In addition to common mental health concerns, areas of focus include:
- College and Post College Challenges
- Anxiety and Mood Disorders
- First Generation American Challenges
- Cultural/Multicultural Issues
Ishani Synghal, Masters Level Intern
How I Can Help
Pronouns:
She/Her
Clients Seen:
College Students, Adults
Specialized Training:
Text Crisis Line
First Things First
You already carry the wisdom and resilience needed to create meaningful change in your life. My role as your therapist is to help you access that inner strength, especially when life feels overwhelming, uncertain, or heavy in ways that are hard to name. Whether you’re feeling stuck, navigating a transition, unpacking family or cultural dynamics, or seeking deeper self-understanding, I’m here to walk alongside you as you reconnect with what matters most.
Together, we’ll create a space where you can slow down, reflect, and grow at your own pace. Therapy isn’t about “fixing,” it’s about helping you make sense of your experiences, challenge what no longer serves you, and move toward a life that feels more grounded and aligned. You don’t have to do this alone.
What To Expect From Our Work Together
I believe therapy is most effective when it’s collaborative and tailored to you. My approach blends psychodynamic insight, narrative therapy, Gestalt techniques, and person-centered principles with practical tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), but above all, our work will be guided by your goals, strengths, and lived experience.
I work from a culturally sensitive and identity-affirming lens, recognizing that healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens within the context of culture, community, and the systems that shape our lives. I strive to honor the complexity of your experiences, including how race, ethnicity, gender, class, faith, sexuality, and other aspects of identity intersect and influence your story.
Our sessions will be a space where you can feel deeply heard and fully yourself. We’ll explore the patterns, identities, and stories that shape your world, honoring both your resilience and the systems that have impacted you. Together, we’ll notice how past experiences, whether personal, cultural, or relational, show up in the present, and work toward new ways of understanding and responding.
You can expect me to listen with curiosity and care, ask thoughtful questions, and offer both gentle support and honest feedback. Our work might include building emotional awareness, strengthening relationships, navigating questions of identity and belonging, or developing strategies to manage stress and overwhelm.
Throughout, I’ll help you reconnect with your inner wisdom, challenge limiting narratives, and build a life that feels more authentic, peaceful, and aligned with who you truly are.
What You Need To Know About Me
I’m deeply drawn to the power of language: how the words we use and the stories we inherit shape our sense of self, our relationships, and what we believe is possible. In therapy, I see language as both a mirror and a tool: a mirror that helps us see where we’ve been, and a tool that allows us to imagine new ways of being. Learning to speak to ourselves with compassion and honesty can be profoundly healing; it’s one of the ways we begin to rewrite our own narratives.
I grew up in the Bay Area and have lived in New York, Paris, and now Chicago, which I’ve called home for the past six years. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in higher education and admissions, work that deepened my appreciation for diverse perspectives, complex identities, and nonlinear life paths.
Outside of the therapy room, I love exploring Chicago’s food scene, learning new languages, reading nonfiction, and spending time in nature—I’m slowly making my way through every U.S. national park.
I’m currently completing my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northwestern University and am in my clinical internship. I also hold a BA in English from New York University and an MFA in Poetry from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
