Therapists for college students near San Francisco, CA

I am passionate about helping people be the best versions of themselves. I am excited to help people find the tools to reach their personal goals along with processing the events and situations that come up in life as they arise. I have worked with clients from all walks of life and in low to high acuity environments. The tools that I support clients with can save lives and dramatically change people’s quality of life. I try to meet every client where they are at in each session, exploring the things that matter to them. I want every client that I work with to feel seen and validated from their own perspective. Trust with my clients is built through consistency and collaboration. I want everyone that I work with to feel like I am a part of their team and support network to help them navigate life’s challenges together.

In a world not created for our comfort or success, the challenges of Black, Latine/a/x, Indigenous, Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI), and People of Color often go unnoticed by others. Are you constantly feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to prioritize yourself? Do you feel as though your relationships are one-sided? Have you experienced microaggressions, felt marginalized, or like an impostor in predominantly White spaces? Are you ready to level up and reclaim your power? My approach is person-centered and strengths-based. You are the expert of your life, and we will work together to identify and use your strengths to create healthier relationships, increase self-esteem, and build resilience. Transforming into your most joyful self requires dedication and hard work, and I am here to support you every step of the way. As a Black and Latinx psychologist, I am passionate about healing and uplifting his communities. You deserve not to just survive, but thrive! I believe this work has the ability to help you find the confidence in your voice, and feel empowered in your daily life. If this resonates with you, come through, get settled in, and let’s get to work.

Hello! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and am taking on new clients. I love working with young adults because the changes we make early in life can have a lasting impact. Stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, friendships, figuring out who we are and how we want to move through life, navigating transitions, processing trauma - it can be incredibly difficult to hold space for these aspects of being human, and therapy offers a place where we can figure out how to live our most authentic, genuine life while feeling in control of that which often feels out of control.

Over the last decade, I have been dedicated to providing compassionate and empathetic mental health care and working in the communities to reduce mental health stigma. To support my patients and community, I have had many roles, including volunteering at domestic abuse shelters, speaking for mental health organizations, facilitating campus support groups, and working as a psychiatric registered nurse. As a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I will continue my passion for providing quality mental health care for my patients, ensuring every patient feels supported and heard. I center around collaboration and empowerment. What inspires me to work in the mental health field is witnessing the resilience of those I serve. Every day, I see individuals overcome challenges and rediscover hope through compassionate, personalized care. Their journeys remind me that mental health care is about more than treating symptoms—it’s about empowering people to reclaim their lives. I am driven by the opportunity to create safe, supportive environments where patients feel heard, valued, and inspired to achieve their full potential. This work not only fuels my passion but also reaffirms my commitment to making a positive, lasting impact in the lives of others. My approach centers around collaboration, empowering patients to actively participate in treatment plans that best suit their goals and lifestyles. There is no ‘one size fits all’; every patient has different symptoms, beliefs, and needs. Building a therapeutic alliance and fostering an environment of trust and empathy are essential in my practice, ensuring each patient feels supported and understood. In addition, I practice holistic care and look at all aspects of my patient’s life to help improve their quality of life. Finally, I am passionate about Trauma-Informed Care as trauma is a nearly universal experience and patients should all be treated with sensitivity and care.

Feeling scared, overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of who you are? Not sure who you are, how you fit in to this confusing world, or how you'll survive get these weird times? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. As a therapist, I specialize in supporting LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent folks. I help with navigating a neurotypical world, identity exploration, complex trauma (CPTSD), life transitions, & more. Whether you're untangling childhood wounds, exploring your identity, or the feeling that the world that wasn’t built with you in mind, therapy can be a space to slow down, take a breath, and begin healing. As a relational therapist, I care a lot about the connection between us. Think "bestie on FaceTime" - but with real clinical training to help you! I'm person centered, which means you're the boss! I use a feminist approach because your identities matters. I'm direct (but kind!), which means I'll give you my opinion or a gentle nudge when appropriate too! I also incorporate parts work and feminist therapy into my work and enjoy using play (even with adults!). No matter where you are with your mental health, I'm ready to offer you a helping hand and listening ear. Healing and growing are ongoing journeys, I'd love to walk along side you through yours. Let's connect!

Welcome. I believe we are all wired for connection, and, whether extraverted or introverted, rejection and isolation are incredibly painful experiences. Our brains and bodies are built in such a way that protects us from threat and harm. While these protection instincts are necessary and helpful in the midst of threat, sometimes they can keep us from the connection we truly crave and need. If you're finding that your protectors are keeping you from relating with yourself, others, and the world around you, the counseling setting can be a safe place for practicing transformational skills to break free from the unhealthy, unhelpful habits. You are the owner and narrator of your own story. The counseling room becomes a place where your felt-story can be shared, heard, and healed through. My method is collaborative and holistic in nature, integrating counseling methods to meet each client's specific needs. I am trained in Gottman Method, DARe, EMDR with kids and adults, and TBRI. "Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up" (Brene Brown). Your bravery does not go unnoticed. I look forward to hearing your story, soon.

During my clinical training at a college counseling center, I worked closely with students navigating anxiety, self-doubt, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties, trauma, academic pressures, and major life transitions. I also currently serve as a clinical supervisor for doctoral trainees in a graduate psychology program. As a contributing author in a Cambridge Scholars Publishing volume exploring the transcultural unconscious, I am especially attentive to the ways psychological suffering can emerge across emotional, relational, somatic, cultural, ancestral, and intergenerational layers—particularly for individuals navigating between multiple cultural worlds, identities, or systems of meaning. In addition to my clinical work, I draw insight from four decades of lived experience across business, music, holistic practices, and cross-cultural traditions, which continue to inform my understanding of psychological resilience, creativity, identity, and the complexity of human experience. Many of the individuals I work with appear highly capable on the outside while privately struggling with a persistent sense of disconnection from themselves or uncertainty about who they are beyond achievement and external expectations. If you are trying to meet academic, familial, cultural, or social demands while also struggling with questions of identity, self-worth, meaning, or belonging, therapy can offer a space where your inner life is approached with greater curiosity and depth rather than reduced to productivity or performance. Therapy may also help you develop the psychological flexibility to hold the tension between external expectations and your own emerging questions about identity, meaning, and authenticity without forcing one side of yourself to disappear. I work particularly well with students and young adults who are psychologically curious and interested in understanding the deeper patterns shaping their emotional lives. This may especially resonate if you tend to organize your inner life and external world primarily through thinking, analysis, and intellectual understanding. The capacity to reflect, reason, and make meaning from complexity can be a profound strength that supports resilience, creativity, and achievement. At the same time, thinking can sometimes become a way of creating distance from emotional or somatic experience, especially when vulnerability or relational life once felt difficult to navigate. You may genuinely enjoy ideas, self-reflection, and intellectual exploration, while also sensing that certain emotional experiences remain difficult to access, articulate, or fully feel. Together, we may explore how early relational experiences, unconscious dynamics, cultural and family histories, and internalized expectations influence your self-esteem, relationships, perfectionism, emotional regulation, and sense of meaning or purpose. My approach is psychodynamic and depth-oriented while also integrating evidence-based trauma treatment, including EMDR. Therapy is not only focused on symptom reduction, but also on helping you develop a more reflective and compassionate relationship with yourself. I value both the importance of making practical progress in daily life and the longer process of psychological development that unfolds as your inner and outer worlds begin to come into deeper dialogue. For many young adults, this stage of life involves more than adapting to social expectations—it can also become an important period of questioning, identity formation, and emotional integration. Therapy can provide a space for you to think deeply, process difficult experiences, and cultivate a more grounded and genuine sense of self.

Clients that I see in my practice are frequently struggling with life transition, academic stress, family concerns, and issues in their interpersonal relationships, all while trying to succeed as students. I also work with many clients either diagnosed with ADHD (or suspecting that they have it) who are seeking support to improve functioning. My practice is also LGBTQ+ affirming and welcoming.

Dr. Aw's primary interest is the intersection between mental and physical health. Dr. Aw’s philosophy is that one does not exist outside the other. Furthermore, depression and anxiety in patients who are also suffering from medical issues can feel significantly worse, and it is his goal to get patients on a holistic road to recovery. An ideal patient for Dr. Aw understands that it takes a team to get them feeling better, and it is a collaboration between the patients themselves and Dr. Aw.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I was inspired to become a therapist because I’ve always believed in using your voice to strengthen what has been there underneath and to overcome challenges. Life can be very challenging and difficult to navigate, and you do not have to go through it alone-I am here for you. I entered this field because I am a true believer in being able to hold a safe space to talk about the difficulties that springs up in life. I always believed in being able to hear others, educate, and encourage resilience and being a therapist was a perfect way to offer these strengths. I enter each session with care, compassion and knowing that it can be very difficult to open up to another person and to be vulnerable. I want to reassure you that I am with you from the start to the end in our sessions and throughout this journey. I will actively listen, support, provide a non judgmental space and encourage advocacy and healing. I pay close attention to what is being shared, I will ask questions, clarify, and point out things “in the now” as they are happening, tuning in with your verbal and non verbal communication. I will meet you where you are with respect, attentiveness, being present and engaged. Together, we’ll create a space where your voice matters, your experiences are validated, and you can feel supported as you explore, heal, and grow. In our sessions you can trust I am fully present and no problem is too big to be talked about. I invite honest conversations knowing you are in a safe space that respects confidentiality at all times. Every journey is unique and it requires a unique approach and I am committed to using different evidence based treatment tailored to your needs. I take a holistic approach keeping in mind your culture, values, and life experiences. Our therapeutic alliance is important so I frequently check-in and encourage you to apply the skills learned to help you grow. I have seen through out my 11 years in the mental heath field the growth and healing that can come when someone is ready to take on this journey.

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.

I love working with young adults. Life inevitably brings challenges and difficult times. Deciding to begin therapy is a sign of strength, but it can also feel intimidating. My style is warm, supportive, and interactive. We will work together to help you build a life that is meaningful, healthy and balanced no matter what challenges you may face in your personal life or in your relationships. Please reach out via phone, text or email. My favorite session is the first session, when I get to meet you!

Providing thoughtful psychiatry for children, adolescents, and adults.

Nobody teaches you how to fight fair, ask for what you need, or love someone without losing yourself. Estes Therapy does. Founded by licensed marriage and family therapist Jennine Estes Powell, our practice helps young adults build healthier patterns before the hard stuff becomes the default. Whether you are navigating your first serious relationship, processing attachment wounds from home, or just trying to understand why you keep ending up in the same situations, we have therapists who get it and know how to help.

Many of the students I work best with feel pressure to "have it all together" on the outside—yet inside, they're overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, or past trauma. They may be high-achieving, creative, or deeply caring individuals who feel stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to move forward. In our work together, I provide a warm, grounded space to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface. I use practical, body-based tools along with talk therapy to help you feel more empowered, connected, and aligned with who you truly are. Therapy doesn’t have to be about fixing what’s “wrong”—it can be about reconnecting with your inner strength and learning new ways to care for yourself.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

At Coastal Minds, our mission is to offer an inviting and perpetually safe place to be, regardless of who you are. Above all, we do this by welcoming you just as you are: no judgment, no criticism, no standards to meet or uphold. In a world where you often have to be someone or something else, this is a place where you can show up and be really, truly you.

My path to becoming a therapist grew out of my experience working in crisis settings, including emergency mental health and trauma care. I had the privilege of supporting people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and I saw firsthand how powerful it can be to have someone who listens without judgment and helps make sense of overwhelming experiences. Those experiences inspired me to continue this work in a way that allows for deeper healing and long-term growth. I believe that change and self-discovery go hand in hand, and I’m passionate about helping people find relief, build resilience, and create meaningful lives that align with who they are. Feeling heard begins with taking the time to truly understand your story. I prioritize empathic attunement, meaning I listen carefully not only to what you’re saying but also to how your experiences, relationships, and environment have shaped your perspective. Rather than making assumptions or rushing toward solutions, I work collaboratively with you to understand what your experiences mean to you. My goal is to create a space where you feel safe bringing your thoughts, emotions, and questions without fear of judgment. As we build that understanding together, we can begin exploring new perspectives and identify changes that feel authentic and meaningful. I view therapy as a collaborative partnership. You are the expert on your own life, and my role is to help guide the process with curiosity, compassion, and clinical experience. I draw from Gestalt therapy and other evidence-based approaches to help increase awareness, strengthen insight, and support practical changes that fit your unique goals. Building trust takes consistency, honesty, and mutual respect. I’ll check in regularly about how therapy is feeling for you, welcome your feedback, and adjust our work together as your needs evolve. My hope is that our therapeutic relationship becomes a place where you feel accepted, challenged when appropriate, and supported as you grow. One thing I enjoy sharing is that I love spending time outdoors. Whether it’s going for a hike, exploring a new trail, or simply getting outside to reset, I find that nature helps me stay grounded and present. It’s a reminder that taking small moments to recharge can make a big difference, and I encourage clients to discover what helps them reconnect with themselves in their own lives.

Santa Cruz Therapy Collective (SCTC) is a place for support, healing, and growth. We understand what you’re going through: work burnout, childhood trauma, panic, family distress, sadness. As a group of experienced colleagues who have worked together for years, we have numerous specialties, making sure you connect to a therapist who understands and can help you overcome your struggles. We’re trained in science-backed techniques that help you become more mindful, reflective, and connected as you build resilience, manage distress, and feel more fulfilled. As a therapy client at SCTC, you’ll have engaging, thought-provoking sessions that give you clarity, perspective, and self-compassion.