Therapists for college students near 92093

My name is David Serbin. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #147386) and Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC #15666). Through therapy, I work with clients to help them see the positive storylines in their lives. I help make counseling fun for clients through narrative building, developing strategies for challenging negative self-talk, self-exploration of strengths, and games, among other ways. I believe that each client has the main ingredient for success in therapy: hope. I love working with young adults who are trying to find out who they are. My clients are motivated and driven, yet searching for deeper meaning and purpose in their lives. They often feel they have unmet needs or goals they want to achieve but have yet to accomplish. In our first session, we'll start with introductions, then dive into the challenges you're facing and hopes for our work together. Having worked with individuals and couples over the past 5 years, I've been able to offer compassion to people who have been in environments where they could not be open about their mental health or only experienced tough love. I strive to create an environment where you will feel safe to be your true self. I often assign homework between sessions. This may include worksheets or journaling exercises. Contact me if you are interested in booking a consult or therapy session and I will do my best to respond within a few hours.

Balance Treatment Programs provides partial day and full day mental health programming M-F, able to accommodate work and school schedules with a.m., afternoon and p.m. programming, both onsite, at 7 locations throughout California, or via Tele-health. We are all professional therapists experienced in assessments, treatment planning, diagnosis, crisis intervention, family support, individual and group therapy. We provide CBT, DBT, Trauma therapy, Art therapy, support for Addictive Disorders and Process or Insight Oriented Therapies. We are LGBQT+ Affirming and believe in recovery of all kinds, empowering growth by removing obstacles.

APPROACH As a psychotherapist, I am committed to helping you realize what you most want from life: fulfilling relationships, relief from self-defeating cycles, and self confidence. Working with me brings the clarity, guidance, and support you need to overcome barriers to contentment. My style is candid and astute, coupled with warmth and humor. I listen deeply and creatively so I can offer a new lens and insight to patterns that have been keeping you stuck. I help you maintain motivation and hope, even in the face of challenge. EXPERIENCE I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 20+ years experience working individuals, couples, and families. I use well-founded as well as innovative psychotherapeutic strategies including cognitive-behavioral techniques and psychodynamic approaches. In addition, I provide consultation and supervision to mental health providers.

It is discouraging to navigate a world that doesn’t see you, that misunderstands you or makes you invisible based on your gender, race, sexuality, size, trauma history and a host of other factors. Systemic oppression impacts your mental health as much your history does. It can be intimidating to reach out to a therapist because you want to find someone who really understands you. Mental health has a history of victim-blaming and pathologizing. I am a queer therapist offering trauma-informed therapy for individuals and couples. I utilize an intersectional feminist and social justice lens. I specialize in working with queer, gender-blessed and other non-mainstream individuals and relationships, including non-monogamous, age-gap, cross-cultural and queer relationships.

I work frequently with young adults as they manage increasing independence, college and work. I understand the challenges involved with balancing academic requirements, personal stressors and self care. Additionally, I am experienced in helping clients who are wanting to change their relationship patterns and behaviors, and those struggling to find effective ways to deal with symptoms related to depression, anxiety, and codependency. As a clinical psychologist, I assist my clients in meeting their goals and improving their relationships. Therapy is used to improve communication, coping skills and problem solving. One of my areas of expertise is in helping clients who are working through a particularly challenging time in their lives, and having difficulty moving forward from their experience. By encouraging self expression, increased insight and problem solving in therapy, I work collaboratively with clients to facilitate positive changes. Improving self esteem through greater understanding and acceptance of oneself is part of that work.

I know it can be daunting reaching out for therapy - to let in support, to try to find the right fit, to allocate the resources & time. When I was a senior in college, therapy truly saved my life - but I so remember how long it took for me to be able to make that first call. So props to you for exploring! If we end up working together, you will likely share a lot about you. So here’s a little bit about me: I’m a white (French, British, and German heritage), queer, cis-woman from a middle-class background who is able-bodied (with some lived experience of chronic illness). I’m often dreamy, sensitive, irritable, passionate, anxious, patient, funny. I love humor, music, sour gummy worms, Rihanna, poetry, shoes, crying, and books. I’m passionate about social justice and art. I grew up in a coastal town so the ocean feels like home. I startle easily. I love singing and songwriting. Some of the big themes I’ve grappled with during this lifetime are: grief & loss; sexuality & sexual orientation; gender; body image and eating disorders; depression; anxiety; addiction and relationships with family members struggling with addiction; containment; perfection; co-dependence & attachment; sexual trauma; disconnection from creativity; betrayal, infidelity, & trust; monogamy & ethical non-monogamy; suicidality. And here's a bit about my therapy practice: I offer therapy for individuals & partners experiencing a broad range of life challenges. And, I have extensive experience in supporting folks as they navigate the following content areas: communication & relationship issues; grief & loss; identity; trauma; sexual orientation, sexuality & sensuality; creativity; systems & lived experiences of oppression; anxiety & fear; depression; co-dependence; addiction; infidelity, betrayal & trust; and inner-child work. I’m sex-positive, queer, and poly- & kink-affirming, and welcome all ethnic & racial identities & positionalities. The therapy that I offer is depth-oriented and strongly rooted in Gestalt & somatic modalities, as well as intersectional feminism. It is trauma-informed and client-centered. For those that are interested, I also enjoy using intuition, creativity, and the imaginal realms (imagery, visualization, experiential exercises, art, dreamwork, etc.) to support our explorations. If none of that means anything to you (understandable!), here's a *hopefully* less-jargon-y description of how I approach my work as a therapist: I fervently believe that you (and only you) are the authority of your experience. I am here to offer my curiosities, intuition, and reflections — in dialogue with you — to help you explore and discover your truth. I am interested in meeting you wherever you are in the present moment, supporting you to increase your awareness. It is my belief that only by increasing our awareness can we increase our felt experiences of agency and choice…which in turn allows us to live a more empowered, aligned, compassionate, and enlivened life. I care deeply about creating a safe container in our therapeutic relationship — to respect boundaries, to always track for consent and choice, to unambivalently welcome all parts of you, to fervently support both your safety and aliveness. I am passionate about and invested in exploring power, positionality, and privilege. I welcome and support difference, and am committed to efforts to not perpetuate authoritarian and oppressive systems in the therapeutic relationship. I honor & trust the massively creative and adaptive survival strategies that you have developed to keep you safe. And, I also honor the ways that the habitual enacting of those survival strategies may no longer be serving you — that your circumstances and capacities may have outgrown these mechanisms, and that you may need some support in this vulnerable re-emergence into the world. I will sit with you in your suffering. I’m not afraid of the darkness, or of your shadow. I will go to the depths with you. And stay there, in the underworld, with you for as long as you need…until you emerge anew on the other side. I believe that, together, we can co-create a homecoming for you. That our work can guide you home to your innate nature — to your authentic expression of your many parts of self. To your passion and presence and joy. To your aliveness. To feeling deeply nurtured and nourished. A return to self in which you come to truly and intimately know yourself for the first time. I so looking forward to hearing from you & seeing if we might be a good fit to work together, should you choose to reach out!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges, struggling with relationships, or facing uncertainty about the future? I specialize in working with young adults who are juggling many responsibilities and are seeking relief from anxiety and stress. Together we develop effective coping strategies, improve emotional well-being, and foster resilience. If you need help navigating a difficult time in your life, like the end of a relationship or figuring how to find a healthy school/life balance, I offer both the compassion and the skills that can lead to symptom relief. Please reach out for a free consultation. I have sliding scale fees so please don't let financial hardship stop you from reaching out!

I work with adults and couples experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, PTSD, self-esteem challenges, and relationship difficulties. I am especially passionate about supporting first-generation individuals and high-achieving clients who feel pressure to meet family, cultural, academic, or professional expectations while trying to stay connected to themselves. I welcome clients from all backgrounds and create a space where your experiences, values, and identity are genuinely respected and understood.

“I’m the loneliest girl in the world,” you think to yourself while lying in bed at night. Your parents, partner, and friends are of absolutely no help. In fact, when you go to them with your problems, they only make things worse—offering their BS life advice or making it all about themselves. Ugh. Once again, you feel alone—utterly alone. Your heart breaks when a friend cancels plans and then you criticize yourself vehemently for being “so sensitive” and for expecting so much of others. To comfort yourself, you seek food, booze, or zoning out on Netflix but nothing works. What’s a 20-something girl with her whole life ahead of her to do? It may feel like this is “it” for the rest of your life—a lonely existence—but it’s not. I help women just like you to attain the connection, confidence, and contentment you crave. By working through what lead to your loneliness, feeling “all the feels,” and finding ways to show up for yourself, you will transform from being utterly lonely to simply…happy. You’ve been feeling lonely for far too long. It’s time, sis. Nothing’s worked but therapy will. Pick up the phone and give me a call. I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation for you to ask questions and make sure we have “good vibes.” Next, we will schedule our initial session and officially put an end to your lonely existence.

Update 8/25/24: I am still accepting new patients. Online video appointments for adult and adolescent patients throughout California. In network with Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Optum and Oxford. Private pay option also available.

I am deeply committed to helping people create the most fulfilling lives possible as they move through and beyond challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, college adjustment, ADHD, as well as relationship and self-esteem issues. When life has thrown you off your path, I work with you to restore your natural capacity for self-compassion and healing and provide unwavering emotional support as you create a thriving life with healthier relationships.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I'm glad you're here! My work is firmly rooted in existential humanism, meaning the search for meaning and self-realization is central to our work together. I believe you are the expert on yourself and your experience, and it is my great honor to walk with you on your path. I specialize in providing LGBTQ+ competent psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families. The relationship we will build collaboratively in session will aid you on your healing journey. I am skilled at creating a non-judgmental environment and accepting you where you are, no matter where that is, as we work to shine a light on what once seemed too dark to face.

I am a cancer survivor, an active duty military spouse, and a child of grief after losing my father at a young age to addiction. Building resilience and fostering hope is not just something that I practice professionally, I have lived it. These experiences combined with my clinical background have given me a unique perspective on healing. I value the realness of showing up as yourself in and out of the therapy room. When I am not wearing my therapist “hat” you can find me at the movies, cuddled up on the couch with my two fur babies, or in the kitchen. I am a serious foodie, dog mama, bookworm, Bravo-binge-watcher, coffee fiend, and yes….I am a millennial. I love to paint, listen to 90s country, decorate for the holidays, and travel (when I can!).

I work collaboratively with my clients to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, with this improved understanding we are able to identify and practice healthy and satisfying life strategies. Often my clients come with concerns about self-esteem, relationship challenges, family conflicts and adjustment issues related to college. Together, in a non-judgmental environment, we are able to sort through and make sense of issues that may seem particularly challenging.

A Safe Place To Heal Are you dealing with daily anxiety, sadness, stress, trauma or difficult life transitions? Want peace in your life, but can't seem to attain it? Day to day we can be confronted with new challenges, stressors, and mental exhaustion. It is common to experience a range of emotional challenges individually or within your relationships during various phases of your life. Sometimes you just need a safe place to release and restore. I am committed to providing you a safe, supportive and confidential environment for your restoration and healing. I have 15+ years of experience supporting individuals and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse in their journey towards healing. My services span from a therapist to a life coach that focuses on your holistic wellbeing. I offer an eclectic and culturally sensitive strengths-based approach tailored to each of my clients’ individual needs and use tools from Mindfulness based techniques, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relational, narrative, trauma-informed care and art therapy models. Seeking therapy can feel scary but you're making the right choice. You deserve a safe space to heal, restore and grow. In our sessions together, I'll meet you with compassion and evidence-based techniques so you can overcome the challenges that hinder your life and ability to thrive. Email or call me for a free 15 minute consultation.

Based in the SF Bay Area, I offer trauma-informed psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress, addiction, grief, anxiety, depression, and related life challenges, as well as support for positive growth and insight building. I primarily utilize a combination of EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and IFS (internal family systems) therapies to provide a somatic and source-focused approach to healing. I educate my clients on the universality of traumatic and addictive experiences. I define trauma broadly as any past experience that remains charged and disturbing, and thus has value in alleviating mental health challenges in the present. It's helpful to understand how traumatic and addictive elements exists in all of us and are not static, but rather ebb and flow as reverberations of past experiences (and those of our family of origin). l frame the looping amplification of addiction as stemming from a healthy evolutionary need to feel safe and easeful, but in a way that can become self-destructive through the distortion of trauma that resides in our nervous systems, until processed.

Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming and you don’t have to navigate it alone. My approach is client-centered, and I work with children, adolescents, adults, and families to help them overcome life’s challenges. With an extensive background working with individuals experiencing symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression, I can help guide you through difficult emotional landscapes. I also offer support for those experiencing suicidal ideation and provide tools for healing from attachment wounds. Using evidence-based practices, I’ll help you explore your thoughts and behaviors, which can lead to positive change. Together, we’ll build resilience by enhancing your coping strategies, cultivating self-awareness and fostering healthy relationships. My integrative approach draws from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), strengths-based techniques, motivational interviewing, and talk therapy to meet your needs. Whether in-person or via telehealth, I offer individual, family, and couples therapy. A trusting and secure therapeutic relationship is essential for healing, and I invite you to take the first step by scheduling a complementary 15-minute introductory call. Let’s connect and explore how we can work together toward your therapeutic goals.

Are you looking for a way to find peace in the midst of pain? Ready to heal your wounds and come through stronger than before? I help adults with depression, anxiety, or trauma to reconnect with themselves and develop resilience, even when they feel they have already tried everything. Clients have described me as warm, compassionate, and genuine. I create a space where you can feel safe and understood, but also feel empowered to take risks and sometimes stretch beyond your comfort zone. I believe in every person’s ability to create the life they envision. I am a licensed clinical therapist specializing in the treatment of depression and anxiety; and early attachment/relationship problems. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as other client-centered approaches to help my clients build psychological flexibility and become more in touch with their values. I am fluent in English, Tagalog, and Visayan/Cebuano. As a Filipino American, I am sensitive to immigrant and multicultural issues. I understand the emotional struggles and complexities of immigrating to a new country. My office in downtown Vallejo is accessible to disabled clients and can be reached by bus or car, with ample parking.