You have been thinking about starting therapy. Maybe for a while now. The thought comes and goes, usually late at night, or in a quiet moment when the noise of the day drops away and you can hear what is actually going on underneath.
If you live in Andersonville, you already know there is no shortage of therapists here. Finding the right one, someone who actually gets what you are going through and has the training to help, is a different thing entirely.
What Andersonville Residents Bring to Therapy
Andersonville has a culture of honesty, openness, and self-awareness, and the people who come to us from this neighborhood tend to arrive ready to look at things clearly. Often they are carrying some version of this:
- A relationship that used to feel easy and now feels like work, with the conversations you most need to have getting quietly avoided
- Anxiety that was manageable for years and is starting to leak into your sleep, your focus, or your patience with the people you love
- The weight of a loss, a breakup, or a change you did not choose, and the realization that time alone is not doing it
- Questions about identity, self-expression, or what you actually want that feel too big to sort through by yourself
- A sense that you are performing “fine” for everyone around you while something quieter comes apart underneath
Andersonville’s LGBTQ+ community is a big part of what makes this neighborhood what it is. Between Clark Street, Midsommarfest, and a culture that takes people at their word, residents here tend to be deliberate about who they choose to see. We think that is exactly right.
Why People Choose Us
- Care that affirms who you are. We have been an LGBTQ+ affirming practice since 2010. Our therapists work across the full range of gender identity, sexual orientation, and relationship structure, so you will not spend your first sessions explaining yourself or wondering if your therapist gets it.
- Real depth with grief, anxiety, and depression. Not just a sympathetic ear, but trained, evidence-based treatment for the things that actually brought you in.
- Couples work backed by research. Founder Jeremiah Bergen, MS, LCPC is a Gottman-trained couples therapist with more than 20 years of experience, using the most studied approach to couples therapy there is.
- We take your insurance. BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, UBH PPO, and Cigna PPO, plus HSA and FSA. Good therapy should not be a luxury.
- Hours that fit a real schedule. Weekdays until 9pm, weekends until 5pm.
What We Help With
- Depression therapy: For the heaviness that makes ordinary days feel like a lot, the lost motivation, and the sense that the color has drained out of things.
- Anxiety therapy: For the racing mind, the panic that arrives out of nowhere, social anxiety, and the worry that never fully switches off.
- Grief and loss counseling: For loss in all its forms, not only death, but the end of a relationship, a friendship, or the life you thought you were going to have.
- Gender-affirming and identity therapy: Supportive care for LGBTQ+ clients exploring identity, coming out, or wanting a therapist who starts from affirmation.
- Couples and relationship counseling: Gottman Method and Emotionally Focused Therapy for communication that has stalled, trust that needs rebuilding, and reconnection. All relationship types welcome.
- Divorce and separation counseling: Clarity when a relationship is ending, including discernment counseling for couples who are not yet sure.
- Trauma therapy: IFS and trauma-informed care for PTSD, childhood and complex trauma, and patterns that formed long before you had words for them.
- Individual therapy: For what does not have a tidy label, and online therapy anywhere in Illinois.
Our Therapists
Jeremiah Bergen, MS, LCPC founded Bergen Counseling Collective in 2010. He specializes in couples therapy (Gottman Method), individual therapy, and trauma treatment, and has spent over two decades helping people navigate the hardest parts of their lives.
Morgan Eslinger, MA, LCPC works with individuals and couples dealing with anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem, and relational patterns that keep showing up no matter how much you try to change them.
Sophia Villenas, M.Ed, LPC provides individual therapy for adults working through anxiety, depression, identity exploration, cultural adjustment, and relationship dynamics. Sophia offers bilingual therapy in English and Spanish.
Getting Here from Andersonville
Our office is at 4525 N Ravenswood Ave, Suite 202, in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago (1.5 miles south from Andersonville).
By CTA: The #22 Clark bus connects Andersonville directly to our area. The Brown Line Western stop is a 3-minute walk from our door.
By car: The drive south on Clark Street is about 5 minutes. Free street parking is available on Ravenswood Avenue and surrounding residential streets.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Nearby Neighborhoods We Serve
If you are near Andersonville but exploring other options, we also serve clients from: Therapy near Lincoln Square.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept my insurance?
We accept BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, UBH PPO (also known as Optum/United Healthcare Behavioral Health), and Cigna PPO. We also accept HSA and FSA payments. If you have a different insurance plan, we provide superbills so you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement. If you are not sure what your plan covers, we are happy to help verify benefits before your first session.
How far is your office from Andersonville?
Our office at 4525 N Ravenswood Ave is 1.5 miles south from Andersonville. See the transit and driving directions above. We also offer telehealth sessions for anyone located in Illinois, which eliminates the commute entirely.
Do you offer telehealth or just in-person?
Both. Many of our clients do a mix. Some start in person and switch to telehealth when life gets busy, others start telehealth and eventually want to come in person. Whatever works for you works for us. Telehealth is available throughout Illinois via a secure HIPAA-compliant platform.
What are your hours?
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Evening and weekend availability matters, especially if you are working around a full schedule.
What can I expect in my first session?
Your first session is primarily about getting to know each other. Your therapist will ask about what is bringing you in, your background, and what you are hoping to get from therapy. You do not need to have your thoughts organized or know exactly what to say. Most people feel nervous, and that is completely normal. It is also your chance to see if the therapist feels like a fit. By the end of the session, you will usually have a sense of what you want to work on.
How do I get started?
Call (312) 870-0500 or schedule a free 15-minute consultation online. We use the consultation to understand what you are looking for, answer your questions, and match you with the right therapist for your needs. No pressure, no obligation.
Are your therapists LGBTQ+ affirming?
Yes. All of our therapists are trained to work with clients across the full spectrum of gender identity, sexual orientation, and relationship structure. We have been an LGBTQ+ affirming practice since we opened in 2010. You will not have to educate your therapist or wonder if they get it.
Ready to Get Started?
The hardest part is usually making the call. Everything after that gets easier. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or call (312) 870-0500. We will talk through what is going on, answer your questions, and figure out the right next step together.
Bergen Counseling Collective
4525 N Ravenswood Ave, Suite 202
Chicago, IL 60640
(312) 870-0500