You don't need an expert to practice empathy
Every parent, teacher, doctor, social worker, sales person, person with customers, first responder, consultant, neighbor, or taxi driver already knows a lot about empathy...
Dr Lou Agosta, PhD
Psychotherapist
“I offer a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental space where you will be truly heard. Through compassionate listening and meaningful therapeutic work, I support clients in navigating challenges in relationships, career, and life, helping them move from feeling stuck toward greater clarity, growth, and flourishing. My background includes serving as a professor at Ross Medical University and authoring three books on empathy. I offer flexible rates throughout the year and welcome an open conversation about what feels manageable for you. Complimentary consultations are available. I prefer to meet in person whenever possible, depending on location. ”
About Me
May I introduce myself? If you work with me, you are going to get empathy. On background, I am Clinical Asst Professor of Psychiatry at Ross University School of Medicine, Saint Anthony Hospital, Chicago. I am the author of three peer-review book on empathy, including A Rumor of Empathy. My PhD is from the University of Chicago where I wrote a dissertation entitled Empathy and Interpretation. I got into this business of therapy to expand empathy in the individual and the community.
Approach
My therapeutic approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic, existential, and humanistic therapies, allowing me to tailor treatment to your individual needs.
I begin by taking the time to truly listen. Together, we explore the roots of your struggles, the sources of your pain, and the patterns or blind spots that may be keeping you stuck. Through this process, we work toward meaningful change—moving from stuckness toward greater clarity, fulfillment, and a stronger sense of well-being.
Contact Lou
Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.
Basic Information
In-person & Online
Services
Many emotional struggles, mental health challenges, and relationship difficulties can be deeply connected to a breakdown in empathy. While biological and life circumstances also play an important role, the loss of empathic connection is often a significant part of the problem.
My work focuses on restoring empathy, both within your relationship with yourself and in your relationships with others. Through therapy, I provide the support, treatment, and practical tools needed to rebuild understanding, strengthen connection, and create healthier ways of relating.
As part of my professional training, I completed a 40-hour Recovery from Domestic Violence certification at Apna Ghar in Chicago (2012), further strengthening my work with trauma, safety, and relational healing.
Services Offered:
Counseling
A form of talk therapy providing a safe, confidential space to explore feelings, thoughts, and behaviours with a trained professional.
Learn more about CounselingPsychotherapy
In-depth therapeutic work that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting psychological change.
Learn more about PsychotherapyDream Analysis
A technique that explores the themes, symbols, and emotions in dreams to uncover unconscious thoughts and unresolved feelings.
Learn more about Dream AnalysisPsychodynamic Therapy
A therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape current feelings, relationships, and behaviour.
Learn more about Psychodynamic TherapyTrauma Counseling
Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.
Learn more about Trauma CounselingPsychoanalysis
An in-depth therapy that explores unconscious patterns, early experiences, and inner conflicts to produce lasting psychological change, typically involving frequent sessions.
Learn more about Psychoanalysis
Works With:
- Adults
- Individuals
- Organisations
Area of Expertise
Scope of Practice:
Anxiety
Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.
Learn more about AnxietyAbuse
Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by another person that causes lasting psychological harm and disrupts a person's sense of safety.
Personal Development
The ongoing process of self-awareness, self-improvement, and reaching one's potential, pursued not because something is wrong but to live more fully.
Relationship Issues
Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.
Learn more about Relationship IssuesSuicidal Thoughts
Thoughts about ending one's own life, ranging from passive wishes to active plans. This is a sign of severe emotional distress that requires professional support.
Learn more about Suicidal ThoughtsTrauma
The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
Learn more about TraumaDream Work
The exploration of dream content (themes, symbols, and emotions) to gain insight into unconscious feelings, conflicts, and desires.
Learn more about Dream WorkPTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition that develops after a traumatic event, causing flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness.
Learn more about PTSDOCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, a condition involving unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or rituals (compulsions) performed to relieve anxiety.
Learn more about OCDStress
The body and mind's response to excessive demands. When sustained, it can lead to emotional exhaustion, physical symptoms, and reduced functioning.
Learn more about Stress
Professional Title:
Psychotherapist
A professional trained to provide in-depth therapy that explores patterns in thoughts, emotions, and relationships to produce lasting change.
Credentials
Registrations
NPI
Psychoanalyst
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Chicago
Year: 1997
Service Areas
Lincoln Park, Chicago, United States
