lgbt man experiencing anxiety in Chicago

Anxiety Coping Strategies for LGBT Adults

December 30, 2025 2SC Staff

The knot in your chest before a family gathering. The loop of worry about whether you’re “too much” or “not enough.” The hypervigilance that’s become so automatic you barely notice it anymore. If you’re an […]

Healing Internalized Stigma with LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy

December 27, 2025 2SC Staff

Internalized Homophobia in Queer Counseling When you grow up in a society that sends pervasive messages that being queer or trans is abnormal, wrong, or sinful, you inevitably absorb those messages. This is the root […]

5 Fun Mindfulness Walks In Uptown

December 20, 2025 Laura Bartz

Mindfulness Walks in Uptown As a therapist practicing in Lakeview and serving the Uptown community, I’ve spent countless hours walking these streets between sessions, during lunch breaks, and on my commute home. Over the years, […]

athletic "jock" walking down halsted street in Chicago

‘Hot Jock’ on Halsted Street: What Gay Labels Say About Desire and Identity

December 19, 2025 2SC Staff

As a therapist who works with gay men in Chicago, I spend a lot of time thinking about language. Not just what we say in therapy rooms, but the words we use out in the […]

woman grieving and working through grief

What To Expect When You’re Grieving

December 17, 2025 2SC Staff

Grief has a way of arriving unannounced and rewriting the rules of daily life. One day you’re functioning, keeping things together, and the next you’re undone by a song on the radio, a familiar street […]

adult play in relationships man playing with curious george in chicago

Why Play Is So Important In Adult Relationships

December 16, 2025 2SC Staff

As a relational therapist practicing in Chicago’s vibrant neighborhoods — from Boystown and Lakeview to Lincoln Park, Uptown, Edgewater, Avondale, and the North Shore suburbs — I often see couples underestimate the power of play […]

person walking trying to beat the winter blues in Chicago

7 Powerful Ways to Beat The Winter Blues in Chicago

December 15, 2025 2SC Staff

Let’s be honest: Chicago winters are no joke. When the temperature drops below zero, the wind whips off Lake Michigan like frozen daggers, and the sun sets at 4:30 PM, even the most optimistic Chicagoans […]

8 Ways Gaslighting Can Backfire In Business

December 12, 2025 2SC Staff