At Lakefront Therapy, we provide individual and couples therapy in Chicago for adults navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and challenges with adjustment. Our psychodynamic and relational approach helps you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, your emotions, and the patterns that shape your relationships and experiences. We offer in-person therapy at our office in Chicago’s historic Monadnock Building in the Loop, as well as telehealth throughout Illinois.
How it works:
Psychodynamic therapy offers an opportunity to better understand yourself, including the ways your past experiences, relationships, and emotional life influence how you experience the present. People come to therapy for many reasons: anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship conflicts, difficulties with intimacy or trust, major life changes, or a persistent feeling of being stuck in familiar patterns.
Our work is collaborative and shaped by what you bring into the room. We may explore how you respond to conflict, the expectations you carry into relationships, feelings that are difficult to recognize or express, or the ways you’ve learned to protect yourself emotionally. Sometimes the focus is on a particular struggle; other times, it’s on questions about identity, self-worth, belonging, or the kind of life and relationships you want to have.
The goal isn’t simply to identify what’s wrong or offer strategies to manage it. It’s to develop a fuller understanding of your experience, making room for new ways of relating to yourself and others.
Frequency of Sessions:
We offer flexible scheduling based on your individual needs. Therapy is generally scheduled once or twice a week, although some people choose to meet more frequently. The rhythm of our meetings is something we’ll consider together, taking into account what brings you to therapy and what feels manageable in your life as we tailor the frequency of therapy to best support your healing process.
It’s important to note that the frequency of therapy plays a key role in the depth of the work. More frequent sessions can help accelerate the process of insight and emotional integration, but we’ll always work together to find the best rhythm for your personal journey.
Individual Psychodynamic Therapy in Chicago and Online:
Individual therapy can help with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, relationship problems, low self-esteem, family conflict, and difficulties adjusting to major life changes. Some people come to therapy because they’re struggling with a particular situation. Others recognize patterns that have followed them for years, whether in their relationships, their work, or how they feel about themselves.
At Lakefront Therapy, we approach individual psychotherapy with an interest in understanding the person, not simply treating a collection of symptoms. Psychodynamic therapy looks at how early experiences, family relationships, unconscious expectations, and longstanding ways of coping can influence current difficulties. We also pay attention to what’s happening in your life now, including the relationships and circumstances that may be contributing to emotional distress.
Our Chicago therapists work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, unresolved trauma, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and questions about identity or self-worth. Treatment is individualized, and our work together may involve understanding recurring conflicts, examining emotional responses, or recognizing patterns that have become difficult to change.
We offer in-person individual therapy in Chicago’s Loop and online therapy for clients throughout Illinois.
Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling in Chicago and Online:
Couples often seek therapy when communication has become difficult, arguments repeat without resolution, or emotional and physical intimacy have diminished. Other concerns may include infidelity, jealousy, parenting disagreements, differences in sexual desire, resentment, trust, or uncertainty about the future of the relationship. Sometimes couples are facing a significant life transition; other times, they’ve gradually become disconnected and aren’t sure how to find their way back to one another.
At Lakefront Therapy, our approach to couples counseling draws from psychodynamic, relational, and attachment-based perspectives. We look beyond the immediate disagreement to understand how each partner’s emotional experiences, personal history, and expectations influence their interactions. Patterns of pursuing, withdrawing, criticizing, or defending may develop over time, particularly when one or both partners feel misunderstood, rejected, or alone in the relationship.
Couples therapy provides an opportunity to better understand these patterns, address longstanding conflicts, and consider how each partner contributes to the relationship’s difficulties. Our work may include improving communication, exploring emotional and sexual intimacy, working through breaches of trust, and developing a greater capacity to recognize and respond to one another’s experiences.
We offer in-person couples therapy in downtown Chicago, with telehealth appointments available throughout Illinois.