Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Are you ready to quiet your mind and rediscover your true self? I guide clients towards understanding past experiences that fuel negativity, panic attacks, anxiety, or depression. Together, we'll navigate this journey, fostering deeper self-connections. My treatment approach is tailored to your needs. I specialize in high achieving women who are emotionally exhausted. My goal is to create a safe space for exploration and growth. Our work together may look like building trust, creating safety, experimenting with relaxation skills, and exploring any wounds you may carry, while developing resilience in confronting shame, guilt, pain, anxiety or panic. Your emotional well-being matters, and seeking support is a revolutionary step towards a more fulfilling life. Contact me for guidance; it would be an honor to walk alongside you on your transformative journey.

Dr. Danny Sharara is a board-certified psychologist who helps university students work towards greater meaning and fulfillment in their lives and relationships. His practice focuses on helping clients to better understand themselves in order to effectively pursue their goals and live from their values. Many of Danny’s clients come to his office when they are experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, low self-esteem, sleep troubles, procrastination, or when faced with important life decisions. Danny's practice also focuses on addressing grief, loss, and navigating life-transitions. Through warm, collaborative, evidence-based psychotherapy, Danny helps clients draw on their strengths to break out of old patterns, discover new perspectives, and build the lives they want through living from their deep values. Clients have described his approach as supportive, attentive, flexible, and appropriately challenging. Message to clients: Through having served as a Staff Psychologist at Carnegie Mellon University as well as through clinical training at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, Danny has been fortunate to work with students from around the world on a variety of presenting concerns. Danny has facilitated support groups for doctoral students and presented workshops on effective communication with advisors. He has also helped students overcome mental health challenges including procrastination, career-uncertainty, sleep difficulties, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, loneliness, and transitioning to life after graduating. Finding the right therapist is important but it can also be overwhelming. Sometimes we know we need help but not what would be helpful, or what the right approach would be. I encourage you to take a chance and reach out to see if we might be a good fit.

I find it an honor to be let into people’s lives to support them in ways that they may not have the opportunity or ability at the moment. It is a meaningful and rewarding experience to be able to help others as others have been there for me. I try to create an open and inviting atmosphere to be yourself where you will be met with active listening and honest conversation while you freely express yourself. I am a transparent person and will consistently show up with the same energy and integrated approach combined with the use of life experience, humor, and education to help build a custom self care plan to thrive in.

I'm a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community who helps Queer people feel less stressed, more fulfilled, and live their best lives. Therapy is normal and healthy, and I would love to partner with you on your mental health glow-up. Reaching out is the hardest part, but you can do this! You can get started by scheduling your free, no pressure consultation through proudcounseling.com (linked at the bottom of my profile) so we can meet and see if I might be a good fit for your mental health glow-up

My name is Diadra Smith. I am an licensed clinical therapist and I use she/her pronouns. I am a clinician who identifies as black, queer, and neurodivergent. I believe all of these intersections has given me the opportunity to see myself in these communities who are often overlooked and underserved in the field of mental health. Why I got into this field was to create a space that is safe, brave, and encourages you to help find your most authentic self. I believe in abolishing and decolonizing what therapy is “supposed” to look like and who it is "supposed" to be for. I view relationships with my clients as a collaboration, asking you for your expertise on your life while I provide guidance through empowerment and advocacy. I am drawn to working with adolescents, adults, and families. I have a passion for working with BIPOC, neurodivergent folx, and LGBTQIA+ communities. My mission is to help to heal complex traumas, environmental inequities, and address intersections of identity unique to our experiences. If reaching out for help feels scary or shameful, I’d like to offer the idea that you are on the verge of change. Acknowledging what isn’t working today is a big first step to making the changes you'd like to see tomorrow. You’re coming at just the right time. However you found your way here, I am honored to be considered to walk with you on your journey.

Hi there, I'm Cindia! I get it. It is becoming more difficult to find balance in a rapidly changing world. Increasing school, work and personal demands, constant connectivity, and the pace of modern life can leave us feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated. I’m passionate about guiding clients to slow down, regulate their nervous system, and create more balance in their lives. My focus I support adults (18 and older) with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, performance anxiety, and depression. My practice focuses on introverts who need space to recharge and highly sensitive people (HSPs) who may feel overstimulated and overwhelmed, including college students, working professionals, and people navigating career transitions. My approach I utilize a holistic and integrative perspective to support your wellness. Holistic means that I consider the whole person by taking into consideration different areas of your life that may impact your well-being. Integrative means that I draw from multiple therapeutic approaches and tailor interventions to best meet your individual needs. My communication style My communication style is gentle, authentic, and compassionate. I often hear my clients say, “I feel very comfortable with you,” due to my presence. I’m gentle in helping you slow down and stay present, authentic in communicating transparently, and compassionate in creating a supportive space where you can be yourself without judgment. My journey to mental healthcare Counseling is my second career. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in marketing for over 10 years, primarily in the security software technology industry in the Bay Area. I decided to make this transition to better align my career with my values of holistic wellness, self-care, personal growth, minimalism, and helping others. My goals for you I take a collaborative approach to your wellness goals. To set goals, I take the time to listen to what you have in mind and offer personalized recommendations informed by my holistic and integrative perspective. To help you reach your goals, I monitor your progress through your feedback, evidence-based questionnaires, and my clinical observations. Our first session During our first session, I’ll welcome you, briefly introduce myself, review confidentiality, and address your questions. We’ll spend most of the session completing an initial holistic assessment to understand what areas of your life may be contributing to imbalance and collaborate to identify preliminary wellness goals.

I became a therapist because I deeply believe in the power of healing, growth and change. Through my own experiences, I have come to understand the value and profound impact that compassionate support and a safe, nonjudgmental space can have on someone’s well-being. I knew I wanted to provide that for others—whether it’s through offering guidance, a listening ear, or the tools needed to overcome difficult moments. My approach to therapy is rooted in deep empathy, active listening, and respect for your unique experience. I am here to truly hear you—without judgment, without rushing to solutions. I believe in meeting you where you are, and I will always create a safe, open space where you feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings. At the same time, part of feeling truly understood sometimes means gently challenging patterns or thoughts that may not be serving you or guiding you to the life you want to live. It’s my belief that this balance of listening deeply and challenging constructively is key to creating lasting change. Working together will be a collaborative partnership. I will be here to offer support and understanding, but also challenge you in ways that help you move forward. It’s a journey of mutual respect, trust, and deep care, and I’m committed to patiently walking alongside you through every step.

Providing thoughtful psychiatry for children, adolescents, and adults.

I gladly provide support to students/young adults navigating college stressors while also exploring who they are, how their family has impacted them, their relationships with others, and where they want to go in life. We might explore things like anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, relationship health/skills, sexuality, spirituality, stress, trauma, racial identity, home/belonging - just to name a few areas. If you need support, please reach out for a free consultation!

Through a warm, mindful, and compassionate approach to therapy, I aim to foster a welcoming and safe space for you to explore your journey to meaningful healing and self-discovery. Welcome, my name is Vi! I hold different marginalized identities as a woman of color, an immigrant from Việt Nam, a former international student; and have lived experience with anxiety, depression, trauma, racism, and oppression. I also hold privileged identities: able-bodied, cisgender, straight, Christian, and grew up in a middle-class family. These identities allow me to discover life through these intersectional lenses, and I am grateful for all of them. Through my own healing journey, I instantly learned clinicians with similar identities and cultural backgrounds who could fully facilitate a space of growth in my identity as an Asian immigrant woman was lacking. This disheartening experience fueled my passion to provide a space to highlight and honor immigrant and AAPI experiences through my work as a licensed clinical psychologist. It is a privilege and blessing for me to be able to provide the space that was previously unavailable, and to collaborate with international students, immigrants, and AAPI-identified folks, as well as individuals who occupy an intersection of their identity that is marked by marginalization and oppression.

If you've found this page, life has likely taken an unexpected turn. You’re realizing that the way you've gone through life is not working for you anymore, and you don’t know why. Maybe it’s hard to describe how you feel, but you know that you need to make some changes. I help individuals and couples unpack and release unhelpful beliefs or burdens that keep them stuck. People come to me seeking someone who is highly trained, kind, and honest—someone who's done their own work and can help compassionately guide them through theirs. I switched careers to become a psychologist because therapy has been so transformative for me. You CAN create peace, authenticity, and a life that you are proud of. My expertise is in addiction issues, relationship challenges, childhood trauma, depression, and burnout. I also provide Christian counseling for clients who want that form of help. In our sessions, you can expect to feel safe, understood, and free to show up as your true self. If any of this resonates with you, I am so glad that you're here. Taking this step towards seeking help is a courageous and kind choice and it is my passion to help you on this journey. Schedule a free consultation today.

I believe that you are a unique individual. You have your own path of growth and your own set of challenges. In therapy, I will deeply respect your feelings about your life and your situation. I am an empathetic and caring therapist. Clients have told me that I have a gift for putting myself in their shoes and really feeling what they feel. I use techniques such as Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and Energy therapy to help people heal from trauma, whether the trauma occurred early in life or more recently. You really can heal from trauma! We can greatly reduce or eliminate the multiple effects it has on your emotions, your behavior, and your relationships. I also apply these techniques to depression, anxiety and other difficulties. I care very much about the people I work with, and I will apply my professional skills and experience to your unique situation. I will help you develop new, more successful methods to handle the difficult issues you are dealing with. I may help you find strengths that you didn’t know you had. In my 20 years of practicing psychotherapy, I have helped people from all walks of life with many different backgrounds. My experience includes working with ADHD and helping people deal with complex family relationship issues, as well as with marital or partner relationship issues. I look forward to meeting you and beginning our work together.

As a therapist grounded in Depth Psychology, I offer a compassionate and collaborative space for you to explore the layers of your experience. Whether you're navigating anxiety, grief, life transitions, or relational challenges, I work with you to make meaning out of struggle and to reconnect with your own inner wisdom. My approach is relational, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed, with deep respect for your individual journey. I’m especially attuned to how unconscious patterns, family systems, and early experiences shape who we are—and how we heal. I also welcome dreamwork, myth, and imagination into the room when appropriate. I work with adults and teens, and I’m particularly passionate about supporting those who feel stuck, sensitive, or like they don’t quite fit the mold. You're not too much—and you're not alone. Therapy with me is not about quick fixes; it’s about building an authentic relationship where transformation becomes possible. If you’re ready to begin or continue this work, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Dr. Brandon Heimberg is a licensed clinical psychologist in California. He specializes in the clinical and forensic neuropsychological assessment of traumatic brain injury, medical conditions and psychiatric conditions. Aside from comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, Dr. Heimberg provides evidence-based psychological treatment and cognitive rehabilitation services for individuals with attention, memory, other cognitive challenges, and other medical conditions. Dr. Heimberg earned his Master of Science degree in clinical psychology, followed by his Doctorate of Psychology at California Lutheran University. He received advanced training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) under a grant-funded DBT training collaboration between Dr. Jamie Bedics and the creator of DBT, Dr. Marsha Linehan. Dr. Heimberg further honed these skills in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in his externship at Ventura County Behavioral Health, treating and assessing complex psychiatric conditions and leading skills training groups using DBT principles. Dr. Heimberg completed an advanced clinical practica in neuropsychological assessment at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he saw both geriatric and neurooncology patients. Dr. Heimberg then completed a neuropsychology internship at the VA Illiana Healthcare System (APA-Accredited, Division 40), emphasizing outpatient and inpatient neuropsychological assessment and treatment of Vietnam-era Veterans. He returned to UCLA to complete a two-year clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine within the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, performing neuropsychological evaluations and cognitive rehabilitation for post 9-11 era Veterans for UCLA Operation Mend, as well as complex medical and psychiatric, neuropsychological evaluations in the Medical Psychology Assessment Center (MPAC). Dr. Heimberg has been on various research teams at UCLA within the departments of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuro-oncology, where he has co-authored papers featured in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Oxford Press Society for NeuroOncology. Additionally, Dr. Heimberg co-authored the cognitive training manual for UCLA Operation Mend's Balanced Recovery And Integrated Neuroscience (BRAIN) and Substance Abuse intensive treatment programs.

Are you feeling lost and unsure about yourself and how you are feeling? Are you struggling with anxiety and depression and are weighed down by the societal and social pressures of having to have your life figured out? Being a young adult can be very challenging with all of the pressure to succeed, "be the best" and having to stand out academically and socially. As a therapist with 20 years experience, allow me to explore with you how to become the "best" version of yourself in a safe, warm, and accepting environment. "There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind." -C.S. Lewis

I work best with students who are used to performing under pressure: student-athletes, performers, pre-med and nursing majors, ROTC and military-affiliated students, and anyone else whose schedule doesn't leave much room to fall apart, even when they need to. A lot of my clients are running on adrenaline most of the semester, replaying conversations at 2 am, or have gotten so used to pushing through that they've stopped feeling much of anything. Many have already tried talking to someone before. They can explain exactly what's stressing them out, sometimes perfectly, and it still hasn't changed how they feel or act. That gap between understanding a problem and actually feeling different is where I focus. I don't rely only on talking things through. When conversation alone isn't working, or just isn't your thing, I use other approaches that work with what's actually happening in your body and your reactions, not just the story you tell about it. I also think there's real room for humor here: being able to laugh at a hard moment can loosen its grip in a way taking everything seriously never does. You don't need to have the perfect way to explain what's going on, or even know exactly where to start. I'm licensed in Colorado and California. If any of this sounds like your semester, I'd like to hear from you.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with over 10 years of experience. I work with individuals, couples, and families online in the states of California and Florida, and in person in San Jose, CA. My experience has included outpatient treatment, group practice, in-home care services, and higher levels of care. I enjoy working with students and individuals experiencing life transitions, with particular specialties in eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. In addition, I have expertise in working with athletes, those with chronic pain/illness, and faith-based communities. My theoretical orientation is person-centered and psychodynamic. However, I incorporate a variety of techniques depending on my client’s individual needs, including expressive arts therapies, somatic approaches, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). My hope is to come alongside individuals or groups in their healing journey by providing compassionate support, insight, and practical tools to support goal achievement, strengthen relationships, and build a meaningful life. During initial sessions, we will take time to develop a relationship, understand your current challenges and strengths, and establish goals that support forward movement. Session to session, we will process present moment thoughts, emotions, and experiences, as well as discuss overarching themes and treatment targets. As you feel better and increasingly more empowered, we will begin to space out sessions, with the goal of managing symptoms and challenges independently. I applaud you for taking steps to seek support and learn more about yourself!

Are you struggling to find positivity in and around your life? You may be having a difficult time with your relationship or going through a stressful life transition. Perhaps you're experiencing more downs than ups these days. If you relate to any of these statements I'd be glad to sit down with you, because I care. I want to hear your story and your goals that may feel far away right now. Let's work together to reinvigorate you to start living life with joy again. I have extensive experience assisting adults through life's challenges and many transitions. I also provide tools to couples to help focus on strengths as couples and individuals. The therapy I provide sees our past as our stories, and that as authors of our own stories, we get to decide what the next chapter's theme will be. I want to help you write that next chapter.

Living in your body may feel exhausting, unfamiliar, or even unsafe. Trauma, relationship harm, health changes or chronic illness, and struggles with body image and eating can leave us feeling disconnected and stuck between overwhelm and shutdown. I offer a warm, grounded presence where you can feel seen and begin cultivating a deeper sense of self-trust and wholeness - a space to explore lived experiences and learn supportive wellness practices. I work with busy students who are carrying the weight of stress, trauma, and grief while navigating immense transitions and responsibilities. Many of my clients are healing from sexual violence, emotional relationship harm, chronic/invisible illness and health-related changes (migraines, endometriosis, PCOS, POTS, cancer), and concerns around relationship with body and food, including disordered eating. I've supported students and young adults for over a decade, with many years of experience working in a college specialty counseling clinic. I use a mind-body approach that blends somatic (body-based), cognitive, and mindfulness practices including Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping). This helps us understand ourselves with compassion, cope with emotional overwhelm and physical body discomfort, heal from trauma, and reconnect to relationships and activities that nourish us. I find great joy in serving multicultural and multi-faith communities while providing a weight-inclusive, culturally-affirming, and trauma-informed space where all parts of you are welcome.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.