Is therapy different for entrepreneurs than regular therapy?

Yes, in meaningful ways. Standard therapy training prepares clinicians to work with a wide range of people navigating life's challenges. But entrepreneurship creates a specific context that does not always translate into a standard framework. A therapist who understands the entrepreneur and business owner experience knows that you cannot simply set better boundaries or take more time off. They understand the financial risk is personal, the identity is tangled up in the business, and the isolation of being the one in charge is real. At Still Oak Counseling, I work specifically with high-achieving entrepreneurs and business owners in Chicago who need a therapist who gets the world they are operating in without requiring them to explain it first.

What are the most common mental health challenges entrepreneurs face?

Research shows that entrepreneurs experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout than the general population. Beyond the clinical picture, the most common things I see in my work with business owners in Chicago are imposter syndrome that persists despite real success, perfectionism that slows decision-making and makes delegation nearly impossible, decision fatigue from being the one everyone looks to, and a creeping loss of identity outside the business. Many entrepreneurs also carry unresolved trauma that the pressure of running a company brings to the surface in ways that affect both their leadership and their personal lives.

Do entrepreneurs have higher rates of anxiety and depression?

Yes, and by a significant margin. Research from UC Berkeley found that 49% of entrepreneurs reported symptoms of one or more mental health conditions. Entrepreneurs are approximately 30% more likely than non-entrepreneurs to experience depression, and anxiety is one of the most common reasons business owners seek therapy. The combination of financial uncertainty, isolation, high stakes decision-making, and the pressure to project confidence even when things are hard creates conditions where mental health struggles are not just common but predictable. Seeking therapy is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It is a sign that you are paying attention.

How do I know if I need therapy or just a business coach?

This is one of the most common questions entrepreneurs ask before reaching out. The simplest way to think about it is this. If the challenge you are facing is primarily strategic, scaling, hiring, or deciding which direction to take the business, a coach is probably the right fit. If the challenge is emotional, persistent anxiety, burnout that keeps returning, self-doubt that logic cannot touch, or patterns in how you lead and relate to people that you cannot seem to change, therapy is likely more appropriate. Many entrepreneurs benefit from both at different points. But if you have already tried to think your way out of the problem and it has not worked, that is usually a sign the work needs to go deeper than coaching can reach.

Can therapy help with imposter syndrome?

Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons entrepreneurs seek therapy specifically. Imposter syndrome is not a mindset problem you can fix with a better morning routine or a list of your accomplishments. It is usually a deeper pattern rooted in early experiences that taught you your worth was conditional on your performance. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), we work with the parts of you driving that self-doubt, understanding what they are protecting rather than arguing them out of existence. Most clients find that as that work deepens, the imposter voice does not disappear entirely but it loses its authority. You stop building your entire day around trying to outrun it.

How is perfectionism connected to entrepreneurship?

Very directly. The perfectionism that made you detail-oriented and relentless in the early days of your business tends to become a liability as the business grows. It makes delegation hard because no one else will do it quite right. It slows decisions because nothing feels ready enough to ship. It keeps you in analysis paralysis on choices that need to be made and moved past. Underneath most entrepreneurial perfectionism is the same fear driving perfectionism everywhere else: that getting it wrong means something about your worth, not just your work. Therapy helps you separate those two things so your standards can fuel you rather than stall you.

How does running a business affect personal relationships?

Significantly, and in ways that are easy to minimize until the damage is already done. When the business is always in the background, the people closest to you tend to get what is left over. Partners absorb the stress without always understanding its source. Friendships fade because you are never fully present or available. The identity blur between you and the business makes it hard to show up as a full person outside of work. Many entrepreneurs also find that the relentless self-sufficiency required to run a company makes it genuinely hard to be vulnerable or ask for help in personal relationships. If this is showing up in your relationship specifically, couples therapy can be a useful place to address it alongside individual work.

Will therapy make me less driven or ambitious?

This is one of the most common concerns entrepreneurs bring to a first consultation, and it is worth addressing directly. The goal of therapy is not to make you care less, slow down, or give up the things that drive you. It is to change the relationship between your ambition and the fear underneath it. Right now for many business owners those two things are so tangled together it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Therapy helps you untangle them. Most clients find that as the anxiety and perfectionism loosen, their work actually improves. They make decisions faster, take more considered risks, and lead more effectively because they are not spending so much energy managing fear. You do not have to choose between being driven and being okay.

How can therapy help me make better decisions as a business owner?

When anxiety is running the show, decision-making suffers in predictable ways. You overthink low-stakes choices. You avoid high-stakes ones. You second-guess calls you have already made. You delay because nothing feels certain enough. Therapy does not give you a decision-making framework. What it does is address the emotional static underneath the process so you can access your own judgment more clearly. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), we work with the parts of you that are driving the hesitation, the part that is terrified of getting it wrong, the part that needs more information before it can feel safe, the part that is exhausted and running on empty. When those parts are not running the show, clearer thinking tends to follow naturally.

Is therapy for entrepreneurs covered by insurance?

Still Oak Counseling is a private-pay practice. The fee for a 50-minute session is $250. I do not bill insurance directly, but I provide a superbill at the end of each month that you can submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. Many clients receive partial reimbursement this way. I have also partnered with a third-party service that can submit the superbill on your behalf. Before your first session, it is worth calling your insurance and asking what your out-of-network benefits look like for outpatient psychotherapy. For many entrepreneurs, therapy is also a deductible business expense. It is worth checking with your accountant.

Is therapy different for entrepreneurs than regular therapy?

Yes, in meaningful ways. Standard therapy training prepares clinicians to work with a wide range of people, but entrepreneurship creates a specific context that does not always translate into a standard framework. A therapist who understands the entrepreneur and business owner experience knows you cannot simply set better boundaries or take more time off, and that the financial risk is personal, the identity is tangled up in the business, and the isolation of being the one in charge is real. At Still Oak, I work specifically with high-achieving entrepreneurs and business owners in Chicago who need a therapist who gets the world they operate in without having to explain it first.

What are the most common mental health challenges entrepreneurs face?

Research shows entrepreneurs experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout than the general population. Beyond the clinical picture, the most common things I see are imposter syndrome that persists despite real success, perfectionism that slows decision-making and makes delegation nearly impossible, decision fatigue from being the one everyone looks to, and a creeping loss of identity outside the business. Many entrepreneurs also carry unresolved trauma that the pressure of running a company brings to the surface in ways that affect both their leadership and their personal lives.

Do entrepreneurs have higher rates of anxiety and depression?

Yes, and by a significant margin. Research from UC Berkeley found that 49% of entrepreneurs reported symptoms of one or more mental health conditions, entrepreneurs are approximately 30% more likely than non-entrepreneurs to experience depression, and anxiety is one of the most common reasons business owners seek therapy. The combination of financial uncertainty, isolation, high-stakes decision-making, and pressure to project confidence creates conditions where mental health struggles are not just common but predictable. Seeking therapy is not a sign something is wrong with you; it is a sign you are paying attention.

How do I know if I need therapy or just a business coach?

The simplest way to think about it: if the challenge is primarily strategic, scaling, hiring, or which direction to take the business, a coach is probably the right fit; if the challenge is emotional, persistent anxiety, burnout that keeps returning, self-doubt that logic cannot touch, or patterns in how you lead and relate that you cannot seem to change, therapy is likely more appropriate. Many entrepreneurs benefit from both at different points, but if you have already tried to think your way out of the problem and it has not worked, that is usually a sign the work needs to go deeper than coaching can reach.

Can therapy help with imposter syndrome?

Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons entrepreneurs seek therapy specifically. Imposter syndrome is not a mindset problem you can fix with a better morning routine or a list of your accomplishments; it is usually a deeper pattern rooted in early experiences that taught you your worth was conditional on your performance. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), we work with the parts of you driving that self-doubt, understanding what they are protecting rather than arguing them out of existence. Most clients find the imposter voice does not disappear entirely but loses its authority, so you stop building your day around trying to outrun it.

How is perfectionism connected to entrepreneurship?

Very directly. The perfectionism that made you detail-oriented and relentless in the early days tends to become a liability as the business grows. It makes delegation hard because no one else will do it quite right, slows decisions because nothing feels ready enough to ship, and keeps you in analysis paralysis on choices that need to be made. Underneath most entrepreneurial perfectionism is the same fear driving perfectionism everywhere else, that getting it wrong means something about your worth, not just your work. Therapy helps you separate those so your standards fuel you rather than stall you.

How does running a business affect personal relationships?

Significantly, and in ways that are easy to minimize until the damage is done. When the business is always in the background, the people closest to you get what is left over, partners absorb the stress without understanding its source, and friendships fade because you are never fully present. The identity blur between you and the business makes it hard to show up as a full person outside of work, and the relentless self-sufficiency required to run a company can make it genuinely hard to be vulnerable or ask for help. If this is showing up in your relationship specifically, couples therapy can be a useful place to address it alongside individual work.

Will therapy make me less driven or ambitious?

No, and this is one of the most common concerns entrepreneurs bring to a first consultation. The goal is not to make you care less or give up what drives you; it is to change the relationship between your ambition and the fear underneath it. For many owners those two are so tangled it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins, and therapy helps you untangle them. Most clients find that as the anxiety and perfectionism loosen, their work actually improves, because they make decisions faster, take more considered risks, and lead more effectively without spending so much energy managing fear.

How can therapy help me make better decisions as a business owner?

When anxiety is running the show, decision-making suffers in predictable ways: you overthink low-stakes choices, avoid high-stakes ones, second-guess calls you have already made, and delay because nothing feels certain enough. Therapy does not give you a decision-making framework; it addresses the emotional static underneath the process so you can access your own judgment more clearly. Using IFS, we work with the parts driving the hesitation, the part terrified of getting it wrong, the part that needs more information to feel safe, the part that is exhausted, so that clearer thinking tends to follow naturally.

Is therapy for entrepreneurs covered by insurance?

Still Oak Counseling is a private-pay practice, and the fee is $250 for a 50-minute session. I do not bill insurance directly, but I provide a monthly superbill you can submit for out-of-network reimbursement, and many clients receive partial reimbursement this way. I have also partnered with a third-party service that can submit it on your behalf. Before your first session, it is worth calling your insurance to ask about your out-of-network benefits for outpatient psychotherapy, and for many entrepreneurs, therapy is also a deductible business expense worth checking with your accountant.

Online Therapy in Illinois

You looked at the commute, the calendar, and the two hours a downtown appointment would take from your day, and you decided to deal with it later. Later has been going on for a while now. Online therapy in Illinois removes the part that keeps getting in the way. You meet with the same Chicago therapists, trained in IFS and EMDR, from your office, your car, or your kitchen table, anywhere in the state. We specialize in working with capable, thoughtful adults who have been handling everything from their heads and are ready for something that reaches further than that.

Book your free intro call

What is online therapy in Illinois?

Online therapy, sometimes called telehealth or virtual therapy, is the same therapy delivered over secure video instead of in an office. You and your therapist meet at a scheduled time, work through the same process you would in person, and pick up where you left off the following week. The only difference is that you no longer have to be in the Loop at 4:00 on a Tuesday to get it.

Illinois is the boundary. Both of our clinicians are licensed in Illinois, which means we can see you anywhere in the state as long as you are physically in Illinois during the session. Chicago, the suburbs, the college towns, and the parts of the state that are a long way from any therapist who does this kind of work. If you are in Illinois, we can work together.

The methods translate. Internal Family Systems is a conversation with the parts of you that are running the show, and that conversation happens just as well on a screen. EMDR has an established online protocol that Meg is trained in, using on-screen bilateral stimulation or tapping in place of the light bar. Our clients have done full courses of both entirely by video.

Does this sound like you?

You are the one who makes everything work, and there is no slot left for you. You run the team, the household, or both. You have thought about therapy for a year, maybe longer. Every time you get close, the logistics kill it: the drive into the city, the parking, the ninety minutes you would have to carve out of a day that is already spoken for. Online sessions take the overhead out, so the only thing left to decide is whether you are ready.

You live somewhere in Illinois where this kind of therapy does not exist. You have searched. The therapists near you are kind and competent and not trained in what you are looking for. You want someone who actually does IFS, who is trained in EMDR, who works with high-functioning people and is not thrown by how much you have been carrying. That therapist is in Chicago. With a virtual session, so are you.

How IFS and EMDR work online

IFS online

Internal Family Systems is built on getting to know the parts of you that protect, push, and criticize, and finding the steadier self underneath them. It is a guided, verbal process. On video, your therapist sees your face and hears every shift in your voice, which is most of what matters in IFS work. Many clients find it easier to go inward from a familiar room than from an unfamiliar office.

EMDR online.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, alternating left-right input, while you hold a memory in mind so the brain can finish processing it. In the office that is a light bar or handheld pulsers. Online, it is an on-screen tool your therapist controls or a simple tapping pattern you do yourself. The research on remote EMDR shows outcomes on par with in-person sessions, and the protocol Meg uses was designed for exactly this.

What we ask of you.

A private room, a stable connection, and headphones if you share space. That is it. We handle the rest. If the work gets heavy during a session, which it sometimes does, we will already have talked through how to handle that together, so you are never left to manage it alone.

Where our clients are

Our office is at 30 N. Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago, and a lot of our clients live close enough to commute in: Andersonville, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Oak Park, and the West Loop. Just as many never come downtown at all. We regularly see people by video in Oak Brook, Evanston, Naperville, Hinsdale, and Wheaton, in Champaign, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield, and in towns that do not have a therapist trained in IFS or EMDR within an hour's drive.

Wherever you are in Illinois, a virtual therapist trained in IFS and EMDR is one link away.

What to expect

Book a free intro call. Fifteen minutes on the phone where you tell us what is going on and what you have already tried. We tell you honestly whether we are the right fit and which clinician makes the most sense.
Get set up in a few minutes. Before your first session you will get a link to our secure video platform and a short intake.
Start the work. Your first session is an intake. We map what is happening, what you want to change, and how IFS or EMDR would get you there. You should leave with a clear sense of the plan.
Meet weekly, from wherever you are. Most clients meet once a week at the same time. If life moves, the sessions move with you.

Get Started

Who you will be working with

Elizabeth Bodett Dresser, LCPC

Elizabeth is IFS Level 2 trained and EMDR trained, and founded Still Oak in 2023. She works with perfectionism, burnout, and the particular exhaustion of building something while being your own harshest critic. She works with individuals rather than couples. Her availability varies, and the intro call link shows what is currently open.

Read Elizabeth's full bio.

Meg Doster, LMFT

Meg is trained in EMDR through an EMDRIA-approved program, including the online protocol, and holds Gottman Level 1 training for couples work. She works with trauma, panic, and relationship patterns, and especially with people carrying shame and a long habit of keeping the peace at their own expense. She is direct, warm, and steady. Meg currently has openings for new online clients across Illinois.

Read Meg's full bio.

Common reasons people choose online therapy with us

Anxiety that does not show on the outside. You look fine but you are not fine. Online sessions fit into a life that has no visible room for this.
Unresolved trauma that never felt bad enough. Something happened, you kept going, and it is still running underneath everything. EMDR online works on exactly this.
Perfectionism and burnout. The standards that got you here are now the thing wearing you down. IFS helps you ease up without letting things slip.
Panic that seems to come out of nowhere. It has a pattern. Video sessions let you work on it without adding a commute to an already tight nervous system.
Living outside Chicago. You want a therapist trained in IFS or EMDR and there is not one near you.

Book Intro Call

How online therapy helps

It removes the reason you have been putting this off. For most of the people we work with, taking the extra time to commute to an office is another barrier to starting therapy. Take that away and the decision gets a lot simpler.

It keeps the work consistent. Therapy works when you show up week after week. Video sessions survive the things that cancel office appointments: travel, a sick kid, a meeting that ran long, a winter storm.

It reaches people who could not otherwise get this. IFS and EMDR are specialized and can be hard to find. Online therapy in Illinois means the therapist you want is not limited to the therapist who happens to be nearby.

It is the same depth of work. We do not offer a lighter version online. You get the same clinicians, the same methods, and the same honesty, from wherever you are sitting.

Frequently asked questions

For the kind of work we do, yes. Research on telehealth therapy for anxiety, trauma, and depression shows outcomes comparable to in-person care, and both IFS and EMDR have been adapted for video with strong results. What matters most is the fit between you and your therapist and whether you show up consistently. Video makes the consistent part easier.
Yes. EMDR online uses the same bilateral stimulation as in the office, delivered through an on-screen tool or by tapping, and Meg is trained in the online protocol. IFS is conversational at its core and translates to video without any change in the method. Many of our clients have done their entire course of IFS or EMDR work by video.
Licensure rules mean we can only see you while you are in Illinois. If you are traveling, we will reschedule for when you are back. If you are moving out of state permanently, we will help you find a well-matched therapist where you land.
We use a HIPAA-compliant video platform built for healthcare. You get a link before each session, and your session is encrypted and is not recorded. On your end, the most important thing is a private room and headphones if you share space with others.
Sessions are $250, the same as in person. We are a private pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. We provide a superbill for out of network reimbursement, partner with Mentaya to make that process easier, and accept HSA and FSA payments.

Standard sessions are 50 minutes. EMDR sessions sometimes run longer by arrangement, and Meg also offers EMDR intensives for people who want to move faster than weekly sessions allow.
Yes. Some clients come to the downtown Chicago office most weeks and go online when work travel or a sick kid gets in the way. Others start online and decide they want to meet in person once. Tell your therapist what you need and we will work it out.
Adults anywhere in Illinois who are capable, thoughtful, and tired of managing everything from their heads. We work especially well with high-achievers, perfectionists, and people who kept going long after something should have stopped them. If you have done talk therapy before and know insight alone is not the next step, we can take you further.
Book a free intro call with Meg using the link on this page. It is a short conversation about what is going on for you and whether working together feels right for both of us. If it does, you will leave the call with a first session on the calendar.

Ready to stop waiting for the right week?

Book a free intro call. It is fifteen minutes, there is no pressure, and by the end you will know whether this feels like the right fit. Wherever you are in Illinois, we can start from there.

Book your free intro call

Online Therapy in Illinois

What is online therapy in Illinois?

Does this sound like you?

How IFS and EMDR work online

IFS online

EMDR online.

What we ask of you.

Where our clients are

What to expect

Who you will be working with

Elizabeth Bodett Dresser, LCPC

Meg Doster, LMFT

Common reasons people choose online therapy with us

How online therapy helps

Frequently asked questions

Is online therapy as effective as in person?

Can I do EMDR or IFS online?

What if I travel out of state?

What platform do you use, and is it private?

How much does online therapy cost?

How long are sessions?

Can I switch between online and in person?

Who is a good fit for online therapy at Still Oak?

How do I get started?

Ready to stop waiting for the right week?