NIDA HUSSAIN, PSY.D

About Nida

Nida’s journey into psychology began during her undergraduate coursework at Benedictine University. As a Pre-Med student, Nida started her coursework in psychology to set her apart from her peers who chose to major in science. As Nida excelled in her coursework, she gained a greater appreciation of the human mind and behaviors, leading her to pursue her doctorate in psychology. Combining both her interests in science and psychology, Nida completed her requirements for health psychology with a fellowship at Tampa General Hospital. 

After completing her fellowship, Nida worked as a consultant in a private practice, medical clinic, and daycare. One year later, Nida was offered a position as a Clinical and Health Psychologist in Dubai, UAE, where she would remain for 4.5 years. Dubai was an international hub with over 100 countries represented in one city alone. Nida described this opportunity as an “adventure,” through which she learned so much about not only the field itself, but about her own capabilities and understanding of mental illness. Along this journey, she found a passion to take her experience back to the US where she could offer her services through a culturally expansive lens. Nida returned to her home state of IL at the end of 2020. 



When Nida is not working, you can find her with family and friends. She loves spending quality time with those she loves. Outside of her relationships, Nida loves staying active, baking, traveling, and trying new adventures. As a former basketball player and middle school basketball coach, Nida incorporates her passion and experiences into her clinical work to engage with clients. True to both her personal and clinical personality, clients would definitely describe Nida as “Not your typical psychologist,” as she loves to work outside the box and create moments that matter.   

Nida's approach to therapy

As a psychologist, Nida works with individuals ages 4 and up. She utilizes her experiences along with her knowledge of Cognitive Behavioral Theory to help individuals bridge the gap between physical and mental health in efforts to optimize functioning on a day-to-day basis. She believes, as humans, we are composed of many facets (physical, mental, personal, familial, work, intimate, etc). In her work, Nida helps individuals bring unity to these parts, allowing for the systems to work together, rather than at odds. She considers therapy to be a collaborative process in which the client takes an active role in determining the course of therapy, and ultimately, their life track.

In addition to her clinical work in anxiety, depression, adjustments and transitions, parent training, and psycho-ed assessments, Nida has a specialty in Health Psychology. Over the past few years, Nida has grown, both, personally and professionally, giving her a re-defined approach to both her life and practice. With the passing of her aunt from cancer in 2015, and the recent recovery of her mother’s own journey with breast cancer, she takes a personal interest in wanting to help both individuals, families, and friends reclaim these heavy diagnoses to be able to find purpose beyond their medical labels.