Jake Bebar

In therapy with me, you can expect a no-judgment, supportive, and friendly environment as well as an energetic, humorous, and candid personality. I believe that therapy works best when you feel a genuine, trusted relationship with your therapist, and I truly strive to cultivate that with everyone I work with. Together, we can use the therapy space to help you better understand and trust yourself.

My therapy approach is a combination of person-centered therapy, psychodynamics, and relational cultural theory; in everyday conversation, I often describe this as a focus on you, your past, and your present:

1) Person-Centered Therapy (You): I deeply believe that you are the expert on your life and that therapists should not be in the business of telling people how to live or what is “right.” Instead, my role is to help you better understand yourself so that you can make choices that are authentic to you and align with your values. You can expect me to be interested in learning about who you are, how you see the world, and what you like to do. I am committed to helping you feel more like yourself.

2) Psychodynamics (Your Past): Our past experiences shape who we are as individuals…our habits, our routines, and how we show up in the world. You can expect us to discuss important people in your life, where/when you learned your beliefs/values, how you thought about yourself growing up, and what challenges you encountered. These insights can provide clarity and make life decisions easier.

3) Relational Cultural Theory (Your Present): Our surroundings affect our day-to-day experiences: our friends and families, our jobs, our governments, and world events. You can expect us to discuss how your environments impact you physically, mentally, and socially, and we’ll discuss ways to cope with and/or change parts of your environment that make life tough as well as discover and create the parts that improve your life.

About Me: Occasionally, individuals are searching for a therapist with certain life experiences. I used to be a fundamentalist Christian (biblical literalist), am gay (spent my upbringing closeted), am a career-changer (had a prior decade in healthcare software), and am a first-generation college student. On a personal note, I love playing piano, attending live concerts, and learning about and exploring Chicago! My mindfulness practice includes yin yoga, meditation, journaling, and long walks with my dog, Riley (who occasionally has something to say during a session).