Virtual Therapy Illinois

Accessible Virtual Therapy for Illinois Residents

Entering 2026, the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) reports that around 2,136,000 adults in Illinois live with a diagnosed mental health condition. To put this in context, take note that the entire adult population of Illinois’ most populated city – Chicago – is just over 2 million. Equally concerning, is that NAMI indicates that over 6.5 million residents in the state live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals to fill demand. Thanks to the provision of virtual therapy, Illinois residents who live in these underserved communities are now better able to connect to a counselor. However, there remains to be a disconnect for tens of thousands who require specialized treatment for emerging behavioral health concerns that are spreading with the proliferation of technology. This public health concern is discussed in the section below.

Using Technology to Overcome Tech Addictions

The Prairie State’s most populated city of Chicago is considered one of the most digitally advanced cities in the nation. It is consistently ranked as a leading “smart city” in the United States, cited in top-10 lists alongside New York and San Francisco. The city (and state) has heavily invested in IoT (Internet of Things) initiatives, data-driven governance, and digital infrastructure to enhance public services and sustainability. While this is generally a net-positive, ubiquitous adoption of IoT in every household has contributed to unhealthy usage for a growing number of vulnerable individuals – those considered to be at-risk for developing behavioral addictions. This concern is reflected in local Google and ChatGPT search for “solutions to technology addiction” and “technology addiction treatment near me” in Illinois, led by Chicago, but also reflected in Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford, Elgin, the capital city of Springfield, and many other IL municipalities. Technology addictions, also referred to as digital dependencies, encompass the following:

• Problematic online gambling behavior: Current data confirms that 68% of Illinois adults report gambling in the most recent year, with 3.8% of these individuals indicating a gambling problem, with an additional 7.7% considered to be at risk for developing a gambling problem. This trend has grown alongside the growth of online sports betting in the state, which became legal in June of 2019.

• Problematic use of pornography: Recent data finds that Illinois ranks 3rd among all U.S. states when it comes to watching the most porn, per capita. With national averages suggesting that 7% of the population struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with online sexually explicit content (SEC) it can be inferred that almost 150,000 adult residents in IL may require counseling for porn addiction.

• Problematic online trading behavior: Chicago is a global powerhouse for trading, serving as the world’s largest derivatives marketplace and a critical, diversified hub for commodities, financial futures, and options. Correspondingly, online trading activity is also proportionately high throughout Illinois. With national studies indicating that roughly 1% of the adult population in the US participates in online trading (likely higher in Illinois) it can be deduced that a minimum of 21,000 adult IL residents trade online. Considering that about 8% of online traders have a problematic relationship with the activity, it is then estimated that at least 1,680 adults in the state may require therapeutic intervention.

• Unhealthy video gaming: Regional (Illinois) and national data indicate that 8.6% to 10% of adolescent gamers exhibit signs of gaming disorder.

• Problematic online shopping behavior: Capital One Shopping reports that Illinois consumers are 7.74% more likely than the average American to make weekly online purchases. While expected as the home to one of the nation’s most digitally advanced cities (Chicago) it adds a layer of complexity to the growing demand for technology addiction treatment in Illinois. Research shows that between 5% to 8% of the U.S. population (Illinois included) struggles with Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD).

• Unhealthy Use of Social Media: Recent data suggests that Illinois ranks 8th nationwide for potential social media addiction, with 128,255 searches per 100,000 residents.

• Unhealthy Use of Dating Apps: According to Global Dating Insights, Chicago (and therefore Illinois) has one of the highest rates of dating app usage in the United States. Dating app addiction (as it is casually referenced) often overlaps with sexual behavior disorders and cooccurring mental health concerns.

As a virtual counseling platform, Kindbridge leverages technology to treat all of the above. With a smartphone, tablet, or laptop you can connect to a counselor and get help to overcome unhealthy behavior in addition to cooccurring issues that you may live with. Please keep reading.

Successfully Treating Cooccurring Issues

Various mental health challenges are comorbid with technology addictions. Whether you struggle with one or more of these as cooccurring issues or they are standalone concerns, Kindbridge will help.

Anxiety	ADHD
Bipolar Disorder	Chronic Anger + Irritability
Depression	OCD
PTSD	Substance Use Disorder