ONLINE THERAPY IN CHICAGO & ACROSS ILLINOIS
Talk to Someone Who Actually Gets It.
Because you don't have to be the “strong one” here.
Warm, culturally affirming therapy for adults, teens, and couples. Trauma-informed care for anxiety, burnout, postpartum, identity, and the relationships that ask a lot of you.
In-network with BCBS PPO Illinois, Blue Choice PPO & Aetna PPO. We verify your benefits before your first session so you have a clearer understanding of your expected costs.
MAYBE YOU’RE HERE BECAUSE…
You’ve been carrying a lot… and something has to give.
You’re lying in bed, wide awake… replaying a conversation from hours ago and wondering if you said the wrong thing.
You’re sitting in your car for a few extra minutes… because you need five minutes where no one needs anything from you.
You’re looking at your inbox or today’s to-do list… already feeling ten steps behind before your feet even touch the floor.
You’re tired of masking parts of yourself… trying to fit expectations that were never made for you.
You’re lying next to someone you love… wondering how you can feel so close to someone and so disconnected at the same time.
Or maybe you’re simply tired of saying “I’m fine” when you know you're not.
Maybe you're the person everyone relies on. The one who figures things out. The one who keeps going, even when you're running on empty.
Or maybe no one really knows how much you’re carrying because, from the outside, you seem fine.
You might look capable, successful, or like you have it all together. But inside, you’re overthinking everything, feeling disconnected from yourself or the people you love, or quietly wondering:
Why am I struggling so much when everything seems fine?
Maybe you keep telling yourself you’ll feel better…
When work slows down.
When the relationship gets better.
When the kids need less.
When you figure out what's next.
But somehow, there’s always something else.
Nothing is wrong with you
Let’s be real… you've been carrying a lot for a long time. So, of course it feels like this.
Maybe you’ve been thinking about therapy for weeks or months.
Maybe you’ve opened websites like this before and closed them because you told yourself, “I can probably handle this.”
And maybe you can.
But being able to carry something doesn't mean you have to keep carrying it alone.
You don’t have to wait until everything falls apart to ask for help.
You don’t have to know exactly what’s wrong, what kind of therapy you need, or even where to start.
Sometimes, “I don’t want to keep feeling like this” is enough.
That's exactly why we created Mindful Healing Counseling. Our psychologist-led team provides compassionate, evidence-based virtual therapy and telehealth care for adults, teens, couples, women, mothers, and families throughout Chicago and Illinois.
What Could Feel Different?
Imagine…
Waking up without your mind immediately racing through everything that could go wrong.
Setting a boundary without spending the rest of the day wondering if you were selfish.
Feeling less overwhelmed by everything everyone needs from you.
Dropping some of the pressure to perform, overachieve, mask, or hold everything together.
Being present with the people you love instead of constantly anticipating what needs to happen next.
Trusting yourself more instead of second-guessing every decision.
Therapy isn't about becoming a completely different person.
It's about helping you feel more at home in your own life.
You don’t have to keep doing this on your own.
Takes less than 2 minutes • No perfect words required
Support for What You’re Carrying
Because life rarely comes at us one neat challenge at a time.
Anxiety creeps in alongside burnout. Trauma shows up in your relationships. ADHD can make everyday things feel harder than they “should.” And big changes—like becoming a parent—can leave you feeling deep love and total exhaustion all at once.
Sometimes it’s one of these things. Sometimes it’s five at once.
Our Illinois therapists support adults, teens, couples, and families navigating anxiety, trauma, burnout, ADHD and neurodivergence, pregnancy and postpartum concerns, relationships, grief, identity, and major life transitions.
You don’t have to know exactly what to call what you’re feeling. We’ll start right where you are.
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![Woman smiling peacefully with her eyes closed and hair blowing in the wind, representing relief from anxiety and overthinking through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Anxiety, Overthinking, & Panic
When your mind never seems to stop, replaying conversations, imagining what could go wrong, or turning even small decisions into something you have to analyze from every angle.
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![Black mother and daughter hugging and laughing together at home, representing connection and relief from burnout and chronic stress through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Burnout & Chronic Stress
When you’ve been holding everything together for so long that you’re not even sure what rested feels like anymore.
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![Close up of a woman holding a rose and wearing a “Resilient” shirt, representing healing from trauma and nervous system stress through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Trauma & Nervous System Stress
Trauma-informed support for experiences that still affect how safe, connected, or at ease you feel in your body, relationships, and everyday life.
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![Mother smiling while holding her newborn close to her chest, representing pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood support through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Motherhood
Honest support for new and expecting moms, from intrusive thoughts, identity changes, the mental load of motherhood, and the pressure to do everything “right.”
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![Mother and adult daughter smiling and connecting at home, representing healthier family relationships, communication, and boundaries through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Difficult Family Relationships & Boundaries
For family patterns, people-pleasing, guilt, cultural expectations, and learning how to care about the people you love without constantly abandoning yourself.
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![Couple hugging and laughing together outdoors, representing connection and support for relationship challenges through couples therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
Couples Therapy & Relationship Challenges
Support for communication, repeated conflict, emotional disconnection, trust, intimacy, and understanding the patterns that keep showing up between you.
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![Woman in a baseball cap smiling while holding a dandelion, representing self-acceptance and affirming support for ADHD and neurodivergence through therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
ADHD & Neurodivergence
Affirming support for ADHD, autism, AuDHD, executive dysfunction, masking, sensory overwhelm, and building a life that works with your brain instead of constantly fighting against it.
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![Woman walking her dog outdoors, representing moving forward through life transitions and major changes with therapy support in Chicago and Illinois]()
Life Transitions & Major Changes
Steady support through career changes, college, relationships, grief, parenthood, identity shifts, and the seasons of life that leave you wondering: What happens now?
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![Two queer women smiling and walking together outdoors, one wearing a rainbow scarf, representing LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy in Chicago and Illinois]()
LGBTQIA+ Affirming Support
A space where you don’t have to explain or defend who you are. Our therapists provide affirming therapy for queer & LGBTQIA+ clients navigating identity, relationships, stress, and life transitions.
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![Three diverse women laughing together, representing connection, belonging, and culturally responsive therapy for BIPOC and first-generation adults in Chicago and Illinois]()
BIPOC & First-Generation Support
Support from therapists who understand the pressure of navigating spaces where you may feel like the only one in the room. Therapy can help you process cultural expectations, identity stress, and the weight of being the “strong one.”
We match you. You never have to guess.
Your to do list is already a mile long, so we made this part simple.
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SHARE YOUR STORY
Fill out our quick matching form. No perfect words required. Just tell us what you're hoping for and what has been feeling hard.
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GET MATCHED
We personally match you with a therapist based on your concerns, preferences, availability, insurance, and the kind of support you're looking for.
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START FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE
Meet securely with your therapist online from a private space anywhere in Illinois. You don’t need to know exactly what to say. You just need to show up.
We can start there.
Therapy That Sees the Whole You
You are more than a list of symptoms.
Your culture, race, gender, identity, faith, family expectations, and neurodivergence all shape how you experience stress, safety, and healing. Good therapy makes room for all of it.
You shouldn’t have to spend your therapy hour translating your culture, defending your identity, or teaching your therapist the basics of your lived experience.
You get to bring your whole self here—and be fully seen, respected, and welcomed, exactly as you are.
Mindful Healing Counseling provides culturally responsive, identity-affirming online therapy in Illinois for:
Women
Black women and BIPOC communities
Moms, parents, and perinatal clients
LGBTQIA+, transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse individuals
ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, and neurodivergent clients
First-generation adults and professionals
College students, teens, and young adults
Couples and families
Your Therapist Should Feel Like Someone You Can Actually Talk To
Therapy shouldn't feel like another place where you have to perform, and we won't just sit back, nod, and ask, "How does that make you feel?"
We do therapy differently.
You'll get a therapist who remembers what you said last week. Someone who notices patterns you may not see yet. Someone who can sit with the hard stuff, laugh with you when something is genuinely funny, and gently point out when an old habit is getting in your way.
We ask real questions, help you connect the dots, teach practical tools, and work with you so you leave sessions feeling lighter, clearer, and truly supported.
What Makes Therapy Here Different
A space where you can finally stop surviving and start feeling like yourself again.
Our therapists specialize in culturally affirming care for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and first-generation individuals.
All of You is Welcome
Culture, identity, relationships, family, and lived experience aren't side notes here. They're part of understanding you.
More than Just Talking
You'll have space to process what's happening and practical ways to handle it differently outside of therapy.
Therapy That Fits Real Life
Meet securely online from anywhere in Illinois without adding another commute, waiting room, or extra headache to your week.
What We'll Actually Help You Do
Understanding why you feel this way matters.
But most people eventually want to know:
What do I actually do when this happens again?
Therapy at Mindful Healing Counseling is designed to help what you learn in session show up in your actual life.
Together, we may work on helping you:
Calm constant overthinking instead of exhausting yourself trying to fight every thought.
Understand your stress and survival responses so you can notice them sooner and respond differently.
Heal painful experiences and trauma that still affect how you see yourself or relate to others.
Set boundaries with less guilt and more trust in your own needs.
Stop automatically putting everyone else first while disappearing from your own life.
Build relationships that feel safer, deeper, and more connected.
Feel more like yourself again. Not the version everyone needs you to be. You.
Our therapists draw from evidence-based approaches including CBT, DBT, ACT, mindfulness, attachment-based therapy, trauma-informed care, and other approaches tailored to your goals and needs.
A Space Built With You in Mind
“I wanted therapy to be a place where you never have to leave parts of yourself at the door…a real, human space where I’d feel good sending someone I love.”
— Dr. Aretha Steele, PsyD
Founder & Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Why I Created Mindful Healing Counseling
Over the years as a psychologist, I’ve seen how draining it can be to walk into a room already wondering if your therapist will truly get it. Will they understand your culture, your family dynamics, or your identity? Will they see the quiet weight of being the one who always has to hold everything together?
I built Mindful Healing Counseling so you wouldn't have to carry that worry.
I wanted a place where you can talk about anxiety and also talk about how race, gender, or identity may be part of what you're carrying.
Where you can talk about motherhood and be honest about the exhaustion or resentment that can come with it.
Where you can unpack trauma, work on your relationships, or celebrate your success while still admitting that you're tired.
You shouldn't have to choose between really good therapy and feeling genuinely understood.
That belief shapes every therapist I bring onto our team and guides how we care for the people who trust us with their stories.
You don't have to edit who you are or make yourself easier to understand to get the care you deserve.
Meet the Therapists Who Get It
Different therapists. Different strengths. One shared belief: you deserve to feel genuinely seen and understood.
Finding the right therapist matters. Because therapy works best when you feel like your therapist actually gets you.
Our psychologist-led team brings different identities, backgrounds, clinical specialties, and ways of connecting. We built our team that way on purpose. What ties us together is a deep commitment to thoughtful, compassionate care.
The goal isn't to find the therapist who looks best on paper. It's to find someone you can imagine actually talking to.
Someone you can exhale with. Someone you don't have to perform for. Someone who feels like they might really understand.
Meet our team and see who feels like the right fit for you.
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Briana Booker, LSW
For the woman whose mind never seems to turn off—and who is tired of repeating the same patterns.
Briana supports women, young adults, and couples navigating anxiety, overthinking, burnout, relationship patterns, communication challenges, LGBTQIA+ experiences, and neurodivergence.
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Samreen Ahmed, LSW
For those whose minds and bodies have been carrying stress for far too long.
Samreen provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed support for anxiety, trauma, grief, nervous system stress, life transitions, and the intersection of culture, faith, family, and identity. She has a particular understanding of South Asian, Muslim, BIPOC, and first-generation experiences.
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Therin Slayton, PsyD
For the outliers, deep thinkers, creatives, and people who are tired of masking who they are.
Therin provides LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirming care for transgender, nonbinary, gender-diverse, ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, disabled, and neurodivergent adults navigating burnout, masking, anxiety, identity, relationships, and self-discovery.
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Summer Stewart, PsyD
For the woman who has been “the strong one” for far too long.
Summer works especially well with Black and Brown women, high-achieving professionals, and young adults navigating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, relationships, trauma, and the pressure to hold everything together.
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Fabiola Felix, LSW
For the first-gen woman who is tired of being “the reliable one” at the expense of herself.
Fabiola supports first-generation and Latinx clients navigating anxiety, overthinking, cultural and family expectations, boundaries, burnout, grief, identity, and difficult life transitions.
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Aretha Steele, PsyD
Founder & Clinical Director
Dr. Steele founded Mindful Healing Counseling around a simple belief: people heal best when they feel genuinely seen, understood, and supported for who they are.
She is currently opening a limited number of therapy appointments.
You Belong Here.
If you’re looking for a trauma-informed therapist in Chicago or culturally responsive therapy anywhere in Illinois, you have found your home. Your experiences will be approached with curiosity, respect, and care, not treated as something you need to defend or explain away.
Online Therapy Wherever You Are in Illinois
Secure virtual sessions. From your couch, your car, or wherever you can breathe for an hour.
Mindful Healing Counseling was founded by a Black woman psychologist who intimately understands the weight of being "the only one" in the room. Our practice provides culturally responsive, trauma-informed online therapy designed to make specialized care easier to access, without adding a commute or waiting room to your day.
Our therapists provide secure telehealth and online therapy to clients in Chicago, Palos Heights, New Lenox, surrounding suburbs, and communities throughout Illinois. Through our secure teletherapy platform, we support adults, teens, couples, women, moms, professionals, and neurodivergent adults across the entire state.
Commonly Serving Neighborhoods & Suburbs Including:
Lincoln Park • Lakeview • Logan Square • Wicker Park • Beverly • Hyde Park • West Loop • Oak Park • Evanston • Tinley Park • Orland Park • Naperville • New Lenox • Palos Heights
Insurance & Fees
We don't want the cost of therapy to be a mystery.
Mindful Healing Counseling is in-network with:
Before your first appointment, we'll verify your benefits and help you understand your expected copay, coinsurance, or deductible.
Not sure what your plan covers?
We'll help you figure it out.
We also offer self-pay options for clients who prefer not to use insurance or whose plan is out of network.
(Please note: We not currently able to accept Medicaid or Medicare.)
Common Questions About Beginning Therapy
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People begin therapy for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed, constantly overthinking, struggling in your relationships, or just not feeling like yourself lately. You might even be doing okay but want to understand yourself better or make some changes in your life. Whatever brings you here, therapy can help you work through challenges, gain clarity, and build a life that feels better for you.
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The right fit matters. You deserve a therapist who understands your experiences, respects your identity, and makes you feel comfortable being yourself.
That's why we make finding your therapist easier. Simply fill out our contact form and tell us a little about what you're looking for. We'll help match you with a therapist whose experience, approach, and availability align with your needs, preferences, and goals.
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Absolutely. Your identity, culture, and lived experiences matter, and you shouldn't have to explain or defend who you are in therapy. Our therapists provide culturally responsive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and trauma-informed care that recognizes how your experiences shape your mental health. We welcome people from all backgrounds and strive to create a space where you feel seen, respected, and understood.
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Yes! Mindful Healing Counseling is a fully online therapy practice serving clients throughout Illinois. You can meet with your therapist from the comfort and privacy of your home or another secure space that works for you. Online therapy offers the same opportunity to build a meaningful connection with your therapist, without the commute or the added stress of fitting another trip into your day.
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Yes! We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and Aetna PPO insurance plans. We also offer self-pay options and can provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your specific insurance benefits, including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles. We'll help you understand your estimated costs before getting started, so there are fewer surprises.
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We get it. Opening up to someone takes courage, and it's frustrating when therapy doesn't feel helpful. But one experience doesn't have to define what therapy can be for you. Sometimes it's about finding a therapist who understands you, an approach that fits your needs, or simply a different kind of connection. We're here to help you explore what might work better this time.
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Think of your first session as a conversation, not a test. Your therapist will get to know you, ask about what's bringing you to therapy, and talk with you about what you'd like to work on. You don't need to have the perfect words, know where to start, or share everything at once. We'll meet you where you are and move at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
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There's no one-size-fits-all timeline for therapy. Some people come for a few months to work through a specific challenge, while others benefit from longer-term support. Many clients start with weekly sessions, but how often you meet and how long you continue depends on your needs, goals, and progress. You and your therapist will figure out what works best for you together.
Still have questions? We're happy to help you figure out your next step.
Ready to finally set that weight down?
You’ve carried this by yourself for long enough.
It’s time for someone to be there for you.
You deserve a life that feels lighter, calmer, and more fully your own.
Prefer to ask a few questions first? Schedule a free, no-pressure 15-minute consultation.