Therapists for college students near University of Southern California

Navigating life’s challenges can leave you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about making difficult choices. If you seek to regain balance, find direction, build resiliency, make meaningful change, and find deep self-connection, then I'm glad you’re here. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20+ years of experience, I specialize in supporting BIPOC and Latinx individuals and families to overcome trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship and parenting struggles. I will guide you through the therapy process and support you in finding solutions, inner peace, and new connections within yourself and with others. My approach combines empathy, mindfulness, and somatic practices to support healing and growth. I am trauma-informed and incorporate mindfulness-based techniques, Brainspotting, Trauma Resiliency Model, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Together, we’ll strengthen your mind-body connection and empower you with tools to build resilience and thrive. Therapy is a space for authenticity, safety, and self-discovery. Together, we’ll explore challenges and create strategies to support your growth. If you’re ready to step into healing with warmth and compassion, I’m here to guide you. Let’s embark on this journey toward your empowered and grounded self. Let's connect!

I became a therapist because I understand that everyone needs and deserves a safe and trusting space to process the human experience, be it the challenges and transitions, concerns and worries, relationships with self and others, or ever-changing emotions and thoughts that can make navigating life difficult, confusing, or overwhelming. I believe that each individual experience is unique, while also understanding that no one should feel alone or that what they feel or need is wrong, abnormal, or cannot be validated. I work with my clients to help them feel empowered and capable of making decisions to live a most fulfilling life, as well as able to handle stressors and meeting their needs. I have experience working with people of all ages and backgrounds and am well-versed in providing treatment for folx who are neurodiverse or within the BIPOC, gender diverse, and LGBTQIA+ communities. I provide services for people dealing with anxiety, depression, AD/HD, personality disorders, substance abuse/dependence, eating disorders and body image issues, attachment and adjustment disorders, relationship challenges, emotional disturbance and/or trauma, and behavioral challenges. I have additional training in sex therapy and provide treatment for couples and those in polyamorous relationships. I practice from a psychodynamic, client-centered, and holistic approach with an unbiased perspective. My treatment modalities have included solution-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotionally-focused therapy, ecopsychology, and existential psychotherapy. I strive to build honest, lasting relationships with my clients so that together we can consider and process the multiple factors that contribute to one’s mental health and life choices, as well as uncover the underlying fears that can impact our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. I further highlight the mind and body connection, exploring the relationship between our physical and emotional or mental selves and how they work together, as well as what role and impact our spirituality (however it is expressed or manifested) plays within our conceptualization of life.

Hi, I’m Melissa, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in trauma-focused therapy. I believe healing begins when we feel truly seen, heard, and supported. At The Reflection Room, I offer a calm, non-judgmental space where you can move through difficult memories at your own pace. I support individuals healing from childhood and relationship trauma, PTSD and complex trauma, anxiety, shame, and patterns rooted in the past. My approach is gentle, grounding, and centered on helping you understand your story.

College is hard enough — your relationships don't have to be. Between classes, work, and extra curricular events, navigating relationships on top of everything can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re going through a breakup, stuck in the same fight with your partner, or just feeling confused about where things are headed, relationship therapy can help. I offer a supportive, judgment-free space where you can talk about the messy stuff, understand yourself better, and gain insight into your relationship patterns. Let’s work together to help you feel more confident in yourself and your relationships. You don’t have to figure this out alone. Contact me today for a free consultation.

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Many of my clients come to me feeling overwhelmed, defeated, stuck, anxious, and stressed. Whether it's academic pressure, relationship struggles, or uncertainty about the future, I provide personalized support to help them build confidence, reduce stress, and create lasting change. Using tools like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), we’ll explore their thoughts, feelings, and past experiences in a safe and comfortable way. My goal is to help clients break free from negative thinking, build self-esteem, and find more stability in both their personal and academic lives. Whether clients are dealing with burnout, feeling lost, or need to regain control, I’m here to support clients in creating the life they want and deserve.

I obtained my masters from Pepperdine University and I began my career in community services. My approach is straight forward and empathic. I identify as a first gen, cis gender Latina of Mexican descent. I offer EMDR, and also incorporate somatic interventions, a systemic framework, attachment theory, and CBT strategies. I love equipping clients with tools and honoring what comes to surface in our sessions together. I love working with adolescents, complex trauma, early adults transitioning in life and adults who struggle with anxiety, trauma, sexual abuse and depression. I work with clients to provide a safe space to explore their current life challenges and work collaboratively with clients. I work with clients to help them find tools they can use to navigate their daily life in a positive and healthy way. I believe you’re the expert of your experience - no one knows your life better than you. Together, we can create a deepened awareness around what’s working, what’s not & what strengths you already have that need nurturing. I work with clients to consider and name how various systems at play impact the life you live and the work we do. I take the role of earning your trust very seriously, and find it an honor to be part of your journey.

Hi, I’m a California-licensed LCSW providing therapy exclusively via telehealth. I support college students navigating stress, anxiety, trauma, and life transitions, helping you build resilience and practical coping skills. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounding. I see therapy as a partnership where we explore patterns, process past experiences, and reconnect with your authentic self. I am trained in EMDR and integrate trauma-informed approaches to guide our work together.

We often feel trapped by our circumstances, voiceless in our relationships and powerless to cause significant change in our lives. But whether you are seeking individual, couples, or group therapy, you have taken a leap into the process of healing. With curiosity and a fresh perspective, I aim to empower you to reclaim your voice, work towards the change you seek, and to meet your authentic self. Though you have already taken the first step, I hope to foster the healing process even further by providing a deeply caring, non-judgmental atmosphere. It has been important for me to work with a wide breadth of clients. I have experience with diverse age groups, races, gender identities, and sexual orientations, and have worked in community mental health, residential treatment, school settings, and private practice. If you are are seeking a space to explore feelings connected to lack of motivation, avoidance, anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty in platonic and romantic relationships, and feeling burnout from your current way of moving through the world, know that there is hope of having a different experience of yourself, your relationships and the world around you. Within working with a wide breath of clients, I have a passion for men’s mental health and working with young men and the issues that come up in their lives today. Through it all, however, my approach has always been focused on the human in front of me, and in meeting them where they are. I work with my individuals, couples and groups to help you gain a better understanding of yourself and your relationships. With a psychodynamic lens and a belief that as a species we all have the need to connect, I look forward to hearing from you to see how we may feel about working together.

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Hello! I am a licensed clinical social worker in California with 3 years of professional work experience. I also recently earned my PhD in social work. Taking the first step to sign up for therapy can take courage and I am proud of you for getting started! I utilize cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients better understand the relationship between thoughts and feelings. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment.

The journey to transform self-betrayal and self-abandonment into self-trust and self-love requires honesty and deep compassion for every part of ourselves and our stories. My mental health practice and my view of the world is largely informed by the belief that shame is NEVER an access point to growth, but rather, a paralyzer that keeps us stuck repeating the same cycles we might so desperately want to escape. My hope is to serve those who are frozen by shame and who see this play out in self-doubt and acts of self-betrayal, such as: 1. Substance use that brings painful consequences and actions incompatible with held values 2.Always taking the role of the “Pursuer” in romantic relationships and repeatedly finding yourself in dynamics where your effort is not reciprocated and your needs for consistency, time spent together, or commitment are not met. Additionally, being unable to communicate your needs explicitly despite desiring a committed partnership. 3. Taking on familiar responsibilities due to guilt despite these crossing your boundaries or inhibiting your own vision of what you want for your life. My goal is to take a non-pathologizing approach that asks the questions, “Why is there pain and how did it come to form?” My work is informed by the modality Internal Family Systems and, as such, we will observe and embrace every “part” of you–those that feel good and those that feel “bad”–as completely natural and understandable byproducts of your story. I use a deep focus on the body as a source of messages and valuable information with the belief that returning to the body can offer an access point to healing the Self.

I am a certified eating disorder specialist with over 10 years of experience working with individuals who struggle with their relationship with food, body image, and self. College can often be a time that increases these struggles with the demands of academics, sports performance for athletes, more independence and social pressures. My work is to help you create a better relationship with your body and food that can help lead to a more satisfaction in life. I also work with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, and the life transitions. Together we will create coping strategies to navigate through the mess and sometimes just to hold space to sit in the messiness that can be life. My work is collaborative. I am not here to tell you what to do but instead meet you where you are at and guide you to your goals that you want to meet in therapy. I bring warmth, compassion and of course some humor into our work together.

I work mainly with individuals. Due to coronavirus concerns, I’m now available only for online (telehealth) sessions. In our sessions, we address such questions as: Are you having difficulties in your relationships? Do you experience anxiety or depression? Do you just want to feel better about yourself and reach your full potential? In addition, I specialize in helping creative and LGB people. Are you a creative person: Dealing with very high standards for yourself, so that only “perfection” is good enough? Do you have doubts about your own self-worth? Do you have a hard time dealing with: rejection the ups and downs of the creative process the task of constantly having to find new jobs? I help creative people to: Recognize that being creative is HARD!! Strive for excellence, not “perfection“ Become more patient with themselves Stop listening to internal, negative voices! Are you a Lesbian, gay, or bisexual who: struggles with coming out doubts your own self-worth judges yourself negatively has difficulty with society’s prejudice and discrimination I help LGB people to: be PROUD of who they are empower themselves embrace their positive qualities and achievements

Anxiety, sadness, loneliness, low self-esteem, self-doubt, distress, difficulty sleeping and discomfort in our bodies are indicators that we need support. I am passionate about helping clients navigate difficult transitions, using these challenges as catalysts for healing and growth. With over 25 years of experience in various therapeutic modalities, I provide client-centered and trauma-responsive therapy grounded in compassion and empathy. It is a privilege to guide clients in processing and integrating past and present experiences. I employ Internal Family Systems (IFS) "parts work" (an approach that helps us understand and heal from past experiences by identifying and addressing different parts of our psyche), attachment theory, EMDR and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT).

Adjusting to life changes and managing stress can seem overwhelming at times. If you experience anxiety, depression, other mental health symptoms, or just life changes you're familiar with the desire to find stability and ways to cope. It could be a change in job, or managing stress from work, strain in a relationship with a partner or family members, recent grief and loss, feelings of worthlessness, feeling on edge, or looking for a tune up after life events. I believe therapy offers a space to explore the coping skills to address the issues that arise in our lives and identify healthier ways of thinking to become the best versions of ourselves. Are you looking for a safe space and support (as you address during your life transitions? My goal is to help client's who are looking to start a new chapter in their life. I am passionate about helping people find purpose, fulfillment and direction along with stability and healthy lifestyles individually, in relationships and in families. I use direct and approaches to help clients build the skills they need to fulfill their goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques and approaches allow me help clients identify unhealthy thinking patterns and core beliefs that affect the ability to maintain healthy, balanced lifestyles. Using individualized planning I use a combination of therapeutic approaches to assist each client meet the goals that uniquely fit their needs. Each person is treated as the expert in their life as we work together to build the insight and understanding necessary to bring them from where they are to where they want to be.

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If you’re a Gen Z or millennial woman who only realized you had OCD as an adult, you know what it’s like to feel stuck in your own mind. You might spend hours needing things to feel “just right,” second-guessing every choice, or checking and re-checking just to feel certain. You keep your thoughts to yourself because you know they don’t make sense but they still feel so real, and over time this can feel isolating and lonely. Decisions can start to feel impossible. Intrusive thoughts loop endlessly. The constant urge to get rid of doubt can be exhausting. If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken and you don’t have to face it alone. I support women questioning whether they have OCD or navigating a late diagnosis. Many feel trapped by intrusive thoughts, perfectionism, and the mental and emotional strain of trying to control every outcome. If you find yourself seeking reassurance just to feel a sense of relief, you’re in the right place. Therapy can be a space where you practice staying present even when your mind is loud. Together, we’ll work on sitting with discomfort, building safety in uncertainty, and developing tools that actually work for your life, not against it. My goal is to help you create more room for confidence and self-trust. I’m here and ready when you are. Reach out today.

My goal is to help you find the freedom to be yourself. Oftentimes, people and circumstances we experience can change the way we perceive ourselves and our life. We can feel like we’ve lost our place in the world or lost a sense of who we are or want to be. My goal is to help you to overcome those obstacles through mindset work, problem solving, and boundary setting. You are unique and deserve to be able to express your individuality and live the best life possible.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.