Therapists for college students near San Diego State University

We provide psychological testing and therapy to ages 1 and up. Specialize in ADHD and anxiety for all ages. Use mostly evidence based approaches.

My work is grounded in supporting individuals through challenges such as anxiety, depression, relationship conflict, and grief and loss. I also have a strong passion for working with women navigating life transitions, including academic stressors, body | self-esteem issues, shifts in identity, and intimacy-related concerns. These experiences can feel so isolating, and I strive to create a space where you feel understood, supported, and not alone.

We are a group of Psychotherapists who provide treatment for an extensive range of mental and emotional disorders using psychological techniques aimed to improve a person’s overall psyche. We work with adults of all ages, adolescents and children as young as four. All of our Psychotherapists are Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists with extensive training in counseling psychology.

As an active listener, I provide individualized treatment utilizing a nonjudgmental approach through medication management and supportive therapy. Let’s start!

Hygieia Behavioral Health Foundation aims to minimize the effects of oppression and intergenerational trauma experienced by many members of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and marginalized communities. We’re committed to helping bridge the gap between culturally sensitive mental health resources and treatments, promoting mental health wellness, and removing the barriers that hinder people from accessing the quality help they require. Services are offered in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. By prioritizing affordability, inclusivity, and community collaboration, our organization seeks to reduce mental health disparities, combat stigma, and foster holistic wellness within underserved populations, ultimately promoting resilience, healing, and empowerment for individuals and communities alike. Our nonprofit organization targets marginalized communities that face significant barriers to accessing mental health care services, including but not limited to low-income individuals, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, refugees, undocumented individuals, survivors of domestic violence, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Our services are designed to be inclusive, culturally sensitive, and linguistically accessible, ensuring that all members of our target population have equitable access to the support they need to thrive. We provide a safe space, and all are welcome. Contact us today to inquire further.

My personal background, culture, and values play a large role in my inspiration to be a therapist. I recognize how everyone has their own history, which will shape who they are and how they react to positive and negative situations. My cultural and educational background are a constant reminder of the importance of empathy when hearing someone’s individual story. I’m passionate about helping others who need support in current childhood challenges, processing childhood trauma, creating healthy communication habits to form strong relationships, and processing the impact of anxiety and depression. We will be working as a team to help you get closer to the goals you want to meet. With strength based approaches, I hope to empower you to reflect on your emotions and utilize the learned skills to start implementing them into your life, outside of our sessions. My priority is to include your own background, experiences, and values to set goals for treatment. Communication is key in all relationships and is necessary to feel safe and understood in your treatment. Building rapport is a vital part of beginning the trust between a client and a therapist. During my first session with adults, I like to review your goals and expectations of treatment, as well as any previous experiences in therapy, as those can shape our view of treatment. I want to make sure I take your most important values into account in order to create a safe therapeutic environment. From my experiences, children and teens have a harder time building that trust. Therefore, my first session with them includes a whole session dedicated to getting to know one another with an ice breaker activity. I find this helps form the foundation to that safe space to begin opening up.

I am passionate about helping clients obtained their Highest Potential. I believe in, and have benefited from, therapy to overcome life challenges including childhood trauma. I am an advocate for a client centered therapeutic relationship and enjoy working with individuals from different socioeconomic levels as well as cultural and religious backgrounds. I have a strong belief in the benefits of cultural humility creating a safe, nonjudgmental environment for my clients to process their feelings, guide their discovery, learn new skills; which in turn enables them to work towards healing and achieving goals. I am grounded in Spiritual Depth Psychology and cultivate a non-judgmental compassionate space in which the client feels safe. I practice mindfulness in the session and show warms and non-judgment, no matter is shared. I acknowledge if misunderstanding occur and repair ruptures with transparency and humility.

Hi! I’m Jen, a therapist living & working in Santa Monica, CA. I offer in-person and virtual therapy for teens, adults, and couples, with a special focus on supporting college students navigating life’s big transitions. College can feel like a constant pressure to have it all figured out, like keeping up with classes, planning your future, maintaining relationships, becoming independent. It’s easy to go on autopilot and miss the internal struggles happening under the surface. In our work together, we’ll take a closer look at the patterns, beliefs, and experiences shaping how you move through the world - not with judgment, but with curiosity. That might mean noticing how the past shows up in the present, tuning into what actually feels good (which often gets overlooked), or learning how to ask for what you need with more confidence and empathy. I know firsthand what it’s like to seem “fine” on the outside while feeling overwhelmed inside. My own experiences navigating high-pressure environments, family dynamics, and personal growth have shown me how powerful it is to have a space for reflection, connection, and honest support. My approach is insight-driven, relational, and strength-based. This means we'll work on understanding why you do what you do, not to label it, but to learn from it, and build on the strengths you already bring to the table. The relationship we build in therapy becomes a space to practice things like vulnerability, setting boundaries, and getting your needs met, so that over time, the changes you make here can ripple into your everyday life — in classes, friendships, dating, and beyond.

I have been a therapist for 18 yrs, working with individuals of all ages. I am informal, friendly, youthful, approachable and use different approaches and theories. How I approach a session is adapted to the individual: their needs, personality, and presenting issue. I see you as having your own wisdom while I also recognize that clients come to therapy to receive guidance, direction, and insights. I share with you my awareness, intuitions, and hunches but also invite you to see what fits for you. My therapy sessions with you are a place for you to share, to feel understood & be heard. I also regard humor as having a place in therapy. I have worked with various diagnosis and issues including depression, anxiety, bipolar, relationship problems etc. If you have any questions, prior to scheduling, I would be happy to answer them. (My website lists all insurance accepted. Please note I have additional availability. Please contact me for further information & appointment scheduling.)

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

At The Centered Self (CSP), our interest in the practice of psychotherapy is founded in the idea that all people want to be the best version of themselves and are capable of achieving that-- whatever that may mean to them. We want to help individuals cope with the challenges that can interfere with achieving their goals and what they want for their lives. All humans struggle and fall short of their own ideals at times, learning to successfully cope through these moments of difficulty can lead to a more fulfilling life and an ability to thrive more completely during moments of success. We believe the most caring and compassionate thing that we can do as therapists and coaches is help our clients achieve their own goals. Sometimes this requires pushing towards change and other times it requires working on acceptance. We value creating a warm and validating environment for you to feel safe to focus on your own growth. The Centered Self is anti-racist and LGBTQIA affirming. We are dedicated to utilizing interventions and skills based in science so that we can most effectively help you reach your goals. We value you.

Client's that work well with my collaborative style are often people who are struggling with life transitions. I often connect with people who are working to find different methods to manage anxiety and perfectionism. I also hold space in my practice for queer couples.

You wonder what it may look and feel like to trust and know yourself better, especially with recent life events or transitions, like college and young adulthood! You seek guidance to overcome recurrent self doubt, passive-aggressive, or avoidant behaviors- familiar patterns in your family and past relationships. For the past 18 years, I have provided compassionate, person-centered therapy to adults (college/20's, middle age, and older adults) navigating life transitions, relationship changes and challenges, and mood disorders. Clients appreciate my ability to listen and support them with kindness, cultural understanding, and non-judgment, while offering feedback and resources. Whether you’ve tried therapy before or this is new to you, understanding yourself and being supported through life changes and challenges builds your resilience and confidence! Being a 1st generation Asian American immigrant, parent, spouse, and social worker has shaped my capacity to appreciate and support clients with navigating complex seasons of change.

We have immediate availability. Our practice has 4 therapists diverse across gender, ethnicity, age and experience. We aim to be a one stop therapeutic environment to serve everyone in the household. In addition to what is listed, we focus on relationships, sexuality, experimentation, identity exploration, loss of friendships, death of a pet, unexpected medical issues or injuries. We know the challenges as former young people (although we still have a 20-something in our practice!) and now as parents. There is so much pressure and worry now and about the future. We invite you to give us the opportunity to be your safe space away from the expectations of school, work and family. Therapy is 1 hour to be yourself with no expectations, just kindness and care. We look forward to being that space for you.

College can feel overwhelming. You’re juggling classes, work, relationships, and the pressure to have everything figured out. Maybe things look fine on the surface, but inside you feel stuck, anxious, or like something is missing. You want to feel more connected to yourself and to life, but it can be hard to know where to start. I work with students who are sensitive, curious, and deeply reflective. Many feel dismissed or misunderstood by traditional counseling services, and some are navigating neurodivergence, unconventional identities, or chronic health challenges. This is a space to explore your emotions, patterns, and experiences without judgment. My approach is grounded, trauma-aware, and holistic. We focus on what is happening in your body, your nervous system, and your inner life. Together, we create space for you to step out of old habits, hear your intuition, and reconnect with the parts of yourself that are ready to be seen and understood. If you feel like something is off or that life could feel more meaningful, this is a place to explore that safely, honestly, and deeply.

Are you feeling overwhelmed with school work or uncertain about your career of relationships? Getting help can feel challenging. If you have decided to seek support, then I can work with you through a problem-solving approach. With a foundation of trust, together we can work on formulating goals and explore new solutions for the changes that you want. Together, we can also build solutions to maintain the balance that you need to recharge and have a happy, healthy life. I provide students with a warm, safe, non-judgmental, and confidential space to optimize healthy coping strategies. I do this by empowering students to build upon their skill sets and by incorporating a multicultural perspective. If you have decided it is time to reach out for help, Together, we can work on formulating a plan.

These are times of upheavel. Novel coronavirus pandemic, climate chaos, & violence on BIPOC and LGBTQ folks reinforced by our systems. Isolation induced depression. Overwhelm, numbness, and agitation with systems brutality and uncertainty. Despair with job and wage insecurity and loss. Lowered immunity and illness exacerbated by chronic fear, anxiety, oppression, and exhaustion. Unprocessed grief and anticipatory grief. In this time of uncertainty and great systems upheavel, we need to be intentional and creative in (re)connecting with each other and ourselves, families, and communities. Video sessions during this unprecedented time in the safety and comfort of your home. **Special outreach and focus to healthcare workers, elders, parents, people of color, and others on the frontlines — to pause and (re)ground in our day-to-day.** We need mending to sustain and to (re)imagine what is possible, for ourselves, families, communities, and systems.

After working in the developmental disability and mental health field for many years I decided to pursue an education to become a therapist. I wanted to support people with improving their quality of life regarding relationship problems, life transition difficulties, self-esteem struggles, and emotional healing from past and current trauma. I have been working in the developmental disability and mental health field for over 20 years and I’ve always felt a strong passion to do this work. My educational background includes a BA in Education from the University of Akron and a M.Ed. in Community Counseling from Kent State University. I hold a national certifications as a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and a National Certified Counselor. As a therapist, I take a holistic and collaborative therapeutic approach. I consider the physical, mental, and spiritual factors that influence someone’s well-being. My Approach is to create a sense of self-awareness and to understand the connections between mind, body, and relationships. In collaboration I enjoy exploring how these areas impact a person’s mental health. As a therapist I have a compassionate and empathetic style that creates a safe space where you can share intimate details of your life. I bring valuable experience in supporting individuals navigating issues such as anxiety, disabilities, feelings of stagnation, and challenges in attaining a state of inner peace. With my collaborative approach, we will work on navigating uncertainty, embracing yourself, and building stronger relationships and supports. The strategies and skills that I teach can be practiced on their own outside of the therapy sessions.

Life shouldn’t be this hard. You’re feeling more and more anxious and sad, perseverating on thoughts/ past issues that don’t serve you. You feel like life is passing you by. You know the kind of life you want but you can’t seem to get there. You’ve heard about mindfulness and meditation but you don’t know where to start. You want a better future for yourself that includes love, fun, meaningful school/ work and balance. There is good news. I have helped many people who’ve been sad or anxious, develop tools to help them live a life of fulfillment. Together, we'll uncover what's keeping you stuck and we will work toward rebuilding your life. You can experience happiness and contentment again. If you are ready for some real results, call or email me today. I’m happy to provide you with a free 15-minute consultation to make sure we’re a good match and you feel comfortable. I understand what you’re going through, and I know I can help. Call me today to get started.

What inspired me to become a therapist was my own personal experience with therapy as a young child. I wanted to help other people with their journey to become mentally healthy, mindful, and self-aware for a new lifestyle that is encouraging and fulfilling to them. My goal is to create a safe space for clients during sessions by being an observant, nonjudgmental, and an empathetic therapist. My philosophy is “Aim Small to Hit Big”, which means to be present in the moment and set small attainable goals for yourself to build upon your successes and celebrate accomplishments one goal at a time.