Chicago Compass Counseling, LLC

Chicago Compass Counseling, LLC Discover powerful change. Solution-focused online therapy in Chicago, IL. Our mission is to help our clients create the lives they want to live.

We are dedicated to helping people free themselves from the cycle of self-destructive behavior. We want our clients to feel purpose, meaning, and value in their daily experience. This means we reject any "one size fits all model" for behavior change. Our VIP-level service is tailored to each client at their current level of readiness to change. We believe that ALL people are capable of change. Whether our client is engaging problem behavior or is the loved one of someone who is struggling, we are here to provide evidence-based support, connection, and a path towards integrity for anyone who has suffered from the effects of problem behaviors. Sometimes our client is an individual, and at other times, our client is the family system. We practice harm reduction with clients who are ambivalent about changing. We believe that each one of our clients can achieve value-based living.

02/18/2026

When you’ve been holding it in all week and now it’s finally time.
Save this for session day energy.

Will Gen Z ever get to experience leadership that isn't gaslighting them constantly?Your entire adult life has been this...
02/16/2026

Will Gen Z ever get to experience leadership that isn't gaslighting them constantly?

Your entire adult life has been this: being told what you see isn't real, that your concerns don't matter.

They do matter.

Gaslighting twists reality and shuts out people who speak truth to power. It's exhausting, and you deserve more than this constant loop of lies.

Therapy can't stop leadership from lying, but it can help you find clarity and agency when the world is on fire. You deserve care where you can take up space, where someone actually attunes to you.

We're here for that kind of connection. Link in bio.

Wanting to do something heroic but feeling helpless instead? You're not alone in that tension right now.These are not no...
02/11/2026

Wanting to do something heroic but feeling helpless instead?

You're not alone in that tension right now.

These are not normal times. If you're feeling agitated, frozen, or caught between urgency and exhaustion, that makes sense.

Here's what can help: pause. Ground yourself in what's actually happening around you in your community, beyond the doom scroll. Heroism comes from clarity and connection.

Real heroism is often humble. It looks like noticing what's needed and responding. Saying yes to simple actions. Joining work that's already happening. Asking "what does my community actually need right now?" Letting others carry some of the weight.

You can care deeply and show up without trying to carry everything alone. Start with what you can see: Who's already doing work you respect? What's one realistic way you could plug in?

Grounded people create grounded change.

Feeling a little wilted? These are not easy times, and if you're feeling run down, crispy, or stressed, we get it.A litt...
02/09/2026

Feeling a little wilted? These are not easy times, and if you're feeling run down, crispy, or stressed, we get it.
A little nurturing goes a long way. Therapy can help. And while therapy can't solve the world's biggest problems, it can help you find your way through. Link in bio for therapy in Chicago and telehealth counseling across Illinois.

02/04/2026

Immediately redirecting instead of unpacking anything.
Save this for the next time self-awareness shows up uninvited.

Right now, a lot of people are showing up for their communities - organizing, resisting, caring for each other. That wor...
02/02/2026

Right now, a lot of people are showing up for their communities - organizing, resisting, caring for each other. That work matters. And it demands a lot of energy.

If you're active in grassroots efforts and feeling burnt out, anxious, or like you're running on fumes, that makes sense. These are not normal times. Some say endurance is like a marathon, not a sprint. But we think endurance right now is more like a relay race - handing things off strategically, taking a moment to restore yourself so you can do the next lap.

Replenishing your mind, body, or spirit with care is part of the work. Allowing yourself to receive care makes sustained action possible. Whether that's therapy, community care, rest, connecting with a friend, art creation, nourishing your body, or all of the above, you deserve support.

Your drinking.Your overworking.The relationships that keep ending the same way.These patterns can cause real problems in...
01/28/2026

Your drinking.

Your overworking.

The relationships that keep ending the same way.

These patterns can cause real problems in your life. Real consequences. Real pain.

And at the same time, they’re usually doing something for you. Helping you cope with stress, pain, overwhelm, loneliness, or something else that feels hard to face or manage.

Both things can be true at once.

When you start to understand what a behavior is solving for, what it’s protecting you from or helping you get through, it becomes easier to build other ways to meet that same need.

That’s the work we do at Chicago Compass Counseling. We help people understand what’s actually driving the pattern, then figure out what would work better.

Save this if you need the reminder.

If you’re ready to understand your pattern more deeply, you can book a consultation.

Link in bio.

therapyworks bothcandbetrue

This is the myth that keeps people stuck in shame."If they really wanted to change, they would." "If I cared enough, I'd...
01/26/2026

This is the myth that keeps people stuck in shame.

"If they really wanted to change, they would."

"If I cared enough, I'd just stop."

"Unless someone really wants to change, nothing will help."

Here's what I've seen again and again: most people do want to change. They just don't understand how.

They don't understand how their pattern developed. What it's protecting them from. Or what would actually interrupt it in real life.
And here's another thing that doesn't get talked about enough: wanting to change isn't steady.

You can feel motivated one night and doubtful the next. That back-and-forth isn't failure. It's part of change.

On top of that, change can feel out of reach when time, money, energy, or support are limited. Wanting something doesn't magically give you more capacity.

At Chicago Compass Counseling, we start with understanding. We look at what's actually happening, what's realistic, and what kind of support would make change possible in your real life.

If you're ready to understand your pattern and figure out a way forward that actually fits, you can book a consultation.

Link in bio.

There’s a moment I see again and again.It’s when someone stops asking, “Why can’t I just stop?” and starts asking, “What...
01/21/2026

There’s a moment I see again and again.

It’s when someone stops asking, “Why can’t I just stop?” and starts asking, “What am I actually trying to get away from?”

That shift matters. Because once you get curious, patterns stop feeling random.

The drinking.

The overworking.

The fantasies.

The relationships that keep ending the same way.

Most of the time, these behaviors aren’t about making your life worse. They’re about finding relief, even if it’s temporary. They’re about coping with stress, burnout, or experiences that feel overwhelming. Often, they’re about getting through something that feels unbearable.
With that understanding, the work shifts. The way forward becomes much clearer.

Instead of focusing on what needs to stop, we start paying attention to what’s underneath it. What the behavior is doing. What’s missing. What actually needs care.

That’s the kind of work I focus on. Helping people understand the cycle they’re in and figure out what would actually help them move forward.

If you’re noticing a pattern you can’t unsee and want help understanding what’s underneath it, you can book a consultation with me.

Link in bio.

Before I became a therapist, I had an assumption I’m not proud of.I thought people stayed stuck because they didn’t want...
01/19/2026

Before I became a therapist, I had an assumption I’m not proud of.

I thought people stayed stuck because they didn’t want to change. That’s a story we hear a lot, and it’s part of why addiction and mental health struggles stay so stigmatized.

Then someone said something to me that changed everything:
“I want to change. I just don’t know how.”

That question stayed with me, because when you really listen to it, you start to see how much advice misses the point.
Most people already know what’s good for them. They’re not lacking information. They’re overwhelmed, carrying shame, and stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand yet.

I wanted to create something different.

So I spent years paying attention to how people actually change in real life, especially when things are complicated, painful, or messy. I wanted to understand what helps people move forward and what tends to get in the way.

That’s why I created Chicago Compass Counseling. A place where people can slow down, get clear, and understand both the why and the how of change.

I’m Sarah Suzuki, founder of Chicago Compass Counseling. This practice is built around helping people understand their patterns and connect with the right support to make meaningful, lasting change. We’re a small, intentional team that genuinely cares about each other and this work, because we believe change happens best in relationship.

If you’re ready for clarity about what’s really happening and where to begin, you can book a consultation with me.

Link in bio.

Here you are again.Different situation. Same outcome.You told yourself this time would be different.Once is bad luck.Twi...
01/14/2026

Here you are again.

Different situation. Same outcome.

You told yourself this time would be different.

Once is bad luck.

Twice is frustrating.

Three times? That’s a pattern you can’t unsee.

Being stuck in a pattern that doesn’t work wears you down. You start questioning yourself. Feeling anxious, helpless, trapped in a loop you don’t know how to break.

If you’re exhausted from trying to avoid the same outcomes over and over, you’re not alone.

Here’s what actually helps. Going deeper. Understanding the why underneath the pattern. Working with people who specialize in helping you interrupt the cycle, not just talk about it.

I’m Sarah Suzuki, founder of Chicago Compass Counseling. This is the work my team and I do every day. We help people understand what’s underneath their patterns and build real ways forward.

If you’re ready to go deeper, you can book a consultation.

Link in bio.

Habitual or mindless drinking is rarely random.To understand it, you have to ask a different question.What is drinking a...
01/12/2026

Habitual or mindless drinking is rarely random.

To understand it, you have to ask a different question.

What is drinking actually doing for you?

In my work, these are the most common functions:
Quieting negative or looping thoughts
Habit and association with certain places or times
Numbing physical pain or tension
“Boredom,” which often has loneliness underneath it
Seeking pleasure, relief, or excitement

For many people, alcohol becomes a fast, reliable way to temporarily meet real needs. Needs for relief, rest, comfort, or escape from pain. Especially when stress, trauma, burnout, or chronic illness are involved.

The goal of moderation counseling is not to take something away. It’s to understand what drinking is doing for you, and then build other ways to meet those same needs without while staying aligned with your values.

There are many paths toward feeling better and more free.

Abstinence is one option among many.

If you want help understanding your pattern and what would actually help, fill out our contact form to book a Discovery Call.

Link in bio.

Address

333 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL
60601

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm

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Our Story

We are behavior change counselors helping adults and loved ones coping with self-destructive behaviors. Here are some reasons you may want to work with us:

We are passionate about helping you create immediate and lasting change.

We help you find solutions that lead to the life you desire. Through our research-based methods you will get tools to help you transform your behavior starting from the very first session. Together we collaborate with you to find solutions that lead to relief from the cycle of self-destructive behavior.