Jessica Sandoval (she/her)

I often think of life as being a lot like the ocean. Some days feel calm and balanced. Other days feel like waves rushing toward us all at once, overwhelming and hard to navigate. In those moments, it can be difficult to find your footing. I believe that even when life feels unsteady, people have a deep capacity for resilience and meaningful change, especially when they feel supported. Therapy can be a space where we learn how to move through life’s waves with greater awareness, confidence, and self-trust. You do not have to face the waves alone.

My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, trauma-informed, and grounded. I care deeply about creating a space where you feel safe, respected, and genuinely understood. I meet you where you are, without pressure or judgment, and gently help you move toward where you hope to be. Therapy does not have to feel intimidating or overly clinical. I often bring curiosity and gentle humor into our work, because healing tends to happen in spaces that feel human and real. At the same time, I am intentional and focused on how we work together. We move at a pace that feels supportive, honoring your nervous system and your lived experiences.

In our work together, we explore your emotional experiences and how they show up in your body. I often describe emotions as signals. They offer important information about what feels supportive, overwhelming, or out of alignment. Instead of pushing feelings away or criticizing yourself for having them, we work toward listening with compassion and responding with intention. I also help you notice thought patterns that keep you stuck. The mind can be incredibly convincing, especially when anxiety is high. It can play tricks on us, telling stories that feel completely true. Together, we practice stepping back from those thoughts, challenging what is unhelpful, and choosing responses that feel more aligned with who you want to be.

I pay attention to the environments you move through each day, including school, work, family, relationships, and cultural expectations. These spaces influence how we cope and connect. In therapy, we look at both what is happening within you and what is happening around you. Together, we build communication skills, strengthen boundaries, and create healthier, more supportive relationships with yourself and with others.

I use practical, evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), attachment-based work, and mindfulness. I work relationally and from a systems lens, which means we pay attention to how your relationships, early experiences, and environments have shaped the way you cope and connect. These approaches help us understand patterns, strengthen coping skills, improve communication, and create meaningful changes that feel realistic and sustainable. My work is also guided by the belief that the mind, body, and spirit are deeply connected. When helpful, I incorporate creative and experiential practices such as guided meditation, music, art, visualization, interactive exercises, and nature-based strategies, especially when talking alone does not feel like enough.

I specialize in working with neurodivergent individuals and children, as well as people navigating anxiety, chronic stress, and identity-related or systemic pressures within minority communities. I also support those experiencing relationship challenges, emotional reactivity, and major life transitions. I approach this work with cultural humility, and my practice is explicitly LGBTQIA+ affirming and neurodiversity-affirming.

At the heart of my work is the therapeutic relationship. I know that reaching out for therapy can feel vulnerable, and I do not take that lightly. My hope is to offer you a space where you can show up fully, set down what you have been carrying, and feel both supported and capable. You already have strengths within you. My role is to help you reconnect with them, build the tools you need, and move through life with greater confidence and self-trust. When you are ready, I would be honored to walk alongside you.

Things that bring me joy

Reading, listening to podcasts, my sisters, my dog, friends, nature and animals, walking by the lake, street fests, tea and coffee, cleaning, listening to music, cooking, watching cooking shows

Education

Master of Social Work from Loyola University

Bachelor of Social Work from Governors State University

Licensure

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, State of Illinois

License Number: 149030900

Payment & Insurance Accepted

Locations

While Jess’s office is located in South Loop, Chicago, within Dearborn Station, she also welcomes and serves clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more.