Therapists for college students near University of Pittsburgh

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hello and welcome to my page. My ideal client is struggling with their self-esteem, anxious and/or depressive symptoms, relationship issues, and even substance use/misuse. Most of my clients' goal is to live a more fulfilling and content life. They want to feel understood, supported, and listened to empathetically. I can help by primarily trying to understand you. That is the bottom line. I will offer you a safe, caring, and nonjudgemental environment to do this. I will listen fully with interest and respect so you can begin to talk about the parts of your life and yourself you are struggling with. I have worked as a social worker for 18 years, first at a community mental health center, then at a private group practice, and now solely in my own private practice. I work with young adults, adults, and older adults.

My experience includes 20+ years as at Carnegie Mellon University's Counseling Center and 6 years at Persad Center. The work I do focuses on helping folks understand themselves and feel understood. Working together, we change help you work with difficult emotions,change patterns that cause distress, and nurture a meaningful life, as you define it.

I am a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor with experience working with a diverse population in an outpatient setting. I believe that developing a deeper understanding of yourself is the key to facing your mental health struggles and creating a life which is meaningful to you. I endeavor to help you feel seen and understood and to create an environment which is judgment-free and supportive. As a counselor, my approach will vary depending on your individual goals and needs. I work mainly from an existential foundation and enjoy tackling the big questions such as Who am I? and What is my purpose? I also draw from other modalities such as Motivational Interviewing (MI), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I believe that you are the expert on your own life and will focus on what you want out of our sessions. Whether you are dealing with a condition such as depression, anxiety, or OCD or experiences such as stress, grief, or exploring your identity, I am here to accompany you on your journey and empower you to make the change you want to see. The office is located directly on the 61B bus line, making it a convenient trip for any students in Oakland.

Therapy should provide a safe space free from judgment where you can seek support, be genuine, feel heard and grow into the person you want to be. In sessions, we will work together to identify your unique abilities, strengths and successes. We will explore how to use those strengths and abilities to process past events, feel better, achieve your goals and live a life that feels meaningful to you. My integrative approach is strengths based and person centered with elements of evidence based approaches including CBT, DBT, narrative therapy, and EMDR. I have extensive experience working with adolescents, teens and young adults who are dealing with anxiety, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, depression, parenting issues, life transitions, effects of trauma and relationship struggles. I am trained in EMDR via EMDR Consulting, an EMDR International Association Approved Training Provider. I look forward to meeting with you!

We believe that psychological well-being and healing come from our ability to foster awareness, understanding and acceptance of our experience of life as a whole - the good, the bad and everything in between. Talking with a therapist can often help facilitate this kind of personal growth. We believe that through developing a trusting relationship, therapist and client can explore aspects of the client’s struggle and the experience of relating to each other in deeper, more honest and productive ways. While each therapist in our practice has a unique approach to the work, we all share a deep appreciation for the importance of meaning making and lived experience in understanding human experience and effective therapy.

Choosing to heal and be more alive in our society is a brave, daring, and difficult act. I enjoy working with people who want to understand and support themselves in healing from and with shame, disconnection, stagnancy, and trauma with the goal of becoming more alive, more true to themselves, and more genuinely connected with themselves and the world around them. I am a gentle and open person who enjoys using humor and delicately mixing the light and dark of the world in the healing journey. My goal is for you to feel safe in expressing and sharing who you are, to give you a place to rest and explore free of judgement. I am skilled in DBT and ITCT. I am pursuing training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy. I have specialized in working with teens and young adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, BPD, bipolar disorder, and complex trauma. I am dedicated to anti-racism. I am of the LGBTQ+ community and bilingual in Spanish and English. I currently accept UPMC, CCBHO (Medicaid), Highmark, Cigna, and Aetna insurances. I also offer sliding scale sessions. I can offer free introduction phone calls to see if we are a good fit!

I have primarily worked with clients regarding life transitions/adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/loss, self-harm, LGBTQ exploration, interpersonal conflicts, family dynamics, spiritual/faith/religious concerns or abuse, and boundary setting. I enjoy clients who are seeking to better understand themselves and growing their confidence in who they are. Only after we have insight and awareness can we try to make meaningful changes. I enjoy explorative, open-minded depth work that is holistic and fulfilling for the client. I am trauma-informed and use an eclectic approach with a psychodynamic foundation and incorporate dream work, as needed. Clients that work well with me are open-minded, self-reflective, and curious. I have specialty in working with religious concerns--whether that is as a religious individual or someone with religious trauma/spiritual abuse. I also specialize in working with individuals from dysfunctional family systems or those with emotionally immature parents. Lastly, CPTSD is another area that I am well-versed in.

Seeking a therapist is a courageous first step. My hope is that through the therapeutic relationship we can understand what motivates you and how to overcome the barriers you may face. I have extensive experience working with children, adults, couples, and families that face a variety of concerns from ADHD, mood disorders, trauma, anxiety, adjustment issues, and stress management. My strengths-based, person-centered approach incorporates evidence-based modalities to provide a comprehensive approach to healing and growing through your therapy experience.

College can feel like a lot to carry. Classes, relationships, expectations, and trying to figure out what comes next. You might look like you’re handling things on the outside, but inside feel overwhelmed, stuck, exhausted, or unsure of yourself. You may notice the same patterns showing up in relationships or feel like you’re falling behind. You are not alone, this is a very common experience. Therapy is a place to sort through what’s going on and understand why things feel this way. With over 20 years of experience, I work with students navigating anxiety, stress, life transitions, academic challenges and family and relationship challenges. I offer a warm, supportive space where you can talk openly, make sense of your experiences, and start to feel steadier and more confident. Together, we’ll work on building healthier boundaries, finding clarity, and helping you move forward in a way that feels right for you. If you’d like to connect, email is the best way to reach me. I look forward to hearing from you.

3Rivers Therapists is dedicated to offering high-quality mental health counseling services for adults, teens, couples, and children. We believe the answers you seek are already within you. Our therapists create a safe and supportive space where you can heal and rediscover deeper connections with yourself and those around you. We have offices in Pittsburgh, PA, Somerset, and Philadelphia.

At the Center for Counseling Arts we are committed to helping you discover your own ability to live more fully. Our licensed counselors, social workers and psychotherapists offer a wide range of counseling and can be contacted online through our therapists directory; and our directors are glad to offer their recommendation. We welcome students and young adults to reach out to us, whether seeking healing for a specific concern or simply a confidential and supportive environment to begin the therapeutic process for meaningful change.

I believe you have the power to create and live a life that feels fulfilling to you. I would be thrilled to partner and work with you to create and nurture an existence that is authentic, while navigating the challenges of existing within our society. Together, we'll place emphasis on your positive traits and behaviors to enhance your ability to use your personal instincts. Through therapy, you will be empowered to cultivate your inner wisdom, growth, healing, and fulfillment.

My practice is based on the belief in the strength and resilience within all people, even in life's most trying times. Right now you may be feeling overwhelmed, lost, or disconnected from what is meaningful to you. I'd be happy to speak with you so that you may determine if I'm the right person to help you. If you feel that I am, I'll meet with you to discuss your problems, strengths, and goals. We will decide together what your long-term goals for therapy are. During each session, we will collaborate to discuss what problems you have been experiencing and how we can approach them. I'll provide feedback that may include asking you to look at the problem a different way, learning to tolerate difficult feelings, or learning skills, such as relaxation. I ask that you come prepared to session with ideas of what we should focus on. I respect the time and effort you put nto therapy, and I want it to be used in a way that is valuable to you.If you've gotten this far and think I can help, please feel free to call or email me. I offer all prospective clients a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Sometimes life feels overwhelming — stress, anxiety, depression or relationship challenges can leave you feeling stuck and unsure how to move forward. Therapy can help you understand why you feel this way and explore new paths toward change. Often, what seems like the “problem” on the surface is connected to something deeper. Together, we’ll work to uncover and understand these underlying patterns so that meaningful change can happen. I provide a safe, supportive space to explore your experiences and help you create more satisfying relationships and a life that feels aligned with your goals.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I offer client-centered treatment options that are determined collaboratively between us. I value all people and work to be culturally sensitive and aim for cultural humility when working with someone whose identity is different from my own. I will always seek out information on my own to fill in gaps of general knowledge, but will look to you to share your own personal experiences and beliefs that may or may not follow the general norms of any given cultural identity. My clients often struggle with depression and anxiety which have systemic and/or family-based roots, and my job is to facilitate a process to help you develop self-understanding and self-knowledge to make choices that are right for you.

I offer a collaborative and supportive space where you can explore your experiences with openness and honesty. Whether you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or you want a change of perspective in your life, I aim to make you feel understood. My style is warm, grounded, and attuned. Together, we will work toward greater clarity, emotional balance, and meaningful change.

My practice has a general focus where the majority of my clients are struggling with depression, anxiety, life transitions or relationship issues.

Are you not where you want to be or struggling to be happy with where you are in life? Did you plan for things to be different at this moment in your journey through life? Most individuals go through this at some point in their lifetime and I'm here to help you navigate your journey to the path you want to be on. I have worked with diverse clientele for my background and with individuals who experience depression, anxiety, stress management, addiction, chronic pain, trauma and life transitions. The different therapeutic modalities I utilize include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. I work to create a safe place that empowers clients to be their authentic selves while feeling seen and heard. I believe that my job as a therapist is to meet each individual where they are and to get them where they want to be.