Therapists for college students near Los Angeles, CA

I am seeing all patients by video and phone. You may contact me for a free initial consultation. I see psychotherapy as a psycho-educational experience where you learn about yourself. It is like taking a course in yourself. This counseling process of self-exploration leads to understanding self-defeating thinking and behaviors that may keep you from actualizing potential for successful relationships, success in school, business and career and from having a really happy life. During the 25+ years since I have been a licensed psychologist, I have had the privilege of helping many individuals and couples to achieve a happier, emotionally healthier, and financially successful life. My patients describe me as being a no nonsense person, while at the same time being warm and comfortable. My orientation is Psychodynamic and Cognitive. My thinking is based on psychoanalytic theory, but in practice I react and actively participate in the discussions. I don't just sit silently and nod. Cognitive/behaviorial methods are used as situations require. I have been the family's psychologist for multiple generations, when the participants are comfortable with this mode. Teletherapy - Phone and Video sessions are provided for patients who either cannot come to the office or when they have relocated to a distance too far to travel. During the COVID-19 Pandemic I am conducting all sessions by video and phone.

I am a dedicated and compassionate, board-certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). The majority of my nursing career has been in high-acuity psychiatric settings, including psychiatric emergency, crisis stabilization, and inpatient behavioral health. I initially started in the Emergency Department as a new graduate nurse, where I realized that what truly resonated with me was the mental health aspect of patient care. Throughout my psychiatric nursing career, I’ve worked with diverse populations from pediatrics to geriatrics, managing complex psychiatric and co-occurring disorders, emergency crisis situations, and facilitating stabilization through comprehensive and therapeutic interventions tailored to each patient’s unique needs. What inspires me to work in mental health is the resilience of the people I’ve cared for, many of whom have faced immense stigma, systemic barriers, or trauma. I’ve seen how transformative it can be when someone feels genuinely heard and respected, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, foster youth, immigrants, and those struggling with disabilities or homelessness. Mental health is the foundation to overall health and quality of life. The ability to support someone in their most vulnerable moments and witness their transformation is what continually inspires my commitment to this field. My approach is person-centered, intentional, non-coercive, and collaborative care. I strive to meet each patient exactly where they are, emotionally, culturally, and developmentally, and aim to prioritize their autonomy. I offer compassionate, evidence-based guidance, especially in medication management, to ensure that each treatment plan aligns with the patient’s values, readiness, and recovery goals. My goal is to support patients in building lives that are not just symptom-free, but fulfilling, meaningful, and self-directed.

Witnessing my clients feel empowered to work towards meaningful change inspires me everyday. Asking for help is a difficult thing to do, especially when it comes to our mental health. My position allows me to support folks who’ve taken the first step (often for the first time) to focus on improving their coping skills, confidence, self-compassion, relationships, boundaries, and self-care. I aim to highlight strengths and utilize my client’s interests and passions to help facilitate positive changes. Supporting folks through life challenges, trauma, and grief is also an important part of my practice. Many of my clients are choosing therapy for the first time, and I am honored to be a part of their journey. One of the most important aspects of the therapeutic process is feeling heard and understood. By staying open, curious, collaborative, and compassionate, I hope to make the therapeutic process as welcoming as possible. It is important to me that all my clients feel safe and welcome in my (virtual) space. By creating an environment that is warm and authentic, I aim to develop trust so my clients feel comfortable bringing any topic to the table. My practice is supportive for folks who identify as neurodivergent, nerdy, LGBTQIA+, and people in non-monogamous relationship structures.

We are a group practice that specializes in supporting teens who struggle with ADHD, anxiety, and self-esteem. We provide in-person services near UCSD, as well as virtual therapy sessions to students across CA.

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I tailor treatment using the approach that best fits your needs, including using somatic awareness, EMDR, CBT and insight oriented approaches. I work with Individuals, women, new mothers, young families, parents and young children. My work is deeply attuned to family of origin challenges, existential anxieties and BIPOC challenges, recognizing the profound impact on individuals and families. By exploring the ways these issues and past traumas shape present-day experiences, I will support you in breaking free from unhelpful patterns to foster healing across generations.

I love being able to combine my passions for helping others, creativity, and understanding why people think, feel, and behave as they do! I believe therapy should be a collaborative relationship where we are working together on an issue, rather than me being The Expert. Instead, you are the expert on what it is like to be you in your life. I may share my perspective on what I believe may be going on and ask you to reflect on its accuracy and relevance to your experience. I take my job in the helping profession seriously. Consistent studies on why psychotherapy works indicate that the therapeutic relationship is the most important variable determining therapeutic outcomes. I relate to you as a regular person with education, training, and experience that I am eager to share with you to help you feel safe and understood. I occasionally will share relevant experiences either from past anonymous clients or from personal experience to normalize, validate, and help you feel that you are not alone in your pain.

You may be feeling pressure with the challenges of college and what the future holds, difficulty adjusting to new adult roles, and responsibilities. You might feel frustrated with the social norms of dating, friends, and family. I help young adults transition from adolescence to adulthood by gaining self-awareness and figuring out their calling and purpose in life. I specialize in working with young adults who struggle with anxiety, grief, sport performance anxiety, healthy relationships, dating issues, and self esteem. My approach to therapy is to create a space where young adults can be open to discuss and identify new values and beliefs and be confident going into adulthood. Through young adult therapy, I help emerging adults have self-compassion to go through those trial and errors with acceptance and forgiveness. Therapy is a good opportunity to explore who you want to be, set goals for the future, and create strong meaningful relationships. If you want to be more confident with living on your own and creating your new future, contact me today to schedule your first appointment.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hi, and welcome — I’m really glad you’re here. Seeking therapy can feel overwhelming, especially when you or your relationship are carrying the weight of anxiety, trauma, disconnection, identity questions, or cultural pressures that are hard to name. I work with young adults and couples navigating emotional and relational challenges — including trauma, identity development, communication struggles, family conflict, neurodiversity, and learning disabilities. Whether you’re adjusting to college, career transitions, independence, or partnership changes, we’ll focus on building clarity, confidence, and steadier coping skills. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practices such as CBT, Narrative Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, ACT, DBT, and EMDR. I tailor each session to meet you where you are, helping you build awareness, resilience, and stronger, more secure connections. I bring deep respect for the cultural identities, values, and lived experiences that shape each person and relationship. My goal is to create a space where you feel safe, understood, and supported — where therapy isn’t just about symptom relief, but about fostering authenticity, self-trust, and growth. This is your journey, and you don’t have to walk it alone.

Diaspora (dai·a·spr·uh) Therapy Group was founded by members of the BIPOC and QTPOC. We believe in authentic communication and living your truth. Our goal is to help you find your voice and take up space in a world that can be challenging to navigate. As individuals who have experienced these challenges firsthand, we're here to virtually "hold your hand" throughout your healing journey. Though we're based in San Diego, CA, we offer telehealth services throughout California and Arizona.

As an immigrant who identifies as Chinese/Chinese American, I understand the challenges and nuances of growing up bicultural and have helped individuals/families navigate these issues. I am committed to understanding each client’s unique experiences with various identities (e.g., culture, race, ethnicity, gender), as well as the intersectionality of these identities, family values, and belief systems. As a result, I view my clients as whole people, rather than just focusing on diagnoses and symptoms. I approach each client with curiosity and am committed to helping you connect with yourself and others, nourish your growth, and flourish in all areas of your life. My approach is warm, collaborative, direct, open, and honest. I have worked with the following: ASD, ADHD, OCD, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, academic stress, emotion regulation issues, life transitions, identity development, gender/racial/sexual identity, family conflict, and LGBTQ+ issues. I utilize an integrative approach, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and other evidence-based treatments when warranted.

I support folks in exploring how they want to walk through the world. I believe each person can define themselves and find their healthy. Therapy is a collaborative experience; you bring your life experience, and I bring support from a mental health standpoint.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, non-judgmental, and action-oriented. I practice evidence-based treatments, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). CBT focuses on changing problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT provides skills for regulating emotions and behaviors and improving relationships. Cultivating compassion can help you learn to face the challenges in your life with courage, wisdom, and kindness. I can help you improve well-being and life satisfaction and establish more compassionate relationships with yourself and others. In therapy together, I will listen closely and without judgment, helping you to uncover and pursue what you value most. I will help you change ingrained, self-defeating patterns and replace them with new, healthier ways of meeting needs. And I will offer you tools, support, and therapeutic techniques with your personal needs and preferences in mind.

I'm a queer therapist offering trauma therapy in English and Spanish, both in person in Oakland and online. I have experience supporting college students with a wide variety of issues, from the initial adjustment to college to the preparations for the transition of graduating and figuring out what's next. You might be dealing with academic stress, social conflicts, relationship challenges, or tough dynamics with family. Therapy is a space where you don't have to take care of anyone else, where I'll show up with kind curiosity to help you make sense of what you're feeling and experiencing. I hold a compassionate and non-judgmental stance with my clients, but I don't think any of us can be truly neutral. Rather than try to achieve the old-school therapist poker face, I show up as myself in the therapy room with my whole personality (dumb jokes and all). I work with people who are fiercely dedicated to living out their values, and often find that the energy they pour into taking care of others doesn't leave much left over for themselves. When you're splitting energy between many things and people you care about, it can be hard to carve out that space just for yourself. But you deserve to receive as much care as you give. Therapy can help you practice tuning into your own needs and help you feel more agency.

My name is Terry Alcántar Nelson and I am a licensed clinical social worker who has been providing counseling for over 25 years. After all this time, I still love my work and am passionate about helping people heal. Every day is a new opportunity for me to join with clients in healing past hurts, traumas, and relationships, and addressing current life stressors and painful experiences. I am privileged to do this work and hope to be doing it for many years to come. I am trained and have expertise in the following modalities: -Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- a type of therapy that helps to examine negative thinking and long held beliefs which make us feel bad and stuck; it is modality that is particularly helpful for depression and anxiety -Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) which focuses on improving relationships by increasing emotional safety with loved ones, and takes into account past attachment injuries originating in childhood and current and/or past relationships -Mindfulness, which works on increasing our focus on the present by using breath, body and grounding techniques -Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) which uses eye movements and other types of bilateral stimulation to process traumatic experiences and memories I see my role as a mental health provider as a guide to clients who are looking for a path to wholeness and healing. Working with with a therapist should be a collaborative process in which the client feels empowered with every session. I consider successful therapy to be one in which clients says that they feels shifts in behavior, feelings, and life circumstances. I am a proud Latina woman who was born and raised in a small town, but was transplanted many years ago to a big city and I can see the value in both experiences. I have worked with a vast array of ethnicities and cultures and feel comfortable with diversity. I am unique in that I am bicultural, bilingual and come to every client session ready to hold big emotions in compassionate ways. I know trauma and relationship injuries can make us feel very vulnerable and I want my clients to feel safe and emotionally held so that the work of healing brings peace and restorative experiences in all areas of life.

Hi, I’m Caitlin, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW and LICSW) and founder of Tiny Cottage Therapy. I offer online therapy for college students and young adults across California and Washington who are navigating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, and cultural or family expectations. College can bring a lot of pressure: to do well, to meet expectations, to have everything figured out. I provide a space where you don’t have to hold it all together. Together, we’ll work on understanding what’s been feeling heavy, learning tools to manage stress, and building more balance and self-trust. I take a warm, collaborative approach and focus on what feels most important to you. We’ll start where you are. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, confident, and connected to yourself as you move through this season of life. Most of the students I work with share a few things in common: they care deeply, try their best, and often feel pressure to keep it all together — even when they’re exhausted. They might overthink things, struggle to set boundaries, or feel torn between their own needs and what’s expected of them. Many of my clients identify as Asian American, AAPI, mixed-race, or multicultural, and are trying to balance family, culture, and school while figuring out who they want to be. Others are high achievers or caretakers who want to learn how to slow down, manage anxiety, and build a healthier relationship with themselves. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “too much” or “not enough,” or like you’re living your life on autopilot, therapy can be a place to pause, make sense of things, and start finding your own rhythm again.

I am inspired to work in the field of mental health because I want to offer support and strategies during a challenging time. I understand how difficult it can be to reach out for help. I want to work with you to improve your circumstances. I work on being nonjudgmental so that you feel comfortable and safe enough to share your experiences with me. I welcome feedback so I can continue to offer more of what might be needed so that I can best support you. I want to meet you where you are at and pace our work together. I respect all parts of your experience and want to make sure that you feel empowered to speak up if you ever feel worried about your care.

I work with young adults navigating anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, relationship issues, boundary issues, emotional overwhelm, and life transitions. I also specialize in postpartum/perinatal issues and supporting survivors of narcissistic abuse. My goal is to help you reconnect with your authentic self, strengthen your mind-body connection, and create a life aligned with your values. I believe you are the expert of your life, and therapy is a space to grow and deepen your self-exploration. My style is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. I act as a supportive guide using somatic therapy, mindfulness, ACT (values-based therapy), and family systems work. I don’t give quick advice—instead, we slow down and listen to your inner wisdom, building skills to support clarity, calm, and emotional resilience.

Hi, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience working with individuals that are dealing with mental health issues across their lifespan. I believe my experience as a first-generation college student has helped me make connections between the mental health issues we face with the addition of the insecurities and overwhelming experiences encounter simply by becoming a college student. I have experience providing services to help those facing trauma, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, anger, parenting support, men’s mental health issues, and various other presenting problems. I use my trauma-informed background and lessons learned in my own experience to gently help guide you toward a new shift in mindset that you want to establish, guided through your strengths, and with empathy every step of the way.