Counselor

About Us

Bergen Counseling Collective is a small group practice in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood focused on providing high-quality, trauma-informed therapy without the corporate therapy mill nonsense. We work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and identity exploration.

We accept BCBS PPO and Aetna PPO insurance, offer telehealth throughout Illinois, and maintain a practice culture that values clinical autonomy, ongoing learning, and actually supporting our clinicians instead of burning them out.

What We're Looking For

Licensed mental health professional:

• LCPC, LCSW, LMFT or LPC in Illinois
• 2+ years post-licensure experience preferred
• Experience providing couples counseling
• Training in evidence-based modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma-focused approaches)
• Committed to LGBTQ+ affirming, culturally responsive, trauma-informed care
• Comfortable with both in-person and telehealth sessions

You'll thrive here if you:

• Value clinical autonomy and want input on your caseload/schedule
• Prefer depth over volume (we're not chasing billable hour quotas)
• Want to work WITH insurance without it dominating your practice
• Appreciate evidence-based approaches but aren't rigid about "the right way" to do therapy
• Can handle the reality that private practice includes some admin work (we handle credentialing, billing, scheduling support, but you'll still fill out treatment plans)
• Want colleagues for consultation, not just a logo to work under

What You'll Do

• Provide individual and/or couples therapy (your clinical strengths determine your caseload)
• Conduct intake assessments and develop treatment plans
• Maintain clinical documentation (we use SimplePractice)
• Collaborate with our small team for consultation and peer support
• Manage your own schedule with flexibility for evening/weekend availability as needed

Caseload expectations:

• Full-time: 20-25 client sessions/week (with admin time built in)
• Part-time: 10-15 client sessions/week
• We don't overbook you or expect 30+ billable hours/week

Benefits

Full-Time:

• Health insurance stipend
• Supervision/Monthly Group Consultation
• Paid time off (3 weeks + holidays)
• CEU stipend ($500/year)
• Retirement plan contribution eligibility after 1 year

Part-Time:

• 60-65% fee split
• Prorated CEU stipend
• No benefits (but schedule flexibility)

Other perks:

• Private office space in Ravenswood with free street parking
• SimplePractice for scheduling/EHR (we handle the subscription)
• We credential you with insurance panels and handle billing
• Clinical consultation included (not an extra "supervision fee" charge)
• Actual work-life balance (we mean it, therapy is hard enough without burning out)

Our Clinical Approach

We're evidence-based but not dogmatic. Our therapists use CBT, DBT, ACT, EMDR, psychodynamic, narrative, and mindfulness-based approaches depending on what fits the client.

We believe in:

• Trauma-informed care that acknowledges systemic oppression
• LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy (not just "we don't discriminate" lip service)
• Cultural humility and ongoing examination of our own biases
• Rejecting toxic positivity in favor of genuine validation and growth
• Clinical autonomy, you're the expert on your clients

We don't believe in:

• Corporate therapy mill productivity metrics
• "Evidence-based" as code for rigid manualized treatment
• Pretending insurance work isn't sometimes frustrating
• Gatekeeping who "deserves" therapy

What the Job Actually Looks Like

Honest talk:

• Insurance panels mean documentation requirements (treatment plans, progress notes, occasional utilization reviews)
• You'll do some admin work (notes, scheduling coordination, client communication)
• Not every client is a "good fit"—we support thoughtful referrals
• Some weeks are harder than others (that's therapy)
• We consult with each other regularly because none of us know everything

But also:

• You choose your schedule (we need some evening/weekend coverage)
• You have input on new client assignments based on your specialties
• We handle the business operations (marketing, bookkeeping, insurance billing)
• Your office is yours, decorate it, use your preferred therapeutic tools, make it comfortable
• We're a small practice, so your voice actually matters in decisions

About Ravenswood

Our office is at 4525 N Ravenswood Ave in the heart of Ravenswood:

• 5-minute walk from Montrose Brown Line
• Free street parking
• Quiet office building (not a chaotic medical plaza)

Serve clients from across Chicago's North Side (Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, Andersonville, Uptown, Lakeview, North Center) plus telehealth statewide.

How to Apply

Send the following to [your email]:

1. Your resume/CV

• A brief cover letter (or email) answering: Why you're interested in joining a small group practice vs. solo or large agency work
• Your clinical approach and populations you work best with
• Your ideal schedule (full-time/part-time, in-person/hybrid preference)
• One thing you wish someone had told you before you went into private practice

We'll review applications on a rolling basis.

First round: 30-minute phone screen

Second round: In-person interview + office tour

Third round: Meet the team (if applicable)

Equal Opportunity

Bergen Counseling Collective is committed to building a diverse team of therapists who reflect the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from clinicians who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and from other historically marginalized communities.

We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected characteristic.

Bergen Counseling Collective

4525 North Ravenswood Avenue, Suite 202

Chicago, IL 60640

www.bergencounselingcenter.com