Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Stress, Anxiety, Overwhelm, and Uncertainty. How long can we go on like this? What happens when it gets to be too much? Living like this can push you past your limits. I notice that people tend to seek help for "mental health" when the symptoms of stress that affect their "physical health" worsen. My approach to helping clients is rooted in my understanding that mental, physical, and emotional health are all inextricably intertwined. I work with Highly Sensitive Persons (see the self questionnaire at: www.hsperson.com) who struggle to cope with the fast paced, overwhelming and uncertain environment our lives have become. I also work with many people who recognize their childhoods as having been painful or traumatic.I am trained in EMDR. Therapy can help develop the tools you need to create the life you want to live.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Welcome. I’m Carmen, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California (Lic. #16818). With over ten years of experience in the mental health field, I specialize in helping adults navigate life’s most challenging transitions. Whether you are healing from trauma, managing symptoms of depression or anxiety, recovering from addiction, or simply seeking a sense of peace in the daily grind, my goal is to support you in your journey towards living your most authentic life.

Feeling weighed down by anxiety and often second-guessing yourself? Do you find yourself overthinking everything that could go wrong, procrastinating, or struggling to make decisions? Maybe anxiety leaves you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, making it hard to get through the day or enjoy the friendships, opportunities, and experiences you really want. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Therapy can help. Taking the step to reach out for support can feel intimidating, but it’s also one of the bravest choices you can make. I’m glad you’re here. Together, we can work on tools to quiet the constant overthinking, build confidence, and help you create the life and relationships you want most. In sessions, I offer you evidenced based tools, teach you new skill development and strategies so that you can get relief, gain confidence and manage anxiety more effectively. We'll create a plan that feels practical, empowering and personalized. My treatment approach utilizes Cognitive-Behavioral therapy and Compassion Mindfulness-based therapy. Cognitive Behavioral therapy is considered one of the most effective, and evidenced based treatments for anxiety. Reach out today for a 15-minute free consultation. I look forward to connecting with you and being a partner on your therapy journey.

Personal wellness is an ever evolving journey in the human process. The journey begins with a choice to acknowledge an issue, stressor, or area of desired growth to create a different outcome. Whether facing a new challenge, or struggling with a long standing issue, seeking professional support can be the choice that helps empower and create meaningful change. It is a privilege to serve my clients and to help them on their journeys toward meaning and personal fulfillment. It is my goal to help my clients be their best selves, even in the midst of fluctuating circumstances. My clients describe me as easy to talk to & one who challenges them, balancing listening & feedback during sessions. I do my best to tailor treatment to fit individual needs. My clients leave sessions with tools to apply between appointments. I believe growth requires work both in & out of the session. I have more than 20 years combined experience in medical and acute behavioral social work, crisis intervention, counseling, and higher education.

I enjoy assisting people to heal quickly, empower them learn to live life to their fullest, change negative thoughts and behaviors to positive and learn these skills by role playing, practicing and becoming successful. I want people to be successful in communication, being assertive and improving relationships at the workplace, and in personal relationships with friends, partners and family. I use empathy, clarify their thoughts and feelings and ask them what they want to improve in therapy, what they see as being successful and learning new skills and establishing new habits that they want to achieve. I encourage people to be honest about their feelings to themselves and to others. I listen to my clients and try to empathize with whatever hurts them and causes them emotional pain.

Are you and your partner disconnected? Have tons of resentment? Feeling like roommates? Having the same conflict over and over again? Constantly met with defensiveness? Feeling like you are always misunderstood? Scared to bring things up because they'll "get upset" or shut down? Don't know where to start? If you are facing any of these challenges, you are not alone. Some conflicts in relationships never fully go away, but they don't have to keep hurting you. We can unpack whats really happening beneath the surface so the conflict stops feeling destructive and we can get the change you've been hoping for. I provide telehealth therapy for couples who want real and structured change, not just a therapist who is a mediator or referee. I use the Gottman Method, which is a research-based intervention with 50 years of research on how couples communicate and connect. I will bring those tools to every session to help you repair your relationship. Healing and change are possible, even when it feels difficult and uncertain. My approach is warm, structured, direct, and collaborative. I’ll help you understand why patterns keep showing up and give you tools you can actually use outside of session. Therapy with me is a space where you can slow down, feel understood, and start making changes that last.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Prior to being a therapist, I worked in community mental health care in San Diego and San Francisco for nine years. I believe community care and mental wellness are so important for the well-being of individuals and our communities as a whole. I practice therapy from a strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective. Engaging in therapy can be a big step, and I aim to be a supportive guide on my clients’ therapeutic journeys. I like working collaboratively with clients to identify specific solutions that can help improve overall quality of life. I practice therapy from a solution-focused, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. I utilize elements of CBT, DBT, Person Centered, Narrative and Mindfulness-Based Therapy in sessions to support my clients toward well-being and growth.

Are you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, confused, or depressed? Are you feeling disconnected or lost as you navigate your college journey? Wondering if you may have impostor syndrome? Are you procrastinating and cannot find any motivation to study? Having family conflicts? Relationship issues? Boundary issues? You are not alone! I have experience working with people from all walks of life. I am here to support and collaborate with you to meet your needs and develop new skills to help you feel happier in life. There is no one-size-fits-all counseling approach. I have always used person-centered and integrated therapy approaches to help my clients, such as Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Solution-focused therapy, Narrative therapy, Play therapy, EMDR therapy, Brainspotting, Gottman Couple therapy and Art therapy. I have found that we are all unique individuals who have similar experiences but unique details in life. Since I began counseling, each modality and approach has its pros and cons; we cannot always rely on one modality or approach to handle every situation. Sometimes, being creative and flexible can help my clients better understand themselves. I have had many counselors in my life, from academic counselors to mental health counselors, and they all have brought me wisdom to help me identify my issues and have helped me realize nothing is more important than our health. Having healthy communication skills and learning about others’ cultures and practices can reduce anxiety between both parties. We often have various unique obstacles to face, but if we can be flexible to adapt to our challenges and find alternatives and resources, this can be our key to problem-solving and a huge step to our success.

We help young adults find clarity, confidence, and lasting relief as they navigate trauma, grief, and the big life changes to build a grounded, fulfilling life.

Hello and welcome! I am a licensed marriage & family therapist. I worked with clients in the La Jolla/San Diego area for many years before moving across the country to Florida. I currently serve California, Colorado, and Florida-based clients via secure video counseling. I work with individuals, couples, and families to help each person resolve problems, to create more satisfying relationships, and to live more fulfilling and meaningful lives. I specialize in treating anxiety disorders, couples conflict, substance abuse, eating disorders, chronic illness, and pre-marital issues, but I also have experience helping people through a wide range of other problems that may be bothering them (please see "Services Provided" for more detailed information). My approach is mostly collaborative - I believe that my clients should have options when choosing what type of therapy treatment they feel is best for them. I also, when appropriate, will work closely with a client's healthcare providers as part of the treatment. This way, my clients have additional support as we work through challenges. I absolutely love working as a therapist! Nothing gives me more satisfaction than saving a marriage, increasing the bonds of love between family members, or helping someone overcome an addictive pattern and find new meaning in their life. Please contact me to set up your first appointment.

You just need to do figure out to eat for dinner, you’ve done it a million times, so why does it feel so hard? In my practice, I’ve learned that we often go through life reacting to situations without fully understanding why. I specialize in working with neurodivergent young adults (i.e. ADHD, Autism, OCD) and I'm passionate about helping people understand how their unique minds and bodies work. There is so much you are already doing instinctively to cope with things (probably a lot of it without even realizing it's a coping skill), I just get to help you figure out what that is and how to use it more effectively. By untangling your thoughts, exploring your feelings, and developing a deeper understanding of your mind and body, I will help you regain the power to build a life that works for you. Trying new things can be hard but what you’re doing isn’t easy. It’s worth giving yourself a chance. Please contact me if you would like to schedule a free consultation.

I am a Certified Sex Therapist (CST) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in LGBTQ+ care. In my private practice, I offer individual and couples therapy sessions as a sexual, gender, and relational diverse provider with expert training and over ten years of service to the community. I sought additional training in couples therapy, sex therapy, and diverse relationship structures. My practice is also geared towards supporting alternative sexuality communities, including kink, BDSM, non-monogamy, and polyamory. My mission has always been to be a knowledgeable therapist so that my clients don't feel like they are educating me about their lives and can feel safe knowing they will not be judged for who they are.

I have been working in the mental health/social services field since 1996 in varying capacities. I was a social worker with the County of San Diego in Child Protective Services, first as a case manager, where I worked in a specialized unit with long-term foster children who had mental health diagnoses. I became a kind of “specialist” in attachment and bonding, and grief and loss issues, as well as issues with identity, be it racial, gender, or other identifications. After taking early retirement from the County in 2011, I decided to focus on the mental health side of social services. I took a job as a therapist and a discharge coordinator at a mental health crisis house, and then as a care manager for patients at inpatient psychiatric facilities for various insurance companies. In August 2013, I finally achieved a long-term dream and opened up my private practice where I continue to be delighted with the creativity and innovation, as well as the diversity of the people I meet every day.

Since I could remember, I knew that I wanted to be in a field that would give me the opportunity to help others. I chose to be a psychology major for many reasons but one of them is because I found psychology very interesting and fascinating. I also discover that being genuinely interested in people, wanting to help and having the ability to easily connect with others were strengths that would help me in my journey of being able to help others. I have a passion for helping clients enhance their personal strengths, develop coping skills for them to thrive during difficult times, life transitions and needed change. One of the most important thing for me as a therapist is on providing a safe environment to my clients. I do it by being genuine, empathetic and compassionate. I also use actively listening to really understand the client’s perspective on their situations, and also what they want out of treatment. One question that I found important is to ask my client about their previous experiences in therapy and what was something that they did not like or liked in order to understand more what they might need from out therapeutic relationship. I like working collaboratively with my clients to build healthier relationships with themselves and others. I truly believe that people are the experts of their lives. Using compassion, active listening, kindness and a collaborative approach has helped my clients feel safer in our sessions while working together. When leaving our sessions, clients will have a roadmap for their healing and personal development journey. Through out our work together, clients will feel empower, motivate and hopeful that they can improve and achieve their treatment goals.

"Commit to loving yourself completely. It's the most radical thing you will do in your lifetime" - Andrea Gibson I am a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 20 years of experience helping individuals through transition and personal growth. After growing up in Colorado and graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, my professional journey started with a passionate commitment to community building, leadership development, and health and wellness advocacy. I embarked on a profound exploration of autonomy and a deepening understanding of myself through working with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Mexico and then as a Director of an Environmental Educational program in Hawaii. Following my move to the Bay Area, my deep-seated desire to make a positive impact on individual lives motivated me to pursue and successfully earn a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University. Throughout my mental health professional journey, I have worked as a psychotherapist, consultant, supervisor, counselor and Founding Director of a New Parent Support Center, each contributing to my diverse skill set and holistic approach to well-being. With a firm belief in the transformative power of self-discovery, I specialize in working with emerging adults/college age individuals with their unique challenges and opportunities faced at different stages of life. My focus is helping my younger clients build inner strength, explore their identities, establish independence, and navigate important life decisions. My integrative approach utilizes my extensive training in research-based interventions as well as clinically efficacious modalities such as developmental psychology, attachment theory, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Somatic, and Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy. By combining these methods, I provide a tailored and holistic therapeutic experience while recognizing each individual as the expert of their own life. I am certified in Parent-Based Treatment for Childhood Anxiety at the Yale Child Study Center, a certified Gottman Educator, a certified Parent Coach as well as a Girls Leadership educator. I have completed trainings in Surf Therapy, Somatic Experiencing as well as Nature-Informed therapy. I enjoy surfing, hiking and exploring the outdoors and live with my husband and two teenagers in Encinitas, CA. Lic# MFT 51396 “You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." Jon Kabat-Zinn Specialties College Students Women's Issues Identity Development Life Transitions Stress Management Relationship Concerns Anxiety and Worry Depression Attachment Theory Mindfulness and Somatic Based Therapy Parts Work

I’m passionate about collaborating with clients to increase their confidence in their ability to cope with challenges and build fulfillment in their lives. It has been an honor to witness this in others during the past 15+ years of being a therapist. When it comes to working with clients, I take a biopsychosocial, collaborative approach, believing we are all physical, mental, emotional, and social beings with unique goals, challenges and viewpoints. My counseling approach is gentle, compassionate, person-centered, solution-focused and strength-based. I incorporate evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), using the spirit of motivational interviewing to support clients to meet their goals and increase their coping.

If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, trauma, or issues controlling alcohol use… our team can help. Our mission is to provide highly effective, personalized care that empowers and guides you through life’s challenges, transitions, and complications. We support each individual to be the best version of themselves, live a vibrant life, feel supported and less alone by utilizing our experience and evidence-based techniques tailored to meet their needs. Each therapist on my team has their own specialties and unique training. We treat a wide array of client and would love to support you in your therapy process.