Therapists for college students near San Diego State University

As a recent college graduate, I know how hard it is to not get behind or feel burnt out while trying to go to school and deal with daily life stressors at the same time. I am here to help clients navigate through their struggles, learn about themselves, and grow into the best versions of themselves. I am here to tend to each client's unique needs and help them on their journey of bettering themselves.

I was trained at Yale and Columbia University, and I was a Clinical Associate Professor (affiliate) at Stanford University for 15 years. Recently, the American Psychology Association bestowed me the Fellow status, an honor for outstanding contributions to the field of psychology in Clinical Psychology (Division 12). I am also a full Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology. I am very experienced in working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds and on extremely challenging issues. In addition, I have trained and supervised hundreds of psychologists and therapists, including Ph.D. students and post-doctoral trainees in many universities and clinical settings.

Is heavy stress and anxiety making it hard to feel steady, present, and focused as you move through the semester? You might get stuck in loops of overthinking about grades, deadlines, money, or the future, while your body stays tense and on edge. For some students, social anxiety can be its own grind, making you skip gatherings or spend too long replaying conversations afterward. Sometimes anxiety doesn’t just make you worry—it forecasts disaster and turns choices into landmines. Left running in the background, it can spill into perfectionism, stress-eating, zoning out, or leaning on weed or alcohol to take the edge off. You deserve support that helps you function and feel better. Not just pushing through, but building a foundation of well-being that lasts beyond the semester. In our work, we’ll address the anxiety and help you feel like yourself again with clearer thinking, a steadier mood, and more ease in your body. I’ve spent 13 years helping people with anxiety, and I know the unique pressures of college life. Together, we’ll find practical, compassionate ways to feel more grounded and zoned-in. My style is gentle and collaborative, yet active in guiding the work. You don’t have to power your way through alone. Take the first step toward change and book a free intro call on the calendar section of my website.

I believe that you are a unique individual. You have your own path of growth and your own set of challenges. In therapy, I will deeply respect your feelings about your life and your situation. I am an empathetic and caring therapist. Clients have told me that I have a gift for putting myself in their shoes and really feeling what they feel. I use techniques such as Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and Energy therapy to help people heal from trauma, whether the trauma occurred early in life or more recently. You really can heal from trauma! We can greatly reduce or eliminate the multiple effects it has on your emotions, your behavior, and your relationships. I also apply these techniques to depression, anxiety and other difficulties. I care very much about the people I work with, and I will apply my professional skills and experience to your unique situation. I will help you develop new, more successful methods to handle the difficult issues you are dealing with. I may help you find strengths that you didn’t know you had. In my 20 years of practicing psychotherapy, I have helped people from all walks of life with many different backgrounds. My experience includes working with ADHD and helping people deal with complex family relationship issues, as well as with marital or partner relationship issues. I look forward to meeting you and beginning our work together.

I'm a trauma specialist with a focus on neurodiversity, particularly autism, ADHD, and highly sensitive people. As a neurodivergent therapist myself, I'm familiar with the challenges that come with being different. Many people, including well-intentioned therapists, don't fully grasp the intricacies of neurodivergent experiences, leaving us feeling misunderstood and unsupported. That's why I provide therapy that's tailored to you. I believe in incorporating your values, preferences, and special interests into our sessions. By doing so, we can address your specific goals and challenges in a way that aligns with your inherent strengths and learning style. Whether you want to work through your past, discover your true self, or find new tools to more effectively manage your daily life, I'm here to support you. Let's work towards creating a more meaningful and fulfilling life, one step at a time. I can’t wait to meet you.

Do you experience stress, worry, or panic? Does anxiety interfere with your pursuit of personal and academic/professional goals? I can help you overcome your fears and help you live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. My goal is to provide a compassionate environment in which my clients can learn strategies to attain greater life satisfaction and well-being. My areas of expertise include Anxiety Disorders (generalized anxiety and worry, social anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and specific phobias), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (compulsive hair pulling and skin picking). I also support parents who are experiencing anxiety or OCD during the perinatal period. I will collaborate with you to develop a treatment approach that meets your needs. Through evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), we'll work together to reduce your distress, build healthy coping skills, and restore a sense of balance in your life.

College can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. If anxiety, depression, ADHD, stress, or simply not feeling like yourself is making it harder to enjoy college or perform at your best, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Whatever you may be struggling with, I’ll work with you to understand what’s going on and find a solution that fits your needs, goals, and circumstances.

I am a mother of two boys and a wife with over 10 years of experience in psychiatry. My training spans various settings, including inpatient care, crisis units, the mother-baby unit, and academia as a lecturer. I have a particular interest in working with children, adolescents, and the perinatal population. What inspires me most in my work are the patients and their stories—helping individuals make progress and improve their quality of life. I believe in meeting each patient where they are, holding space for them, and listening to their needs as part of the healing process.

I was inspired to become a therapist because I have always had a passion for helping people in whatever way that I can, without judgement and assumptions. I continue to be inspired on a daily basis by the work that I do with my clients, and helping guide them to the solutions that they are looking for in therapy. I believe in the idea of ensuring that clients feel heard, understood and validated in what they are feeling. I ensure this by providing a safe, nonjudgmental therapy space for clients to feel comfortable in opening up about what brought them into therapy and how we can work through those concerns. Clients are encouraged to additionally express any concerns that they have should those arise. I speak with my clients on the idea of collaboration throughout treatment, as well as building a strong therapeutic rapport from the start. I bring in a sense of humor, respect and honesty about things as well. In addition to all of this, I allow for my clients to speak their mind about what is impacting them, and to provide them that space in order to express those feelings. I am a big proponent of positive self-care, something that I encourage my client to utilize throughout each week. I share my enjoyment of listening to music, watching sports, reading, physical activities, and playing guitar. It helps open the door to discussion about self-care techniques that clients can utilize when they are experiencing difficulties in their lives.

Welcome! Please see my website or contact me for more information about my practice.

My work is grounded in supporting individuals through challenges such as anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, and grief and loss. I also have a strong passion for working with women navigating life transitions, including academic stressors, body | self-esteem issues, shifts in identity, and intimacy-related concerns. These experiences can feel so isolating, and I strive to create a space where you feel understood, supported, and not alone.

I specialize in working with young adults, teens, caregivers, and families navigating overwhelm, transitions, chronic stress, and challenging relationship dynamics. I provide therapy to help restore stability and trust for those who have experienced trauma or relational wounds such as loss, chronic invalidation, coercive control, neglect, and abuse. I also work with athletes and performance-driven individuals whose ambition, discipline, and high standards fuel their lives yet may conceal pain. I integrate a sports psychology lens when achievement pressure intersects with self-concept, trauma, or burnout. I support high-level performers facing intense demands, competitive dynamics, setbacks, identity shifts, and life beyond sport, drawing on my experience as a former Division I collegiate athlete. Seeking support is a meaningful step. From the start of our work together, we will create a space that feels grounded, intentional, and deeply human, with open and honest communication at its foundation. I invite you to reach out for a free consultation call to explore whether we are a good fit.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2010, I’ve been treating adults and adolescents experiencing life challenges which sometimes leads to symptoms of anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and substance use. I believe we are all unique and our life experiences shape how we see the world. I work with the individual to find a path that facilitates self-growth and clarity. I graduated from the University of Southern California in 2007 and am licensed in the state of Nevada and California. I provide service in office and/or Telehealth.

The Norooz Clinic Foundation is a non-profit public service and educational organization established in October of 2012. Norooz is a Farsi word meaning new day and a new beginning. At the Norooz Clinic Foundation, we strive to assist those who walk through our doors with their journey of discovery to find their new day, their rebirth, through mental health and wellness. The Norooz Clinic Foundation focuses on building and maintaining healthy relationships by identifying common struggles and providing new ways to approach them with success. We teach our clients effective skills and tools in order to give them alternative ways to think about daily problems and stressors and overcome them with more ease and balance.

Charlie Health is a virtual behavioral health program for adolescents and young adults with moderate or severe mental health concerns or co-occurring substance use or eating disorders. Designed to meet the needs of those who require more than weekly therapy, our program combines curated group therapy, individual therapy, and family therapy into personalized treatment programs. We are helping to serve those who are in crisis, or have been historically underserved, by eliminating the most significant treatment barriers: geographical and financial access. We work with nearly all commercial insurance nationwide and have no waitlist, thereby helping people access quality, evidence-based care regardless of insurance, location, or other barriers.

Honest Insight is an individual and couples counseling service dedicated towards developing self-awareness and healthier relationships with ourselves and others. We provide in person services (Pasadena) and virtual services throughout CA. Clients that choose to work with us are curious to learn about how their unique childhood experiences have influenced their current adult lives. You want to be more effective in managing relationships (romantic, family, professional, social), and develop the confidence to live life with more meaning. It is possible to feel safe, experience happiness and worry less. We are trauma informed and work from a relational focus. We can work together to gain insight and explore your past so that you can develop a better understanding of your experiences and how they have impacted you. Our therapists have been trained in several modalities including Emotionally Focused Therapy, EMDR, CBT, ACT, DBT and more trauma based approaches.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hi! I’m Jen, a therapist living & working in Santa Monica, CA. I offer in-person and virtual therapy for teens, adults, and couples, with a special focus on supporting college students navigating life’s big transitions. College can feel like a constant pressure to have it all figured out, like keeping up with classes, planning your future, maintaining relationships, becoming independent. It’s easy to go on autopilot and miss the internal struggles happening under the surface. In our work together, we’ll take a closer look at the patterns, beliefs, and experiences shaping how you move through the world - not with judgment, but with curiosity. That might mean noticing how the past shows up in the present, tuning into what actually feels good (which often gets overlooked), or learning how to ask for what you need with more confidence and empathy. I know firsthand what it’s like to seem “fine” on the outside while feeling overwhelmed inside. My own experiences navigating high-pressure environments, family dynamics, and personal growth have shown me how powerful it is to have a space for reflection, connection, and honest support. My approach is insight-driven, relational, and strength-based. This means we'll work on understanding why you do what you do, not to label it, but to learn from it, and build on the strengths you already bring to the table. The relationship we build in therapy becomes a space to practice things like vulnerability, setting boundaries, and getting your needs met, so that over time, the changes you make here can ripple into your everyday life — in classes, friendships, dating, and beyond.

Hi, my name is Haley Kumar and I help individuals experiencing challenges such as anxiety, parenting struggles, trauma, and disordered eating. Whether you're looking to strengthen your innate resilience, reconnect to your values, or navigate the many challenges life can throw our way, I'm here to help you! Think of me as your collaborator, someone supporting you to engage with yourself and your life in a way that feels meaningful to you. As a social worker, I take a “systems approach,” considering how personal, community, and societal environments influence mental health. This perspective allows me to integrate elements of social justice, allyship, and reverence into the way I understand and support my clients’ experiences. Common evidence based practices that I utilize include, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For ARFID (CBT-AR), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), and Family Based Therapy (FBT).

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.