Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Hi! I'm Justine Short, MS, LMFT. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. For over 10 years, I continue to have a passion for helping people in finding their inner strength in order to make positive and lasting life changes. I view my role as a therapist to walk alongside and guide others to reach their full potential. My desire is to help others become self-aware, feel confident, and reach for hope so that they can thrive in their everyday lives.

Hi, I’m Jennie Denney, AMFT — and I’m really glad you’re here! College can be overwhelming—especially when you’re carrying more than just school stress. If you’re dealing with self-harm, anxiety, identity questions, religious trauma, or just trying to hold it all together, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I specialize in working with teens and young adults who feel stuck, misunderstood, or disconnected from themselves or the people around them. My therapy style is warm, honest, and collaborative. I won’t sit back and nod—I’ll show up with you, offer tools, ask questions, and help you make sense of your story. In our work together, you can expect a space where nothing is “too much,” and where your experiences are taken seriously. Healing isn’t about being perfect—it’s about getting curious, finding your voice, and learning how to care for yourself in new ways.

I believe change, growth, and healing are possible when we better understand ourselves and the patterns in our lives. Especially with the state of the world right now, it would make sense if your goals were to feel less anxious, less stressed, more secure, more connected, and/or safer. Through our collaborative exploration, curiosity, and empathy, I believe we can find opportunities for healing, challenge old patterns that no longer serve you, and develop a greater sense of control over your life.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Hi! and welcome. I am Rachel Navarro, a licensed clinical social worker practicing in California with over 15 years of experience in the social services sector. My areas of focus include anxiety, depression, grief, ADHD, and coping with life changes. My therapy style is warm and interactive. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and I don't believe in stigmatizing labels. I will inquire about which communication method works for you and follow your lead in the pace you need to go at in order to feel comfortable and supported through your journey in exploring feelings and needs. My clinical approaches combine Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Navigating this world as a woman of color provides me with insight of a wide range of life experiences such as difficulty with change, inequalities, traumas, toxic relationships, workplace exploitation, managing a society that values binary labels and much more. Seeking therapy can be complex and multi-layered, so finding a therapist you connect with is essential. I believe in a working partnership with clients and strive to utilize client strengths to help with each intervention. Rather than work from any one theoretical orientation, I create interventions to match the specific needs of each unique individual, based on my years of accumulated knowledge and experience. The range of evidence based therapeutic modalities I utilize to help achieve goals include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, EMDR, motivational interviewing, solution-focused, narrative, and psychoeducation. Allow me to join your journey of individual or group healing!

Do you struggle with feelings of not being enough, self-doubt and self-criticism? Do you have difficulty expressing your feelings, communicating your needs or setting boundaries? Do you stay in relationships that make you feel unloved, unseen and unheard? Are you constantly worried or overthinking, making it difficult for you to make decisions, take risks or try new things? You're feeling stuck and not sure how to move forward in life. Starting therapy is the first step. “Everything starts with and how you feel about yourself. Start feeling worthy, valuable and deserving of what life has to offer". -Unknown. Call today! I provide a safe space where you can be yourself, be vulnerable and share your struggles without being judged. Together we will work on helping you gain a better understanding of yourself by identifying triggers and behavior patterns that are impacting your life and relationships. I will provide you with tools to help you learn how to better manage symptoms. Call today to schedule your complimentary 15-minute consultation. During the call, I will answer any questions you may have to help you determine if I am a good fit for you. Virtual Only (Daytime and Evening Availability).

At Highland Park Holistic Therapy we hold space for the totality of the person and their experiences, for all aspects of your experience - the physical, the spiritual and the psychological. This means we take an integrative approach to healing. We aim to bring consciousness to every part of you. We do not view a person in pain as someone who is broken that needs fixing. You are not just a diagnosis and a prescription. Rather, the symptoms that brought you here, like depression and anxiety, we see as signals that something in your psyche needs tending to and cared for. Instead of disowning what is hurting inside, or attacking yourself for how you feel, together, we will compassionately turn toward it to find out what it needs. This kind of exploration and internal integration brings about lasting relief, improved relationships, and whole-person well-being.

Life can be challenging and certainly has its ups and downs, it is my passion to come alongside individuals during difficult times and strive to meet you where you are, providing support and encouragement to overcome the challenges in life. I strive to assist clients to gain awareness, understanding and control over their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Through exploration, self reflection and insight I work with clients and provide the space that is necessary to process past traumas in a safe manner and allow clients to heal in a healthy way. My approach is collaborative and client centered, I strive to establish an attentive relationship and tailor my approach to each of my clients needs and personality. Based on client needs some of the modalities I utilize include CBT, SFT, Narrative Therapy, TF-CBT, EMDR or a combination. My goal is to provide a safe environment in which you can feel heard and genuinely supported. I work to assist clients identify and draw upon their strengths. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you towards a brighter future!

Big changes in our lives stir up a lot of feelings, even ones that can surprise us. Without naming these events and emotions, we get overwhelmed or stuck. Therapy provides space to name these experiences so you can start moving forward. Clients I work with might come to counseling because some of the following: Relationship problems of all types Burnout Compassion Fatigue Stress & Anxiety Perfectionism Procrastination Making time for self-care Self-confidence Fear of failure Making big life decisions Coping with disapproval from family of origin Navigating college and post-college life Coping with life transitions Grief & Loss Establishing community Finding a way to have a positive impact Communication Issues Emotional Distance Affairs & Infidelity Intimacy Issues Life Transitions My role is to listen deeply to your story, help you be aware of the patterns and themes that show up. We will work together to reconnect with wisdom, strengths, and build on what's working to support you in growing your resilience.

Kindful Body brings together therapists who are passionate and expertly trained in helping our clients transform their relationships with their bodies and food. We help our clients to heal parts of themselves that keep them stuck in destructive behaviors, so they can make the changes they desire to live with more ease, balance and authenticity. Our unique approach is informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), Mindful Self-Compassion, Brené Brown’s Shame Resilience Theory, Intuitive Eating and Health At Every Size®. At Kindful Body we believe that our struggles provide us with opportunities for growth and to discover new strengths; the quality of our lives depends on the quality of our relationships; and that self-compassion is key ingredient for our well-being. The Kindful Body team is ready to help you on your healing journey.

Hi, I’m Dr. Sarah Adut. I am a psychologist who specializes in fixing sleep problems and improving anxiety. Whether you have a hard time falling asleep, can never manage to go to bed before 3 AM, or have an active mind that keeps you up at night, I'd like to help. First, we'll work together to discover why your sleep first got disrupted, what has kept it disrupted, and what patterns need to be broken to change things for the better. Drawing from up-to-date scientific research, we’ll use gold-standard therapeutic treatments to break you out of the insomnia cycle and set your sleep free.

Finding solace and stillness in the fast-paced post-covid world has been difficult for many of us. Finding time to reflect on where you are in your life and where you want to be can be difficult to find time for. I am here to listen and help you find intentional space. My areas of practice focus on adults experiencing grief, loss, relationship issues, identity issues, academic stress, or intimate partner violence. I am equipped to help unpack how you experience the weight of social injustice, systemic racism or intergenerational trauma. My practice includes a lens of relational psychotherapy and research-informed interventions for people who have Depression, Anxiety, or PTSD. I have postgraduate training in Brainspotting, Eye Movement Densistization (EMDR) and Safe & Sound Protocol which are designed to help people process stressful Life experiences in a different way than just talk therapy. Throughout each session, I incorporate best practices from both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectal Behavioral Therapy as a means to support you in maximizing your fullest potential. I am committed to your healing process, whatever that may look like and I believe that stepping into your authenticity will foster sustainable growth.

I meet with individuals one on one to process and work through life's challenges. Whether you have anxiety, depression, trauma, suffer from perfectionism, or have an addiction- it can be helpful to have someone in your corner collaborating with you on your goals. I specialize in trauma therapy and utilize the mind/body connection in my healing practice. My hope is that a safe container is created in our work together. That you can lean into the therapeutic process and explore all aspects of yourself. I am here to be with you and support your unique journey. Overall, I want to be beside you, assisting you in personal empowerment and well-being. Here are some of the issues that clients who come to see me struggle with: -Self esteem issues -Perfectionism -Feeling as if you don't know who you are or what you want/need -Nervousness or anxiety -Not feeling connected to others or the world -Feeling overwhelming sad, depressed, or lost -Experiencing loss and not knowing how to cope -Feeling fear after being assaulted and not wanting to go out in public -Having nightmares -Feeling disconnected from others or the world

I am from the Bay Area and went to residency at UCSF for psychiatry where I wad trained in student health. Since graduating residency in 2005, I have loved teaching and mentoring medical students, residents and peers at UCSF in many capacities such as: UCSF's Women, Mood and Hormone Clinic, Brain Mind and Behavior and a Dream Seminar. I have run a full time private practice in Cow Hollow from day 1 of graduating residency. It is therapy based with medication use/evaluations in that setting. I have an eclectic style and use many modalities: Psychodynamic, CBT, Dream interpretation, etc. In the last couple years, I have been more involved in organized psychiatry. I am currently an American Psychiatric Association (APA) Distinguished Fellow and Northern California Psychiatric Society (NCPS) Vice President. I look forward to connecting soon.

If you want to learn skills to cope with anxiety and depression, then this is the place for you. I specialize in supporting young adults navigate the complex layers of generational trauma. I use a client-center approach and when appropriate, we’ll incorporate holistic practices or collaborate with other health professionals like doctors and nutritionists. By integrating therapeutic techniques, I aim to help balance the weight of your cultural heritage with the demands of a new world; honoring your past while building your future.

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.

Sometimes it takes the gentle mirroring of another person to help see what is no longer working in our lives. Habits formed to survive difficult childhoods may be wrecking havoc. Communication styles may be sabotaging love. We may feel overwhelmed or face a big life transition. I work closely with my clients to increase skills. I love to teach about nervous system regulation and how you can stay calm and effective during conflict, difficult conversations, and life transitions. From therapy you’ll learn to operate from wholeness and authenticity, and gain acceptance for self/others. In addition to being a therapist, I formerly taught high school Seniors. I loved working with Seniors and helping them mark the transition from high school to college as their own unique rite of passage. I know this transition and college can be quite stressful and overwhelming. Together we can explore and discover more of who you are during this important developmental phase of life. I am passionate about helping people feel a greater sense of connection and meaning in their lives, and can utilize a variety of interventions and practices. My style is warm, direct, humorous, playful, curious, and empathetic. I offer a free 20 min consultation to ensure we are a good fit and to answer any questions. Feel free to reach out to schedule that. Some of my areas of expertise are trauma, OCD, anxiety, depression, and life transitions.