Meaningful Mental Health
Helping individuals and families navigate life's challenges, embrace their unique identities, and build a life worth living.
The mission of Chicago Behavior Therapy is to help people cultivate a meaingful life through evidence-based therapy focused on values, acceptance, and behavior change.
We believe that people suffering with mental illness do not exist within a vacuum. The most effective treatments are the ones which recognize individuals struggling with mental health are part of a broader network of relationships and systems. This is why Chicago Behavior Therapy provides individual treatment as well as training, guidance, and support for family members, partners, and the mental health systems who serve and live with those struggling with mental illness.
What We Offer
Individual & Group Therapy
A safe and supportive environment to address your mental health concerns and move in the direction of your values. We are passionate about our work and are trained in a variety of evidence-based treatments.
Family Services
Through our Family Services, we provide a supportive environment where people can learn, grow, and better understand the complexities of the mental health conditions affecting their loved ones.
Evaluations
In-depth psychological evaluations for clinicians and professionals to help construct a comprehensive profile of an individual and can aid in developing effective treatment strategies.
Training and Consultation
Workshops and consultation services benefit clinicians, healthcare providers, and administrative professionals looking to deepen their understanding and practice of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Meet Dr. Nick Sotor
PsyD, DBT-LBC Certified
Navigating life's challenges and sculpting meaning from our experiences is a complex journey. As a licensed clinical Psychologist, I'm here to facilitate this process by offering evidence-based behavioral therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as a Linehan Board Certified clinician. My therapeutic stance is nonjudgmental and compassionate which has helped me develop an expertise in treating a wide range of mental disorders with a specific focus on emotional dysregulation. At Chicago Behavior Therapy, I work with individuals and families, and provide professional consultation to clinicians and mental health institutions.
In the therapy room, I strive to understand individuals within the larger context of their lives rather than focusing on overly simplistic diagnoses or labels.
This stance allows me to practice psychotherapy and provide consultation in a genuine, relational, and flexible way while at the same time remaining firmly rooted in theory and providing treatments that have been shown to work. My clinical style can be described as direct, thoughtful, and often irreverent. I work from a place of curiosity and appreciation for the various identities, histories, and values that contribute to ourselves as individuals. I organize my life and clinical work around this appreciation and embrace opportunities to engage with individuals and communities who bring with them multiple identities and backgrounds. This value extends not only to differences in race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and sexual orientation but also to the differences understood in the ways we experience and interact with ourselves and the world around us. I strive to create a therapeutic space that feels validating, safe, and helpful. Understanding that mental health struggles are seldom "simple," I am committed to working with individuals and systems grappling with complex and often challenging problems.
Meet Lucia Agajanian, BA
Pre-licensed Student Clinician
Trying to understand, maneuver, and make meaning of one's life is a never-ending journey that can often feel arduous, overwhelming, and sometimes impossible. Through therapy, I hope to guide people on their own path toward discovery, rather than create one for them. I encourage the people I work with to candidly approach their own stories and situations in order to spark growth, change, and a great sense of self acceptance.
I was driven to practice therapy largely because of my fascination with the human experience, all of its complexities, and each person’s unique story within that. From working in documentary filmmaking to pursuing an MSW, I have been motivated by people’s stories and the healing that can occur from engaging with them. I feel confident that gaining a better understanding of oneself and of the world around us enables us to change our lives in the ways we feel are important. This plays out in the therapy room through active listening but also essential elements of collaborative exploration, radical understanding, and mutual accountability.
As a therapist, I am open, non-judgmental, and honest. I work alongside clients to help them construct a stronger sense of self and work toward building the life they envision for themselves, even when creating that life is difficult. My style is compassionate and comfortable but always direct. It’s important that the people I work with feel empowered to share their perspectives, personal experiences, and goals with a clinician that understands them. I also believe strongly in the element of creativity in therapy, both for the client and the clinician, and I hold space for innovation, exploration, and failure in my practice. I aim to create an environment that feels warm and validating but also challenging and productive. I work to integrate long-standing empirically-backed practices with contemporary research to provide the most effective strategies to my clients.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
As a doctorate-level clinician, I have extensive training and understanding of the complexities of mental health. This advanced level of training allows me to provide comprehensive care that meets the unique needs of each client.
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification
I am a certified therapist by the DBT Linehan Board of Certification, a recognition that underscores my expertise and deep understanding of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Professional Memberships
I am an active member of various professional associations including the Illinois Psychological Association (IPA), the Association of Contextual and Behavioral Sciences (ACBS), and the American Psychological Association (APA). These affiliations ensure I remain informed up to date on the latest developments and research in the field.
Over 10 years of Experience
With over a decade of experience providing evidence-based behavioral therapies, I have developed an effective approach to therapy that has helped numerous individuals and families.