Therapists for college students near Cambridge, MA

I look forward to working with students who are motivated to feel -- and live -- better, whether from depression, anxiety, attention difficulties or adjustment challenges.

I am an LICSW who thoroughly enjoyed 42 plus years of clinical experience working as a Clinical Services Executive in a psychiatric hospital.  My oversight responsibilities for inpatient and outpatient care included providing direct service to patients, supervising clinical staff,  and developing therapeutic programming. I specialize in providing DBT, couples therapy, treatment for anxiety, depression, and trauma; working with young adults adapting to the multiple challenges of life and with people dealing with family members who are having mental health issues.  I am convinced that people are innately capable of change and adaptation, and I seek to support them in developing new insights and perspectives about their circumstances so that they can see new possibilities for themselves and take positive action for self-advancement.  I find it extremely gratifying to see clients make progress in their lives.    For therapists, I offer license-eligible supervision; support of their own clinical practice;  group therapy for therapists seeking support/guidance; and support to frontline workers and care takers. Therapists and health care providers often experience vicarious traumatization, and I can offer them perspective in dealing with this issue.  I believe in the importance of healing the healers and that I can offer this valuable support.

I use an integrative, psychodynamically grounded approach with an interpersonal, decolonized, and social justice lens. My work is rooted in a passion for making healing and self-understanding more accessible, especially for multi-marginalized communities. I believe the therapeutic relationship is central to change and prioritize collaboration, dignity, and empowerment. In psychological assessment, I take a client-centered approach that honors testing as a tool for insight and expanding access to care. I work with adults navigating identity development, trauma/complex PTSD, mood/anxiety disorders, life transitions, college adjustment, relational and family concerns, personality disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD. As a neurodivergent clinician, I enjoy supporting neurodivergent clients through unmasking and embracing the authentic self. I have worked in a variety of settings, including outpatient, school-based, inpatient and forensic settings. My background in forensic psychology, multi-method assessment, and research challenging stigma of specific marginalized populations informs my clinical approach, which embraces and honors the complexity of each person's lived experience.

The clients I work best with are those who are open to self-discovery and committed to enhancing their mental well-being. They’re ready to take actionable steps toward their goals and value a safe, supportive space where they can freely explore their thoughts and feelings without judgment.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

We go through life trying to figure out who we are and whether we can be accepted by family, co-workers, and friends. You learned strategies to show or hide certain parts of yourself to survive after experiencing hurt or rejection, pretending to be "okay" when others ask you how you are feeling to not burden them, but numb on the inside with anxiety or loneliness. Despite the desire to break out of the shell and be happy, life continues to be hard, especially when you look to others and seeing them being happy. And that is why you come to therapy: Because you want life to be meaningful and fulfilling! Therapy will not be simply talking, but a space where we will explore and mend parts of yourself that you love and parts that you avoid. The process may be challenging as I help you rediscover the things you have "swept under the rug" through questions and emotions, but also rewarding as you hopefully come to see yourself in a new light. I will provide a space for you to be you, whoever that may be so that you can look in the mirror and see yourself as deserving of love and happiness. Gamer? Great! Kinks? Awesome! Anime? That's my jam, too! If you are ready to take that courageous step again, please contact me for a 15-minute consultation on what you want in therapy and next steps.

Therapy serves as an opportunity to be curious – to explore the patterns and narratives we carry, repeat, and, at times, feel bound by. Through gentle curiosity, we create space for healing and give ourselves the opportunity to blossom into more authentic versions of ourselves. My therapeutic approach is grounded in psychodynamic and attachment theories. With compassion and warmth, I listen closely to the unique story of your life, honoring the experiences that have shaped how you relate to yourself and others. Together, we will untangle these experiences and cultivate hope that life can improve in ways that feel deeply meaningful. I offer individual psychotherapy to adults and older adults with a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, grief, bereavement, trauma, relational difficulties, and identity exploration. Importantly, I strive to remain mindful of the nuanced ways our identities shape our experiences and influence how we move through the world. I have specialized training in geropsychology and am passionate about helping adults navigate the complexities of aging, later-in-life transitions, caregiving, existential concerns, and ageism. My experience also includes working in college counseling centers, memory disorder clinics, community mental health, and with veterans.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

My style is warm, empowering, and deeply collaborative. I work from the understanding that the therapeutic relationship itself is a powerful vehicle for healing, built on fostering genuine compassion and unconditional positive regard. I use an integrative approach tailored to clients’ unique needs, drawing from psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). My work is trauma-informed, integrating mindfulness, Liberation Health, and anti-oppressive frameworks, while emphasizing awareness and somatic experience. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, identity concerns, relationship and family dynamics, and college adjustment. I specialize in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and individuals navigating chronic illness. I offer an affirming space for diverse identities and relationship dynamics. In addition to a Master of Social Work, I have a Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies and a background as a health and wellness/biology teacher, which provides me with a unique understanding of the challenges students encounter in educational environments.

We grow in relationships when we feel seen, responded to, and appreciated. My goal is to build a therapeutic connection together that enables you to work on challenges you are facing while also empowering you to feel more connected to yourself and others. I provide a curious, caring, collaborative presence in the hopes that our sessions offer a space to take a breath, experience your feelings, and explore. My therapeutic approach is grounded in relational cultural therapy and psychodynamic therapy. I also incorporate narrative, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing in my work. I support clients experiencing mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, family and relationship issues, ADHD, grief, and identity exploration. I have experience working with college students, including first generation and international students, and educators. I welcome all clients including BIPOC, queer, trans, and gender-expansive individuals. I am a former educator and work from a strengths-based and trauma-informed perspective. I draw on attachment theory and systems theory to understand clients’ experiences in the full context of their lives, including how our identities, needs, and experiences are connected to our communities, cultures, and the broader forces that shape our well-being.

I am a clinical psychologist licensed in the state of Massachusetts. I received my master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from William James College (formerly the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology). I have extensive experience working with college and university students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, who struggle with a wide variety of challenges and questions. I have worked as a staff clinician at the counseling centers of both Tufts and Brandeis universities, and completed my post-doctoral training at Roger Williams University. During my doctoral training, I completed Internships at New England Conservatory of Music and Rhode Island College. In addition, I trained on the psychiatric inpatient unit at Faulkner Hospital and worked with school children at a public middle school in Wayland, MA. I love working with people on a range of issues related to depression, anxiety, and substance use, in addition to examining questions of identity and relationships with others. My belief is that our difficulties in life often arise from complicated thoughts and feelings that may contradict one another and leave a person feeling confused and overwhelmed. My job as a psychotherapist is to work with individuals to sort through this mix, like a puzzle, in order to gain a greater understanding of the dynamics at play, both internally and externally. It is through this growth in self-understanding that one gains greater agency over how they can respond to the world around and within them. Prior to becoming a psychologist, I grew up outside of Boston and then moved to New York City to study and pursue a career in acting. I attended New York University and received a BFA in theater arts. I spent many years working as an actor, but eventually grew weary of some of the demands and experienced a crisis of sorts in regard to my professional and personal identity. Through a process of self-examination, assisted by my own experience in therapy, I found a new direction that enabled me to hold onto some of the aspects of theater that I liked, while gaining a sense of purpose and service to others that had been lacking for me. For these reasons, I love working with artists and creative types, in addition to those who find themselves at a crossroads or unsure of where to take their next step in life.

I work best with students and young adults who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, or self-doubt. You may be doing well on the outside while feeling overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, pressure to get things “right,” uncertainty about the future, or the expectations of school, relationships, and life. Therapy with me is a space to slow down, feel understood, and make sense of what you're experiencing without judgment. Together, we'll build practical tools to face fears, trust yourself, and move toward the life you want!

I am committed to creating a collaborative and open-minded atmosphere where you can come to know yourself more fully. People often seek psychotherapy when they feel overwhelmed and have reached a breaking point. They want to feel more grounded in who they are and the choices they make. Therapy offers a dedicated space to identify, understand and eventually transform painful experiences that have lead to suffering and frustration. My approach is warm and engaged. I have experience working in varied settings (inpatient units, partial programs, and community clinics) and with adults from all walks of life many of whom have lived through various traumatic experiences. I particularly enjoy working with graduate students and first gen college students navigating life transitions. I deeply respect the courage it takes to come to therapy and I welcome hearing from you.

I have been working as a therapist in private practice for over 20 years. My specialties include working with trauma, life transitions, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and body image struggles.

My therapeutic approach centers on developing agency, working through uncertainty, and attending to how identity and context shape experience. I work from a psychodynamic relational framework, integrating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. My treatment approach focuses on patterns in thoughts, relationships, and decision-making, with the goal of achieving a deeper self-understanding alongside symptom relief. I use what emerges in the therapeutic relationship, including discomfort, as meaningful data, while balancing structure and exploration to support both insight and practical change. I work with adults of all ages navigating mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder), anxiety, identity conflict, persistent relational patterns, life transitions, college adjustment, high internal pressure, and insomnia. I also have expertise working with individuals from immigrant families and clients navigating bicultural identities. I am an Asian American clinician with Korean heritage and consider how race, culture, identity, and background shape experience and the therapeutic relationship. I trained at Penn Outpatient Psychiatry, working with diverse adult populations across levels of acuity in a hospital-based, trauma-informed, relational, and psychodynamic setting.

Are you an anxious over thinker navigating relationships or a new career? Are you a people pleaser or highly self critical? I'm Aisling, a licensed therapist specializing in supporting women and adolescents dealing with anxiety, navigating life transitions, and healing from trauma. I hope to provide a space to explore all of those challenges with compassion, sensitivity, and sometimes humor. I view this work as the most important thing I could possibly be doing and I hope each client leaves this space feeling hopeful about themselves and the world around them. I work with adolescents and women to navigate a spectrum of anxiety disorders. In particular, I know how debilitating high functioning anxiety and perfectionism can be. I offer a place to explore the root of the anxiety, people pleasing behaviors, and develop healthy coping skills. I want to empower clients and help them see their own strengths.

My approach to therapy is guided by the belief that healing and change occur in relation with others. I am committed to meeting people where they are, taking time to learn their unique needs and life experiences, and honoring their own self-knowledge. I strive to create a safe and contained space that fosters exploration and self-actualization. I draw from psychodynamic and relational therapies, while also integrating narrative therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). My style is warm, genuine, and collaborative, and I practice with a queer, feminist, and anti-oppressive lens. I work with adults of all ages to navigate a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, identity issues, life transitions, interpersonal struggles, grief, and loss. I specialize in working with complex and developmental trauma, relationships and attachment, and first-generation challenges and experiences. I have experience working in schools, colleges, and community mental health. My personal and professional experiences have informed my passion for working with individuals impacted by the carceral system. I also find joy in expanding and enriching the therapeutic experience through the use of music, theater, and other art forms.

Join me in a collaborative focus on your mental health, designed to build resilience, improve the quality of life, and increase self-acceptance. I work with adults and young adults in individual psychotherapy on a short or long-term basis. I have a background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy. I treat a range of presenting concerns, including relationship stress, life transitions, depression, anxiety, and trauma. I have experience in college mental health, early intervention in mental illness, and family therapy. I have a special interest in issues of diversity and inclusion, and exploring an individual’s unique relationship to a variety of their own personal intersecting identities.

I am a culturally sensitive mental health counselor with long years of college teaching experience. I have been working with international students and immigrant families for 12 years in culturally diverse communities. My clients and colleagues describe me as a warm, intuitive, creative and culturally sensitive professional with a good sense of humor. I have been approaching my students and clients as storytellers and feeling fortunate to be part of their narratives. I love helping young adults to cope with social, emotional, psychological and academic issues and supporting them to gain control and feel happy within their lives.

At the heart of psychotherapy is accompaniment through one’s inner world. Current difficulties, past struggles, individual and familial traumas, hidden hopes and dreams – all of this will be central to making sense of your present and building toward your future. Starting psychotherapy can feel intimidating, but the benefits can be huge: deeper self-understanding, more meaningful and authentic relationships, reduced depression and anxiety, increased self-confidence. I have worked with a diverse swath of undergrad and graduate students in college counseling centers, and have studied and taught at private and public universities across the country. My specializations include relationship struggles, family conflict and crisis, identity development, career direction, academic concerns, gender and sexuality, trauma, spirituality, creativity, chronic illness, immigration, and LGBTQIA+ issues in teens and adults. I am committed to meeting you where you are at in the therapeutic process, and I welcome exploration of racial, sexual, and gender identities. I am a Harvard Medical School Psychiatry fellow trained in psychodynamic, relational, cognitive behavioral, and mindfulness-based therapies, but I believe a strong sense of connection is the most important element in seeking a therapist. I encourage you to reach out to a number of practitioners to find a good match. I look forward to hearing from you.