Therapists for college students near University of Southern California

Many of the people I work with describe feeling stuck, burned out, or unsure about what comes next. On the surface, they may seem to have it all together, yet inside they are struggling with anxiety, depression, or the pressure to keep going when they are running on empty. You might find yourself juggling work, relationships, and personal growth while quietly wondering why it all feels so heavy. Therapy with me is a space to slow down, make sense of what is happening beneath the surface, and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels honest and sustainable. I will meet you with curiosity and care, not judgment. Together we will explore patterns, emotions, and experiences that have shaped you while building practical tools to manage stress and create balance. You do not have to have everything figured out to start. My goal is to help you feel more grounded, confident, and aligned with what truly matters, at a pace that feels safe and supportive for where you are right now.

Hi, I’m Mojdeh. I am an Iranian-American therapist and a child of immigrant parents. I witnessed my parents experiencing their feelings of grief as they lived far from family, friends, and their native country. As a bicultural kid, I faced challenges integrating both of my cultures and experienced racism as I navigated the world. As an Iranian woman, I deeply understand the experience of not being seen, heard, or included. I am aware of the under-representation of BIPOC clients and therapists in the therapy room. This has led me to want to connect with clients who have been historically oppressed. In our work together, we can begin the process of examining systemic issues, advocating for social change and healing ancestral & intergenerational trauma.

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.

I was inspired to become a therapist as a young child, with the value of wanting to help others. Early in my career I had many mentors who encouraged me to become a therapist, they believed in me. In some moment, I realized I wanted to help people believe in themselves and to see their own possibilities. Validation is one of the most important tools I value as a therapist and as a person. I use the phrase, validate the other person’s reality that may be different from your own. I teach clients to self validate, to know what you experienced is true and real. I value the process of creating this safe space where one can see themselves just as they are. I ask for feedback to see if how I respond through validation fits for the client, if they felt heard and validated. My first response is over time. I think trust is built with consistency. I tend to follow a consistent pattern in session, I try to have a beginning, middle and end to every session. The beginning can be more of a welcoming and social experience. The middle can be sharing and revealing the deeper part of a person and what they are going through. This can feel emotional and intense at times. The end, is closure. I will help a client have some closure at the end of every session. I talk to the client about next steps, how will you spend the time after the session, and confirm when we will meet next.

Amir Siddiqui is a therapist specialized in couples, family, and individual therapy. He maintains private practices virtually and in person at the following offices: 4713 First Street, Suite 242, Pleasanton, CA 94566 35 E. 10 Street, Suite L, Tracy, CA 95376 Virtual Amir has over 12 years of experience in providing couples, family, and individual therapy. He believes that one is the driver and they can control how they want to live; however, he understands often times family, substances, culture, depression, past trauma, anxiety, relationships, arrange marriages, ADHD, infidelity, intimacy, raising children, career/employment, financial, and personal struggles can be obstacles. His objective is to work with you in becoming aware and in creating solutions, which can counterattack these obstacles. Depending on your motivation this process can be short or long. It all depends on how much you want to live a productive life. He also provides supervision to APCC's. If you are not comfortable in the conventional psychotherapy setting, he also uses movement/walk psychotherapy(outdoor walking or outdoor exercising simultaneously with talk therapy) . He provides Virtual or In Person sessions.

Dr. Thomas G Letourneau, MD, brings kindness and clinical expertise to the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, panic, bipolar disorders, relationship problems, and life transitions. He believes truly caring about his patients and showing them kindness and compassion is the first step in healing. He is an experienced psychopharmacologist who specializes in medication management. He stays on the cutting edge of the most current research and treatment methodologies in order to manage various psychiatric conditions in the most effective way possible. A skilled diagnostician with over 40 years of clinical experience, Dr. Letourneau provides compassionate, evidence-based care, engaging patients in collaborative treatment planning within a welcoming, reassuring environment.

I help people to resolve anxiety and trauma using a combination of talk therapy and somatic practices. Changing your mind isn’t enough, you have to change the way that you feel in your body. Simple practices like EMDR, Brainspotting and EFT can help you to make lasting changes in your life.

Hi there! I’m a Filipina-American Associate Marriage & Family Therapist and Associate Professional Clinical Counselor at Ellie Mental Health. My goal is to create a safe and affirming space where adolescents, transitional age youth, and adults of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and everyone in between feel seen, heard, and valued. I approach therapy with compassion, cultural awareness, and a strength-based perspective, honoring your unique story and needs. I know that therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, so I tailor my approach to you, incorporating evidence-based practices like Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, CBT, EMDR, and trauma-informed care to support your healing journey. Your journey is uniquely yours—shaped by experiences, strengths, and challenges. I’m here to create a space where you feel seen, heard, and supported. Together, we’ll explore healing, growth, and well-being as you uncover your inner strength, build resilience, and live your true authentic self.

Having trained at the University of Notre Dame (Ph.D., M.A.), UC Berkeley (APA-accredited internship) and Stanford (post-doctoral fellowship), I bring rigorous scientific expertise into my clinical work with college students. In fact, I worked at the University Counseling Centers at all three of these schools and have continued to develop a specialized private practice that focuses almost exclusively on college students. I also teach for Pepperdine University in their Graduate School of Education & Psychology. I help clients with a range of concerns including: anxiety, depression, career and academic concerns, ADHD, relationship concerns (situationships, am I right? :) ), body image and eating disorders, perfectionism, college/life transitions, as well as family of origin challenges (let's say it together, boundaries...). I often work with high-achieving students who often are managing academically but struggling internally. My clients often put others first and themselves last. By the time they come to therapy, concerns have been going on for some time and they've reached a breaking point. They may feel they "should" be able to handle things on their own. As a recovering perfectionist and someone who was riddled with anxiety throughout college, I get it. It wasn't until my own training in CBT that I learned how destructive such thought patterns were. It inspired my clinical approach, as well as three clinical workbooks I've published on Solution-Focused Therapy, CBT, and Positive Psychology with the top mental health publishers. Many of my clients who have been to therapy before often remark how "easy" I make the process. We laugh, we learn, and talk like old friends. Therapy doesn't have to be stuffy or stressful. It's about feeling respected, validated and heard. Learning to take care of yourself, set appropriate boundaries, and thrive! I'd LOVE to work with you! Please feel free to book a complimentary 15 minute consultation at my website below so we can connect!

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.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I am a Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in LGBTQ+ care. In my private practice, I offer individual and couples therapy sessions as a sexual, gender, and relational diverse provider with expert training and over ten years of service to the community. I sought additional training in couples therapy, sex therapy, and diverse relationship structures. My practice is also geared towards supporting alternative sexuality communities, including kink, BDSM, non-monogamy, and polyamory. My mission has always been to be a knowledgeable therapist so that my clients don't feel like they are educating me about their lives and can feel safe knowing they will not be judged for who they are.

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to be here. I know that struggling with anxiety is exhausting. You're awake at night and your body can't relax. You feel exhausted and tired on a regular basis. On the outside you seem successful, but on the inside you want to scream from all the pressure and feel stuck. Your relationships are also not where you want it to be - feeling disconnected, struggling with the same issues, and the thought that something’s missing. You want things to change, but don't know how to get there.

I specialize in treating out-of-control sexual behaviors, anxiety, and OCD. I work with busy students who are struggling with self-esteem and perfectionism, overwhelmed by changing relationships, and worries about the future. Together we will find ways to understand yourself more, improve well-being, and find your power to move toward what is important to you.

Prior to being a therapist, I worked in community mental health care in San Diego and San Francisco for nine years. I believe community care and mental wellness are so important for the well-being of individuals and our communities as a whole. I practice therapy from a strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective. Engaging in therapy can be a big step, and I aim to be a supportive guide on my clients’ therapeutic journeys. I like working collaboratively with clients to identify specific solutions that can help improve overall quality of life. I practice therapy from a solution-focused, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. I utilize elements of CBT, DBT, Person Centered, Narrative and Mindfulness-Based Therapy in sessions to support my clients toward well-being and growth.

Seeking help says a lot about you! It means you are open to becoming the best version of you; strong, authentic, balanced. My objective is to provide you with realistic tools for problem solving stressors, while reconnecting you to what truly matters in your life. My background in trauma work allows me to incorporate evidence based interventions and techniques to help adjust your thoughts about yourself and to minimize unhelpful habits that are keeping you from feeling whole. I incorporate grounding work as a way to connect mind, body, heart and spirit, and foster a sense of hope. I have been told I am "Minnesota nice", (a midwesterner at heart...I admit). I am a strong listener and lead with empathy, as I believe a trusting relationship aids in your healing. (p.s...sometimes you might catch a glimpse of my dog Guinness nearby he is a great listener too!) I know when to challenge, and when to allow for space. I have worked with dual diagnosis, addiction, learning disability/neurodivergent, first responders, veterans, couples/families, youth, students and artists.

My clients are vibrant, interesting, intelligent, and high-functioning people who sometimes face challenges with overthinking, self-esteem, emotional regulation, maintaining relationships, and self-compassion. People often reach out to me when they’re struggling to navigate a life transition, work or school-related stress, establishing boundaries and/or balance, or are seeking support in shifting patterns that are no longer serving them. I have worked with young adults, millennials, elders, tech professionals, non-profit professionals, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as caregivers and people living with chronic pain. My approach draws from various therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Solution-Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness. This allows me to tailor our sessions to your unique needs and preferences. My goal is to create a secure therapeutic relationship where you can freely explore all parts of yourself. In recognition of the importance of accessibility, I offer tele-health therapy sessions. This means you can receive support from the comfort of your own space, making mental health care more accessible and convenient for you. I understand that finding a therapist can be an overwhelming process. I value the time and energy that you are putting into seeking the best support for you and would welcome an opportunity to speak in an initial free 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a fit for working together.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

You find yourself overwhelmed and unable to do anything, even though you know what you should be doing. Your thoughts are causing you to spiral and you find yourself remembering every bad thing that's ever happened to you. What I want to do is bring you back to the present moment and find the way forward to give you the future you are wanting. Whether that is coping skills to help you relax, or changing your perspective to better deal with what's going on, we will find a way to help you out.

I am passionate about joining others on their journey towards healing and growth. Through my own experiences overcoming adversity and managing personal struggles, I became dedicated to pursuing a career as a therapist so that I can help others navigate their own difficulties. My goal is to create a non-judgmental and safe atmosphere in which you will feel comfortable exploring your own thoughts, emotions, and life experiences. I use a multi-model holistic approach, uniquely tailored to each individual. I am skilled in helping people cope with issues related to anxiety, depression, trauma, mood disorders, and adjustment to life stressors. I have experience working with clients from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. As a therapist, I prioritize your own personal goals and needs as you choose to express and address them. I have the utmost respect for the right of one’s self-determination. I provide undivided attention, thoughtful feedback, and hold a safe space for you to process whatever you would like to address. I am constantly aiming to ensure you feel empowered and comfortable to openly express your thoughts and emotions. This includes any changes that you would like from me and/or treatment. I consider rapport and therapeutic alliance as possibly the most important aspect of therapy and its effectiveness. I will meet you where you are at and proceed at your own pace. I am also transparent and welcome questions. I am open-minded, genuine, accepting, and deeply empathetic. I read each individual and explore whether you want to be challenged, given suggestions and ways to cope, or simply heard and validated. Therapy is an interactive experience in which you are the leader.