Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

As a proud Latina and former teen mom, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to the therapeutic space. I’m deeply passionate about mental health and the power of healing through connection, understanding, and culturally sensitive care. I specialize in working with individuals navigating trauma, sexual violence, anxiety, and depression. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in empathy and empowerment. I believe every person deserves to feel heard, safe, and supported especially in their most vulnerable moments. In our work together, I aim to create a space where you can begin to unlearn shame, process pain, and rebuild your sense of self with compassion and strength. Healing is not linear, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

My therapeutic approach deals with stories, and I am interested in including modern ways of storytelling into the work we do through digital media, technology, and even video games. I believe that stories are created through a variety of mediums that include art, play, and experience. I encourage the people I work with to explore all of the ways they have to come to know the world around them to make our time together even more fun, engaging, and relevant to you. In my practice, my goal is to collaborate with my clients in better understanding how they’ve storied their lives, challenging dominant narratives and systems of oppression, and exploring more preferred ways of being. The theories that inform my work include: narrative therapy, collaborative therapy, solution-focused therapy, play therapy, motivational interviewing, and strength-based therapy. Someone who might be interested in working with me is open and willing to explore the different ways that therapy can "be"! I invite collaboration and exploration in the work we do together, so feel free to bring the passions that drive you along with the obstacles you are facing into the room. Music, art, games, movies, even the people in your life are all resources to bring to therapy that can help to better understand the person you want to be and the story you want to tell. My experience as a queer, 1st generation Filipino-American is what inspires me to support others in their identity development. Navigating the endless messages and oppressive narratives that make up the modern, cultural milieu can be overwhelming and limiting. My hope is to create a non-judgmental space where the people I work with can challenge these dominant social narratives that attempt to tell them who they are or who they should be and begin crafting their own unique, preferred sense of self. I believe in challenging the notion that therapy is apolitical. I believe that the work that we do in attempt to better ourselves as individuals undoubtedly impacts and is impacted by those arounds us whether it's friends, loved ones, neighbors, or strangers across the globe. This is why I use social justice framework in my practice as I hope to promote total wellbeing not just for the client but for the larger communities and systems we are a part of.

Sometimes life throws us a fork in the road and sends us off course leading to unfamiliar territory. This change can contribute to feeling lost and alone in this world even when you are surrounded by loved ones. You feel like you are treading water and barely staying afloat. This change causes imbalances in your personal and professional life. You are feeling frustrated and have no one to turn to that can understand what you are going through. Perhaps you are pregnant or a new mom trying to find some level of normalcy with this huge change in your life. You feel alone, sleep deprived, and feeling like no one understands what you are going through. You want to make a change in your life, finding more effective ways to cope and prevent yourself from repeating patterns in your life. Does this sound familiar? If so, you have come to the right place. Let me help you… I am an experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #88489) in San Diego. I am a collaborative, compassionate, empathetic and relatable therapist. I believe that the key to personal growth and success is to find balance and inner happiness within ourselves. As a therapist, my role is to provide a nurturing environment allowing the opportunity for self-exploration and growth. In this process, I provide support, understanding, and feedback. Every person and every situation is different. There is not one formula that works for everyone. I believe that in order to effectively meet your goals; sessions should be personalized based on your individual needs.

I have personal, lived experience with all of my primary areas of focus. I have a wide array of specialties because life presented many unexpected changes that resulted in a fulfilling career. I remember feeling out of place throughout my childhood, but I didn't know how to convey my feelings. My childhood was always unpredictable and chaotic so I was able to recognize those things in others. I didn't understand what I was feeling at the time, but I remember thinking, "how is no one seeing this or saying anything?". From a young age I had a deep sense of connection to the unmet needs of others. I was always told that I was "resilient" but I didn't want to have to be that, it didn't feel fair. Through my own personal growth I learned how to transform my emotional wounds into a way to serve others. We can't undo what was done to us, but we can take charge of how our needs are met from this point forward. I am a Depth psychotherapist and strongly rely upon experiential therapy. This means that you can expect to address the underlying deeper issues. One of the strongest components of the therapeutic process is receiving validation and genuine understanding. This results in a vulnerable and open relationship between the client and the clinician. I have a diverse background and support issues in my practice, that I have personally experienced. I have worked in a variety of mental health, rehabilitation, and addiction settings, including both: in-patient psychiatric hospitals, treatment facilities, residential, and outpatient programs, as well as caregiving facilities for persons experiencing disabilities. I spent the first part of my career as a clinical case manager working with the homeless, veterans, and persons experiencing addiction and acute mental illness. My practice focuses on assisting individuals in establishing a centered approach to their lives by digging up the past and connecting to their core values. Some of the most important aspects in my life include: advocacy, rehabilitation, fostered autonomy, and being in-tune with the needs of a wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. I rely on your intuition and guide you to reaching your empowered self. Together we will connect to your mind, body, and unmet emotional needs. I will help you recognize and understand how your emotions impact your thoughts and decisions. I will help you develop awareness of your internal thoughts, foster insight into your body’s responses, and teach you to listen through somatic awareness.

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Hello, my name is Patricia Bevan. I have always found human behavior interesting. I love getting to know people and listening to their life stories. I find it very rewarding to empower people to achieve their best, support them through their challenges in life, as well as help ease their emotional burdens. My focus is all about "connection." My work is about connecting with clients on a genuine, compassionate and human level.

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Pacific Neurobehavioral Clinic, PC, is a leading mental health clinic in San Diego, CA that provides high-quality neuropsychological evaluation and psychological therapy services for adults (ages 18 and up). Our neuropsychologists specialize in traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegenerative conditions (Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias), and other acquired neurological conditions (such as strokes/cerebrovascular accidents, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors) in adults. Our psychologists and therapists specialize in working with various health conditions, particularly with chronic pain, and take an integrative approach in the evaluation and treatment of depression, anxiety, somatic symptom disorders, and trauma and stressor-related disorders. Our psychologists are also skilled in performing pre-surgical psychological clearance evaluations for spinal cord stimulator or bariatric surgeries. Several of our clinicians are Spanish-speaking. Telehealth/telepsych services are available to CA residents.

At Psychiatric Alternatives and Wellness Center (PAWC) our intake process matches your needs with the right psychiatrist or mental health therapist. During your treatment, practitioners and staff work together well to create a seamless care experience, including support for scheduling, billing and managing prescriptions. Our doctors collaborate with each other and listen to patient needs and interests. PAWC Psychiatrists are able to collaborate regularly with Psychologists on the PAWC team and provide holistic, individualized treatment plans for patients.

Painful feeling such as anxiety or sadness and/or the disconnect from loved ones can feel overwhelming. It is difficult to find joy in life when we are struggling with one of these challenges. Therapy can be a place to consider new ways to work towards your goals, to find new sources of joy, and to reduce the experience of pain. I am a licensed clinical psychologist, specializing in the delivery of time-limited, evidence-based therapies to help you experience relief from feeling of anxiety and sadness and/or to increase closeness in your romantic relationship. In order to achieve your goals we will draw on cognitive-behavioral and emotionally-focused therapy strategies. I want you to know that there is reason to be hopeful, even when it is hard to find that hope on your own. Together we can identify a road map for working towards your goals, taking one step down the road at a time. If you are interested in connecting, please do not hesitate to reach out via email or telephone.

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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.

Hi, I'm Cassidy, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I believe that healing starts with a warm, genuine connection. If you’ve been struggling with the weight of depression or anxiety, I’m here to walk alongside you with kindness and understanding. I love combining the 'science' of therapy with human connection, making sure you feel seen and supported while we break down the big stressors into more manageable pieces.

Theresa Chesnut specializes in the treatment of Eating Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), issues surrounding athletic performance and anxiety as well as conflicts arising within the family, particularly those pertaining to adolescent growth. Her therapeutic orientation is holistic, strength-based, and grounded in both psychodynamic and Internal Family Systems (IFS) theories. Professional Experience Theresa has worked with adolescents and adults for over 30 years, managing her clients’ challenges with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders. Previous to her having formed her own private group practice, she held the position of Clinical Director at The Healthy Teen Project (HTP), an adolescent, eating disorder-specific outpatient clinic. Before her activities HTP, Theresa held many roles over her 13-year stint at a national eating disorder residential treatment center, including Program Director, Lead Individual and Group Therapist, Program Director, Director of Regional Marketing, and supervising master level interns. She was also instrumental in a founder-like role, starting new programs, training new staff, overseeing operations, creating policies and procedures for programs, and expanding existing practices into new geographic locations. Theresa lectures locally and nationally, both in person and virtually, on therapeutic interventions targeting the entire eating disorder recovery process. Over the last 3 decades, Theresa has lectured on college campuses to student counseling staff, coaching staff students and sororities as well as to allied professionals covering the state of the art of symptom identification and eating disorder prevention, therapeutic interventions. Most recently, she has been trained in Family Based Therapy (FBT), Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and is a certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist and a Level One Trainer. Theresa served as a Board member of the national Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) from 2009-2017 and held board positions as the Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair. Additionally, she sat on several committees including the Conference Committee and Weight Stigma Awareness Week.

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Are you feeling unhappy, isolated, stressed, stuck, or like nothing ever goes right? Do you want to improve your relationships with friends, family, or partners? I strongly believe everyone can benefit from a safe space to process their emotions and struggles weekly with someone outside your immediate support system. It’s daunting to find a therapist who is right for you. I will meet you where you’re at - whether that’s helping you find the words to express yourself or finding the right goals and motivations to move yourself to the next phase of life. I provide psychotherapy services to teens, young adults, and adults of all ages, but I especially enjoy working with college students. I approach therapy from a person-centered and strengths-based perspective. That means I believe you are the expert on yourself; and that with support and guidance, you have the ability to make the changes you want. I believe I can help you to improve your self-awareness, understand and accept patterns from your past, and learn new skills and healthier ways of engaging in the world. Prioritizing healing, growth, and change are lifelong practices that often need a tune-up. I believe transformation requires time, space, patience, and self-compassion. In therapy, I offer a safe and caring relationship that supports you in doing this life-changing work. If you are experiencing depression, feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, grief and loss, life changes, trauma, low self-worth, self-criticism, communication, identifying needs, and boundary issues, please reach out today! ​Registered Associate MFT #118406 ​Registered Associate PCC #7659 Supervised by Dr. Joy L. Johnson, Psy.D. (PSY28452)

Hi, my name is Esma. Clients come to my practice looking for a therapist who can get to the root of their problem. I specialize in working with sensitive, high-functioning people who look fine on the outside but feel stuck on the inside. My practice is integrative, trauma-informed, and centered around helping clients navigate trauma, complex PTSD, anxiety, relationship challenges, and attachment wounds. I draw from Brainspotting, IFS, ACT, CBT, and other holistic approaches depending on each client’s individual needs and goals. I’m not afraid of hard conversations, and I won’t tiptoe around the things that matter. Clients appreciate that I’m both caring and direct. I’m not cold or overly clinical, but I also won’t sugarcoat things or avoid difficult conversations. I help clients get underneath the surface and start making real changes. I also use humor naturally in session because sometimes humor creates the exact amount of honesty, perspective, and relief people need to finally let their guard down. Therapy can be deep and challenging without feeling rigid or performative. I’m both caring and straightforward. I bring warmth and honesty into the room equally. You’ll feel supported, but you’ll also be held accountable. I believe both are necessary for growth. I offer both in-person and online therapy services in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I especially enjoy working with young adults and creating flexible, accessible options for support. Some of the services I currently offer include: • Brainspotting Group Therapy — Self-Love & Secure Attachment (weekly with flexible attendance) • Brainspotting Group + occasional individual therapy as needed • As-needed therapy (individual or couples) • Weekly therapy (individual or couples) • Every-other-week therapy (individual or couples) • Therapy intensives (individual or couples)

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I support Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color through healing and meaningful life transitions. As a bicultural therapist and child of Eritrean immigrants, I bring both clinical expertise and lived experience, with a deep understanding of identity, ambition, and belonging. My work is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and rooted in empathy. I create a nonjudgmental space for women navigating self-doubt, career transitions, creative blocks, or emotional wounds who are ready to move forward with clarity and confidence. Together, we break through internal and external barriers, strengthen relationships, and build lives aligned with your values and purpose. I listen deeply, validate your experiences, and stay attuned to your emotions, while also offering the gentle accountability needed to keep you grounded and moving toward your goals. I ask permission before offering advice, so you always feel safe to show up as your whole self. I specialize in supporting students managing anxiety, stress, and personal barriers. My ideal clients are curious about their identity and open to holistic practices like breathwork and meditation. We'll work toward meaningful goals at a pace that feels right for you.