Therapists for college students near Los Angeles, CA
Thank you for being here—I'm really glad you're considering taking this step. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply curious about how therapy might support your growth, this could be a meaningful time to explore things more deeply. In our work together, I aim to create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can be fully heard and supported. My approach is collaborative and tailored to your unique goals, whether that's managing anxiety, working through past experiences, improving relationships, or simply understanding yourself better. Therapy isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about creating room to ask the right questions. If we decide to work together, we’ll move at a pace that feels right for you. Taking the first step can be difficult. If you have any concerns I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about the process. Please feel free to reach out when you're ready.
I like to work with motivated and intelligent clients who want to grow and excel. I take a strength-based approach and focus on identifying themes and patterns in your life and coming up with a concrete action plan.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Are you are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Does it feel like you don’t know what to do next or how to make things better? Have you tried to solve the problems in your life on your own and realized you need help from someone else? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have made the right choice by being here. Together we can work to help equip you with the necessary tools to help you face and overcome these challenges. Whether you’re struggling with major life transitions (i.e. divorce, death, trauma), marital problems, or health (i.e. reproductive health, post partum, chronic illness), it is important that you know you don’t have to be alone in this journey. We have the experience to help you achieve your goals, overcome these struggles, and live a more fulfilling and meaningful life. If you’re ready to work towards the life you’ve always wanted, we’ll be ready to help. Contact us today and let’s get to work.
I'm a curious, compassionate depth-oriented therapist who loves people, and feels humbled and inspired each day by the clients I work with. I work with clients online anywhere in California and in person in San Francisco, CA. I most often work with young adults who are seeking support to reduce barriers in the way of living a more fulfilling life. Frequently my clients seek my support related to: eating disorders disordered eating body image concerns social anxiety self doubt, rumination, and indecisiveness trauma wanting a deeper sense of connection, community, and belonging college decisions, stress management navigating complicated family dynamics gender exploration and transitions
My style and approach tend to be a good fit for young adults who may be dealing with the challenges of life transitions and societal pressures. I aim to support my clients in navigating these issues and to build skills to develop a more positive life. My communication style is calm, direct, and adaptable. I want my clients to feel comfortable and supported when talking to me about anything they want to share at their own pace. My approach to therapy varies based on the needs of each client, but I tend to lean towards Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Positive psychology, or Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. These modalities help me and the client build a shared understanding of their reality, and allow us to work together to create change. Please reach out via email or call (661-465-2590) if website availability does not match your schedule. I have a flexible schedule.
There is always HOPE! When you walk out of my office my hope is that you leave with tangible skills, suggestions and a plan to try in real life. While the therapy session is a time of opening up and finding some answers, the real work is done out side of your sessions! My aim is that you walk out feeling supported, equipped and hopeful that change is possible. I never want people to feel stuck in therapy either, my goal is to work with you until you feel ready to tackle life on your own, I feel it's my job to work myself out of a job :) I always remain available after we've completed therapy for check in's or for email exchanges, but I want you to start therapy with the end goal in mind!!!! Please reach out to discuss your particular needs.
You feel misunderstood and judged; you worry others view you badly; you feel disconnected and excluded. Relationship feels confusing and frustrating. It feels like nothing you try works, you feel like it's your fault, and you feel empty inside. Your anxiety and loneliness won't go away on its own. Let me help you understand why you feel the way you do, help you gain abilities to truly connected with people, and mental clarity to handle interpersonal exchanges in ways that feels confident, caring, and thoughtful. I will create a safe place to talk about what's going on inside. Together, we will explore the roots of your relationship problems. Often, when you understand where they come from you will start the process of healing. I will help you learn self-love, gain confidence, emotional and relational insights to make more meaningful connections in life. I believe we are born with ability to grow and move toward wholeness. My work is rooted in neuroscience understanding and attachment theory that we as human beings need each other to heal. I want to be the connector for you on your healing journey. Before becoming a therapist, I have 15 yrs tech experience. I have 2 children and also speak Mandarin.
Welcome! I am a bilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California and Texas, with over 10 years of clinical experience and culturally sensitive work. It is such a gift to be able work alongside children, adolescents, adults, and families throughout their life's journey. Life's challenges can often leave us feeling stuck and overwhelmed. I am here to provide you with a safe space and to work alongside you, so that you are able to achieve a positive and more fulfilling life. Therapy is so beneficial, whether it's to address underlying challenges or simply looking for personal growth. My goal is to provide with you tools to be able to cope with and manage your symptoms. You are never alone.
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My approach to the therapy process is collaborative so that together we can work to accomplish your goals. Whether you are struggling with anxiety, low mood, past trauma, relationship issues, or a life transition, we can work together to uncover the underlying emotions and navigate the blind spots so that you can gain clarity and calmness in your self and in your relationships. I use specific styles of therapy, including Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) as a way to help guide the therapeutic process. These styles help us explore strengths and transformation, while also navigating areas that keep us emotionally stuck. I am truly inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and the bravery that people have when embarking on the difficult but necessary work of self-examination. I am committed to creating a safe and non-judgmental space where you can feel supported and understood, as we journey together in the therapy process.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
At Affirming Therapy Center, we support and encourage your desire for growth in a completely non-judgmental way, in a space that acknowledges your unique personhood and distinct challenges. You are welcomed and celebrated here. Helping you in understanding, accepting, and embracing your own beliefs, identities, and lifestyles is cornerstone in providing the support and encouragement you need to grow, to bring clarity to your choices, and to enhance your life and relationships. We focus on making you feel safe to explore your feelings and to express yourself. We proudly serve communities of Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity! The therapists at ATC are dedicated to enthusiastically affirming all GSRD identities including, but not limited to, LGBT, Queer, Heterosexual, Kink / BDSM, Fetish, ABDL and Ageplay, Sex Work, Adult Industry, Monogamy, Non-Monogamy, Swinging / Lifestyle, Polyamory, and a Variety of Relationship Dynamics and Family Configurations. Each member of the ATC clinical team is a professionally-trained Psychotherapist, qualified to address topics such as identity, relationship challenges, intimacy concerns, sex and sexual health, anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and personal growth. And each of our clinicians have unique areas of expertise, including advanced specialized training in the areas of Sex Therapy, Gender Affirming Therapy, Eating Disorders, EMDR (for trauma), and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. As with everything in life, there are ups and downs, and sometimes you need someone to talk to. Maybe you have inner conflict, questions about how and where you fit in to our kooky world. Perhaps you have wounds that aren’t healing or stories you need to tell. Or perhaps you just want to talk to someone about life and love, talk to someone who understands the challenges you sometimes face, without having to hide any facet of yourself or your life. There is only one “you”, and we at Affirming Therapy Center are here to help you excel at living your best life and being your best “you”. Our therapists are trained to listen, understand, and help guide you on your unique journey. Please visit our Meet the Team page to see each of our amazing therapists’ bios and areas of specialization. https://www.affirmingtherapycenter.com/meet-the-team/ Contact us now to get started: Send an e-mail to Team@AffirmingTherapyCenter.com with a brief description of what’s going on for you and your availability for appointments. One of our friendly therapists will respond to you (in 1–2 business days) to schedule an initial session or a free 10–15 minute phone consultation.
I know it can be daunting reaching out for therapy - to let in support, to try to find the right fit, to allocate the resources & time. When I was a senior in college, therapy truly saved my life - but I so remember how long it took for me to be able to make that first call. So props to you for exploring! If we end up working together, you will likely share a lot about you. So here’s a little bit about me: I’m a white (French, British, and German heritage), queer, cis-woman from a middle-class background who is able-bodied (with some lived experience of chronic illness). I’m often dreamy, sensitive, irritable, passionate, anxious, patient, funny. I love humor, music, sour gummy worms, Rihanna, poetry, shoes, crying, and books. I’m passionate about social justice and art. I grew up in a coastal town so the ocean feels like home. I startle easily. I love singing and songwriting. Some of the big themes I’ve grappled with during this lifetime are: grief & loss; sexuality & sexual orientation; gender; body image and eating disorders; depression; anxiety; addiction and relationships with family members struggling with addiction; containment; perfection; co-dependence & attachment; sexual trauma; disconnection from creativity; betrayal, infidelity, & trust; monogamy & ethical non-monogamy; suicidality. And here's a bit about my therapy practice: I offer therapy for individuals & partners experiencing a broad range of life challenges. And, I have extensive experience in supporting folks as they navigate the following content areas: communication & relationship issues; grief & loss; identity; trauma; sexual orientation, sexuality & sensuality; creativity; systems & lived experiences of oppression; anxiety & fear; depression; co-dependence; addiction; infidelity, betrayal & trust; and inner-child work. I’m sex-positive, queer, and poly- & kink-affirming, and welcome all ethnic & racial identities & positionalities. The therapy that I offer is depth-oriented and strongly rooted in Gestalt & somatic modalities, as well as intersectional feminism. It is trauma-informed and client-centered. For those that are interested, I also enjoy using intuition, creativity, and the imaginal realms (imagery, visualization, experiential exercises, art, dreamwork, etc.) to support our explorations. If none of that means anything to you (understandable!), here's a *hopefully* less-jargon-y description of how I approach my work as a therapist: I fervently believe that you (and only you) are the authority of your experience. I am here to offer my curiosities, intuition, and reflections — in dialogue with you — to help you explore and discover your truth. I am interested in meeting you wherever you are in the present moment, supporting you to increase your awareness. It is my belief that only by increasing our awareness can we increase our felt experiences of agency and choice…which in turn allows us to live a more empowered, aligned, compassionate, and enlivened life. I care deeply about creating a safe container in our therapeutic relationship — to respect boundaries, to always track for consent and choice, to unambivalently welcome all parts of you, to fervently support both your safety and aliveness. I am passionate about and invested in exploring power, positionality, and privilege. I welcome and support difference, and am committed to efforts to not perpetuate authoritarian and oppressive systems in the therapeutic relationship. I honor & trust the massively creative and adaptive survival strategies that you have developed to keep you safe. And, I also honor the ways that the habitual enacting of those survival strategies may no longer be serving you — that your circumstances and capacities may have outgrown these mechanisms, and that you may need some support in this vulnerable re-emergence into the world. I will sit with you in your suffering. I’m not afraid of the darkness, or of your shadow. I will go to the depths with you. And stay there, in the underworld, with you for as long as you need…until you emerge anew on the other side. I believe that, together, we can co-create a homecoming for you. That our work can guide you home to your innate nature — to your authentic expression of your many parts of self. To your passion and presence and joy. To your aliveness. To feeling deeply nurtured and nourished. A return to self in which you come to truly and intimately know yourself for the first time. I so looking forward to hearing from you & seeing if we might be a good fit to work together, should you choose to reach out!
For over 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of supporting children, adolescents, adults, families, and athletes through life’s challenges. From working with at-risk youth and facilitating therapy groups to providing individual psychotherapy and supporting athletes through injury and transition, I’ve witnessed the incredible resilience people carry — even during difficult seasons If you’re feeling disconnected from yourself, navigating identity shifts, recovering from injury, or carrying the impact of past experiences, you’re not alone. As a former collegiate and semi-professional athlete, I understand how deeply identity, performance, trauma, and physical experiences can shape how we see ourselves and relate to our bodies. You deserve a space where all parts of that story are welcome. My specialization is in Somatic Psychotherapy and Exercise and Sport Performance. This approach recognizes the powerful connection between mind and body. Together, we’ll increase awareness of how your body responds to stress and emotion, helping you build trust in your intuition, develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself, and feel more grounded and confident. I aim to create a supportive, collaborative therapeutic space where we work at your pace, build on your strengths, and develop coping strategies aligned with your values. My goal is to help you feel empowered in your healing process and more grounded in your everyday life.
I’m Dr. Abu-Rus, a clinical psychologist available to see patients anywhere in California. I know reaching out for therapy can feel strange—like acknowledging something’s wrong when you’ve spent so much energy trying to hold it together. As a mom, USAF Veteran, and psychologist, I work with people navigating trauma, new parenthood, or depression that doesn’t always make sense on the surface. You might feel irritable, numb, anxious, or unsure of who you are anymore. You’re not too much. You’re not broken. And you don’t have to carry this alone. I specialize in trauma, postpartum stress, and depression that feels heavy or hard to explain. I use proven therapies like CPT, PE, ACT, and IPT to help you feel safer, more grounded, and more in control. My approach is structured but deeply human—tailored to what matters most to you. If you’re feeling stuck, disconnected, or just ready for something to shift, I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can see if we’re a good fit. Therapy doesn’t have to be overwhelming, I’ll walk you through the next steps. Send a message or email to get started. Or schedule directly into my calendar! Click on my website to see availability.
Hello. My name is Theresa. Thank you for visiting my profile. People seek out a therapist for many reasons. Perhaps you are weary of struggling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, need support with increasing your self esteem, academic stress, or are struggling with relationships in your life. Maybe you’ve recently received a new medical diagnosis, are struggling to live with a chronic illness, or a challenging mental health diagnosis. Whatever your reason for seeking help, I will greet you with warmth, genuine interest, and a commitment to working collaboratively throughout the process of healing, and finding greater happiness and peace. I wish you well as you sift thru all of the profiles of therapists to find the best fit for you. I know that it may feel overwhelming, especially when you are feeling desperate for help. I assure you that should you reach out to me, you will feel an easy sense of connection and emotional safety. I look forward to hearing from you.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. I have worked with students since the 1990s in a variety of settings and most recently was the director of the Stanford student mental health program (2008-2017) then on staff (2017-2022). I treat a variety of conditions from anxiety and depression to ADHD and bipolar disorder. I also practice intensive short term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP).