Therapists for college students near Los Angeles, CA
When people come to treatment with problems, it is important to remember that they are trying to cope with them in the best way they can. With that in mind, I offer a reflective and engaging partnership with my clients, working toward the goal of helping them to be autonomous, authentic and compassionate in a world that can be extremely stressful. Although my work is solidly grounded in psychodynamic, cognitive/learning, and systems theories, my approach is client-centered, practical and strengths-based. I bring honesty, warmth, and humor to the therapy relationship. I am LGBTQ affirmative and invested in doing cross-cultural therapy which is culturally sensitive. I have a dog, Bracket, who works with me, and I have been doing AAT since 2002. There is a growing body of research which suggests that AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapy) can be helpful with a range of diagnoses, including Depression, PTSD, and Autistic Spectrum. Many therapists know little about online games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. They may dismiss it as unimportant, or assume it is a problem. I am a gamer-affirmative therapist, meaning I’m more interested in understanding your in-world experience and activity than pathologizing it.
Balancing the intense pressures of university life, personal growth, and relationships can easily leave you feeling overwhelmed, self-critical, or emotionally stuck. I provide a collaborative, secure, and entirely non-judgmental virtual space designed to help students and young adults step out of old, survival-mode loops and restore internal harmony. My approach combines the deep, transformative framework of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with the practical, everyday tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Instead of just analyzing what is wrong, we work together to understand the different 'parts' of who you are—like the inner critic that drives anxiety, or the defensive patterns that complicate relationships. I also specialize in relational work for couples looking to build safe, vulnerable communication. Whether you are managing difficult life transitions, coping with academic burn-out, or exploring issues of identity and belonging, our work will be practical, compassionate, and tailored to your unique history. Fully bilingual services are proudly available in both English and Spanish (Ofrezco psicoterapia en español). To view my real-time openings or instantly schedule an initial insurance consultation via Headway, please click the link to visit my website.
I was drawn to the field of therapy because I’ve always been deeply interested in understanding the complexities of human emotion, relationships, and resilience. Over time, I witnessed how meaningful it can be for people to have a space where they feel truly heard and supported through life’s most difficult moments. I am inspired by the strength individuals show in facing their challenges, and I am passionate about helping clients navigate their experiences, gain insight, and create meaningful change in their lives. Seeking therapy is an important step toward growth and healing, and I am committed to providing a supportive, collaborative environment where clients feel safe to explore their challenges and strengths. My clinical work is grounded in evidence-based practices and tailored to meet the individual needs of each client. I specialize in working with individuals experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and issues related to self-esteem and emotional regulation. My approach integrates trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based interventions, and attachment-focused work. I work with clients to not only address current symptoms but also to identify and process underlying patterns that may be contributing to ongoing distress. With experience in both treatment facility and private practice settings, I bring a comprehensive understanding of complex clinical presentations. I am dedicated to helping clients develop insight, build effective coping strategies, and foster lasting personal growth. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship is the foundation for meaningful work in therapy. From the very beginning, my focus is on creating a space where you feel safe, heard, and respected. I approach each client with genuine curiosity, empathy, and non-judgment, allowing us to build trust at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Through open communication, collaboration, and consistency, we work together to create a partnership where you feel supported in exploring difficult emotions and experiences. I am committed to honoring your unique story while helping you gain new insight and develop effective tools to support your growth. Working together will be a collaborative process where we move at a pace that feels right for you. In the beginning, we’ll spend time getting to know each other, learning about what’s bringing you in, what you’re hoping to get out of therapy, and what feels important to you. Building trust takes time, and I truly respect that.
I work best with those who are committed to their healing and wellbeing journey. My practice is holistic focused with a body-mind-spirit connection. I work from an Energy Psychology framework and include Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT/Tapping) to support healing in the energy body system. I have a passion for the integration of indigenous practices into modern psychology. I offer a free 20 min phone initial consultation. Please refer to my website for more information.
We all face challenges in our lives and sometimes we need some extra support to help us overcome them. I moved to the Bay Area (from Toronto) in my early twenties without knowing a soul. It was the most exciting and also challenging time in my life. I navigated my career, dating, and relationships; all while facing the same pressures that most of us women face today. I understand feeling pulled in different directions, competing priorities, and anxieties about living up to high expectations (usually our own). Through my career and personal exploration, I came to discover the incredible benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation. I use a Mindfulness based approach in my work because I have seen it help so many people to be more present, intentional and content in their lives (myself included!). In working with me, you will find that I am compassionate, non-judgemental, direct and honest. I will help you recognize and build up your inherent strengths (yes you have them), give you coping strategies, and help you to make space for more adaptive ways of relating to the world. I am also a big believer in the healing power of humor so don't be surprised if we end up having a laugh every once in a while. I offer my services online so that busy people can still access excellent support. Please feel free to reach out for a free consultation and I look forward to learning more about you!
Do you often feel unheard, unseen, or unimportant within your relationships? Maybe you identify as hyper-independent or a people-pleaser, finding it hard to prioritize your own needs and often overthinking interactions. These patterns can feel isolating and deeply anxiety-provoking, and they often have roots in complex trauma, such as childhood abuse or growing up in environments where emotional needs were minimized or unmet. Perhaps you already “logically” connected these dots, yet you still feel stuck. That’s because complex trauma lives in the body and nervous system, not just the logical brain. I specialize in trauma-processing therapy, including EMDR, to help you safely process traumatic experiences and release the emotional burdens that come with them. I also integrate Narrative Therapy to help you reconnect with a sense of identity that reflects your true values, voice, and strengths. Therapy with me feels collaborative, safe, meaningful, and relieving. As a fourth-generation Japanese American therapist, I understand how cultural expectations around family, responsibility, and respect can make healing feel complicated. I help clients explore ways to preserve their emotional well-being, while still honoring the relationships and values that matter most to them. If you’re ready to break old patterns, feel more confident in yourself, and strengthen your relationships, I hear you and I see you. You don’t have to navigate these challenges alone.
I went through a very difficult with my mental health. I felt very low and hopeless at the time. What helped me was going to therapy for the first time. It started me on a journey to self-awareness and self-compassion that has carried throughout my life. Now I would like to help in inspiring similar journeys with my own work as a therapist. I enjoy learning about people and their unique thought processes. I ask questions, verify I understand what you’re saying and do not rest until I can understand where you are at and what your unique perspective on the world is. I am very straightforward when it comes to therapy. I am open about the modalities that I use and make sure you understand my process as we work together. I never force anything and am also willing to work from where your at and come up with solutions that are in line with your goals and personal interests.
Are feeling overwhelmed or stressed from school, work, extracurriculars, finances, and everything else? I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California, and I specialize in helping college women manage stress and heal from trauma with compassionate, evidence-based care. With a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University, I bring experience from residential treatment centers, school-based programs, and nonprofit organizations. I provide therapy for trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions, always with a trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach. I incorporate evidence-based therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Faith-Based Therapy for clients seeking a spiritual lens. I’m also trained in EMDR therapy for clients looking to process and heal from traumatic experiences.
Hi there, I’m Dr. Andy Nguyen. I tend to see the overworked and overwhelmed. Maybe you reached the top of the mountain only to ask, now what? An adamant voice says there is no life worth leading unless you are exceptional. Or you manage things on the surface seamlessly only to feel empty behind closed doors. It would make so much sense. Our environment has demanded more in recent times—be more, do more, have more—all at once. It is not by chance we exist in the age of superheroes and social media. There are bigger shoes for us to grow into yet not enough room to play or tend to the inner person. I offer intensive, relational psychotherapy as a form of a reset—what does that mean? We absorb so much in our environment that it becomes difficult to decipher what is ours and what belongs to those tasked to take care of us. We learned ways to survive that have become rote without our conscious awareness—most of us are even rewarded for it. Perhaps these no longer serve us. My job is to uncover these patterns and gently make room for experiences that bring more inner life. Naturally, this expands into fuller work, school, and relationships. This can take place in one-on-one therapy or a group format in real-time. I am a transplant who immigrated from Southeast Asia at a young age. My story offers me a unique sensibility in making contact with adolescents and adults when their world is in upheaval, no matter how universal. I invite folks from various spectrums and backgrounds who do not feel reflected nor understood in our mainstream collective to reach out and have an initial meeting. My style is adaptive. I am oftentimes honest yet reassuring with kindness and a sense of humor.
My personal identities include: child of immigrants, millennial, cis woman, queer, & mostly able bodied. I find joy in working with: fat/larger bodied folks, the global majority/children of immigrants, & 2SLGBTQIA+. I found that navigating both my culture and what society expected of me was in a lot of ways harmful to my mental health and safety. I continue to go on my own journey of therapy, finding safe community and exploring my own biases. I often watch anime, play video games, board games, and love to bring those into session if appropriate. The topics, tools and space we create together are to support your exploration. Our clinical space will be filled with self compassion so that we can integrate your mind, body, and soul in healing relationships with your own body and others. Through my living/ed experience as a fat person of color, I welcome conversations about intersectionality and systemic oppression. I have spent the majority of my career supporting people of color navigate through different phases of life, especially in college years. We will explore safety in the body, grounding, expressing complex thoughts/feelings, family dynamics and patterns that may or may not serve you anymore. My hope is that you’ll gain a deeper understanding of yourself, celebrate who you are, and recognize the tools you have to support your wellness. My clinical approach: fat liberation, anti-racist, intersectional lens, and sex positive.
I was born and raised in the Bay Area and know how much pressure comes with going to school in CA. I had mental health challenges that started in high school and continued through college. I was worried my self-worth, mood, and grades wouldn't recover, but working with a therapist helped a ton to get myself feeling like myself again. I offer an optimistic, collaborative approach to mental health. I believe you're the expert on your own life and experiences. I'm here to help you build confidence in your own intuitions and expand on what's possible from there. Like a sculptor carving out a work from stone, we start with the raw materials. In our case, it begins with unfiltered venting and time to feel. From there, we chisel away at the frustration and pain to find what these experiences are really telling you about your needs and who you are. Then, we make a plan to act with integrity. It's hard work, but it's empowering to remember the agency you have over your own life.
Gather and Grow OC is a safe space to play, explore and grow together! We believe in high quality, knowledgeable therapy that honors the individual. We believe in sharing tools and education about healing. We believe that we’re all innately inclined to joy and growth, and we’re interested in connecting with other healers and truth seekers that believe the same!
Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or like something just isn’t right inside—even if you can’t explain why? You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. I’m a trauma therapist who understands what it’s like to feel broken, lost, or stuck after going through tough experiences—whether that’s childhood trauma, bullying, abuse, or just the weight of everyday pressure and expectations. I’ve been there myself, and I know healing is absolutely possible. If you’re struggling with anxiety, anger, depression, PTSD, or even feeling disconnected from who you really are, I offer a safe space to unpack what’s going on—and begin to heal. I specialize in helping students like you who are trying to balance life, emotions, school, relationships, and maybe even past pain that hasn’t been fully processed yet. My approach is focused on helping you get results, not just vent. We’ll explore what matters to you—your values, goals, strengths—and figure out how to start building the life you want. I also offer energy healing and spiritual guidance if you’re open to deeper, more holistic support (but only if that resonates with you—this space is always about you, not my agenda). If you’re ready to feel supported, heard, and guided toward real change, I’m here. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to take that first step.
For the past 35 years, I have been helping people explore and work through barriers to living and loving well. If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, therapy can provide space to understand and experience ourselves in a new way. I work with people to change the way they think about and experience the challenges they face, to effect positive change and resilience. I can work with you to navigate the ups and downs of anxiety and depression, the hopes and fears of life transitions, the joys and challenges of creative pursuit, the pain of grief and loss, and the wounds of trauma, abuse, and oppression. I work with adults and young adults and people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. I have particular interest and experience in working with people in the helping professions and people going through transitions such as career, parenthood and relationship (e.g. divorce) transitions. In addition, I also work with people to help resolve and move through creative blocks, including those who struggle with the question of whether they are or can be creative and those struggling with questions of spiritual identity and practice. My approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. I believe in creating a therapeutic experience responsive to your unique needs and life situation and respectful of your strengths. We can work to help you understand yourself better, identify and shift patterns that no longer serve you, and develop ways to increase your sense of well-being.
Anxiety and depression are so prevalent these days. Coping with difficult transitions such as adjusting to college, being weighed down by existential/career pressures can feel so overwhelming. Romantic struggles are also stressful, including conflict with your beloved related to intimacy, infidelity, etc. Communication with your partner/family member can feel so frustrating at times. "Getting on the same page" with your partner prior to taking the next step would feel great. Coping with a loss can make you feel powerless. These are all really heavy life challenges that many of us face, but you don't have to face them alone. I am here to help. I work with individuals and couples by providing you with the tools you need for healthier relationships, better communication, and more fulfillment. I will help you sort through the various questions that impede love and joy in your life. I also offer Brainspotting, a revolutionary brain-body processing method that heals emotional wounds/traumas which may take longer to heal with traditional talk therapy alone. I look forward to offering you an opportunity for more healing!
Cura Integrative Health provides psychotherapy to college students and adults in the area who are struggling with anxiety, low mood, lack of motivation, relationship struggles, and ADHD symptom management. Our highly trained therapists are ready to meet you in person at our office walkable from Santa Clara University or virtually if that is your preference. You can reach out to our Clinical Director, Jenna Sholl, LMFT. Jenna Sholl, LMFT info@curaintegrativehealth.com
I graduated with a BA in Psychology from University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou). I earned an ADN from Santa Monica College, Masters in Nursing Education from Phoenix University and PMHNP Post Masters Cert from Maryville University. I worked inpatient for about 3 years then switched to education. I have been an LVN instructor and director of nursing. I developed the Mental Health course for the ADN program. I taught ADN students and later became the Director of Nursing. I finished my PMHNP certificate while I was the ADN director then switched to working at Foresight full-time. I am inspired to work in mental health to improve others’ quality of life. I collaborate with my patients to come to a mutually accepted treatment plan. 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: first responders, men’s issues, veterans care, binge eating disorder
I have been working in the mental health/social services field since 1996 in varying capacities. I was a social worker with the County of San Diego in Child Protective Services, first as a case manager, where I worked in a specialized unit with long-term foster children who had mental health diagnoses. I became a kind of “specialist” in attachment and bonding, and grief and loss issues, as well as issues with identity, be it racial, gender, or other identifications. After taking early retirement from the County in 2011, I decided to focus on the mental health side of social services. I took a job as a therapist and a discharge coordinator at a mental health crisis house, and then as a care manager for patients at inpatient psychiatric facilities for various insurance companies. In August 2013, I finally achieved a long-term dream and opened up my private practice where I continue to be delighted with the creativity and innovation, as well as the diversity of the people I meet every day.
I am so happy you are here! Starting therapy can be difficult, but you have already taken the first step! In my last 7+ years as a therapist, I have worked with teens and young adults who are experiencing anxiety, stress, and depression due to life transitions and/or trauma. In our first session, you will have the opportunity to share your story and we will work together to set realistic goals to meet your needs.
