In-Person in Chicago, IL 60640
Online in
PSYPACT states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, CNMI, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
What if the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors you struggle with aren't signs that something is wrong with you—but clues that something important deserves your curiosity? Many of us spend years asking, "What's wrong with me?" I believe therapy begins with a different question: "What makes sense about the way I've learned to survive?" Together, we'll explore the patterns that have shaped your life with compassion rather than judgment, helping you develop more flexible ways of responding to difficult thoughts and emotions while creating meaningful, lasting change. If you're looking for a therapist who combines warmth, honest conversation, and evidence-based care, I'd be honored to work with you. If you'd like to learn more about my approach, I invite you to reach out for a complimentary 15-minute consultation.
Client Focus
Session Format: Couple, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Teen
Demographic Expertise: LGBTQ+, Men clients.
Languages: English
Treatment Approach
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Helps people accept difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, while committing to actions that reflect their values. It blends mindfulness with practical behavior strategies.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Existential / Humanistic Therapy Encourages people to explore meaning, freedom, and authenticity in their lives. It focuses on personal growth and living in alignment with one’s values.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Psychodynamic Therapy Explores unconscious thoughts and patterns that influence current behavior. It builds insight into how the past impacts the present.
Approach Description: Although I draw from several evidence-based approaches, the thread that connects them is curiosity. Together, we'll explore your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with openness rather than judgment, recognizing that even painful patterns often developed for understandable reasons. By combining insight-oriented therapies with practical strategies for change, we'll work toward greater self-understanding, psychological flexibility, and a life that's more aligned with your values and more connected to a greater sense of meaning and purpose.
Fees & Insurance
Insurance
- Accepts Insurance
- Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna
Education & Credentials
Andrew McKenzie, Psy.D.
- Male
- License # 071008021
- Licensed in Illinois
- PSYPACT Mobility # 10069
- Practicing Since 2011
Education: I have a Master's degree (M.A.) in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University, and a Doctorate (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Andrew McKenzie, Psy.D. Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Chicago, IL 60640
- Available Online for residents of PSYPACT states Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, CNMI, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
- Online Therapy Details: SimplePractice
You may spend hours replaying conversations in your mind, feel disconnected in your closest relationships, or find yourself repeating patterns you swore you'd never repeat. Maybe you're carrying the weight of past experiences, questioning your direction in life, or simply wondering why the same struggles keep showing up despite your best efforts. Therapy offers an opportunity to slow down, become curious about those patterns, and create meaningful change.
I believe lasting change begins not with judgment, but with curiosity. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with me?" we'll begin asking, "Why does this part of me respond this way?" When we approach our thoughts, emotions, and protective strategies with openness instead of criticism, they often begin to make more sense—and that understanding creates new possibilities for change.
My role isn't to give advice or simply teach coping skills. It's to help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself while building the flexibility to respond to life's challenges in new ways. Together, we'll explore how your past continues to influence the present, identify beliefs and patterns that may no longer serve you, and discover ways of living that feel more authentic and aligned with the person that deep down you know yourself to be.
Clients often tell me they appreciate that therapy with me feels both supportive and engaging. I'm warm and collaborative, but I'm also active in the room. I'll ask thoughtful questions, share observations you may not have considered, and gently challenge assumptions when doing so helps move the work forward. I don't believe you should spend months talking in circles. Therapy should deepen your understanding of yourself while creating meaningful change in your everyday life.
With more than 15 years of experience as a licensed psychologist, I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, insomnia, identity concerns, and major life transitions. My approach is trauma-informed and tailored to each person rather than following a one-size-fits-all model. I integrate psychodynamic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS, Level 1 trained), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other evidence-based approaches depending on your goals and what I believe will be most helpful.
Whether this is your first experience with therapy or you've worked with another therapist before, my hope is that you'll leave our work together with more than symptom relief. I want you to better understand yourself, relate to yourself with greater compassion, and feel more equipped to make choices that reflect the life you want to live.
I earned my Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Through PSYPACT, I'm authorized to provide telehealth services in more than 40 participating states.