Hannah Carl, PsyD

Doctorate of Psychology in School Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 2022

Master’s of Education in Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology from Brooklyn College - City University of New York

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Nationally Certified School Psychologist

Foundational Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through Behavior Tech, 2022

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): The Gold Standard in Anxiety & OCD Treatment with Dr. Becky Beaton-York, 2024

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Beginners, 2024

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression and Anxiety, 2025

Thoughts, Urges, and Mental Compulsions: the Non-Hollywood Side of OCD, 2025

Overcoming Health Anxiety: Etiology and Treatment Considerations for Health-Based Worries, 2025

Hannah is a behavioral therapist highly trained in three core behavioral therapies: acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and exposure and response prevention (ERP). She incorporates aspects of each of these modalities in her work, depending on her client’s needs. She believes that with willingness, behavior change can lead to profound differences in her clients’ lives, including their relationships, self-concept, and ability to solve life’s challenges and show up with openness and authenticity.

In addition to her behavioral approach, Hannah is also interested in the relational aspects of therapy that occur in the clinical space. These experiences often transcend our understanding and language but contribute to profound healing and progress in therapy. Hannah enjoys connecting with her patients through humor, vulnerability, and collaboration.

Hannah works with clients across the lifespan, with a special focus on emerging adults and those whose lives have been touched by addiction (friends and family of those with alcoholism or substance abuse disorders). She specializes in anxiety disorders, body image concerns, and relationship difficulties. She has also worked with individuals with complex PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and those with histories of suicidality and self-harm. She has worked in multiple settings, including transition schools, therapeutic schools, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, partial hospitalization programs, and an adherent DBT private practice.

She enjoys working with any patients who are willing to do the hard work necessary to transform their lives, relationships, and sense of self, and she especially enjoys working with individuals who value humor, connection, and resilience. Hannah is passionate about helping individuals identify and remove barriers to connection and community, and she has found that taking a directive and empathic approach results in profound change for her patients, who in turn develop self-respect and dramatically improve their relationships. She works with her patients to balance acceptance and change and become open and willing to do the courageous work necessary to grow. She is not afraid to answer your questions about her own journey, and she absolutely wants to talk to you about your pets, your existential dread, and your niche hobbies.

When Hannah is not at work, she is most likely swing dancing (lindy hop, not West Coast!), singing in a community choir, playing pickleball, or baking a fresh loaf of sourdough (she will make you one if you ask). She believes in the importance of connection and play and enjoys competitive card games, laughing with her husband, and having deep conversations with friends over coffee.

She is an avid reader and is drawn to books that are quirky and offbeat — stories of women on the brink of unraveling or reclaiming themselves (think Miranda July or Melissa Broder), or dystopian novels that feel less fictitious as time goes on. Hannah also enjoys traveling and getting to know people on her travels. Her favorite conversations are ones that drift into the meaningful and mysterious: rewilding, mysticism, poetry, relationship complexities, or what makes Chicago the best city.

She also enjoys spending time with her cats who have not yet learned boundaries, dreaming about the garden she will one day successfully grow, or meeting her three younger siblings at their favorite theme park in the Ozarks. She cares deeply about animals, the environment, and connecting with her community. She believes that joy, authenticity, and meaningful connection are essential to life and are often more powerful than any evidence-based intervention.