Meet Dr. Aretha Steele, PsyD
Founder and Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Online Therapy for Women, Mothers, Postpartum Mental Health, Anxiety, Trauma & Difficult Family Relationships in Chicago and Throughout Illinois
“All people at any given moment are doing the best they can”
— Marsha Linehan
Welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
If you're reading this, there's a good chance life has been asking a lot of you lately.
Maybe you're looking for answers. Maybe you're looking for relief. Or maybe you're simply hoping to find someone who understands what you're carrying without making you explain, translate, or defend your story.
If that's where you are today, I hope this page helps you feel seen, understood, and hopeful about what's possible.
I'm Dr. Aretha Steele, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and founder of Mindful Healing Counseling. And before I tell you more about myself, I want to share something I've learned after more than 15 years of sitting with women through some of life's most meaningful and challenging seasons:
The women who are used to being there for everyone else are often the ones who wait the longest to let someone be there for them.
The Women I Work With Usually Have One Thing in Common
They've spent so much of their lives taking care of everyone else that they rarely stop to notice how much they're carrying themselves.
The women who eventually reach out for therapy usually don't do it the first time life gets hard.
They've often spent months, or even years, telling themselves:
“I should be able to handle this.”
“Other people have it worse.”
“Maybe I'm overreacting.”
“I just need to try harder.”
“I'll deal with it after everyone else is okay.”
By the time they find me, they're often exhausted, not because they're weak, but because they've been carrying more than anyone was ever meant to carry alone.
They're the dependable one. The one everyone calls. The one who remembers the appointments, answers the texts, solves the problems, keeps things moving, and somehow continues showing up even when they're running on empty.
From the outside, people may describe them as successful, capable, thoughtful, or “so strong.”
Inside, it can feel very different.
Their mind rarely turns off. They replay conversations, worry about disappointing people, struggle with anxiety, question whether they're doing enough, and wonder why relaxing feels almost impossible.
Some are new mothers who love their baby deeply but feel overwhelmed by postpartum anxiety, intrusive worries, guilt, or the pressure to do everything “right.”
Some are healing from childhood trauma while raising children of their own, determined to break cycles they never asked to inherit.
Some love their families but leave conversations feeling drained, criticized, guilty, or responsible for everyone else's emotions.
And some have spent years being the peacekeeper, the people-pleaser, or “the strong one” and are beginning to wonder:
“Who am I underneath everyone else's expectations?”
Or perhaps the harder question:
“Will I ever feel like myself again?”
If you've wondered that too, there's something I want you to know.
There are often very real reasons anxiety feels so loud, boundaries bring so much guilt, motherhood stirs up unexpected emotions, or difficult family relationships continue affecting you long after childhood.
Understanding those reasons can be part of how things begin to change.
Therapy isn't about becoming someone new. It's about understanding yourself with greater compassion, loosening patterns that no longer serve you, and making room for a life that feels more like your own.
Who I Work With
I primarily work with women who are used to holding a lot together, often while quietly carrying more than the people around them realize.
You might be looking for support with:
Anxiety and overthinking, including the kind that hides behind being productive, prepared, and “on top of everything”
Trauma and difficult childhood experiences, including patterns that are still showing up in your relationships, parenting, or sense of self
Postpartum anxiety, depression, and the transition into motherhood, especially when becoming a mom brings up emotions or experiences you weren't expecting
Difficult family relationships, including complicated relationships with parents, siblings, or other people you love but may also need boundaries with
People-pleasing, perfectionism, and guilt, particularly when you're used to putting everyone else's needs ahead of your own
Burnout and chronic stress, including feeling exhausted even though you somehow keep getting everything done
Relationship challenges, communication concerns, and learning how to stay connected without losing yourself
Major life transitions and identity changes, when the life you've built no longer feels quite like it fits
You don't need to see yourself in every item on this list.
If even one of these made you think, “Yes. That's what I've been trying to explain,” we can start there.
Therapy That Looks at the Whole Story
What brings you to therapy is rarely the whole story.
Maybe anxiety is what finally made you reach out, but underneath the overthinking is a lifetime of feeling like you have to anticipate what everyone else needs.
Maybe motherhood has brought more anxiety, guilt, or overwhelm than you expected, and at the same time, it's bringing up feelings about your own childhood or the relationship you have with your mother.
Maybe you know you need better boundaries, but every time you say no, disappoint someone, or choose yourself, the guilt comes rushing in.
Or maybe you're simply exhausted from being the capable one, the peacekeeper, the caregiver, or the person everyone assumes will be okay.
Sometimes what you're struggling with today makes a lot more sense when you understand what you've had to carry along the way.
That's the work we'll do together.
Not just asking, “How do I stop feeling this way?” but also:
Why does this affect me so deeply?
Why is it so hard to say no without feeling guilty?
Why do I always feel responsible for everyone else's emotions?
Why can't I relax even when nothing is wrong?
Why do I keep falling into the same patterns, even when I know they're hurting me?
And perhaps most importantly:
What would my life feel like if I didn't have to keep living this way?
We'll make room for the whole story. Because your experiences, relationships, family, culture, identity, strengths, and the ways you've learned to protect yourself matter.
And we'll work toward changes you can actually feel in your everyday life.
Maybe that's trusting yourself without constantly second-guessing.
Setting a boundary without spending the next three days feeling guilty about it.
Resting without mentally running through everything you should be doing.
Having relationships where you can be connected without losing yourself.
Or finally feeling like your needs deserve a place in your own life, too.
Therapy with me is both practical and deeply human. We'll build tools for anxiety, communication, boundaries, and coping, but we'll also understand the story underneath the patterns.
Because the goal isn't to turn you into someone different.
It's to help you understand yourself more deeply, trust yourself more fully, and build a life that feels more like your own.
Strong shouldn’t mean being alone.
Why I Founded Mindful Healing Counseling
Mindful Healing Counseling was born from a simple belief:
You shouldn't have to choose between really good therapy and feeling genuinely understood.
As a Black woman and psychologist, I know what it can feel like to move through spaces where parts of your experience aren't always understood. Where you find yourself wondering how much you'll have to explain before you can even get to the reason you came.
Your culture. Your family. Your identity. The expectations placed on you. The complicated relationships you still love. The parts of your story that don't fit neatly into a box.
Those things matter.
I founded Mindful Healing Counseling because I wanted to create the kind of therapy practice I wished more people could find. The kind of place I would feel completely comfortable trusting with someone I love.
A place where you don't have to edit yourself or make your story easier for someone else to understand.
Where culture and lived experience aren't treated as an afterthought.
Where you can say, “I love being a mom, but I'm struggling,” without worrying about what someone will think.
Where you can love your family deeply and still talk honestly about the ways they've hurt you.
Where you can be successful and grateful for your life and still admit that you're exhausted.
Where trauma is met with compassion instead of judgment.
Where you don't have to prove you're struggling simply because you've gotten really good at looking like you're okay.
A place where you can show up as yourself and know that all of you is welcome.
That's the kind of practice I wanted to build. And today, it's the same vision that guides Mindful Healing Counseling.
I continue to work directly with a limited number of clients, while also carefully building and mentoring a team of warm, trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapists who share these values.
We don't all look the same. We don't have the same identities, specialties, personalities, or ways of connecting. That's intentional.
But no matter which therapist you work with, there's one thing I never want you to feel: Like you have to leave parts of yourself at the door just to be understood.
You shouldn't have to carefully choose your words, explain why something matters, or wonder whether you're being “too much.” You should be able to show up as yourself and know there's room for all of you here.
Whether you work with me or another therapist on our team, my hope is that you leave that first conversation feeling a little lighter.
Like you can exhale. Like you don't have to perform here. Like maybe you've finally found a place where you can be honest about what hurts and still feel completely accepted as you are.
A place where you feel genuinely seen, genuinely understood, and hopeful that things can get better.
What It's Like to Sit Across From Me
I want therapy to feel like a place where you can finally put some things down.
You don't have to come in knowing exactly what to say. You don't have to have the “right” therapy words. And you definitely don't have to spend the whole session trying to convince me that what you're going through is hard enough to matter.
You can just come in as you are.
My style is warm, engaged, collaborative, and honest, with a little humor mixed in when we need it.
I won't sit silently and leave you wondering what I'm thinking. I'll ask questions. I'll help you connect dots you may not have connected before. I'll point out patterns with care, and when it's helpful, I'll gently challenge you too.
There will be sessions where we talk about the hard stuff. And there will probably be sessions where we laugh.
Sometimes you'll leave with a new way of looking at something you've carried for years. Other times, you may leave with something practical to try before we meet again.
Therapy with me isn't about talking in circles week after week.
We'll make room for your story while also paying attention to where you want your life to feel different.
Maybe you want to stop second-guessing every decision. Set a boundary without immediately feeling guilty. Understand why a conversation with your mother can still make you feel twelve years old. Quiet the anxiety that follows you even when everything seems fine. Stop feeling responsible for everyone else's happiness.
Or simply feel more like yourself again.
We'll work toward those things together.
My approach is grounded in evidence-based therapy for anxiety, trauma, postpartum mental health, relationship concerns, and difficult family dynamics. But I don't believe good therapy is simply about applying the right technique.
The relationship matters, too.
You need to feel safe enough to tell me when something hurts. Comfortable enough to say, “Actually, I don't think that's it.” And understood enough that you don't feel like you're performing therapy or giving me the answers you think you're supposed to give.
That's the kind of relationship I want us to build.
A place where you can be honest, curious, imperfect, and fully yourself while we do the work of helping your life feel more manageable, more connected, and more like your own.
You Don't Have to Fit Into One Box to Belong Here
Most people don't come to therapy with just one thing going on.
You might be dealing with anxiety and trying to figure out a difficult relationship with your mom.
You might be navigating postpartum emotions while also realizing that motherhood is bringing up parts of your own childhood you thought you'd already worked through.
You might be successful in your career and completely exhausted in your personal life.
You might love your family and still need boundaries with them.
You can be grateful for your life and still want something to change.
Two things can be true at the same time.
That's part of being human.
You don't need the “right” diagnosis. You don't need to know exactly what's wrong. And you don't need to organize your story into neat little categories before you come to therapy.
Maybe you know exactly what you want to work on.
Maybe all you know is, “I can't keep feeling like this.”
Either is enough.
We'll start with where you are, make sense of what's happening together, and figure out what you need from there.
The Training Behind the Work
Feeling comfortable with your therapist matters. So does knowing the person you're trusting with your story has the experience and training to help you navigate what comes next.
My work is grounded in more than 15 years of clinical experience, doctoral-level training, and ongoing learning that continues to shape how I show up for the people I work with.
Education
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Clinical Psychology —Illinois School of Professional Psychology
Master of Arts (MA), Clinical Psychology — Illinois School of Professional Psychology
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and Sociology
Licensure & Telehealth Authorization
Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Illinois
Authorized to provide interstate telepsychology in participating PSYPACT states
Advanced Clinical Training & Certifications
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 2
Advanced training in trauma-informed care
Specialized training in relational and attachment-based therapy
Ongoing professional development in women's mental health, anxiety, trauma, postpartum mental health, relationship dynamics, and culturally responsive care
Areas of Clinical Focus
I primarily work with women navigating:
Anxiety, chronic stress, and overthinking
Postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and the transition into motherhood
Difficult family relationships, attachment wounds, and breaking generational patterns
Relationship challenges and communication
Burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and boundaries
Life transitions and changes in identity
My training gives us a foundation. But good therapy isn't about pulling a technique off the shelf and applying it to everyone in the same way.
It's about understanding which approaches may help you, adapting them to your life and experiences, and building a relationship where you feel safe enough to do meaningful work.
That's what I bring into the room with me: experience, clinical knowledge, curiosity, compassion, and a genuine respect for the person sitting in front of me.
Because Healing Doesn't Only Happen in Session
Some of the most meaningful changes happen in the ordinary moments between therapy sessions.
It's the first time you set a boundary and don't spend the rest of the day wondering if you did something wrong.
The moment you notice your anxiety getting louder and realize you don't have to follow it wherever it wants to take you.
The conversation with a family member where you respond differently than you would have six months ago.
Or the quiet realization that something that once felt impossible doesn't feel quite as hard anymore.
Those moments matter.
They're part of the reason I've created resources you can come back to outside of therapy, whether you're already doing this work, considering therapy for the first time, or simply trying to understand yourself a little better.
You'll find:
Boundaries Without Guilt, my private podcast, where I talk honestly about boundaries, people-pleasing, anxiety, difficult family relationships, breaking generational patterns, and what it can look like to choose yourself without feeling like you're letting everyone else down.
Practical guides and reflections designed to help you better understand what you're experiencing and try new ways of responding when old patterns show up.
Our mental health blog, with approachable, therapist-written articles about anxiety, trauma, postpartum mental health, relationships, burnout, perfectionism, parenting, LGBTQ+ concerns, family dynamics, and emotional wellness.
You don't have to be in therapy with me to find something here that helps.
Maybe it's an article that finally puts words to something you've been feeling. Maybe it's an episode of Boundaries Without Guilt that makes you think, “Oh. I'm not the only one who does that.” Or maybe it's simply something you come back to when you need a reminder that doing things differently takes time.
These resources aren't a replacement for therapy.
They're another way I hope to make thoughtful, compassionate mental health support a little easier to find when you need it.
More About Me
When I’m not in session with clients or supporting our team, I’m at home with my husband, our three kids, and our two dogs. Life outside of work is full, a little loud, and wonderfully messy. And it’s a constant, daily reminder that perfection was never the goal anyway.
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, I carry a deep appreciation for the resilience, community, and values that shaped me.
On quieter days, you'll find me savoring a hot chai tea, getting completely lost in a good book, or unwinding with a Law & Order: SVU marathon (because honestly, who doesn't love Olivia Benson?). I'm also always dreaming up our next trip to somewhere warm and tropical, preferably anywhere with a beach and a great sunset.
These ordinary, joyful moments keep me grounded. They’re a constant reminder of something I often share with my clients:
Healing isn't just about navigating the hard stuff. It's about making room for rest, connection, laughter, and a life that actually feels good to live.
If You’re Still Reading…
Maybe you've been wondering whether therapy could really help.
Maybe you've been carrying this decision around for weeks, or even months.
Maybe you've almost reached out before, only to convince yourself that now wasn't the right time.
If that's where you are, I want you to know you're not alone.
Beginning therapy doesn't mean you've failed.
It doesn't mean you're weak.
And you don't have to wait until life feels unbearable before asking for support.
In fact, many of the women I work with tell me they wish they'd reached out sooner.
Not because therapy made life perfect.
But because it helped them stop carrying everything by themselves.
Whether you choose to work with me or one of the incredible therapists at Mindful Healing Counseling, my hope is the same.
That you'll find a space where you feel genuinely understood.
A space where your experiences are met with compassion.
A space where healing feels possible.
And a space where, little by little, you begin feeling more like yourself again.
Whenever you're ready, we'll be here.
With care,
—Dr. Aretha Steele, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Online Therapy for Women Throughout Chicago & Illinois
You don't have to live near my office to work with me.
I provide online therapy for women throughout Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and communities across Illinois, so you can meet with me from a private space where you feel comfortable.
My clients come from many different parts of the state. Some are in Chicago or nearby communities like Oak Park, Evanston, and Skokie. Others live in suburbs such as Palos Heights, Orland Park, Naperville, Downers Grove, Oak Lawn, and New Lenox. And some live in smaller Illinois communities where finding a therapist who feels like the right fit isn't always easy.
Wherever you're joining from, what matters most is finding someone you feel comfortable talking to and who understands what you're coming in with.
I work primarily with women navigating anxiety, trauma, postpartum mental health, difficult family relationships, relationship concerns, burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and major life transitions.
And because therapy is virtual, you can fit sessions into your life without adding a commute, sitting in a waiting room, or limiting your search to the therapists closest to home.
I'm currently accepting a limited number of new clients for online therapy in Illinois.
If something you've read on this page feels familiar, I'd be glad to talk with you about whether we might be a good fit.