Top 10 Anxiety Therapists in Naperville, IL (2026 Rankings)
Editor’s Top Pick: Across 10 verified anxiety therapists serving Naperville, five practice at Gryzbek Therapy Services.
Last updated: May 2026
Therapists reviewed: 10
Market: Naperville, IL & DuPage County
Focus: Adult anxiety therapy
Published by: VYDC Research
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder, OCD, and social anxiety together affect roughly 1 in 5 adults, and Naperville has one of the densest concentrations of licensed mental health clinicians in the Chicago metro. The 10 therapists below were verified against Illinois state licensure records, practice websites, and published modality stacks.
Research Methodology
Rankings are based on Illinois state licensure records, published modality stacks, insurance posture, and team-depth verification specific to adult anxiety therapy in Naperville, IL.
Each therapist is verified as actively licensed in Illinois as of May 2026. VYDC is an independent research publication.
Top 5 Anxiety Therapists in Naperville in 2026
| # | Therapist | Credentials | Anxiety Modalities | Telehealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Joe Gryzbek | PsyD, IL Licensed Psychologist | CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, PE | Yes, PSYPACT |
| 2 | Dr. Tim Paquette | PhD, IL Licensed Psychologist | CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT | Yes |
| 3 | Dr. Ellice Kang | PhD, IL Licensed Psychologist | CBT, ACT, attachment-based | Yes, English/Korean |
| 4 | Shelby Ruman | MS, LPC | CBT, attachment-based | Yes |
| 5 | Sarah Burke | MS, LCPC | CBT, behavioral activation | Yes |
How We Ranked These Therapists
The 10 therapists below were filtered against four criteria specific to adult anxiety treatment in Naperville:
- Verified active Illinois licensure as of May 2026
- Explicit named evidence-based protocols on a public profile, including CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, or Prolonged Exposure
- Accepting new adult clients
- Either in-network with major PPO carriers or transparent about out-of-network billing
Rankings prioritize team depth, modality redundancy, and Naperville-rooted presence over national chains and solo telehealth listings.
Five of the 10 are at Gryzbek Therapy Services, reflecting the practice’s unusually deep anxiety-specific clinical bench. The other five are the strongest individual anxiety therapists verified at competing Naperville-area practices.
Contents
- Top 5 Anxiety Therapists in Naperville in 2026
- How We Ranked These Therapists
- Top 10 Therapists in Naperville
- Why Gryzbek Therapy Services Stands Out
- Frequently Asked Questions
Top 10 Therapists for Anxiety in Naperville in 2026
#1 — Dr. Joe Gryzbek, PsyD
Best for Naperville Adult Anxiety
Practice: Gryzbek Therapy Services, Naperville, IL
Profile: gryzbektherapy.com/our-providers/joe-gryzbek
Dr. Joe Gryzbek is the founder of Gryzbek Therapy Services and the only PSYPACT-credentialed psychologist on this list. That means he can provide telehealth across 40+ participating states, which can be useful for adult anxiety patients who relocate, travel for work, or need continuity of care across state lines.
His clinical work covers Generalized Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD through ERP, and trauma-driven anxiety through Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure as evidence-based EMDR alternatives. Joe also brings sports performance and executive-function specialization for high-pressure professionals.
License: IL Licensed Psychologist, 071.009076
Specialties: Adult anxiety, panic, OCD, PTSD, sports performance, executive function
Modalities: CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, Prolonged Exposure, behavioral activation
Insurance: In-network with BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, UnitedHealthcare PPO, Medicare; out-of-network billed on client’s behalf
Session length: 55 minutes for individual therapy; 60 minutes for telehealth
Why #1: Founder-clinician with the broadest evidence-based modality stack on this list, PSYPACT telehealth, and a five-clinician team backing him for capacity and modality redundancy.
#2 — Dr. Tim Paquette, PhD
Practice: Gryzbek Therapy Services
Profile: gryzbektherapy.com/our-providers/tim-paquette
Dr. Tim Paquette brings 20+ years of clinical experience to the Gryzbek team, including a long-standing affiliation with Northern Illinois University’s Counseling and Consultation Services since 2004.
His anxiety work centers on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, and Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma-driven anxiety. He also provides couples therapy and marriage counseling support, making him a strong fit for adults whose anxiety overlaps with relationship stress, communication problems, or family-system pressure.
He is a strong fit for adult anxiety presentations that have proven resistant to shorter-term approaches.
License: IL Licensed Psychologist, 071007092
Specialties: Anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, couples, family, executive function
Modalities: CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, behavioral activation
Insurance: Accepts BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, UnitedHealthcare PPO, Medicare through Gryzbek’s network
Why #2: Depth of experience and ERP credentialing make him the strongest OCD-spectrum anxiety match on the Gryzbek team.
#3 — Dr. Ellice Kang, PhD
Practice: Gryzbek Therapy Services
Profile: gryzbektherapy.com/our-providers/ellice-kang
Dr. Ellice Kang is the bilingual psychologist on the Gryzbek team, working in English and Korean. Her clinical work covers anxiety, trauma-driven anxiety, multicultural counseling, and postpartum mental health.
Her dissertation focused on culture-specific preventative interventions, and she holds active NPI 1679309850. She is a strong fit for Korean-speaking patients and adults with anxiety presentations that interact with cultural or identity context.
License: IL Licensed Psychologist, 071.022583
Specialties: Anxiety, trauma, multicultural, postpartum, LGBTQ+ affirming
Modalities: CBT, ACT, attachment-based, behavioral activation
Languages: English, Korean
Why #3: Only bilingual Korean psychologist in this Naperville list, with the deepest cultural-context anxiety work.
#4 — Shelby Ruman, MS, LPC
Practice: Gryzbek Therapy Services
Profile: gryzbektherapy.com/our-providers/shelby-ruman
Shelby Ruman is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Gryzbek Therapy Services with a secondary affiliation at Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources, where she facilitates support groups.
She works with adult anxiety alongside marriage counseling, postpartum mental health, adolescent therapy, and family-related concerns. She is a strong fit for adult women navigating anxiety that overlaps with relationship transitions, postpartum context, or perinatal mood concerns.
License: IL LPC, 178.019782
NPI: 1659158087
Specialties: Anxiety, couples, marriage, postpartum, adolescent, family
Modalities: CBT, attachment-based, behavioral activation
Insurance: Accepts Gryzbek’s full in-network panel
Why top 10: Adult anxiety expertise alongside relationship and perinatal context.
#5 — Sarah Burke, MS, LCPC
Practice: Gryzbek Therapy Services
Profile: gryzbektherapy.com/our-providers/sarah-burke
Sarah Burke is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor at Gryzbek Therapy Services. In addition to her clinical work in adult therapy, couples therapy, grief, and life transitions, she serves as an Emergency Services Counselor with the DuPage County Board of Health.
She is a strong fit for adult anxiety overlapping with grief, life transition, or women’s mental health.
License: IL LCPC, 180.014573
NPI: 1477183739
Specialties: Adult anxiety, couples, marriage, grief, life transitions, postpartum, women’s issues
Modalities: CBT, behavioral activation, attachment-based
Insurance: Accepts Gryzbek’s full in-network panel
Why top 10: Doctoral-team backing for anxiety alongside grief and women’s-health context.
#6 — Jennifer Otto, LPC
Practice: Naperville Counseling Center
Profile: napervillecounseling.com/about-us/jennifer-otto
Jennifer Otto is an LPC at Naperville Counseling Center with EMDR and CBT training for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and OCD. She is a strong fit for adult trauma survivors with anxiety who specifically want EMDR as the trauma protocol alongside CBT.
License: IL Licensed Professional Counselor, 178.019876
Specialties: Trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD
Modalities: CBT, EMDR, trauma-focused therapy
Insurance: Blue Cross, Cigna, per Naperville Counseling Center
Telehealth: Available Fridays
Why top 10: Specialized trauma-EMDR fit with established Naperville Counseling Center backing.
#7 — Adam Ratner, LCSW
Practice: Grow Wellness Group
Profile: growwellnessgroup.com/team/adam-ratner-grow-wellness-therapist-counselor-naperville-male-counselor-sport-psychology-grow-therapy
Adam Ratner is co-founder of Grow Wellness Group. His clinical work covers anxiety, life transitions, career and coping issues, relationships, couples, family concerns, and sport psychology.
His approach includes CBT, ACT, and psychodynamic therapy. He is a strong fit for adult professionals navigating anxiety alongside career transitions, performance pressure, or relationship stress.
License: IL Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Specialties: Anxiety, life transitions, sports psychology, couples
Modalities: CBT, ACT, psychodynamic
Insurance: Blue Cross, United, Cigna, Medicare, Meritain
Why top 10: Strong fit for adult anxiety overlapping with career, life-transition, or performance pressure.
#8 — Sara Banks, LCSW
Practice: Ascend Therapy
Profile: ascendtherapynaperville.com/therapists/sara-banks/
Sara Banks founded Ascend Therapy Naperville with clinical training built in the Linden Oaks Hospital Anxiety Program. That gives her one of the strongest anxiety-specific training pedigrees among the non-Gryzbek therapists on this list.
Her practice uses CBT, ACT, ERP, EMDR, and DBT. She is a strong fit for adult anxiety patients who want hospital-level clinical rigor in private practice.
License: IL Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Specialties: Anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, couples
Modalities: CBT, ACT, ERP, EMDR, DBT
Insurance: BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, United, Lyra EAP
Why top 10: Linden Oaks Anxiety Program pedigree with a deep evidence-based modality stack.
#9 — D’Juan Powell, LCSW
Practice: Grow Therapy
Profile: growtherapy.com/provider/vm44spsbynft/djuan-powell
D’Juan Powell is an Illinois-licensed LCSW practicing through Grow Therapy’s virtual platform. His specialties include anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD using CBT, ACT, and psychodynamic methods.
He is a strong fit for adult patients who specifically want telehealth-only access to a male LCSW with trauma-informed credentialing.
License: IL Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Specialties: Anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, anger
Modalities: CBT, ACT, psychodynamic
Insurance: Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and additional plans through Grow Therapy
Telehealth: Virtual only through Grow Therapy
Why top 10: Strong patient satisfaction signal in a telehealth-only adult anxiety context.
#10 — Dr. Karen Cassiday, PhD
Practice: Anxiety Treatment Center
Profile: anxietytreatmentcenter.com/home/about-us/karen-cassiday
Dr. Karen Lynn Cassiday is one of the most credentialed anxiety specialists in the Chicago metro. She is the Past President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and served on the board of Beyond OCD Chicago.
She is nationally recognized for diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders across adults, teens, and children, with extensive published research. She is a strong fit for Naperville-area adult anxiety patients who want a top-tier anxiety subspecialist via telehealth.
License: IL Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Specialties: Anxiety disorders, OCD, panic, phobias, depression, child, teen, and adult anxiety
Modalities: CBT, ERP, empirically supported anxiety protocols
Telehealth: Yes, Chicago metro and Naperville area
Why top 10: Past ADAA President, the highest anxiety-specific national credential among non-Gryzbek therapists on this list.
Why Gryzbek Therapy Services Stands Out for Anxiety Therapy in Naperville
For adults comparing the best anxiety therapists in Naperville, one of the biggest differences is not simply the credential after a clinician’s name. It is whether the practice has enough clinical depth to match the right patient to the right type of care.
Anxiety can show up as chronic worry, panic attacks, OCD symptoms, social anxiety, trauma-related hypervigilance, perfectionism, avoidance, or stress that overlaps with depression, ADHD, grief, or relationship strain.
That is where Gryzbek Therapy Services separates itself from many smaller or single-provider options in the Naperville market. The practice includes doctoral-level psychologists and licensed counselors with experience across CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, Prolonged Exposure, behavioral activation, and attachment-based therapy.
For patients, that means the first question is not just “Who has an opening?” but “Which clinician and treatment approach best fits this specific anxiety presentation?”
Gryzbek Therapy Services is also a strong fit for patients who want evidence-based anxiety treatment without losing the personal feel of a local private practice. The team serves adults in Naperville and DuPage County, offers telehealth options, and works with major insurance networks including BCBS PPO, Aetna PPO, UnitedHealthcare PPO, and Medicare.
For patients comparing local options, that combination of clinical depth, insurance access, and Naperville presence makes the practice one of the strongest starting points for anxiety care.
Patients looking for structured, evidence-based anxiety therapy in Naperville can review the Gryzbek Therapy Services team and request a first conversation to discuss symptoms, treatment fit, insurance, and next steps.
Editorial Disclaimer
This ranking is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, mental health advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for care from a licensed clinician.
Therapist information was reviewed using publicly available sources, including practice websites, licensure records, published clinician profiles, insurance information, and stated therapy modalities available at the time of review. Availability, insurance participation, telehealth options, accepted clients, and clinical services may change over time.
Patients should verify credentials, insurance coverage, appointment availability, and treatment fit directly with each provider or practice before scheduling care. In an emergency or mental health crisis, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
VYDC Research is an independent editorial research publication. Rankings are based on the stated methodology above and are not a guarantee of clinical outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most effective therapy for anxiety in Naperville?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is one of the most rigorously researched anxiety treatments and is commonly used for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
For OCD, Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is widely considered the gold-standard protocol. For trauma-driven anxiety, Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure are evidence-based options often used alongside or instead of EMDR, depending on the patient’s needs and clinician training.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is also increasingly used as a complement to CBT for chronic worry, perfectionism, and anxiety overlapping with depression.
The strongest Naperville therapists name the specific protocol they use rather than describing therapy generically as “client-centered” or “integrative.”
Treatment often runs 6 to 9 months of weekly sessions, with measurable symptom change often appearing within the first 8 to 12 weeks for many adult anxiety presentations. Patients who attend consistently and complete between-session practice tend to see the most durable outcomes.
Should I choose a psychologist, LCSW, or LCPC for anxiety in Naperville?
All three credentials can deliver effective anxiety treatment when the clinician is trained in evidence-based protocols.
Doctoral-level psychologists, including PsyD and PhD clinicians, bring deeper training in psychological assessment and diagnostic clarity. That can be useful for complex presentations involving overlapping anxiety, mood symptoms, ADHD, OCD, or trauma.
Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors often have strong therapy-focused training and can deliver excellent care for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, panic, social anxiety, relationship stress, and life-transition anxiety.
The more meaningful filter than credential letters is whether the clinician explicitly names the evidence-based protocol they use, such as CBT, ACT, ERP, CPT, or Prolonged Exposure.
The second meaningful filter is team depth. A multi-clinician practice can match a patient to the right modality fit and absorb scheduling demand more easily than many solo-practitioner settings.
Does insurance cover anxiety therapy in Naperville, IL?
Most major PPO plans cover outpatient anxiety therapy in Naperville with a copay or coinsurance structure once your deductible is met.
In-network practices in Naperville typically work with major insurers such as BCBS PPO of Illinois, Aetna PPO, UnitedHealthcare PPO, Cigna PPO, and Medicare, though coverage depends on the specific plan.
Out-of-network therapists may bill on your behalf or provide superbills you submit yourself for reimbursement. The financial difference between in-network and out-of-network sessions can be significant, so patients should verify their exact benefits before scheduling an intake.
Patients should call the number on the back of their insurance card before scheduling and confirm whether the practice bills out-of-network benefits directly or requires the patient to submit claims.
Is virtual or in-person anxiety therapy better in Naperville?
For many adult anxiety presentations in Naperville, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, social anxiety, panic, and work-related stress, virtual and in-person therapy can both be effective when delivered by a clinician trained in evidence-based protocols like CBT or ACT.
Virtual therapy removes the friction of weekly travel to a Naperville office and may improve session-attendance consistency. For many patients, simply making it easier to attend appointments improves treatment follow-through.
Exposure-heavy protocols for OCD or specific phobias may sometimes benefit from in-person sessions for guided exposures, though many ERP protocols can also be delivered through telehealth with the right structure and homework plan.
Patients who anticipate strong avoidance around therapy itself may do better starting virtually. The lower friction of opening a laptop instead of driving to an appointment can make the difference between starting treatment and delaying care.
PSYPACT-credentialed therapists like Dr. Joe Gryzbek can also provide telehealth across participating states, which may be useful for patients who travel or relocate.
Final Takeaway on the best therapists for anxiety treatment in Naperville in 2026
Choosing the right anxiety therapist in Naperville depends on more than finding a clinician with availability. The strongest fit usually comes down to the patient’s specific symptoms, the therapist’s training in evidence-based anxiety treatment, insurance compatibility, and whether the practice has enough clinical depth to match the patient with the right provider.
Five of the top 10 anxiety therapists in Naperville on this list practice at Gryzbek Therapy Services, which reflects the practice’s unusually strong anxiety-focused team for a local private practice.
A first conversation can help patients clarify whether their anxiety is primarily driven by chronic worry, panic, OCD, social anxiety, trauma, relationship stress, grief, or life transitions. It can also help identify the best-matched treatment approach, verify insurance fit, and determine which clinician is the right starting point.
For adults looking for anxiety therapy in Naperville, Gryzbek Therapy Services offers one of the strongest combinations of local presence, clinical depth, insurance access, telehealth availability, and evidence-based treatment options in the market.