Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary entrance sign in Chicago

Is Montrose Bird Sanctuary Safe for Meeting Guys?

August 1, 2026 2nd Story Counseling Clinical Team

By 2nd Story Counseling Clinical Team Montrose Beach is famous for lakefront views, serious birders with even more serious binoculars, and piping plovers that somehow keep becoming minor Chicago celebrities. The nearby bird sanctuary has […]

gay man burned out from chicago gay scene

Do You Ever Get Tired of “The Scene”?

July 22, 2026 2SC Staff

We’ve all been there. You moved to Boystown or Andersonville for the community, the nightlife, and the promise of a “gay utopia.” But lately, the neon lights of Northalsted feel more draining than dazzling. Maybe […]

7 Places To Meet Gay Men in Chicago

July 8, 2026 2SC Staff

cruise ship view representing sobriety on a gay themed cruise ship

Sobriety on a Gay Cruise: Surviving the Pressure

July 6, 2026 2SC Staff

By the 2nd Story Counseling Team | 2nd Story Counseling, Chicago You booked the cruise months ago. Your friends are going, the itinerary looks incredible, and everyone keeps talking about how much fun it’s going […]

post-pride letdown emotions after lgbt pride in chicago

Post-Pride Letdown: Processing Emotions After Chicago Pride Events

June 28, 2026 2SC Staff

The parade route down Halsted is quiet now. The rainbow flags that lined Boystown storefronts have been taken down or relegated to year-round spots. Your apartment still smells faintly of sunscreen and whatever you spilled […]

Two armchairs in a warm, sunlit Chicago therapy office offering queer affirming care

Is Queer Affirming Therapy Right for Me?

June 24, 2026 2nd Story Counseling Clinical Team

You’ve sat across from a therapist who said all the right things. They used the right words. They were kind, careful, clearly well-meaning. Nothing about the hour was wrong, exactly — and yet you walked […]

gay man with depression sitting at a bar in Chicago & thinking of therapy with 2nd Story Counseling

The Depression That Doesn’t Look Like Depression

June 16, 2026 2SC Staff

You went out last Saturday. You were at the bar by 9, ran into people you know, laughed at the right moments, stayed until midnight. By every external measure it was a good night. And […]

gay men at a bar talking about validation addiction in Chicago on Halsted Street

Social Anxiety in Gay Men: Chicago Therapist Explores

June 15, 2026 2SC Staff

You walk into a bar in Boystown and immediately start scanning. Who’s looking at you. Who isn’t. Whether the group in the corner is judging your outfit. Whether you’re attractive enough to belong here. Whether […]