Individual therapy · Chicago & online
Therapy for lawyers in Chicago
You may be skilled at anticipating problems, carrying responsibility, and keeping your emotions out of the room. Those strengths can also make it hard to stop working—or stop thinking about work—when the day ends.
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Does any of this feel familiar?
- Replaying conversations, cases, or perceived mistakes
- Perfectionism and a persistent fear of falling short
- Billable-hour pressure and difficulty protecting personal time
- Irritability, exhaustion, or feeling disconnected in relationships
- Uncertainty about your career, identity, or what comes next
You do not need to relate to every item. We begin with what matters to you.
How I work
Curiosity, collaboration,
and practical change.
We start with what the pressure feels like for you. Together, we can explore how high standards, self-criticism, and a sense of responsibility shape your decisions. We can practice boundaries, work with anxious thinking, and make room for needs that have been pushed aside.
Depending on your needs, I may draw on CBT, ACT, psychodynamic exploration, and IFS work. We will talk about what feels helpful and adjust our approach together.
What we can work toward
01
Respond to mistakes with perspective rather than prolonged self-criticism
02
Build boundaries that reflect your priorities and real constraints
03
Reconnect with relationships and interests outside your professional role
Your goals will be individual to you. Therapy is a process we shape together, and outcomes vary.
Meet Sam Rustum, LCPC.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Chicago. I work with people navigating anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, and relationship challenges.
My aim is to offer a thoughtful, collaborative space where you can understand yourself more clearly and try new ways of responding.
You do not need to share identifying client information or confidential case details for us to explore how your work affects you.
Getting started
One-hour sessions
In-person therapy in Chicago and online sessions subject to location and eligibility. Contact me to confirm availability and discuss payment or insurance questions.
A free 15-minute consultation
We can talk about what you are looking for, your questions, and whether working together feels like a fit.
What a session might look like
We could begin with a recent assignment that took much longer than you expected. Together, we would look at what happened when you considered stopping. What did you fear someone might notice? What did another round of checking promise to prevent? How did you decide that the work was ready?
That conversation can help us identify a specific pattern. We might explore the history of needing to avoid criticism, examine an anxious prediction, or practice a realistic standard for completing a task. A change between sessions could be small enough to try within your actual responsibilities.
We would then review the experience, including what felt difficult. Therapy does not ask you to ignore professional standards. It gives us a way to consider when a response is proportionate to the task and when self-criticism has taken over.
Questions you may be asking
Can we work on perfectionism without lowering my standards?
We can examine how you set standards and how you respond when certainty is unavailable. The work may involve distinguishing necessary preparation from habits that extend anxiety without improving a decision.
Will you tell me whether to leave my job?
We can explore the emotional and practical considerations around a decision, including values, uncertainty, and competing responsibilities. The decision remains yours; therapy gives you time to examine it carefully.
Can I ask about privacy before sharing details?
Yes. We can review confidentiality, its limits, and questions about records and payment before beginning. Bring those questions to the consultation, and keep your initial inquiry brief.
A place to begin
Let’s make room for what you need.
A free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk about what is difficult, answer your questions, and consider whether working together fits what you need.