Therapists for college students near Cambridge, MA

Life is a journey and it presents us with struggles. Our minds are resilient and plastic, yet when we are blocked we may not appreciate this. I give my clients tools to help themselves adjust and adapt to their individual struggles, such as death of a love one, stress, relational breakups and a spectrum of traumas. I am a guide to help my clients resolve their temporary block.

Sara is an experienced practitioner offering individual therapy for adults and adolescents. She helps individuals understand how past experiences affect thinking and choices in the present. Her approach also offers skills to manage difficult emotions, increase flexibility and build balanced relationships so clients can move their lives in the direction they want. Treatment will prioritize the understanding that individual needs and experiences occur at the intersection of gendered, sexual, racial, class, ethnic, spiritual and ideological identities. The reality that every brain and body works differently is also centered in treatment.

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 am a clinical social worker based in Brookline with accessibility from the C and D lines. I work with adult individuals and couples, with a particular emphasis on life events or transitions that disrupt our sense of who we are. Before going to school to become a therapist, I completed a doctorate in philosophy — a domain of inquiry that continues to inform my clinical work on many levels. My primary therapeutic worldview comes from narrative therapy, which views problems in life as supported by dominant stories about who we are or how we should be. These stories can cause distress when they fail to represent what is most important to us. Instead of seeing such stories as an indication of flaws in a person’s self or personality, I assume they have been introduced from the contexts that have shaped us. In addition to narrative therapy, I draw from Buddhist mind training practices, which cultivate the ability to hold difficult emotions with steadiness and kindness to ourselves. Finally, I am influenced by somatic approaches, which emphasize felt experience in the body as a source of information and an entry point to healing. I aspire to meet everyone I encounter in my work with respect, warmth, and curiosity. I often imagine myself walking alongside the people I work with, but following one step behind. My job is to look out with you at the landscape you see and help you identify places you might like to explore. Then we can visit those places and see how things look from there.

As a Harvard-trained adult psychiatrist, I am trained and experienced in various medication and therapy modalities, enabling me to tailor your care to suit your unique needs and aspirations. My approach revolves around embracing an ecological perspective, acknowledging the intricate interconnections we share within our communities and the natural world, recognizing their profound influence they have on mental health and well-being. Therapy expertise includes working with those navigating experiences as gender or sexual minorities, life transitions, interpersonal difficulties, and low self-esteem. In our work together, I am committed to fostering a nurturing environment that encourages you to freely explore and uncover your inner potential for growth. Taking this brave step towards personal development is significant, and I am here to provide a safe and supportive presence as your path unfolds.

Our practice is highly specialized to treat OCD, anxiety and related disorders. We have clinicians that specialize in the cross section of ED and OCD, Chronic Illness and OCD as well as ADHD and OCD. Our approach to therapy is both candid and interactive, yielding successful, longterm relationships with our clients. With an understanding that each client is different, we are passionate about developing personalized action plans and adaptive treatment models tailored to your personality and feedback. We help our clients lean in, challenge their fears, and live a more purposeful life. Using proven techniques in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness, as well as more traditional relational approaches, we provide a comforting space for clients to feel heard and see the pathway back to their personal flourishing.

I offer expertise in long-term individual therapy, meeting with most of my patients weekly or more. I enjoy working with difficult issues including depression, anxiety, and trauma. These issues often have many manifestations like panic, procrastination and avoidance, low energy, low confidence, eating and sleep disturbances to name only a few. I work hard to offer a space where we can listen very carefully to what is contributing to these problems. My belief is that our problems point to something more than disorder and dysfunction; they point to something that is profoundly unique in each of us. I look forward to hearing from you to talk about how I can help.

I have extensive experience working with clients in higher ed: undergrads, graduate students, and postdocs, as well as faculty and staff. As a past faculty member myself, I have a unique perspective on the social, academic, and cultural challenges that you may be facing. I can collaborate with you on issues related to adjustment, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, body image, relationship difficulties, sadness, stress, and expectations to perform under high pressure.

Fit is essential to good therapy. When the fit is right, therapy can become a practice space for navigating the complexity of relationships in everyday life. I value an open and collaborative approach so that together we can understand the challenges you face; those that are both in and outside of your conscious awareness. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, questions of identity, work difficulties, relationship conflict, going through a life change, or dealing with family-related stress, I believe that together we can understand and address that which holds you back. The following clinicians work in my practice and are also listed with Thriving Campus: Joel Stanley, Mental Health Counselor, and Dr. Shirley Poyau. I specialize in the treatment of complex trauma, a condition resulting from early and repeated exposure to neglect and abuse on the part of caregivers. I strive to create a space with clients where safety, in the context of a therapeutic relationship, can be experienced in order to promote recovery. I bring an awareness of the body and its various forms of communication into treatment, while also listening for layered meanings contained in the spoken word. I integrate psychodynamic principles and body-based approaches into my work. Social justice, equity, and cultural issues also significantly guide my clinical approach.

College can be an exciting time of growth, but it also brings unique pressures and challenges. Whether you’re navigating relationships, academic stress, identity questions, family dynamics, or the impact of trauma or loss, therapy can be a place to reflect, process, and move forward. I provide psychotherapy with a focus on resilience—helping you build on your strengths while exploring the experiences and emotions that may be holding you back. I also prescribe medications when appropriate, integrating therapy and medication to support your overall well-being. My approach is collaborative, warm, and grounded in humanistic and relational values. I’ve worked extensively with students and young adults, and I understand how transitional this stage of life can be. Therapy can help you understand yourself more deeply, cope with emotional challenges, and create meaningful change in your personal, academic, and professional life. My office is conveniently located just a short walk from the Red Line at Central Square, and easily accessible by bus. If you’re curious about starting therapy or wondering whether medication might be helpful, I’d be happy to talk with you about the next steps.

Therapy can be a wonderful way to deepen your understanding of the ways in which you view yourself and your experiences. Having a meaningful life with purpose and promise is something we all strive for. As your therapist I will support you in developing goals and strategies that help you attain the things you want and form a more compassionate, loving view of yourself. I utilize a collaborative approach that is individually tailored to honor the complexity that each person brings to the counseling relationship. We will work to examine core beliefs you have about yourself and how these affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Additionally I have seen the benefits in utilizing mindfulness based therapeutic approaches to help develop awareness and acceptance of our life circumstances. Setbacks happen. When they do, how do you use this information? We choose to view adverse experience as a way to help us move forward more positively or as confirmation that things never seem to work out for us. This is an example of a perceptual shift we might work on. Everything that happens within the counseling relationship is on your terms as the Client. I will always honor your wisdom and help you tap into a decision making process that aligns with your core values. Please contact me for a free consultation to discuss your mental health needs and to determine if we are a good fit. During these stressful and uncertain times, therapy can be a much needed support. I treat individuals 18 and up.

I am a licensed psychologist in private practice in Brookline, Massachusetts. I work with adults navigating life transitions, cultural transitions, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, trauma, and questions related to identity, belonging, and self-understanding. My work is informed by multiculturally informed contemporary psychoanalytic thinking and a commitment to creating a thoughtful, collaborative, and emotionally attuned therapeutic relationship. I approach therapy with patience, curiosity, and a strong commitment to the therapeutic relationship. I understand that trust develops over time, and I aim to offer a space where thoughts, emotions, and relational patterns can be explored openly and at a comfortable pace.

Are you questioning your gender? Or just looking for a gender affirming therapist to process stress from the last few years (who wouldn't!)? Maybe you're noticing difficulty coping with anxiety, ADHD, depression, and difficult experiences. Feeling like it's a struggle getting your daily tasks done due to feeling overwhelmed, difficulty focusing, compulsive behaviors, and feeling unable to say no to others. Intimidated by how to even tackle the idea of making any identity related changes, or if even just speaking those words out loud feels ok. Let's figure out some concrete ways of working on these struggles! We can process what you've been through, work on healthier ways of coping, boundary setting, explore society's impact on self worth, and/or support you on your gender journey. I work from a gender affirming, neurodiversity affirming, ENM affirming, and intersectional lens. Feel free to reach out and see if I'm the right fit! Feel free to reach out and see if I'm the right fit! I provide telehealth therapy working with adolescent, young adult, and adult transgender, non-binary, questioning individuals and allies. Some of my identities include: cis-woman, white, neurodivergent, secular Jewish, with chronic pain, and significant personal life experience with the trans community.

I graduated from UMass Medical school and was trained in adult psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Prior to going to medical school I received a Masters in Teaching from Boston University and worked as a teacher. This unique background affects my approach to psychiatry. I believe that a good psychiatrist should work with you to help you learn about yourself and your mental health. I am trained in a variety of therapeutic styles including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), psychodynamic therapy, supportive therapy, and Gottman style couples/relationship therapy. During my time at CHA I worked extensively with the Gender and Sexuality Clinic to serve patients of diverse sexual and gender identities. I also co-lead a group therapy for individuals in polyamorous and non-monogamous relationships. I have taught at the American Psychiatric Association’s specialized rotation for HIV Psychiatry, including lectures on how to provide effective telepsychiatry, and I have presented at a national meeting on teaching providers how to better work with patients to prescribe medications. I am a licensed physician in Massachusetts, New York, and California. I offer in person appointments in Somerville, MA as well as secure telehealth appointments to those residing in Massachusetts, New York, and California. In addition to medication management I offer individual and relationship/couples therapy.

My practice is dedicated to helping people develop their capacities for self-awareness, in order to overcome difficulties in their lives and to find greater fulfillment in relationships, work, and creative pursuits. My approach focuses on helping individuals gain insight into ways of relating to themselves and to others that lie outside of conscious awareness. Speaking with a uniquely attentive listener in a consistent, confidential setting helps to bring these aspects of experience into conscious awareness. With time, this process facilitates significant and meaningful change. I work with adults, adolescents, and children with a wide range of difficulties. I have expertise in working with talented individuals who find themselves stuck in unsatisfying patterns, and I have particular experience and interest in issues around creative inhibition and expression. I have experience working in outpatient, hospital, residential, school, community mental health, and day program settings, and have completed advanced clinical training in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School.

It's hard to be successful as a college student when you are constantly worried, have that "sinking feeling" in your stomach, have difficulty managing your time and social commitments. These can be signs of anxiety and I can help with treatment that works. I also treat panic disorders, PTSD and other trauma related challenges. I can help you deal with perfectionism, performance anxiety, creativity struggles, environmental anxiety, gender identity, experience of sexual trauma, and attention related struggles. I also help improve male mental health journeys. My clients note they like my present and focused approach that does not leave them "floundering" in therapy. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you get better faster. I know you already have the capacity and the strength to change, and you are channeling it right now. Even if you don't feel that power we will help you connect to it. I have seen the transformation many times, the freedom and the full engagement in life that can follow after the most distressing anxiety symptoms are under control.

As a psychologist, writer and consultant, my favorite population to work with are college students and graduate students, often managing mental health issues, while navigating independence, relationships and larger life choices all at once. In fact, I recently finished writing a book, "College Mental Health 101" based on hundred of interviews and thousands of students I've worked with over the years whose voices are in the pages. Whether its adjustment to school and making career decisions, to identity or family of origin concerns, to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, I love working with students to find ways to improve their life circumstance. I have an academic interest in mindfulness, neuroscience and communication, and teach on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and globally.

Empathic, client-centered, strengths-based licensed clinical social worker with twenty years of experience in providing collaborative trauma-informed care. I look forward to understanding your goals and values and offering the best of scientific and humanistic practice to help you reach desired outcomes. I have helped transition-age youth and adults address traumatic experience, loss, anxiety, depression, adjustment to psychiatric disability and other stressful life transitions. I have helped veterans adjust to life after deployment. EMDR trained

College and graduate school can be times of great personal growth, but also times of great challenge. It can be overwhelming to adjust to new living situations, to figure out what you want to do and who you want to be, and build and maintain relationships, all while trying to get your work done. Carrying the weight of it all can feel heavy…and I would love to help you feel less alone. Together we can examine the tough questions and situations. You can have a place to put everything down, rest, and feel okay with not having it all figured out yet.

HRI Hospital is a freestanding 62-bed mental health facility located in Brookline, Massachusetts. The hospital houses four inpatient units designed to treat adults with general psychiatric disorders, dual diagnosis and issues specific to women and the LGBTQ community. We also have six separate and distinct partial hospitalization programs located on the hospital grounds.