If you were trusting a specialist with your heart, you’d demand the most advanced, research-backed care available. Your mind, your relationships, and your emotional well-being deserve that exact same standard of science.
Don’t settle for less
At 2nd Story Counseling, every approach we use is grounded in research — and every research-based approach is applied with you, specifically, in mind. That combination of science and personalization is what we mean when we talk about evidence-based therapy. It’s not a buzzword. It’s a commitment.
Chicago is full of talented therapists. But not all therapy is created equal. Research tells us which approaches work, for which people, and for which challenges. At 2SC, we don’t guess. We bring decades of clinical experience and a deep respect for the science of human change to every session — and we do it without losing sight of the most important variable in the room: you.
What Evidence-Based Therapy Actually Means
Evidence-based practice in therapy isn’t about following a rigid protocol or applying a one-size-fits-all formula. Real evidence-based care brings three things together:
Scientific Research
Approaches that have been tested, studied, and validated through rigorous clinical trials and peer-reviewed research.
Clinical Expertise
Therapists who know how to apply those approaches skillfully — and when to adapt them based on what’s happening in the room.
Your Unique Story
Your values, your history, your goals, and your pace. The best science in the world doesn’t help if it doesn’t fit who you are.
At 2nd Story Counseling, these three elements work in tandem. And the clinical framework that makes that integration possible is Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Why IFS Is at the Heart of What We Do
🧭 Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Most evidence-based therapies are excellent maps — they tell you how to navigate specific terrain. But what happens when you’re not sure which map you need? That’s where Internal Family Systems (IFS) comes in.
Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz and recognized by SAMHSA as an evidence-based practice, IFS is the organizing framework behind everything we do at 2SC. It helps us — and you — understand the different parts of yourself that carry pain, protect you from it, and ultimately hold the capacity for healing. IFS doesn’t replace other approaches. It orients them.
When you work with an IFS-trained therapist in Chicago, you’re not just learning coping skills. You’re developing a fundamentally different relationship with yourself — one built on curiosity, compassion, and lasting change.
Our Research-Tested Therapy Approaches
Below are the core evidence-based approaches used by our Chicago therapists. Each has a strong research foundation. Each is applied thoughtfully, based on your specific needs and goals — never as a formula.
💡 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most extensively researched therapies in existence. It works by helping you identify the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — and teaching you practical tools to shift patterns that are keeping you stuck. CBT is highly effective for anxiety, depression, and a wide range of other challenges.
🌱 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a third-wave behavioral therapy that shifts the focus from eliminating difficult thoughts and feelings to changing your relationship with them. Rather than fighting your inner experience, ACT helps you develop psychological flexibility — the ability to stay present, act according to your values, and move forward even when life is hard. It’s especially powerful for anxiety, grief, and life transitions.
⚖️ Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT was originally developed for individuals with intense emotional experiences and has since proven effective for a broad range of challenges. It teaches four core skill sets — mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — that give you practical tools for navigating life’s most difficult moments. DBT is grounded in the idea that two seemingly opposite things can both be true: you are doing your best, and you can do better.
🧘 Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness in therapy isn’t about sitting cross-legged and emptying your mind. It’s about learning to observe your thoughts and feelings with openness rather than reactivity — a skill backed by decades of neuroscience research. Our Chicago therapists integrate mindfulness practices into many approaches, including CBT, ACT, and IFS, to help you develop a steadier relationship with your inner world. Particularly effective for anxiety, trauma, and stress.
🤝 Relational Therapy
Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship itself is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in therapy. Relational therapy puts that relationship at the center of the work. By exploring the patterns that show up between you and your therapist — and between you and the people in your life — relational therapy creates real opportunities for lasting change. It’s not just what you talk about in therapy. It’s what happens in the room.
✨ Positive Psychology
Positive psychology doesn’t ignore pain — it broadens the lens. Rather than focusing exclusively on what’s wrong, positive psychology asks what’s already working, what your strengths are, and how to build more of what gives your life meaning and purpose. At 2SC, we weave positive psychology principles into our work as a complement to other approaches, particularly for clients navigating career transitions, quarter life challenges, and identity exploration.
Research-Backed Care for the Challenges You’re Facing
Our evidence-based approaches are applied across the full range of what brings people to therapy in Chicago. Whether you’re dealing with something that’s been building for years or something that landed in your life recently, our therapists bring both the science and the humanity to help you move through it.
Depression
Trauma & PTSD
Grief & Loss
Men’s Therapy
Women’s Counseling
LGBTQ+ Therapy
Anger Management
College Students
Quarter Life Crisis
Where Evidence-Based Therapy Comes to Life: Individual Therapy
All of these approaches find their fullest expression in the context of individual therapy. That’s where the research meets your real life — in a confidential, consistent relationship with a therapist who knows you, adapts to you, and holds you accountable to the growth you’re after.
At 2nd Story Counseling, we work with adults navigating everything from daily anxiety and relationship challenges to deep trauma and major life transitions. Our Chicago therapists are trained across multiple evidence-based modalities — which means you’re not locked into a single approach. You get what works, for you, right now.
We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and offer both in-person sessions at our Lakeview office and virtual therapy throughout Illinois.
💪 A Note for Men Considering Therapy
If you’re the kind of person who wants to know that something actually works before you invest in it — you’re in the right place. The evidence-based approaches we use at 2SC aren’t soft. They’re tested, practical, and results-oriented. Many of our male clients come to us specifically because they want a therapist who brings both clinical rigor and a direct, no-nonsense approach to the work.
Frequently Asked Questions About Evidence-Based Therapy in Chicago
❓ What does evidence-based therapy mean?
Evidence-based therapy refers to therapeutic approaches that have been tested through scientific research and shown to be effective for specific conditions. At 2nd Story Counseling, evidence-based practice also means integrating clinical expertise and your individual values and circumstances — not just following a protocol.
❓ Is IFS an evidence-based therapy?
Yes. Internal Family Systems (IFS) was designated by SAMHSA as an evidence-based practice and is listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). IFS has a growing body of clinical research supporting its effectiveness for trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. At 2SC, IFS is the integrating framework that informs how we apply all other evidence-based approaches.
❓ How does 2nd Story Counseling decide which therapy approach to use?
We start with you. Our intake process is consultative — we take the time to understand your history, your goals, and what’s brought you to therapy before recommending a direction. From there, your therapist draws on training across multiple evidence-based modalities and uses IFS as an organizing framework to determine which approach — or combination of approaches — fits where you are right now. That match evolves as you do.
❓ Do evidence-based approaches work for anxiety and depression?
Absolutely. Anxiety and depression are two of the most extensively studied conditions in all of psychotherapy research. CBT, ACT, DBT, mindfulness-based therapy, and IFS all have strong evidence bases for both. At 2SC, our Chicago therapists specialize in both conditions and bring an integrative, personalized approach to treatment that goes beyond symptom management toward lasting change.
❓ What is the difference between evidence-based therapy and traditional therapy?
Traditional therapy is a broad term that can encompass many approaches, some research-supported and some less so. Evidence-based therapy specifically refers to approaches validated through clinical research. The distinction matters because not everything that feels helpful in the short term produces lasting change. At 2SC, we stay current with the research so that the time and energy you invest in therapy translates into real, measurable results.
❓ Does 2nd Story Counseling accept insurance for evidence-based therapy?
Yes. 2nd Story Counseling accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO insurance. We offer both in-person therapy at our Lakeview office and virtual therapy throughout Illinois. To learn more about fees and coverage, visit our fees page or contact us directly.
You’ve done the research. You know what to look for in a therapist. Now take the next step.
2nd Story Counseling | 655 W. Irving Park Road, Suite 204, Chicago, IL 60613 | 773-528-1777