Jeff Levy (he/him/his)

License information verified by TherapyDen LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Recreation Therapist in Chicago working with individuals, couples, families, and communities.

Clinical Social Worker in Chicago, IL

Services
  • Individual
  • Couples
  • Family

About My Clients

The one thing all my clients have in common is the courage and desire to live differently. Most everyone has found that survival strategies that were once necessary and even helpful, no longer work in the ways they used to and, in some instances rather than being helpful, they have become counterproductive. My clients, ages 18-80, want to understand the origins of old survival strategies, strengthen them where they remain useful, and replace them where necessary.

My Background and Approach

Since childhood, I have experienced the creative process as healing. I grew up with music, art, poetry, building things, planting things, dogs, guinea pigs, and fish. It seemed a natural transition to obtain both undergraduate and graduate degrees in recreation therapy. After 10 years as a recreation therapist, I returned to school to study clinical social work. For the past 38 years I have worked with children, adolescents, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities. I’ve worked as a recreation therapist, social worker, administrator, and I’ve supervised others doing similar work. I have also taught undergraduate and graduate students in both recreation therapy (1985-1992) and social work (1998-2016).

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

Because I believe we can’t fully embrace change without understanding the forces that influence us (who we are, where we are, when we are, with whom we are), we’ll identify and consider the multiple and complex ways our many identities have been more and less present in our lives; the ways our identities overlap and intersect, magnify and minimize, and influence and are influenced by the systems with which we interface. I also use my lived experiences: growing up gay in the 1970’s, coming out when HIV/AIDS was a likely death sentence, being Jewish, being the grandson of immigrants, being an older adult--- of being “other,” to inform my work around acknowledging the parts of us that feel marginalized in some way. At the same time, I use my experiences as a white-identified, middle class, male-identified person to inform the ways I understand privilege and the responsibility that comes with also holding privileged identities.

I offer online counseling in the following states:
I have experience with the following
  • Buddhism
  • Christianity
  • Judaism

At A Glance

  • Experience: 30 years of practice
  • Languages: Español
  • Rate: $125 - 175/session

Info

773-490-2772 Email Jeff
4507 N. Ravenswood
Suite 104
Chicago, IL 60640

Reach out to Jeff