Therapy for Colombian Immigrants in Chicago

The weight of two homes, the belonging in neither

You didn't just move to Chicago. You left behind the sound of traffic in Bogotá at dusk, the way your abuela made arepas without measuring, the specific quality of light over the Andes, and people who knew you before you became someone trying to make it work here. Every phone call home is a small reminder that time keeps moving there without you, and you're moving forward here in ways they might not fully understand.

Chicago's Colombian neighborhoods feel like home and feel nothing like home at the same time. You can get the right coffee, find the right music, speak Spanish without translation—but you're still the one building a life that your family watches from thousands of miles away. The success you're creating here can feel hollow when you're doing it alone, or when you're doing it without the people who raised you. And the guilt of thriving somewhere else? That's its own kind of heavy.

I keep telling my mom everything is fine, but I cry after we hang up because she doesn't know how much I'm actually struggling. How do I explain that?

This isn't homesickness that a visit fixes. It's the grief of building an identity piece by piece in a place that will never be your birthplace, while the place you came from keeps changing without you. Some days you feel like you're betraying your culture by adapting. Other days you feel like you're failing at being American enough. Both can be true. And you shouldn't have to carry that alone.

Why this particular pain runs so deep—and why it's treatable

Immigration isn't just a practical move. It's an identity shift, an ongoing loss, and a daily choice to stay in a place that wasn't your first choice—even when it's the right choice. Chicago's Colombian community is strong, but strength doesn't mean you don't need to process grief, anxiety, or the pressure to be the successful family story. Therapy gives you a space where you don't have to explain your background or justify why leaving was hard. You can just be honest about how much you miss it and how much you're trying.

The good news is that people in your exact situation have found real relief through therapy. Not by forgetting where you come from, but by integrating both versions of yourself—the Colombian one and the one you're becoming in Chicago. That integration is where peace lives. It takes time, it takes space to feel the hard things, but it's absolutely possible.

What helps

Therapy helps immigrant clients process displacement, grief, and identity shifts while building resilience in their new community. Many Colombian immigrants in Chicago have found that talking through the cultural pressure, family expectations, and sense of in-betweenness with a skilled therapist reduces anxiety and depression by 30-40% within the first few months. You're not being ungrateful for feeling sad. You're being human.

What actually helps — and how to access it

BetterHelp has over 30,000 licensed therapists available by text, phone, or video. No commute. No waiting list. A session from your home, your car, or your lunch break — whenever works for you.

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You don't have to figure this out alone

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You're not the only one who felt this way

I moved to Chicago five years ago and told myself I was fine. But I was isolating myself, working constantly, and feeling guilty every time I laughed because my hermana back in Medellín was struggling. My therapist helped me see that honoring where I came from doesn't mean suffering here. Now I call my family with real stories, not just the highlight reel. I still miss Colombia every day, but I'm not drowning in it anymore. I'm actually building a life here.

Diego, 34

Started therapy two years ago after a panic attack at work

Questions people ask before starting

Will my therapist understand what it's like to be Colombian in Chicago?

Many BetterHelp therapists have direct experience with immigrant communities and cultural displacement. If your first match isn't the right fit, you can switch anytime at no extra cost. Finding someone who gets your specific story matters, and you get to choose.

I speak Spanish at home and English at work—won't therapy be one more thing in English where I don't feel like myself?

You can request a Spanish-speaking therapist on BetterHelp, or work with someone bilingual. Either way, good therapy meets you where you are linguistically and culturally. Don't settle for less.

How much does this cost, and can I afford weekly sessions?

BetterHelp therapy starts at around $60-90 per week depending on your plan. New members get 20% off their first month, which takes the cost down significantly. You can also adjust your schedule based on what works for your budget.

Will therapy actually help, or is this just talking about my problems?

Research shows that therapy for immigration-related grief and identity shifts produces measurable improvements in anxiety, depression, and sense of belonging. It's not just venting—it's learning specific tools to process loss while building a coherent identity in your new home.

What if I don't connect with my therapist?

You can switch to a different therapist anytime, free of charge. BetterHelp makes it easy to find the right fit. Your comfort and trust are non-negotiable.

If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 immediately — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day in English and Spanish. BetterHelp is not a crisis service.

The first step is the hardest one

Five minutes to get matched. Licensed therapist. Confidential. 20% off your first month.