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Therapists for college students near San Diego State University

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First Gen Journey Counseling and Consulting
Psychologist
Sierra Madre, CA
Accepting new clients

Being the first in your family to navigate college and professional settings is filled with excitement, growth, transition, and joy. It can also be lonely, confusing, and stressful. Do you feel caught between two worlds (family and work/school)? Do you underestimate your value or worth in places where you experience prejudice and discrimination? Are you struggling to define or accept who you are and what you value based on tensions with family or your culture? When you are First Gen, there are often challenges in both your professional and personal life that are hard to understand and cope with but you don’t have to do it alone. Working together, we will be able to gain clarity on how your experiences are impacted by your personal and family history, your communities, and society as a whole. We will shine a spotlight on your strengths, build your confidence, and help you lean into how amazing you are. We will explore how to manage the sad, frustrating, uncomfortable, and anxious parts of your life in a way that builds you up and grounds you in your values. Existing in two worlds doesn’t have to mean separating your life. You can be your full self with anyone, anywhere. If you are ready to get started on the next stage of your First Gen journey, contact me today!

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Marimar Rosa Monge
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Sacramento, CA
Accepting new clients

Promoting a healthy mental health in society is what inspires me. As a proud Latina Clinical Social Worker, I bring my cultural heritage and professional expertise to empower individuals in their healing journey ensuring they feel seen, understood, and supported. I strive to provide a supportive and affirming environment. I understand that every individual has unique needs. I ensure to assess and explore which modalities and treatment would serve most effective. I believe healing is not linear, but living a life with a better quality can be possible with the right support and direction. Creating a strong therapeutic alliance is of the upmost importance in therapy. Having a strong alliance is like having a strong foundation in a house, with a strong foundation any strong house can be built. I develop trust, rapport, connection and unconditional support striving to be the best therapist for my clients.

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Curtin Counseling
Licensed Professional Counselor
Oakland, CA
Accepting new clients

Starting college — or just trying to get through it — can bring up a lot: Am I doing this right? Do I even belong here? Who am I becoming? I’d love to help you figure it out. Together we can work through the stress of adjusting to a new place, academic and social anxiety, career uncertainty, drinking or eating patterns that feel hard to shake, or trauma that’s still asking to be understood. I especially enjoy working with students nearing graduation who are wrestling with what comes next — career direction, next steps, and the identity shift that comes with leaving college behind. Before becoming a therapist, I spent years as a professor, and my research focused on identity and belonging — so I have a real passion for working with students exploring who they are, especially those navigating race, class, gender, or sexuality, or who just feel like they’re on the outside looking in. I bring both that academic background and genuine warmth to our work together.

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Find Your Balance Center for Growth and Change
Group practice
Los Angeles, CA
Accepting new clients

You don't need to go through this alone. We can be there for you offering support, a second opinion, unconditional care and encouragement while we all learn to live life during this pandemic. We can do this together. Find Your Balance, Center for Growth & Change specialize in anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Our passion is to help you create change and live life to the fullest no matter what is going on around you. We can provide services through video conferencing or telephone. Hablas's Español. We are professionally trained in evidenced based practices that will help you maximize your full potential. We will provide you with enthusiastic support, an objective perspective and the insight that you need to feel supported and the best you that you can be. When you feel alone or isolated, I'll be the one to walk with you through your journey while offering support, exploring your strengths and encouraging you to take the steps you need to create the change you want. We won't give up on you. ​

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Sarah Ascheri
Licensed Professional Counselor
Long Beach, CA
Accepting new clients

I am inspired to work in the field of mental health care because of my passion for fostering meaningful change in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. My dedication to helping individuals build on their strengths and navigate challenges allows me to empower them to heal, grow, and thrive. Guided by empathy, I aim to create a space where people can feel understood and supported in their journey toward better mental health. To ensure clients feel heard and understood in sessions, I create a safe, non-judgmental space where they can express themselves openly. I approach each session with empathy, active listening, and cultural humility, tailoring my support to honor the unique experiences of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ2+ individuals, low-income families, children, adolescents, and trauma survivors. By validating their feelings, recognizing their strengths, and fostering trust, I help clients feel truly understood and supported throughout their journey. I build trust and a strong therapeutic alliance by creating a warm, non-judgmental, and compassionate environment where clients feel safe to share their experiences. I honor each client’s unique strengths, values, and goals, fostering a sense of partnership and mutual respect. This approach helps establish a strong foundation for meaningful growth and healing, allowing clients to feel supported and understood throughout the therapeutic process.

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Erica King
Marriage & Family Therapist
Sacramento, CA
Accepting new clients

I was drawn to mental health care because I believe that even in the most difficult moments, you can find hope and move toward a brighter future with the right support. Everyone deserves compassion, understanding, and a safe place to talk about what they’re going through. I’ve seen how powerful it can be when someone no longer feels alone with their struggles. My goal is to serve my community by providing care that combines professional guidance with genuine empathy, so you feel supported as you work through life’s challenges and move toward healing and growth. In our work together, my focus is on creating a space where you feel comfortable sharing openly and where your experiences are respected and understood. I believe mental health is closely connected to your overall well-being, so we may also explore ways to support both your emotional and physical health. I tailor my approach to what works best for you. This might include creative techniques like sand tray, art, or music, CBT-based resources, or holistic practices such as mindfulness and movement. By offering different tools and approaches, we can find what helps you feel supported, empowered, and moving forward. Building trust starts with taking the time to truly understand your experiences and what matters most to you. I’ve worked with people from many different backgrounds who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, and chronic pain. My previous career as a U.S. Navy Police officer taught me resilience, discipline, and the importance of serving others—values that guide the way I show up for you in therapy. Along with my work in the California community, these experiences help me create a supportive environment where you feel respected, understood, and encouraged as you work toward the changes you want in your life. I was drawn to mental health care because I believe that even in difficult moments, you can find hope and move toward a brighter future with the right support. Everyone deserves compassion, understanding, and a safe place to talk about what they’re going through. I’ve seen how powerful it can be when someone no longer feels alone in their struggles. My goal is to provide care that combines professional guidance with genuine empathy so you feel supported as you work toward healing and growth. In our work together, my focus is on creating a space where you feel comfortable sharing openly and where your experiences are truly respected and understood. I tailor my approach to what works best for you, using a variety of tools such as creative techniques like sand tray, art, or music, CBT-based resources, and holistic practices like mindfulness and movement. By offering different approaches, we can find what helps you feel supported and move forward.

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Marla Leigh Caplan MFT
Marriage & Family Therapist
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

I am a licensed psychotherapist in San Francisco, California. I bring my creativity and intellectual curiosity to a psychodynamic approach to clinical psychology rooted in the tradition of psychoanalysis. My approach as a therapist is honest and direct. I am actively engaged in the process of exploration, listening for the unconscious - for what is said and what is not said. I aspire to collaborate with you to rediscover your authentic self and a renewed sense of aliveness by accessing and reflecting on your own inner wisdom from multiple perspectives. I work with artists, creators, writers and thinkers; highly sensitive people who are deeply affected by the world and whose sensitivities are both their greatest asset and most daunting challenge. Wherever you find yourself in the infinitely varied spectrum of culture, gender, race, sex and religious identity, you are welcome here with me. It is my privilege to join you on this journey. I am here to help you see that everything is possible.

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Nadeem Hasan, Psy.D.
Psychologist
San Jose, CA
Accepting new clients

Having had the pleasure of working with college students at Santa Clara University, SJSU, and UCLA, I help people feel better by addressing the specific concerns that bring them to therapy. I aim to listen carefully and offer a safe space to explore what’s on your mind, with the goal of helping you get what you want from therapy and feel more like yourself again. My work often focuses on relieving emotional distress, deepening connection to one’s feelings, gaining insight into recurring challenges, and fostering a greater sense of self-alignment and vitality. I've had the opportunity to help folks address many challenges in therapy from anxiety, depression, loss, and relationship challenges to questions about one's identity, life transitions, and processing difficult experiences from childhood. This approach to therapy is called psychodynamic. In my approach, I incorporate many principles from AEDP and have also been trained in other modalities such as CBT, ACT, and DBT. I sometimes draw from these modalities when someone may want to develop coping skills to deal with life’s ups and downs as they work towards their goals for therapy. I also welcome people to bring up issues of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, pertinent political issues as well as any other aspects of their culture or themselves they wish to share, explore, or better understand in therapy.

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The Mindful Lemon
Group practice
Santa Clarita, CA
Accepting new clients

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

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Alvarado Therapy
Group practice
Pasadena, CA
Accepting new clients

Hello! We are so grateful that you've embarked on this journey of self-discovery, growth, & healing. We are a group practice based out of California and collectively, we have over a decade of experience in the helping profession, assisting children, teens, and adults. Our approach involves viewing situations through a multicultural lens, enabling us to comprehend your unique needs through active listening, empathy, and a non-judgmental perspective. We specialize in EMDR, CBT, Brainspotting, Solution-Focused Treatment, & Mindfulness. We bring extensive expertise in treating trauma, anxiety, stress, depression, mindfulness, and grief. Our EMDR-based approach focuses on desensitizing and reprocessing negative beliefs, allowing for deep healing without the need for unnecessary re-traumatization.This process involves sharing minimal details while still creating lasting, transformative change. We are a team of EMDR trauma therapists committed to reducing barriers to mental health care. To support this mission, our practice operates entirely online via a HIPAA-secure video platform, allowing us to create a strong therapeutic relationship while focusing on both your short-term and long-term goals in each session.

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Samira Dewidar, LCSW
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Los Angeles, CA
Accepting new clients

On the surface you have it “all together” but underneath are struggling with constant anxiety & self doubt. Despite being smart, driven, and incredibly hard working, life feels hard. No matter how much you do or accomplish, you never feel good enough. You always put others first and struggle to say no, even when overwhelmed. You want to heal from old wounds and break unhelpful patterns but you aren’t sure how. You’re ready to let go of your inner critic and start taking care of yourself without feeling guilty. You deserve meaningful relationships where you feel supported. You want to feel fulfilled, have balance, and enjoy the life you have worked hard to build. Feeling calm and confident aren’t out of your reach, I’d love to help get you there. I specialize in treating anxiety, self esteem, and trauma in adults utilizing individual therapy and EMDR. I offer in person services in Manhattan near Union Square and virtual sessions for California and New York residents. Reach out to schedule your free 20 minute consultation call today to learn more.

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Sheri Rose-McCashin
Marriage & Family Therapist
Los Angeles, CA
Accepting new clients

I am interested in working with motivated students who are willing to invest themselves in the therapeutic process. I provide a safe place to talk and a supportive place to address what "hurts", "what's really hard and stressful in their life". Therapy is a relationship based on team work and a willingness to invest attention and time from me as well as from the client. Some issues are resolved quickly while others require more attention and time to resolve.

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Jessica King
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Lake Elsinore, CA
Accepting new clients

Hi there. I see you. If you’re a student of color, first in your family to pursue higher education, or carrying the weight of trauma, expectations, or unspoken struggles…you’re not alone. I specialize in working with Black, first-gen, and BIPOC students who often feel like they have to be everything for everyone, all while trying to hold it together. Maybe you’re navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, or feeling disconnected from your identity. Maybe you’re tired of code-switching, tired of pretending you’re okay, or trying to heal from experiences no one else seems to understand. In this space, you don’t have to explain your culture, your pain, or your strength. I get it, because I’ve lived it, and I’ve helped others through it. My therapy style is warm, honest, and rooted in both cultural awareness and deep respect for your story. We’ll work at your pace to help you feel more grounded, confident, and like you again, not the version of you the world expects. If faith is important to you, I can incorporate that into our work too. And if you’re just trying to figure out who you are and where you belong, that’s okay too. We’ll explore it together. This is a space for your healing, your voice, and your freedom. You don’t have to carry it alone. Healing is a journey, and I’m honored to walk with you.

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Melanie Goetz
Marriage & Family Therapist
Carlsbad, CA
Accepting new clients

Welcome. I believe we are all wired for connection, and, whether extraverted or introverted, rejection and isolation are incredibly painful experiences. Our brains and bodies are built in such a way that protects us from threat and harm. While these protection instincts are necessary and helpful in the midst of threat, sometimes they can keep us from the connection we truly crave and need. If you're finding that your protectors are keeping you from relating with yourself, others, and the world around you, the counseling setting can be a safe place for practicing transformational skills to break free from the unhealthy, unhelpful habits. You are the owner and narrator of your own story. The counseling room becomes a place where your felt-story can be shared, heard, and healed through. My method is collaborative and holistic in nature, integrating counseling methods to meet each client's specific needs. I am trained in Gottman Method, DARe, EMDR with kids and adults, and TBRI. "Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up" (Brene Brown). Your bravery does not go unnoticed. I look forward to hearing your story, soon.

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Avery Axel, PsyD | Adult ADHD & Autism Evaluations
Psychologist
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Accepting new clients

Do you wonder whether your experience may be neurodivergent or related to ADHD or autism? Do you want to better understand your mental and emotional experience? I specialize in comprehensive psychological evaluations for adults seeking clarity around ADHD, autism, and other mental health or neurodivergence-related questions. Evaluations may include ADHD diagnostic evaluations (including Telehealth ADHD diagnostic evaluations), autism assessment, cognitive testing, and broader mental health diagnostic evaluations. Comprehensive assessments provide diagnostic clarification and clinical recommendations. Each evaluation is conducted by a licensed psychologist specializing in adult psychological testing and differential diagnosis. Each evaluation includes an intake, testing, scoring, a written report, feedback, and recommendations when applicable. Evaluations may be completed via telehealth, hybrid format (telehealth combined with in-person testing), or fully in-person, depending on evaluation type and clinical needs. Telehealth ADHD diagnostic evaluations are available. I serve adults throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Torrance, and the South Bay. Cognitive testing and some other assessments are conducted in-person only. Please contact me with any questions about evaluation format or recommendations.​ My goal is to help you better understand yourself and your experiences. Evaluations use a strength-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach tailored to each individual. Evaluations are designed to be thorough, collaborative, and respectful of each individual’s lived experience. Fees vary by evaluation type and clinical complexity. Fee ranges are listed on my website (axeltesting.com). Telehealth services are available for adults throughout CA. My practice focuses specifically on adult diagnostic evaluation rather than ongoing therapy. You don't need to be certain about pursuing an evaluation to reach out. I am happy to answer questions and help you explore options. Contact me for a free consultation or questions.

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Marie Battaglia Westerman
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Winter Park, FL
Accepting new clients

Hi! I have spent my entire career working with college students - starting initially on a college campus, then to a group practice near UC Davis, and now in my own private practice. I am currently only offering telehealth services and I am licensed in California, Florida, and Ontario Canada. I love supporting young adults and adults during such a pivotal time of life; as they navigate the transition to college, the unique challenges that come with being a college student/young adult, and the healing that can happen when you find a good fit. Whether you have a history of mental health impacting you or it's your first time ever experiencing anxiety, depression, loss, self esteem, relationship challenges (among other things) I strive to provide you with a safe space to feel heard, supported, and understood.

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Rose and Resilience Wellness
Marriage & Family Therapist
Long Beach, CA
Accepting new clients

Hello, my name is Emily and I am the owner of Rose and Resilience Wellness. I work best with students who feel like they’ve been carrying too much for too long. Many of my clients struggle with anxiety, trauma, burnout, self-esteem, relationship stress, people-pleasing, or feeling overwhelmed trying to balance school, work, family, and life transitions. Some students come to therapy after years of “just pushing through,” while others are navigating painful experiences that still affect them today. I strive to create a space that feels warm, safe, affirming, and judgment-free — more like talking to a supportive human than sitting in a stiff therapy office. I especially enjoy working with LGBTQ+ students, young adults, and students who may feel misunderstood, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from themselves. My approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and compassionate. I use EMDR and other evidence-based approaches to help clients process difficult experiences, build healthier relationships, feel more grounded, and reconnect with who they are beneath survival mode. Therapy with me is not about “fixing” you — it’s about helping you feel more empowered, understood, and able to move through life with greater confidence and resilience.

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Mike Pugh
Psychologist
Los Angeles, CA
Accepting new clients

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

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Kari Killianey
Psychologist
Belmont, CA
Accepting new clients

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.

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Brandi Martin Private Practice
Marriage & Family Therapist
Orange, CA
Accepting new clients

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

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