Hey, I'm Micah!
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with a passion for empowering others to achieve happier, more fulfilling lives. My goal is to create a nonjudgmental, nurturing environment in our sessions together, while also challenging problem areas to spark positive development.
I originally hail from Milwaukee, but lived in San Diego for many years. I recently moved back to the Midwest to set down roots in Chicago and grow my family. I have two cats and spend my free time playing video games, camping, and editing film - though most of my free time is spent being a dad to my baby daughter. Outside of my therapy work, I also co-host a YouTube channel, Neuro Transmissions, with my neuroscientist wife, which is a fun outlet for talking more about brain-related interests of ours.
I became a therapist because I love seeing change. There is no better experience than realizing you helped someone else with a problem they have. And I feel so privileged and honored to have others trust me enough to share intimate aspects of their lives to work towards that change. I received my Masters of Science from Marquette University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Addictions Counseling. Since then, I have worked in a variety of mental health settings, serving people from all walks of life. These have included children, adolescents, and adults, individuals with substance addictions, the unhoused population, the recently-incarcerated, individuals suffering from severe mental illness, immigrant refugees seeking asylum in the US, and university students, both graduate and undergraduate.
I have experience and expertise in addressing trauma, substance abuse/addictions, childhood and adolescent abuse, men’s issues, and cultural identity issues among Hispanic/Latin, bicultural, and multiracial individuals. I’ve also worked with a wide variety of diagnoses and use evidence-based practices to provide you with the most effective treatment methods. I majored in Spanish, have lived in Spain, and have done therapy in Spanish in the past for monolingual speakers, but I am not a native speaker and it has been a few years since I have practiced regularly, so I currently do not offer Spanish-only sessions. However, I'm quite comfortable incorporating Spanish into sessions in order to communicate more effectively.
My goal as a therapist is to make sure you feel understood. I want to help you overcome personal obstacles, address systemic hurdles in your environment, and provide comfort. I want to make therapy work for you. To me, mental health must be treated like physical health — just like you might with a doctor, it should be normal to get an annual checkup, address specific concerns when they arise, and receive ongoing care for chronic issues. If I have the good fortune of working with you, my hope is that you learn practical, useful tools that will actually address your concerns and lead to a more fulfilling life. I look forward to meeting you!
Micah Caldwell
Mental Health Therapist