Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

My clients tend to be artists, musicians, designers, and creative people experiencing relationship issues, anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, doubts, or self-criticism. I help clients see the patterns in their relationships and in their lives, so that they feel more grounded and empowered to achieve their creative and professional visions. I use evidence-based approaches in the treatment of trauma and OCD.

I work primarily with adolescent and adult men who feel stuck and want more from life. Whether you're facing social difficulties, academic pressures, anxiety, family transitions, or adjusting to life away from home, I can help. Being a young adult is hard. Therapy is a safe place to discuss the things that are difficult to talk about with your family or friends.

I was inspired to work in mental health care by my father. My father raised me and we were very close. He would always pick me up from school and take me out for ice cream. It was our quality time together where he would encourage me to talk about my day at school. This was the first example of what it was to experience talk therapy. I learned at a young age the importance of self-expression and having someone there to listen to you and validate you. As I got older, I valued my connections that could be built between people when they have friendly conversation or engage in deep conversations. By high school, I knew I wanted to work in the mental health field. When I engage in therapy with you, I will make you feel valued and heard by allowing you to discuss your needs and wants throughout the entire process. You are the Pilot and I am your co-pilot. This is your time, space and therapy session. We will engage in treatment planning together. Our first session will look like me getting an opportunity to know you and what brings you to therapy. I want to know all the things that are going right in your life and what are some of your favorite hobbies and activities you like to engage in. We will work together every step of the way when engaging in treatment planning and what your main focus needs will be. I am also very humorous and feel laughter is the best type of medicine so at times you will find entertainment, but I will be very informative as well. I am also vulnerable, so you will see I will be able to hold space for your tears if needed.

Anxiety Experts has offices in Santa Monica, Goleta, Montecito and Ventura, as well as virtual outpatient and Virtual Intensive Outpatient (VIOP) Treatment. Our team is specialized in treating anxiety, panic, social phobia, school refusal, OCD, PTSD, BDD, and disordered eating. These problems rob one's sense of freedom, confidence and self-worth. We treat these issues with a type of CBT called Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and Medical Nutrition Therapy from a Registered Dietician as appropriate. We have helped hundreds of young adults master their fears; research shows in-person and live video to be equally effective!

You’ve always been the one others lean on, and the go-to problem solver. Your known to be the steady hand in chaos, but no one sees what it costs you. But lately, it’s been harder to hide how much it’s costing you. You come home drained, carrying the weight of everyone else’s needs. Even when your body screams for rest, you keep going because slowing down feels dangerous. You’ve trained yourself to stay calm, to keep it all together… even when you’re unraveling inside. Maybe you lie awake at night, replaying conversations, second-guessing decisions, silently asking, “Am I doing enough? Am I enough?” Therapy gives you something you rarely get: a space that’s just for you. No pressure to perform, no need to hold it all together, just room to breathe, and be real. I’ll ask the kind of questions that help you understand what’s really happening underneath the anxiety, the overthinking, or the emotional shutdown your may be feeling. In our sessions, we move at your pace. I’ll invite you to share what’s on your mind, and I’ll meet it with care and curiosity, not judgment. I might ask things like, “Can you tell me more?” or say, “I hear you say that… am I right?” Because your story matters, you deserve to feel seen in it. We’ll use tools like a feelings chart to gently reconnect you with your emotions especially the ones you’ve had to push aside just to get through the day. You’ll learn to set boundaries that could help you feel like your taking care of yourself without feeling guilty. Little by little, you start to feel different, more present, more steady, more like you. You start to trust your emotions instead of stuffing them down. You'll recognize your needs, and you honor them not with an apology, but with clarity. The constant pressure to be everything for everyone? It softens. The worry that you’re not enough? It quiets. You still show up for the people you love, but now, you’re showing up for yourself, too. You'll start to feel calmer, clearer, and more connected to yourself and others. Therapy can be the space where you finally feel seen, heard, and supported. If you’re ready, I’m here. Let’s talk.

Heather Ward, MA, LMFT, PMH-C, is a licensed therapist with deep roots in college campus mental health, having provided counseling and wellness support across multiple higher education settings in the Los Angeles area. Trained at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, Heather has worked at Pierce College, West LA College, and California State University, Northridge, where she managed large student caseloads, coordinated care with multidisciplinary campus teams, and developed workshops focused on building healthy relationships and emotional resilience. Heather brings a warm, collaborative style and a nonjudgmental presence to her work with students navigating depression, anxiety, identity shifts, and the pressures of academic life. She draws from attachment-based, psychodynamic, and mindfulness-oriented approaches to help clients build emotional regulation skills and strengthen their sense of self during pivotal life transitions. Earlier in her career, Heather also contributed to campus mental health from an administrative lens, developing and implementing strategic mental health and counseling initiatives at UCLA Extension — giving her a uniquely well-rounded perspective on how students are supported at an institutional level. Heather is committed to culturally sensitive, inclusive care and has experience supporting diverse student populations across community college and university settings.

Hello and welcome! My name is Carlton Hemphill, a 34-year-old Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Illinois who is also board certified (NCC). I received my Master’s degree from Roosevelt University in Clinical Psychology-Counseling Practice, with a concentration on child and family dynamics. I have been working in the field since 2015 and practicing as an independent clinician in my own private practice since June 2023. My therapeutic approach is grounded in behavioral and cognitive theories, focusing on how your recent experiences, environment, and thought patterns shape your current emotions and behaviors. Together, we’ll explore how these elements influence your present life, helping you make meaningful changes and move forward with confidence. I also integrate existential perspectives to help you explore your purpose, values, and fulfillment. I provide a warm, supportive environment where we focus on what’s happening in your life right now. Through direct, thought-provoking questions and unbiased feedback, I’ll help you gain clarity and make informed decisions. This process is centered on your insights, growth, and goals, and I’ll respect your pace and direction as we work together.

Are you ready to unpack and understand how painful past experiences might be impacting your life? Do you want to decrease suffering and feel more balanced? You’re not alone. Creating awareness of how distressing past experiences show up in your life will empower you to break the cycle and create a more fulfilling life. I aim to help you improve your overall quality of life and feel more connected to yourself, others, and the world around you. Together, we will approach your past with curiosity and compassion. I specialize in treating trauma concerns, including PTSD and complicated grief, relationship concerns, and older adults encountering issues associated with the later stages of life. While practicing a person-centered approach, my aim is to establish an environment of safety in which you can be vulnerable and explore your difficult personal experiences. I draw upon a variety of modalities, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavioral therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other mindfulness-based approaches. I’m glad you’re here. If you are ready to embrace the therapeutic process and move towards recovery, I’m here to support you. Please give me a call and we can set up a free consultation. Let’s get started.

I am inspired to work in the field of mental health because I want to offer support and strategies during a challenging time. I understand how difficult it can be to reach out for help. I want to work with you to improve your circumstances. I work on being nonjudgmental so that you feel comfortable and safe enough to share your experiences with me. I welcome feedback so I can continue to offer more of what might be needed so that I can best support you. I want to meet you where you are at and pace our work together. I respect all parts of your experience and want to make sure that you feel empowered to speak up if you ever feel worried about your care.

If you've experienced abuse, assault, or trauma, you know the impact can feel overwhelming, affecting your sense of self, emotional wellbeing, and the relationships in your life. I specialize in supporting individuals healing from sexual, physical, emotional, or spiritual abuse and trauma, helping you rediscover freedom and connection. I also enjoy working with individuals exploring their gender or sexual identity and the LGBTQIA2S+ community, offering a compassionate, nonjudgmental space to process and find joy. With nearly a decade of experience, I'm here to affirm that healing is possible. I use EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and more to support healing from sexual assault/abuse, emotional/physical/spiritual abuse, trauma/PTSD, and relationship challenges. I provide a warm, affirming space for LGBTQIA2S+ folks and those exploring gender or sexual identity. I also offer EMDR Intensives for focused healing. Above all, I believe the therapist-client relationship is the foundation of effective therapy. Together, we'll foster a collaborative dynamic as we work to find an approach that feels right for you. I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation via my profile or my website. I look forward to connecting with you!

Hi there! I'm a licensed clinical psychologist with a passion for helping children, teens, families, and young adults. I understand growing up can be challenging, and I’m here to help with issues like depression, anxiety, ADHD, behavioral problems, family or friendship issues, and any major life changes. I focus on approaches that are practical, supportive, and tailored to each person’s unique needs. I take the time to get to know your story, your strengths, and what genuinely helps you feel grounded. My goal is to create a space where you feel understood, cared for, and encouraged—whether that means talking things through, exploring emotions in creative ways, or breaking challenges down into manageable steps. I want our time together to feel like a team effort where you never have to face anything alone. Therapy can feel intimidating, so I strive to create a fun and welcoming space from day one. I’m passionate about early intervention and love working with kids, teens, and young adults, making our sessions engaging and enjoyable. I’d be honored to support you or your child on the path to a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life!

Welcome! What is a mosaic? It is little imperfect pieces of glass or tile that come together to form beautiful art. How can we create a mosaic within ourselves and in our lives? All the broken pieces of glass or tile can represent trauma, experiences, life journeys, and parts of our self that we sometimes don’t necessarily know how to understand them to incorporate them into our sense of self. I have a passion for working with people to help them to understand these broken pieces, and help them to put these pieces together in a way that creates the beautiful mosaic that is YOU! I have 18 years of experience, specializing in working with transition-aged youth (ages 16-24), adults, and people of color that struggle with trauma, depression, anxiety, relationship issues, among other life challenges that people may face. I also strive to understand what your needs are and work with you in a way that can meet those needs to best assist you in therapy. Please contact me if you are interested in taking a step forward in your life journey that can lead to discovering and understanding the beautiful mosaic of you!

Are you struggling with non-stop worry about all the things that feel out of your control? Or maybe you find yourself terrified of embarrassment, consumed by doubt, or suddenly overwhelmed by dread for no apparent reason. I would love to give you the tools to ease your anxiety, take back your life, and truly be yourself. The never-ending worries and intense physical discomfort of anxiety can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially when you're also trying to manage a course load! As your therapist, we would work together to identify what is driving your anxiety and then find the most effective strategies for you so that you don’t have to feel powerless anymore.

As a compassionate, board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, my commitment to enhancing patient outcomes is at the forefront of my practice. By providing a safe and nonjudgmental environment, encouraging open communication, and individualizing care aimed to fit specific and unique needs and goals; my commitment to individuals is patient-centered and genuine. I have comprehensive experience with a wide range of psychiatric disorders and believe that creating a collaborative relationship while utilizing the most up to date, evidence-based research recommendations is what will propel individuals to attain a life of fulfillment. I have experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings, assisting a wide range of diverse populations across the lifespan. I have experience working with the underserved population, veterans and active duty military members. Helping others has always been deeply rooted into who I am as a person, as a mother, a wife, a friend, and now as a provider. Mental health was an area that I was initially drawn to after walking into a psychiatric hospital as an inexperienced nurse years ago. I was unsure of what to expect at the time, and to be frank; I was intimidated. What I saw walking through the hallways of this psychiatric hospital stayed with me and continued to influence the type of care, understanding, and at times companionship that I provided to individuals. What I saw was sadness in their faces, a loss of hope, limited resources and support, a lack of direction. However, it quickly became apparent that those same individuals just wanted the same things I did; fulfillment, a sense of purpose, meaningful relationships, happiness. My work in mental health is inspired by my innate need to inspire change, recovery, to instill hope, to build an alliance and assist clients who are struggling and ready to make a positive change. Mental illness is treatable and recovery is possible. I emphasize psychoeducation, ensuring that clients are well-informed to pursue treatment options that align with their priorities and goals. My philosophy is to always allow clients to make educated decisions regarding their care, communicating my professional recommendation, while still facilitating autonomy of care. All psychiatry providers at Foresight have specialized experience in treating a wide range of common mental health conditions, including but not limited to ADHD, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, depression, and PTSD. In addition, I specialize in the following areas: academic stress, benzodiazepine tapering, BIPOC mental health issues, deprescribing, holistic approaches to psychiatry, LGBTQIQ2s+ mental health, personality disorders, sexual dysfunction, addiction psychiatry/dual diagnosis, eating disorders, first responders, grief, men’s issues, sex-positive, kink allied, veterans care

Welcome! I’m Karly Grace Vaughn, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master’s in Marital and Family Therapy and a passion for supporting others in creating meaningful change. I believe therapy is your journey and I’m here to guide you with warmth, insight, and, when needed, a little push to help you grow. I help couples learn how to get their relational needs met, strengthen communication, and heal past hurts. I help individuals move toward who they want to be and create the life they want to live. I support women in building confidence, navigating discrimination, and learning to truly love themselves. I guide college students in managing their time effectively while finding a healthy balance between school and enjoying life. For newly-committed couples, I provide structure and essential skills to lay the foundation for a successful relationship. Through telehealth, I offer a convenient and accessible space for growth and healing to those in the states of California and Virginia. If you’re ready to take the next step, I’d love to connect and support you on your journey.

I would share it has been a life-long desire and practice to participate in the personal growth of youth and adults. I would share my life experience in teaching, community, and faith-based service. I would share this thought… “the words silent and listen have the same letters, sometimes it can most effective to do both in order to be heard and understood.” I would share that working together is most profitable when it is a TEAM effort and boundaries and respect are foundational. I would also remind the client that achieving their desired goals, building trust and a healthy alliance, is a process.

It’s not easy having feelings of “not belonging” and “not knowing how to fit in” – questioning “who am I” and “how can I be seen?” Wondering where your people are and then wondering “are these my people?” How to connect while allowing yourself to be vulnerable while allowing yourself to be safe while allowing yourself to experience the full experience of life … Mental / emotional health is a vital necessity for success in life; to be able to make clear decisions without doubt or fear or to practice compassion toward the self instead of letting insecurities take root or judging the self harshly. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can be debilitating and create interference in meeting daily demands – creating low motivation, low energy, a sense of excessive worry or irritability, struggling with concentration / focus or delaying making decisions; or becoming fearful of failing or of losing something valuable. My name is Laura, and I have over 25 years’ experience as a licensed mental health counselor; most of my focus has been on helping young adults make the transition from dependence to independence; to identify and support their own values and ideas for their own future. To assist the process of developing coping strategies to manage life and learning how to recognize and walk through emotional responses; I would like to be of assistance in helping you make the transition toward your mental health and recovery journey. I also have extensive experience in assisting individuals heal from traumatic events, to embrace a release from the emotional impact locked into the memories of the trauma. Providing an opportunity to allow the traumatic event to remain in the past and no longer interfere with your present. Please reach out to me via email or text me at 317-296-3279 if you have any questions and let's figure out how I may be of help to you.

I was inspired to become a therapist because I have always had a passion for helping people in whatever way that I can, without judgement and assumptions. I continue to be inspired on a daily basis by the work that I do with my clients, and helping guide them to the solutions that they are looking for in therapy. I believe in the idea of ensuring that clients feel heard, understood and validated in what they are feeling. I ensure this by providing a safe, nonjudgmental therapy space for clients to feel comfortable in opening up about what brought them into therapy and how we can work through those concerns. Clients are encouraged to additionally express any concerns that they have should those arise. I speak with my clients on the idea of collaboration throughout treatment, as well as building a strong therapeutic rapport from the start. I bring in a sense of humor, respect and honesty about things as well. In addition to all of this, I allow for my clients to speak their mind about what is impacting them, and to provide them that space in order to express those feelings. I am a big proponent of positive self-care, something that I encourage my client to utilize throughout each week. I share my enjoyment of listening to music, watching sports, reading, physical activities, and playing guitar. It helps open the door to discussion about self-care techniques that clients can utilize when they are experiencing difficulties in their lives.

Equip is the leading evidence-based virtual eating disorder treatment program on a mission to ensure that everyone with an eating disorder has access to treatment that works. Built by clinical experts in the eating disorder field and those who have experienced eating disorders firsthand, Equip fills the gaps in today’s insufficient eating disorder landscape. We provide fully virtual, evidence-based treatment through a multidisciplinary care team (which includes a medical provider, therapist, dietitian, and trained mentors), allowing each patient to achieve full recovery without disrupting their life. We treat patients of all ages and diagnoses in all 50 states, and we accept most insurance plans.

I am a bilingual therapist helping individuals dealing with trauma, depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, life-stage transitions, and other debilitating situations. My work is client-centered and culturally sensitive. I use evidence-based practices to provide focused treatment and positive outcomes. I incorporate solution-focused, narrative, cognitive-behavioral, and family systems techniques. Through talk therapy, I guide clients to overcome issues affecting their everyday lives. I work with individual adults addressing depression, anxiety, and trauma, and their effects on mood, functioning, and relationships. I focus on your strengths, thoughts, feelings, and dynamics for a healthier you. I also work with the LGBTQ community on youth-at-risk issues, coming-out, and exploring the lifestyle you want to create.