Therapists for college students near San Diego State University

My areas of emphasis are relationships, trans-affirming care, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ concerns, trauma, anxiety, sexuality, multi-ethnic/cultural identity & college-related concerns. I support my clients in unlearning shame, setting boundaries without guilt, embracing their identities and cultures with pride, and build more authentic, fulfilling relationships. I offer a compassionate space where you can safely explore yourself, challenge old patterns, and develop new ways of responding that support healing, confidence and lasting change. In addition to psychotherapy, I provide WPATH assessments and letters for gender affirming surgeries. Therapy with me is collaborative, affirming, and driven by the desire to support you in healing through your resilience and empowerment. I integrate psychodynamic and action-oriented methods and my approach is liberation-based, anti-racist and trauma-informed.

I work with individuals and couples offering virtual sessions throughout California and New York working with grief, trauma and living with acute and chronic illness. My style is nurturing, dynamic and radically present. I adapt my approach based on what you might need drawing from Relational, Mindfulness and Somatic based methods and incorporating EMDR when indicated. My work focuses on supporting people in their relationships to feel empowered and connected, being curious of what gets in the way of that connection. I work with individuals of all orientations, abilities, and racial, cultural, or identity groups. I look forward to meeting you.

Hello, my name is Lauren and I am a therapist working in private practice in Saratoga. My style is warm, supportive, and collaborative. I have a relational focus and I value how attachment influences each individual and the process of therapy. My clients seek to change what is difficult and what isn’t working in their life. Many struggle with the impacts of trauma interfering with their day to day life. Others may struggle with feeling stuck or emotionally overwhelmed. They may be experiencing a challenging dynamic in their relationships or a lack of connectedness to others. My clients are looking to transform their life, achieve personal growth, and to heal. It takes courage to recognize each of our own unique needs and struggles, and I admire the strength it takes to reach out for support and help. I believe that all individuals have the ability to change, and that personal growth is possible for everyone. If you are ready to take the first step toward your path of healing, please contact me. I am currently offering in person services on Wednesdays.

Dr. Ponting is a licensed clinical psychologist specialized in treating anxiety, traumatic stress, and depression in adults and children. She focuses on improving mental health during the transition to parenthood, including pregnancy and the postpartum period. Dr. Ponting also works with families with young children ages 2-6 who have experienced a recent traumatic event. Dr. Ponting provides individualized, culturally responsive care aimed at reducing distress and enhancing the capacity to feel positive emotions. Dr. Ponting draws from several evidence-based individual and family therapies and provides services in English and Spanish.

My Background Hello and welcome! I have been helping people heal and live more fulfilling lives for over 20 years. I am just as passionate today as I was when I first began. My formal training began while studying psychology at UC Berkeley where I became interested in learning about the mind, human behavior and emotions, personality and developmental psychology. For several years after undergrad, I helped people with developmental disabilities by providing them with vocational, recreational and social opportunities so they can live their best lives. I later received my Masters in Clinical Social Work from Boston College where I dove deep into understanding human behavior in the context of environment. My post-masters work involved coaching parents on helping their children with autism and behavioral issues express their needs in safe and effective ways; managing a substance use helpline and providing crisis intervention and family therapy for people who were hospitalized due to severe and acute mental health issues. For three years, I provided group, family and individual therapies to clients at an Intensive Out Patient program in a bay-area hospital, teaching mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness skills. My Journey Growing up I was never taught how to appropriately identify and express my feelings or process pain. This caused me to direct any pain I experienced either inward towards myself or outward towards others. This resulted in hurtful and angry outbursts towards those I love or turning inward and experiencing numbness, anxiety, depression and shame. In my own therapy, I came to discover the power of changing the relationship I had with my emotions. I explored past wounds and destructive patterns and as a result, have experienced deep healing and changes that have significantly improved the quality of my life and have allowed me to experience more intimacy, happiness, deeper fulfillment and peace in all areas of my life. The work I have done in therapy has also had a powerful impact on my ability to serve my clients. My Approach I am compassionate, caring, and non judgmental. My clients have told me they appreciate my authenticity, kindness and creativity. I create a safe environment allowing people to feel comfortable discussing even the most sensitive issues. Clients also feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings on my approach to their therapy. This has lead to an open dialogue encouraging meaningful conversations, improving both the therapeutic relationship and outcomes for my clients. About Me A California native, I love spending time in nature, hiking, singing and recording songs, playing guitar, yoga, meditation, reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. I also enjoy writing and reading about spirituality, psychology and personal development. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with a passion for helping people grow into their most authentic selves while navigating the real challenges of everyday life. College can be an exciting yet difficult time. If you are needing support navigating new transitions at school, preparing for graduation or entering the job field I am ready to work alongside you. I work with clients who are managing big emotions, feeling stuck, or struggling in their relationships and sense of self. I use a blend of DBT, Internal Family Systems, and Narrative Therapy to help you make sense of your past, understand your patterns, and build new ways of coping so you can feel more grounded, confident, and in control.

I believe in the power of genuine connection and shared humor in therapy. My goal is to collaborate with you to create a path toward not only a better understanding of yourself but also greater self-compassion. I approach therapy through a relational psychodynamic lens, meaning I view well-being as deeply connected to our relationships, past experiences and cultural identities. I also believe that everything you have done that has led you to this moment has been an attempt to take care of yourself, whether or not it has yielded the results you hoped for. I enjoy supporting clients as they explore, gain insights, and create a more authentic sense of self. My clinical focus includes anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and the complexities of identity and multiculturalism. If you seek a collaborative partner to understand how your past shapes your present and how to intentionally write your future, I invite you to connect with me.

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I love working with college students. The transition to college can be a lot to manage. There are so many new experiences, pressures, and decisions, which can become overwhelming. I was in college the first time I met with a therapist. As exciting as life was, it was also one of the most difficult times. Reaching out for help had an enormously positive impact on my life; significant enough that it led me to pursue a career as a therapist. I consider my style to be patient, flexible, and caring. I am ready to meet you where you are at, no matter how big or small your challenges or goals may be. I am here to support you.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS!!! Golden West Counseling - Veronica Anderson, LMFT, LPCC, LMHC, LPC Location: California, Washington, Arizona & Oregon Complimentary initial consultation Website: goldenwestcounseling.com Phone: 3108538500 or 2062573810 Do you find yourself spending too much of your time feeling overwhelmed and struggle to control your stress and tension? Maybe you find yourself tired but yet can’t seem to calm down enough to relax at the end of the day. Or perhaps the constant self doubt and future thinking has you paralyzed. Managing the effects of constant worry impacts various aspects of your life including work performance, academic achievement, social relationships, and overall quality of life. Navigating these challenges requires a comprehensive approach to address both the mental and physical aspects of your concerns. Learning practical techniques to lessen your symptoms is essential. Lifestyle factors such as sleep, exercise and stress management can play a significant role in your symptoms. Clients often reach out to us to seek guidance in adopting healthy habits that support better mental health and reduce symptoms that get in the way of daily life. When working with clients we use methods that allow you to use your strengths and heighten your sense of confidence. CBT, ACT, mindfulness, narrative therapy, are a few of the modalities our counselors utilize. To learn more about us visit our website, or call for a complimentary consultation to be matched with one of our skilled counselors.

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of diverse experience in mental health, including work at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and UC San Diego. My career spans roles in clinical practice, research, and education, giving me a broad perspective on mental health challenges and treatment approaches. I have worked extensively with veterans, trauma survivors, and individuals navigating intimate partner violence (IPV) or relationship-related concerns, as well as adults facing anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions. I provide trauma-informed, evidence-based, and integrative therapy that blends modern psychotherapies with mindfulness and Zen Buddhist principles. This approach helps students build resilience, self-compassion, and clarity. Therapy is tailored to each individual, offering practical tools for managing stress, navigating relationships, and balancing academic and personal demands. I offer secure telehealth sessions across California, making it easy for students to access support alongside their studies. My goal is to create a safe, understanding space where students can explore challenges, develop coping strategies, and strengthen a sense of purpose and well-being during this formative stage of life.

My approach to therapy is warm, integrative and non-judgmental. I use a variety of healing modalities centered in mindfulness, tracking behavioral changes and building new narratives to support you in creating meaningful change. My areas of expertise are grief, relationship issues, anxiety, depression and life transitions. I specialize in guiding young adults as they discover their inner light and cultivate contentment within themselves

I support high-achieving professionals and students in Orange County and virtually across California in managing anxiety, stress, perfectionism, and burnout. Together, we’ll tackle setting boundaries, achieving work-life balance, overcoming people-pleasing tendencies, and navigating the pressure of high expectations. The goal isn't to give up optimizing your routine or lower your ambitions, but rather to find a sustainable, cohesive way to meet your demands without being run into the ground. My approach blends warmth, humor, and a nonjudgmental space where you can feel truly seen. Therapy works best when it’s based in genuine connection. A place where you don’t have to pretend to “have it all together.” I make no claims to perfection, and I won't hold you that claim either. Whether it’s workaholism, overwhelm, or simply finding balance, support is just one click away. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today.

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Are you tired of "reacting" and not feeling good about yourself? Is your past controlling you in the present in ways that aren't serving you? When we are "hijacked" by our past experiences we lose the ability to "choose" how we want to respond. This affects how we feel physically and emotionally; which can make us feel depressed, anxious, shameful. This in turn impacts the quality of our interpersonal relationships. It doesn't have to be that way. I see therapy as a relational and collaborative process that supports wellbeing on mental, physical and spiritual levels. My approach blends several Somatic and Talk based psychotherapies: EMDR, The Trauma Resiliency Model, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt Psychotherapy, Relational, and several, Mindfulness based awareness techniques which include my many years background in the healing effects of yoga. Each person is an embodied being with pleasant an unpleasant experiences embedded in the flesh and bones and tangled in the mind. My therapeutic work with individuals and couples is to process the unpleasant and build resiliency in support of personal transformation.

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Hi there. I’m glad you’re looking into getting support. I specialize in Somatic, Expressive Arts, and Inner Parts Work therapy. With me as your therapist, we will ground and regulate the body, as we invite different parts of you to be heard and to integrate. I am especially drawn to work with artists of all kinds, as I am one myself. This means we will invite creative techniques into the therapy space, such as dramatic role-play, movement, music, poetry and more to help to free your inner artist. I specialize in working with young adults as well, supporting individuation and community-building at this transformative time of life. I enjoy working with clients of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, sexualities, and other intersectional identities. I am a queer-affirming therapist. Please feel free to read more about what our work together will entail, and contact me to book a consultation. I look forward to meeting you.

Hi, I’m Julie! I’m so glad you’re here. I identify as a cisgender Latina woman and am proud of my Puerto Rican heritage. I love working with college-aged adults navigating the big transitions of this stage—figuring out who you are, what you value, and how to manage all the pressures that come with it. If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm, you’re not alone—and therapy can help. My approach combines practical coping skills with deeper exploration of your thoughts, emotions, and the many parts that make you who you are. I believe we all carry an innate inner wisdom, and my goal is to help you reconnect with yours—building self-trust, compassion, and healing from within. I look forward to connecting and supporting you on your journey.

Life is rough sometimes, and it’s so easy to feel stuck, wondering where life is going. My goal is to help you find new perspectives and new ways of looking at any situation, so that you can approach life with confidence and authenticity. Along with bringing a multicultural perspective to therapy as a therapist of color, I utilize an integrative approach of Narrative and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, and other modalities that fit your unique life journey. I find the greatest enjoyment in working with adults, couples, and adolescents from culturally diverse backgrounds. Areas of concern that I have extensive experience in includes, anxiety, burnout, depression, interpersonal/ relationship difficulties, racial stress and trauma, general school-work-life balance stress, helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with physical fitness, as well as those simply seeking a bit more fulfillment or life satisfaction. I also work diligently in conducting psychological assessments and ADHD evaluations. Of special interest, my research on the psychological impact of code-switching behavior in African-Americans allows me a unique perspective on how to help professionals of color learn to cope with stress. Coupled with my passion for social justice, advocacy and the role they play in mental health, my goal is to help break the stigma of mental health in communities of color. If you feel we may be a good fit, or desire to learn more about my specialties, experience & approaches to therapy, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you!