Therapists for college students near Philadelphia, PA
People often seek therapy to resolve past experiences and life complexities and the decision to enter therapy may carry feelings of ambivalence and uncertainty. I believe that therapy is most effective when persons are offered an environment that is inviting, collaborative, affirming, and safe. Subsequently, my goal is to provide a challenging, but non-judgmental and encouraging atmosphere for persons to explore concerns and difficulties as a means of achieving desired change. I have been trained in psychodynamic and gestalt therapy and trauma and attachment theory and I integrate these theoretical constructs to understand the uniqueness of each person. Further, I include harm reduction, cultural, strengths perspective, and social justice lenses to recognize each person's lived experience. In end, I have an extensive history working with persons of queer and trans/GNC experience and specific interest in working with complex trauma, substance misuse and addiction, attachment, and grief/loss. I offer an informed perspective when working with persons in polyamorous relationships and/or the kink community.
Many of the students and young adults we work best with are in the middle of a transition. They may have just moved away from home, started college or graduate school, begun a new job, or are trying to figure out who they are outside of their family. On the outside, it can look like they’re “doing fine.” On the inside, they often feel anxious, overwhelmed, uncertain, or afraid of making the wrong choices. You might relate if you’re struggling with independence — wanting space from your family but also feeling pulled back by guilt or expectations. Maybe you worry about the future, question your decisions constantly, or feel behind compared to everyone else. “Adulting” can feel harder than anyone warned you about. If you’re navigating identity, relationships, pressure to succeed, or fear of what comes next, you’re not alone. We work well with students who are thoughtful, self-aware, and ready to better understand themselves — even if they’re not sure where to start.
Dr. Spano treats adults (18+) in her private practice located in Philadelphia. She specializes in treating a host of psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, and difficulty navigating work and relationship stress. Dr. Spano is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and New York. She earned her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to opening her own practice, she served as the Head of Adult Neuropsychology and the Director of Psychotherapy at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates. She is an active member of the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists (PSCP). She earned her B.A. in Classics from Drew University.
I am a Board-Certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience helping individuals address their psychiatric challenges. I utilize a variety of modalities, including but not limited to medication management, to treat anyone who is willing to do the hard work necessary to affect change.
I have a decade-plus history of helping individuals experiencing issues ranging from general anxiety to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These patients can vary from people who have experienced acute traumatic events, suffered from health-related problems, dealt with adverse childhoods, or are struggling with the problems of everyday life. My training allows me to tailor my approach to the individual whether I am working with a young person navigating life transitions or an adult who has experienced a traumatic event. I am as comfortable reviewing CBT coping skills as I am guiding individuals on ways to regain trust and meaning.
If you are struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, anger issues, or relationship issues, The Philadelphia Center for a Psychotherapy can offer you the help you need. We offer comprehensive counseling and psychological services. We utilize evidence-based therapy to treat issues that include trauma, anxiety, ADHD, depression, immigration/acculturation, identity development, and more. We work with both individuals and couples to help them flourish, grow, and live a fulfilling and meaningful life. You are taking the first steps toward healing and emotional wellbeing right now, and that is something worth celebrating! You are one step closer to being on a self-exploration journey that can help you better understand yourself, learn how to change the things in your life that are keeping you stuck, and learn how to accept the things that are not within your control. At PCP, we know that it may have taken some effort for you to be here, and we are happy to find you the help that you need with this journey, and make it a meaningful experience. We don't want to just help you get unstuck--we want to help you flourish.
I believe therapy is meant to be a collaborative process between client and therapist. As such, clients create goals for themselves while therapist are present to assist them in reaching their goals. I strive to create an environment which is affirming and comfortable yet also expect I will challenge clients in their assumptions regarding thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal interactions. I use a variety of therapeutic modalities in my practice, tailoring therapy to the individual client(s) I am serving. I regularly use humor and self disclosure, as a way to increase therapeutic relationship, when appropriate. I have worked in social services and mental health for over 15 years. I began my career as a Resident Advisor and by volunteering on hotlines while in college. I then transitioned to working as a milieu therapist with children. Following completion of my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, I worked with families struggling with transitions, relationship conflict, and child behavioral/mental health concerns as a mobile family therapist. While working as a mobile therapist, I received additionally training in Eco-Systemic Family Therapy through the Philadelphia Child and Family Training Therapy program. I am one of a few male Certified Sex Therapist, certified through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, with offices in Philadelphia and Media. I work with couples and individuals. I specialize in working with LGBTQ inidividuals. My areas of speciality include, people seeking to understand their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. I work with gay and lesbian couples who are navigating both traditional couple dynamics as well as issues specific to being a part of a same-sex couple. I have worked with clients in traditional and non-traditional relationship dynamics, including open and polyamorous relationships. Additionally, I often work with people attempting to work through sexual dysfunctions or concerns. I enjoy working with male identified clients as I often find they are not generally given the latitude to be emotionally expressive and doing so with another male can be very affirming. My rate is $175 for individual sessions and $200.00 for couples. Sessions are typically 50 minutes in duration.
I work closely with individuals experiencing trauma concerns, relationship difficulties, and identity & self-esteem challenges. Many of the people I work with feel stuck in patterns that no longer serve them. Clients come to me seeking deeper self-understanding, more secure relationships, and a stronger sense of safety—both within themselves and in connection to others. You may find that past relationships and life experiences continue to shape how you see yourself, navigate relationships, set boundaries, or respond to stress. I use a psychodynamic, attachment-focused, and somatic-based approach. Utilizing trauma-informed care, I often focus on nervous system support and incorporate mind-body approaches. As a dance/movement therapist, I may also integrate movement when it aligns with someone's goals and comfort. Most importantly, I try to create a safe and collaborative environment where clients feel respected, heard, and empowered. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, confident, and connected to yourself and others—so you can move toward the life you want with clarity and strength. Through my own personal experiences, I can relate to the unique pressures that can arise in immigrant and high-achieving families, including perfectionism, over-responsibility, and people-pleasing. I bring personal understanding of navigating multiple cultural influences while recognizing each person's unique experience. In my spare time, I enjoy dancing, playing with my cat, and trying new restaurants.
Hello! Much of my training was devoted to working in college counseling centers such as the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and others. I primarily meet with young adults, including college students, graduate students, and the international student population in general. I also have niche experience working with all types of medical professionals. I would look forward to hearing from you.
Choosing therapy is a bold step towards positive change. My goal as a therapist is to support you as you move towards personal and relational healing while providing unconditional positive regard, structure for exploration, and nervous system support for staying present with the difficult emotions and re-grounding afterwards. I believe that you make sense and that you are an expert on your own experience. My practice is person-centered and celebrates queer and trans lives, poly and kink relationships, neurodivergent experience, and health at all sizes. I strive to practice cultural humility about experiences, histories, and cultural oppressions that fall outside my own. I use tools from trauma-informed modalities of IFS, EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing. I am open to working with adults, adolescents, and children of families that are willing to commit to family sessions. I enjoy working with people who experience multiple marginalizations and cultural oppressions, artists, writers and activists. Reach out with your questions, current struggles, ideals, and goals to explore if we are the right fit.
Our therapists strive to create a non-judgmental and compassionate space to offer guidance and help create change. We offer both shorter term solution-focused therapy as well as longer term in-depth psychotherapy depending on your individual needs. Our goal is to help you uncover your true potential and understand yourself better, leading to symptom reduction and lasting change. Common issues we address that bring people into therapy are: depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, trauma and PTSD, and low self esteem/self worth. We are also skilled at working with people with psychotic and bipolar disorders. We offer individual therapy as well as couples counseling. We celebrate and treat with the utmost respect all diverse backgrounds including sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and gender identity to name a few.
Feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or curious? Whether working through a new adjustment or struggling with communication, I offer a safe, inclusive space where you can feel heard, supported, and empowered. I am especially drawn to working with individuals, couples, and families navigating through life transitions, those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and those searching for a unique approach to this journey at their own pace. As a queer woman and Philadelphia local I bring lived experience and understanding, emphasizing a nonjudgmental stance as we navigate through this therapeutic journey I emphasize a systems-based approach, highlighting the importance of patterns and interconnections of relationships. I also work through an intersectional framework, understanding the unique interactions of identities that shape individual experience. As you bring your unique self to this experience, we will begin to unravel the complexities and contexts that hold importance, and with it I hope to empower you in each step going forward. I am currently accepting new clients, please reach out with any questions, or for a free 20 minute consultation!
I provide a therapeutic space that supports rapport-building and builds upon clients’ strengths. One of my approaches is to empower my clients to implement skills and techniques provided in sessions that help symptoms of anxiety, depression and relationship conflicts.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
The Center for Growth is a boutique private practice. Our psychotherapists provide individual therapy, couples counseling, adolescent teen therapy & support groups to people struggling with anxiety, panic attacks, ocd, anger, compulsions, depression, mood disorders, grief, loss, GLBTQI+, chronic pain, chronic illness, learning differences, ADHD, dyslexia, tourettes, autism, insecurity, trauma, shame, relationship problems, and personality issues. Additionally, we have a robust internship and fellowship training program. The Center for Growth, originally known as Therapy in Philadelphia, founded in 1997, is located in Ocean City NJ, Mechanicsville & Richmond VA, Philadelphia PA, Santa Fe NM, and remotely in Alpharetta GA and Florida.
Available appointments as of 1/21/26 Thank you for taking the first step to your journey in self reflection. I help facilitate a space to let you grow and overcome issues in your life. Whether you are tackling school, life, identity, family or struggling to figure out how and what steps to take. Reach out for a free consultation, and maybe therapy is the tool you need to move forward.
As solution-focused therapists, our goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can’t change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life. Talking with a mental health professional can help alleviate emotional distress and assist with finding solutions to your problems so that you can find your inner balance. If you’re looking for extra support and guidance through a challenging situation or you’re just ready to move in a new direction in your life, we look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. Please call or email us for an individual, couples or family therapy.
I am a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates specializing in medication management for a variety of mental health conditions in adults ages 18+, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, PMDD, bipolar disorder, and more. I offer a warm, empathic, non-judgmental and collaborative treatment approach. My philosophy is that using psychotherapy, coping skills, and healthy lifestyle choices combined with psychiatric medications often result in the best treatment outcomes. Offering HIPAA-compliant virtual Telehealth Psychiatric appointments for patients located in PA and NJ. Our practice does not have admitting privileges at local hospitals, and therefore, if a patient is high risk for self-harm, is acutely suicidal or needing crisis intervention, has a history of inpatient psychiatric admissions, suicide attempts, or psychosis, we may recommend providers with additional emergency resources outside of our practice.
We specialize in working with women with Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, Self Esteem Issues, Trauma, Addiction, + Substance Use Disorders, Motherhood, OCD, Infertility, Teens, EMDR, LGBTQ+, BIPOC and Art Therapy. We offer a one stop shop experience— with licensed therapists, a board certified psychiatrist, a licensed nutritionist, groups and workshops. We also offer sliding scale spots with our graduate intern program. Please refer to our website for the most up to date information and please contact our admin staff at info@therapyforwomencenter.com to be matched with a therapist and to discuss therapist availability. We are also happy to answer an questions you have either via email or through a scheduled phone call which can be done through our website.