengths Based & Solution Focused Therapies. I provide a non-judgmental and compassionate environment that often helps people feel comfortable. A true passion of mine is structuring therapeutic activities for clients to express, process, increase self-awareness, and de-stress from life’s challenging and developmental experiences.

I approach therapy in a collaborative and compassionate way, creating a safe space where clients can feel supported as they explore their inner world. I believe that each client is the expert of their own life, and my role is to guide, support, and provide tools to help you connect with your strengths and insights. My work is trauma-informed and integrates a variety of techniques, including internal family systems, somatic methods, inner child work, strengths-based narratives, CBT, experiential approaches, and clinical hypnosis.

As a licensed clinical social worker, I work with adolescents and young adults to find meaning and purpose while working through the mental barriers that have created challenges in their lives. I specialize in working with adolescents, addictions, men's issues, depression and anxiety.

Although I am recently clinically licensed (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, LCPC), I am not new to the mental health field. Over my nearly decade of fulfilling work, I have enjoyed 5 years in therapeutic school settings with youth ages 5-years-old to 19-years-old, navigating crises through a therapeutic and trauma-informed lens as an Employee Assistant Program (EAP) counselor and through certifications in both Crisis Prevention Intervention and Therapeutic Crisis Prevention and Intervention models, supporting parents and families through a guardian support group for children in the therapeutic school setting as a facilitator for the past 3 years, and obtaining a Level 1 Certification in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) through the Yale Child Study Center. As a result of my success in treating students and families who are impacted by school avoidance/refusal, I was selected to present to parents about concrete strategies, and was consulted in the development of a school avoidance/school refusal school response protocol. Additionally, an anti-racism intervention I co-created for students on the spectrum and their families is now used as a resource and response to school incidents involving racism. My training began with a Bachelor’s in Social Worker from the University of Cincinnati, and ended with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

I have worked with young people and their families with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, academic, and social needs. I bring a multiculturally-aware, strengths-based approach to therapy and common work with individuals on the neurodivergence spectrum, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, diagnoses of Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder, anxiety, depression, Pathological Demand Avoidance, learning disabilities, gender and sexuality, and parent support and coaching.