5 Highly Recommended Chicago Child Therapists

A dysregulated or traumatized child may not be able to tell you what they’re feeling, what’s happened, or what they need, and often will communicate instead through behaviors that can be confusing or distressing to parents or caregivers. 

This might look like: 

• Aggressive or physical behaviors like rough play

• Sudden emergence of intense emotions without a clear cause

• Difficulty sleeping, maintaining bathing & grooming behaviors, concentrating, or eating

• Bed wetting

• Regressive behavior

• Fear & being easily startled 

• Dissocation, withdrawal, daydreaming, or shut down

• School refusal 

• Excessive shyness, anger, worry, sadness, shame, or guilt

• Low self esteem

• Preoccupation with sexual behavior

• Physical/somatic symptoms like headaches, stomach aches, or skin issues with no clear medical cause

It’s important to note that the signs and symptoms of trauma in children can be subtle. Sometimes, children may not exhibit any right away. In other cases, there can be marked changes in their behavior. Some children internalize their symptoms, and others externalize their symptoms, so it’s crucial to be in tune with your child’s behavior (even slight changes) and seek support if you’re concerned.

Depending on the developmental age of the child at the onset of trauma, symptoms and signs will look different and may be more difficult to interpret. Trauma is always difficult to process verbally, and particularly in children this is difficult given the impact of the trauma on their development and likely a lack of awareness of the trauma. Children look to others around them to know how to process emotions and respond to distress, and if they don’t have examples that align with their experiences they may become overwhelmed and turn inward or shut themselves off entirely. Play therapy is a way for children to express and work through their experiences and emotions at whatever level of consciousness they present. Play therapy also reinforces the child’s control over their own narrative and agency and choice in what is shared which can inherently be healing. 

We utilize a reflective, relational approach meaning that rather than doing therapy “to” or “at” you, we are engaging in relationship with you in a way that allows patterns and themes interjecting from the past to enact themselves in the room with us in the present. 

Rather than only utilizing a “top down” approach where we analyze and engage cognitively, or only utilizing a “bottom up” approach where we would only pay attention to the somatic and emotional experience, we combine these in order to engage all parts of the person in front of us. We believe that this “wholeness” is the natural human state, and this is what trauma often takes from us by fragmenting and dissociating parts of our humanity from us. 

Complex trauma survivors often do not have complete memories or verbal narratives to call from, but their traumatic experiences are still stored in their bodies and find ways to speak to them. But engaging fully in the somatic and experiential is not healing without being in connection with other parts of the self, the present moment, and in relationship with a trusted other.  The people who we work with have often been harmed in relationship, so it is through relationship that we work towards healing. 

There is not a single step-by-step process to this type of work, because every individual has different wounds and has different needs to be met in order to heal those wounds. We firmly believe that while we may be experts in how to hold space for our clients and track the process of their healing, our clients are the experts on themselves and their experience, and it’s crucial to reinforce their agency in the process of their healing. 

Our approach is one of reflection, curiosity, engagement, patience, and pacing. We work to build a safe, secure, and consistent relationship to process things within and through, and this is something that takes time in order to do well.  We value inquiry for the sake of inquiry, and hold self-reflection and narrative building as inherently healing.

We believe that human wellness is linked to human connection, not just environmental stress or biology.

We work with children of all ages, from young children through adolescence. Our therapists are trained in age-appropriate therapeutic approaches, including play therapy for younger children and more talk-based modalities for older children and teens. We tailor our approach to match your child's developmental stage and needs.

Children can benefit from therapy at any age when they're struggling emotionally, behaviorally, or socially. Signs your child might benefit include: 

• Prolonged sadness,

• Anxiety that interferes with daily life, 

• Behavioral outbursts, 

• Experiencing trauma,

• Big transitions, like adoption, moving, or divorce, and

• Difficulty functioning at home or school. 

Trust your instincts. If you’re not sure whether therapy is right for your child, the best way to move forward is by scheduling a free consultation where we can speak directly and offer our professional recommendation.

The "best" therapy depends on your child's unique needs, experiences, and developmental stage. We tend to blend different methods, including play therapy, DBT skills, somatic therapy, and cognitive-behavioral techniques, to create individualized treatment that meets your child where they are.

The length of treatment varies widely. Some children benefit from short-term work (3-6 months) focused on specific skills or navigating life transitions, while others—particularly those healing from complex trauma—may engage in longer-term therapy. We regularly assess progress with families and adjust treatment length accordingly, always prioritizing what serves your child.

Parents are essential partners in their child's therapy. We typically include parents in the initial assessment, provide regular check-ins to discuss progress, and offer guidance on supporting your child at home. For younger children, parent sessions may be more frequent; for teens, we balance confidentiality with keeping parents informed. Our approach honors the parent-child relationship as central to healing.

Yes, child therapy is typically covered by insurance. We currently accept Blue Cross Blue ShieldPPO insurance, and for other insurance plans, we can provide you with a superbill (detailed receipt) that you can submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement.