Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Hello. I am Courtney. I’ve lived in Ventura County my whole life. Giving back to my community and helping those who need direction is very important to me. I received my undergraduate degree from Cal State Channel Islands University in Psychology. I graduated from Alliant International University with my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. I am currently working with clients that are young adults, and adults. I have experience working with clients that are: a part of the LGBTQ+ community, mood disorders, anxiety, separation anxiety, ADHD, grief, postpartum depression, and navigating transitional life stages. How I ensure my clients feel heard and understood in sessions is, I tend to ask at the end of my sessions how the session went. It’s important to me my clients’ feel like they are in a safe talking space and they are feeling heard. When working with clients I like to meet the client where they are in their journey to healing. I am passionate about giving my clients the tools to support healthy coping skills and helping clients gain agency in their lives. The types of modalities that I like to use during my sessions are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), aspects of Dialectic Behavioral Health (DBT),and strength based therapy.

The impact that we can make in an individual’s or family’s life, such as seeing them interacting in a positive manner, becoming resilient, and having better, healthier relationships with others is what inspires me. I enjoy working with families, infants, children, couples and adults who feel ready to make changes in their lives. I am a provider that is there to support and guide clients through the challenges that life brings and the healing process. It is like driving a car, I am there to the co-pilot; listen, provide a supportive environment, provide the tools and guidance through the journey. But, as an effective co-pilot, I ask my clients not to place me in the trunk of your car, as I will not be able to help and do not place me in the back seat of your car, where I cannot be effective and support you. But if you are ready to heal, I will be there with you thought this journey in the passenger seat.

I help students who are struggling in their relationships or struggling with the demands of college expectations. I have unique specialties in anxiety treatment and eating disorder treatment as well. Reach out, and let's see if I can help!

My goal as a therapist is to empower clients by working collaboratively and to help them learn and find the tools and skills to help themselves reach success. I aspire to provide compassionate and culturally competent care and support clients in reaching their goals. I do my best to ensure clients feel heard and understood in sessions by providing a safe and non-judgmental space for them to explore and process their thoughts feelings and emotions. As a therapist my goal is to be present and grounded in the moment to provide whatever support is needed. I believe that in order to build trust there needs to be understanding and connection. Finding common ground and being curious are integral parts of my work.

I am deeply committed to helping people create the most fulfilling lives possible as they move through and beyond challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, college adjustment, ADHD, as well as relationship and self-esteem issues. When life has thrown you off your path, I work with you to restore your natural capacity for self-compassion and healing and provide unwavering emotional support as you create a thriving life with healthier relationships.

You’ve taken the first step towards healing, which is often one of the most difficult. Thank you for being vulnerable and allowing me into your space. The world changed, and so did all of us…and that is okay! I am here to partner with children, teens, young adults, adults, and couples towards achieving healing and fulfilment, however that may look to you. My You-Centered approach places you at the helm of your journey, as we use cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System, and other mindfulness management strategies to transform this moment. Together, we will combine these theories when discussing matters concerning goals/aspirations, relationships, interpersonal struggles, depression, self-esteem, executive functioning, stress management, phobias and fears, and substance use concerns.

Welcome! I’m glad you are taking this step towards your growth and healing. Are you challenged with relentless thoughts, communication, or quieting your critical voice? I enjoy helping others manage anxiety, build self-esteem, and foster emotional resilience. My clients will tell you I bring warmth and respect for diversity and identity into our sessions. I am passionate about empowering others as they embrace their authentic selves while navigating life’s complexities. I strive to create a safe space to explore your emotions, feel aligned with the world around you, and develop the tools you need to thrive in all aspects of life. I have 20 years' experience in online therapy, college settings, and emergency services. My theoretical approaches include Cognitive Behavioral, Narrative, Solution-Focused, and Expressive modalities. Do you enjoy creative expression? My practice is rooted in embracing your unique experiences, collaboration, and creativity in our work together. Whether you are experiencing difficulties in relationships, career conflicts, or managing life transitions, I am here to support you with empathy and professionalism. Together, we will work towards creating meaningful, lasting changes that reflect your values and goals. I look forward to meeting and working with you as we begin this journey!

If you want to see the universe laugh, tell it your plans.” In my 30 years of practicing psychology, this is perhaps one of my most favorite client quotes. Life is a meandering, unpredictable adventure with fulfilling, joyous times and also some unexpected and difficult challenges included. It’s not always easy to create the life and relationships that will bring fulfillment and happiness. Sometimes it’s difficult to even imagine your goals, understand what’s going wrong and think of solutions to overwhelming problems. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, low self-worth or just a general sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness, therapy can help you gain insight into your feelings, clarify your life’s direction and help you create a life worth living by maximizing your true potential. I strive to create a safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment where we can collaboratively explore, understand and clarify your feelings as well as find more adaptive ways to cope and problem solve the issues in your life. I believe that you can’t really understand someone’s present world without understanding their past experiences and how that is negatively or positively impacting their life now. In therapy I can help you break out of old patterns that are not serving you well anymore, improve coping alternatives and psychological flexibility while concurrently providing you concrete strategies for managing overwhelming feelings in the moment and the support and empathy you need to move forward. Life is hard for everyone at some point, but in considering therapy now, you have demonstrated the courage to strive for more and take the first step towards healing and growth. Together we will create the life you’ve always wanted by exploring what is holding you back, getting in your way and answering the questions you were previously too afraid to consider. I have been practicing psychology/therapy for the past 30 years since receiving my PhD in 1993 from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I recently retired from my job of 21 years in university counseling so that I could start my own private practice and better serve the clients with whom I work. I am a “true generalist” in every sense of the word and have experience and comfort in working with many different types of individuals, couples and issues. Some of my areas of expertise are: *Transitional aged youth ages 18-35, * Relationship and Interpersonal issues * Rape/Sexual assault *Relationship Abuse *Depression *Anxiety *Couples Therapy *Sports Psychology/Performance Enhancement *Processing Childhood Emotional and Physical Abuse. *Life Transitions *Parenting Issues I am eager to join you on your journey towards happiness and fulfillment so please reach out for a free consultation and take the first step toward a better and more powerful you. I offer Telemental Health Treatment to all of California.

Do you think about what kind of person you'd like to be, but feel uncertain, nervous, lost, or overwhelmed about how to make the change? College is an exciting time to explore your identity, learn how to build meaningful relationships, and to find a purposeful career. If you're hoping to feel more confident in who you are, feel more certain about your direction in life and live up to your potential, you've come to the right place. Dr. Grace specializes in asking these "big questions" in life. She marries the wisdom of Buddhist practices with the science of psychology to deepen clients' self-awareness and exploration, and uses a multiculturally sensitive lens to identify how our environments may have shaped our beliefs, motivations, and behaviours. Clients often say that sessions with Dr. Grace feel productive, with a balance between insight and action. Her presence is calming and non-judgmental, encouraging clients to maximize their growth. She is a MSU alumni, having previously worked at CAPS, and offers fully virtual services in both English and Mandarin. Evening hours available.

Are you preoccupied with thoughts about food? Are you stuck in a cycle of dieting, bingeing, purging, or exercising and having trouble figuring out how to stop? Are you ashamed about your eating? Hating your body? You can break the cycle, achieve peace with food and your body, and get your life back. We provide treatment aligned with an anti-diet approach called Health At Every Size (R). We specialize in providing research-proven treatments for eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.

I provide individual therapy to individuals who are looking for help to cope with life's various twists and turns. I utilize an organic approach to gain an understanding of your specific life situations and stressors that are contributing to your current feelings. I use positive affirmations, strength identification and skill building to encourage you to reach your personal goals. We will work quickly to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms while we learn to identify triggers that may cause these feelings in order to focus on making long term changes that will help you to move forward through life. I would love the opportunity to work with you to find a way to bring out the strength that is inside of you. You are capable of so much more than you can even imagine!

If you are sensitive, creative, trying to do it all for yourself and for others, but lonely and stuck about how to resolve the paradox, my practice is for you. Does the following sound familiar? "I will just do everything myself. I can want others, but I mustn’t truly need them…or upset them.” I do my best work with those who can want deeper human contacts in life but who feel uncertainty or conflict about opening up fully and about serving themselves. Your gifts might include: sensory, aesthetic, and emotional sensitivity, intellectual curiosity, desire for fairness and justice, creative and spiritual / philosophical interests, teaching / writing, having ideals, enthusiasm (when interested), and a good first impression (when you feel safe and well). Still, you may have slipped into people-pleasing, social anxiety or reluctance, uncertainty about dependency and safety, disappointed or resentful exhaustion, under-assertion, quiet envy / jealousy, variable or confused boundaries, withdrawal after setbacks, perfectionism, procrastination, or unexplained body symptoms If the above sounds like what you have been feeling and trying to cope with, get in touch with me for some knowledgeable, understanding help in a safe-yet-engaging environment. I am patient, intently listening, insightful about subtleties, and gently persistent. I have faith you can develop a healthy interdependence with life and others. I am here to hang in with you as you make the time to digest help and faith and then make some new moves. It will be worth it!

Welcome. I am Dr. Christiane Speed. I am a licensed psychologist in CA and NC. I have been practicing for over 12 years and possess extensive experience working with college and university students both in CA and NC. I enjoy helping students regain a sense of control and empowerment over their life struggles so that they can engage and enjoy life more fully and create a healthier academic and personal life balance. A major part of therapy involves helping students adapt to student life, balance school and personal life. Students come to see for help with how to communicate effectively in relationships, and to learn practical coping skills for stress and time management. We work on identifying and managing procrastination, increasing motivation and goal directed activities and setting very clear, realistic, achievable goals and having a growth mindset. Other areas of work might include managing and resolving interpersonal problems, setting healthy emotional, physical and personal boundaries, improving family, friendship and romantic relationships and overall functioning. My areas of specialty include anxiety (including generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety, imposter syndrome, OCD, social anxiety, specific phobia), complex stress and life struggles, depression , grief and loss. I take a flexible and individualized approach to treatment and integrate effective techniques from different approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness and Solution-Focused Therapy. To gain a more holistic understanding, treatment also addresses how cultural, family, medical, physical, social, societal and spiritual factors interact with each client's unique life struggles. My main focus is getting to know each of my client's unique life experiences, difficulties and needs so that I can tailor therapy to best suit what will work best for that client. If you feel that we would be a good fit working together, please contact me to schedule an appointment. I look forward to the potential of working with you.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I specialize in supporting adults, teens and children struggling with anxiety, trauma, and patterns of people-pleasing or overthinking. Using a compassionate, person-centered approach, I help you build healthy coping skills, process difficult experiences, and create healthier relationships with yourself and others. Together, we’ll work to help you find peace and confidence. Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but you're already showing strength by exploring your options. You deserve support, healing, and a space where you feel heard. I offer virtual individual therapy for clients in California, providing compassionate care tailored to your needs. If you're ready to take the next step toward healing, I’m here to help. Clark Family Counseling Center is a safe space for you to heal emotional patterns and behaviors so you become the best version of yourself. Book your therapy appointment today.

Having trained at the University of Notre Dame (Ph.D., M.A.), UC Berkeley (APA-accredited internship) and Stanford (post-doctoral fellowship), I bring rigorous scientific expertise into my clinical work with college students. In fact, I worked at the University Counseling Centers at all three of these schools and have continued to develop a specialized private practice that focuses almost exclusively on college students. I also teach for Pepperdine University in their Graduate School of Education & Psychology. I help clients with a range of concerns including: anxiety, depression, career and academic concerns, ADHD, relationship concerns (situationships, am I right? :) ), body image and eating disorders, perfectionism, college/life transitions, as well as family of origin challenges (let's say it together, boundaries...). I often work with high-achieving students who often are managing academically but struggling internally. My clients often put others first and themselves last. By the time they come to therapy, concerns have been going on for some time and they've reached a breaking point. They may feel they "should" be able to handle things on their own. As a recovering perfectionist and someone who was riddled with anxiety throughout college, I get it. It wasn't until my own training in CBT that I learned how destructive such thought patterns were. It inspired my clinical approach, as well as three clinical workbooks I've published on Solution-Focused Therapy, CBT, and Positive Psychology with the top mental health publishers. Many of my clients who have been to therapy before often remark how "easy" I make the process. We laugh, we learn, and talk like old friends. Therapy doesn't have to be stuffy or stressful. It's about feeling respected, validated and heard. Learning to take care of yourself, set appropriate boundaries, and thrive! I'd LOVE to work with you! Please feel free to book a complimentary 15 minute consultation at my website below so we can connect!

My inspiration to work in the mental health field is to meet the individuals I serve where they are at in their mental health journey. My drive is to provide understanding, empathy, and knowledge to the individuals I work with and to empower them to improve their quality of life. I hope to impact those I serve in a positive way, help them find their strengths, talents and learn to love themselves. Before I was a therapist, I was a certified nurse assistant. As a certified nurse assistant, I saw many of my clients in their most vulnerable state, and alone. I came to find out through my experience that even though I helped my clients with their daily activities, the most important aspect of my job was listening to my clients with an empathetic ear and being by their side during their hardest times. Once I realized I made more of a difference by just listening to my client’s feelings and being there for them, I realized my purpose was to become a therapist. I enjoy building trust and a strong therapeutic alliance with my clients by meeting the client where they are at in their recovery, by utilizing humor and providing a safe and empathic environment for clients to share. The methods, approaches and philosophies I use in treatment to build trust with clients are motivational interviewing, crisis interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused-based therapy, narrative therapy, role-play therapy, strength-based approach, behavioral theory, system theory, empowerment theory, and social theory. I have had the honor to build trust and work with all ages, 0-99 years old. I enjoy working with all people from all backgrounds. I have a background working with children and teens in the foster care system, aging adults in skilled nursing home facilities, individuals in mental health stabilization care, and in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. I am someone who truly values life and believes in making the most of every opportunity to grow and learn. I enjoy learning new things and continuously expanding my knowledge, both personally and professionally. Staying active in my community is very important to me, especially when it comes to advocating for and supporting the people I serve. I take pride in being involved, listening to others’ needs, and working to help create positive change. My passion for helping others, combined with my love for learning and community involvement, motivates me to continue growing and making a meaningful impact wherever I can.

I work best with students who may be feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or unsure of themselves and are looking for a safe place to talk. Many are dealing with anxiety, low mood, past experiences, low self-esteem or challenges with friendships, school, or family, and want support in figuring things out. They’re often ready to better understand themselves, learn ways to cope, and feel more confident in their daily lives. In our work together, I offer a warm, supportive, and culturally affirming space where you can be yourself without fear of judgment. We’ll take things at your pace while building practical tools and helping you feel more in control, connected, and supported.

As human beings, we often find ourselves wanting more freedom, or perhaps wanting more purpose in our lives, or craving a sense of inner peace. Other times, we find ourselves caught up in difficult and challenging relationships in our personal lives or at work. Whether your life feels overwhelming or underwhelming, I believe that care and courage, along with some healthy curiosity can go a long way in helping you locate new possibilities and finding solutions that work for you. My process is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Indeed, the work we do together is unique to each and every individual I encounter and always begins with accepting you just as you are. Beginning the self-exploration of therapy is an act of courage. I respect your bravery by always providing a calm, warm, and nonjudgmental space to discuss and process your concerns. Together, we’ll collaborate in clarifying your goals, identifying effective strategies, and finding a path that will work for you.

Therapy that encourages and empowers Guiding Healing versus Treatment Do you feel alone? Like the world is burning? In today's day and time, it is hard to cope with the day to day. We have political overwhelm as well as climate overwhelm. I hear you. I see you. I don't promise to have all of the answers but I promise to meet you where you are as a human being. I am here to help you cope and provide a nonjudmental and safer space to process your experiences. I will help you learn how to be present in your body and identify what subtle messages your body might be telling you. Clients often describe my "superpower" as being a calming, gentle presence for my clients. You will be the expert of your experience and I am here as a guide. I aim to encourage and empower you to be your authentic self. My therapy style includes the belief that we all live within larger systems that have significant impacts on our physical, financial, mental, and emotional well being. In addition to clinical trauma work, I am a registered yoga teacher. My approach is grounded in the idea that trauma is stored in our bodies and requires more than just talk therapy. I am passionate about helping queer and gender non conforming clients live their most authentic selves with kindness. My experience includes providing therapy to individual adults, typically in the 18-45 age range. My practice is trans affirming and I have experience providing Gender Affirmation Surgery letters. I enjoy working with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and identity issues. I provide kink and poly/CNM informed therapy and have both clinical and lived experience with religious trauma. I’m a sex positive and fat positive clinician. I actively engage in personal and clinical work to provide a safer space for all humans and bodies. I use an anti-racist, person-centered, and trauma-informed lens. It is my opinion that therapy should be collaborative and non pathologizing.