Great Lakes Therapy Center — Mental health clinic in Chicago, IL

My experiences with Great Lakes Therapy Center have been positive and productive. Their commitment to treating the most complex mental conditions provides a much needed resource within the Chicago community.

As a clinician, I am so grateful to be able to refer clients dealing with complex conditions, including anger management, to Great Lakes Therapy Center. It is one of only two DBT-Linehan Board Certified programs in Chicago, meaning they provide the highest standard of adherent Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. They are doing a true service by accepting insurance to make the best therapy more accessible to people in our community. Victoria Kessinger and her team are leading experts in helping people regulate out-of-control cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns. They have the training and the skills to support these individuals and their loved ones in a way that other therapies cannot.

Vic has saved our daughter and our family. This is no exaggeration. I'm in the medical profession myself and I recommend Great Lakes to anyone who comes to me. Vic's knowledge, patience, experience & guidance allowed us to support our daughter in the way she needed. Her practice is the only true DBT practice in the area that takes insurance. They offer phone coaching and really care. I highly recommend this company & cant imagine continuing to parent without Vic's expertise.

I have been going to Great Lakes Therapy Center since they first opened their doors. Every therapist that worked with me was very professional, patient and supportive. I've received great care here over the years in individual therapy as well as group therapy. The quality of my life has improved tremendously. The best thing about DBT is that i got to know myself and who i am. I absolutely recommend 💯 out of 💯

I have had great experiences with Great Lakes - the staff are super easy to work with and I found the skills group was particularly beneficial. Also, I have been able to use my insurance which feels great as all my other previous DBT treatment was out of pocket.

As other people have mentioned, the owner, Victoria, is rude, cold, and unprofessional. I was billed for a visit 2+ years after the fact with no notice — only finding out because I received a suspicious cc charge at midnight. When I contacted the office, she “validated my feelings,” confirmed that this was an oversight on their part, but stated she would do nothing about the bill without evidence on my part. Furthermore, my experience with DBT was left wanting. My therapist sighed a lot during all our sessions and sounded generally bored all the time. I had to be placed in the uncomfortable position of having to give him feedback about why I didn’t want to see him anymore, and then was charged $150 out-of-pocket despite my insurance deductible being met.

As a client of Great Lakes Therapy Center for over 5 years, I can confidently say that I’ve received exceptional counseling that truly stands out in the area. Before discovering GLTC and Victoria Kessinger, I was stuck in an exhausting cycle of searching for the 'right' therapist. From the very first sessions with Vic, it was clear that I had finally found someone who genuinely understood my needs. Vic’s approach was nothing short of transformative—she crafted a personalized plan tailored specifically to me, blending the most effective elements of CBT and DBT, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all program. Her dedication to my progress was evident not only in the customized care I received but also in her remarkable flexibility with my constantly shifting schedule. After more than 5 years of working together, I can’t express enough how grateful I am for the unwavering support and life-changing guidance I've received from Vic and GLTC. They have been instrumental in helping me achieve a level of well-being I never thought possible.

Many people at Great Lakes Therapy are wonderful, caring and want the best for you. (Lauren, Emily, and Jimmy) However, when having a billing issue when your therapist is out of town was frustrating, especially when you are on a budget. Billing manager was kind enough to respond, but the owner, Victoria, stepped in, she had this tone of disrespect. She demands that you provide an answer of understanding to her email, and expects you to answer. Needless to say, I have lost respect for her. In addition, currently my therapist had to take over a DBT group, and that allows her only to be able to meet with me at 4pm. Not her fault, but I would much rather do my therapy at home, not finishing up my work day at work, with no privacy.

I truly love GLTC. I've been a client here for about 4 years and my growth has been exponential. It's also been beautiful to watch the practice grow as well. I needed DBT and they are certified as a center with certified clinicians. The groups are excellent. They have skills training where you learn the skills and grad group for after skills training where clients take turns teaching a skill. As of now, groups are online which is nice if you're not able to get into the office.There's options for hybrid, in person, or zoom only for individual therapy. DBT can be hard- it's very structured, unlike other forms of therapy, and forces you to take an honest look at yourself in order to make changes. It is a lot of work and commitment which can be intense- and learning to trust your therapist helps with how painful the process can be. The difficulties are SO worth it- I love DBT so much that I have a DBT tattoo and DBT earrings. It also helps that DBT programs have coaching- your therapist sets boundaries on how you can request help outside of sessions. This has been so helpful. They also love to celebrate successes and progress- For example, I sent my Associate's graduation pic to a few therapists (before sending to family and friends) and they were super excited for me. Basically, GLTC has helped me go from barely surviving, to living, and hopefully soon, thriving.

My regrettable experience at Great Lakes Therapy Center in Chicago was marked by unprofessionalism, communication issues, and various concerns. Communication with founder Victoria Kessinger was consistently lacking during regular business hours, and attempts to reach her by phone were unsuccessful. Scheduling with my preferred therapist proved to be a challenge, leading to frustration and settling for an assigned therapist. The intake sessions fell short of expectations, raising concerns about the center's prioritization of financial aspects over client well-being. Additionally, Victoria's actions made it difficult to work with my insurance, as I received a bunch of medical codes to reach out to my insurance, an approach I've never encountered before and found unprofessional. Moreover, when my insurance company attempted to contact her, she didn't allow communication. Only after leaving a voicemail did she reach back out to me, claiming she couldn't communicate with them. This lack of transparency and cooperation further added to the overall unprofessionalism. Furthermore, the lack of diversity within the company is troubling, especially considering the importance of inclusivity in mental health services. Claims of 24/7 texting support were not met, with delayed responses of up to four hours, particularly distressing during a mental health crisis. The support received via text was minimal and unhelpful. Adding to these issues, there is no reason why there should not be a black woman at this company, emphasizing the need for greater diversity. Lastly, Great Lakes Therapy Center needs to define its target demographic, as the company appears to be all over the place in terms of the clients it aims to assist. My overall experience at Great Lakes Therapy Center raised serious concerns about professionalism, scheduling, center priorities, and diversity. I sincerely hope these issues are promptly addressed for the benefit of future clients and a more positive environment.