About Me

Professional Summary

Paul Cantz, PsyD, ABPP 

I am a licensed, board certified clinical psychologist and Full Professor & Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychology at Adler University - Chicago; and Co-Founder of Orchard Wellness, LLC - a multispecialty group practice located in the Northshore. I was formerly Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine; Co-Director for the UIC Program in Religion, Spirituality & Mental Health, and adjunct faculty member at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. 

I have been maintaining an independent psychoanalytic psychotherapy practice in the Loop and in the Skokie/Northshore area as well as Telehealth since 2011. In 2015 I completed a postgraduate certificate program in psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis (CCP). I also occasionally provide expert clinical consultation in civil and criminal legal cases.

From 2011 thru 2022 I was the Training Director for Hartgrove Hospital's Inpatient Unit for the therapy/advanced training program, where I supervised and mentored masters and doctoral students as they completed their year-long intermediate or advanced therapy training experiences.

Community engagement by serving in positions of consultation and leadership figures prominently in my life. I am honored to currently serve on the board of directors for Akiba Schecter Jewish Day School as well as the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago (ATT), and serve as Vice President on the board of directors for Nefesh-Chicago and formally served on the executive board of ACEPT for several years - the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training.

Since 2016 I have also been serving on the Ethics Committee for the Illinois Psychological Association.

With regards to my scholarship and research activities, I have published refereed journal articles, book chapters, and one academic monograph that have covered a range of topics including: the philosophical foundations of modern psychiatry, the psychology of religious conversion, death anxiety, cross cultural concepts of femininity, the psychodynamics of music, the historical uniqueness of baseball, the connection between misogyny and Antisemitism, suicide prevention, the bio-ethical ramifications of the anti-aging movement, and most recently on the existential considerations in rise in popularity of dystopian myths, particularly zombie media.  

A more complete professional summary can be found on my LinkedIn profile by clicking HERE

AWARDS                                                      

2016 -Double Chai in the Chi (36 under 36) - Jewish Federation of Chicago – Young Leadership Division (YLD)                        

2014 -Early Career Achievement Award - American Psychological Association (APA)            

2014 -Distinguished Alumnus Award - The Chicago School of Professional Psychology