Therapists for college students near University of Southern California

Relationships are the most rewarding and often the most difficult parts of our lives. If you're struggling in your romantic relationship, friendships, family or even in your relationship with yourself...you're not alone. Negative thoughts and feelings can keep you from the life you want with the people you love. Counseling can give you the support and encouragement you need to help move forward and find new, better ways to communicate and connect. It can be difficult to know who to trust with the things you're going through. Therapy offers you a confidential, comfortable place to talk about the things in your life that are hard to share with others. Together, we can uncover your strengths and use them to create a plan to give you relief from the uncomfortable place you're in today.

Welcome! Looking to work with the right therapist can feel tough. We want to make sure we find the right fit and someone we can talk to. If you are a teen looking for that person, I think you'll find comfort and safety in working with me. I have been fortunate to work with those transitioning to college from high school and those pursuing a higher education degree for the past 4 years now. I understand the stressors and difficulty this life transition can pose. I understand what it can feel like to move through this world as a student and I want to provide the best space possible to chat about that. We can talk about emotions, relationships, identities, cultures, and anything else that feels important. Feel free to reach out by email or phone for a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to meeting you!

Growing up, you learned early on that trusting others could be dangerous. You were taught to rely only on yourself, and that self-reliance has served you well. You’ve achieved so much—your degree, your job, and a comfortable life. Yet, despite these accomplishments, your mind still feels like it’s in survival mode. The nights are restless, your emotions seem unpredictable, and you’ve tried filling the void with drinking, partying, and casual relationships, but it never quite works. You’ve felt frustrated as your emotions are often labeled as angry or aggressive, leaving you feeling misunderstood and isolated. Trusting only yourself has taken you far, but it’s not enough to bring the peace and fulfillment you crave. I recognize how these experiences have shaped your life, affecting your relationships and overall well-being. Together, we’ll work on building trust, setting healthy boundaries, and learning to identify and name your emotions. Let's challenge and unlearn the limiting belief that you’re destined to succumb to the hardships you may face due to your upbringing, gender, or skin color. My goal is to create a space where you can address and work through the tough conversations often avoided in your past, fostering deeper healing and growth.

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve spent much of your life being strong for others. I specialize in working with members of the Latino community across generations, including immigrants, first- and second-generation individuals, and monolingual Spanish speakers. Many of my clients are navigating family expectations, identity exploration, acculturation stress, and the challenge of balancing multiple cultural worlds while managing anxiety, depression, relationship stress, parenting concerns, or major life transitions. I provide a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space using a behavioral and systemic approach. As a bilingual Latina therapist, I help clients build coping skills, strengthen relationships, navigate immigration and adjustment stress, and explore how culture and family shape their experiences. Evening, Saturday, and limited sliding scale spots available. I understand the deep importance of culture, family, and identity, and I am passionate about helping clients feel seen, heard, and supported in ways that honor their lived experiences. You deserve a space where you can show up fully, heal at your own pace, and begin creating meaningful change.

Dr. Shreya Vaishnav identifies as a woman of color and she is familiar with struggles related to moving to a new country, experiencing cross-cultural and identity related concerns, navigating experiences of discrimination in interpersonal relationships and in the workplace. She has worked with teenagers, young adults, and adults experiencing a wide variety of concerns including relationship issues, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, career related concerns, OCD and many more. Shreya has a warm, empathic, and a non-judgmental approach to working with her clients.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

You feel like you’re drowning in the midst of all the big changes going on in your life. You feel alone and long to deeply connect with others, but you often end up feeling disappointed, unseen, used, or heartbroken. You’re overwhelmed with the transitions happening in your life and the confusing emotions going on inside of you, but you beat yourself up for being “too sensitive”. You’re working so hard to have a successful career and fulfilling relationships, but you never feel like you’re enough. You just want to feel better, but you don’t know where to begin. You want to successfully navigate these changes and emotions in a way that helps you understand who you are and what you want. You want healthy, vibrant relationships where you feel loved and accepted. You want to know that it’s not just okay to be you, but that being you is more than enough. You want to live an authentic life that really matters. I’m passionate about serving emerging adults in my practice because I know personally how hard and confusing this time of life can be. I use Brainspotting and the Enneagram to help you grow individually, along with Emotionally Focused Therapy and Prepare/Enrich to help you create vibrant, healthy relationships. I’ve created a welcoming space where you can feel embraced and cared for as we engage the difficulties that are getting in your way and deep dive into your inner world. Interested in getting started? Let’s talk!

I have had the privilege of working on school campuses and enjoy supporting students as they navigate family challenges, cultural identity, life transitions, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and relationship concerns. Balancing academics, work, and personal life can often feel overwhelming. Therapy offers a space to slow down, organize your thoughts, and gain clarity about what matters most to you. My goal is to create a supportive and reflective environment where we can explore your experiences together and move toward the goals you have for your life. I believe that living authentically brings deeper meaning and purpose, and I would be honored to support you in discovering what that looks like for you.

You feel misunderstood and judged; you worry others view you badly; you feel disconnected and excluded. Relationship feels confusing and frustrating. It feels like nothing you try works, you feel like it's your fault, and you feel empty inside. Your anxiety and loneliness won't go away on its own. Let me help you understand why you feel the way you do, help you gain abilities to truly connected with people, and mental clarity to handle interpersonal exchanges in ways that feels confident, caring, and thoughtful. I will create a safe place to talk about what's going on inside. Together, we will explore the roots of your relationship problems. Often, when you understand where they come from you will start the process of healing. I will help you learn self-love, gain confidence, emotional and relational insights to make more meaningful connections in life. I believe we are born with ability to grow and move toward wholeness. My work is rooted in neuroscience understanding and attachment theory that we as human beings need each other to heal. I want to be the connector for you on your healing journey. Before becoming a therapist, I have 15 yrs tech experience. I have 2 children and also speak Mandarin.

What is an Authentic Life Path? The question should really be What is YOUR Authentic Life Path? Often in the hustle and bustle of the “real world” we kind of just go with the flow and often lose ourselves. Sometimes it is scary to live our lives authentically. Living authentically means the person you feel you truly are on the inside. I started my career in the IT field, but realized I did not have a passion for it or enjoy it. I wanted to help others. I became a licensed marriage and family therapist, and am now living my authentic life path and want to help you find and live yours. I specialize in working with children, tweens, teens and adults who identify as transgender or genderqueer. I also specialize in the LGBTQIAA+ community. I work with all religions and spiritualities and all types of families no matter what the unique makeup. I provide a safe, supportive environment for you to explore yourself and grow into your most authentic self and find the path that is right for you. Give me a call or email if you have any questions.

Theresa Chesnut specializes in the treatment of Eating Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), issues surrounding athletic performance and anxiety as well as conflicts arising within the family, particularly those pertaining to adolescent growth. Her therapeutic orientation is holistic, strength-based, and grounded in both psychodynamic and Internal Family Systems (IFS) theories. Professional Experience Theresa has worked with adolescents and adults for over 30 years, managing her clients’ challenges with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders. Previous to her having formed her own private group practice, she held the position of Clinical Director at The Healthy Teen Project (HTP), an adolescent, eating disorder-specific outpatient clinic. Before her activities HTP, Theresa held many roles over her 13-year stint at a national eating disorder residential treatment center, including Program Director, Lead Individual and Group Therapist, Program Director, Director of Regional Marketing, and supervising master level interns. She was also instrumental in a founder-like role, starting new programs, training new staff, overseeing operations, creating policies and procedures for programs, and expanding existing practices into new geographic locations. Theresa lectures locally and nationally, both in person and virtually, on therapeutic interventions targeting the entire eating disorder recovery process. Over the last 3 decades, Theresa has lectured on college campuses to student counseling staff, coaching staff students and sororities as well as to allied professionals covering the state of the art of symptom identification and eating disorder prevention, therapeutic interventions. Most recently, she has been trained in Family Based Therapy (FBT), Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and is a certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist and a Level One Trainer. Theresa served as a Board member of the national Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) from 2009-2017 and held board positions as the Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair. Additionally, she sat on several committees including the Conference Committee and Weight Stigma Awareness Week.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Welcome! Our childhood experiences can have a lasting impact on how we function as adults both independently and within relationships. By attending therapy, do you hope to: Process trauma? Reduce dissociations? Improve boundaries? Become more independent? Reduce negative self-talk? Enhance self-care? Feel supported and accepted? I specialize in single-event PTSD, complex PTSD, survivors of emotional and psychological abuse, and adult children of narcissistic parenting. Even if you don't fall into these categories, I welcome you to reach out to see if we're a good fit. I provide hope, knowledge, compassion and unconditional acceptance of who you are and where you are on your journey. I honor your life experiences and work humbly with you without taking an expert position in your life. Our work will be customized to meet your unique needs and you will be actively involved in our work together. Ubuntu is an African philosophical term that means: I am, because we are. Humanity cannot exist in isolation; we are our best selves when we are in healthy relationships. You do not have to travel alone on your journey towards healing and growth. Together we will work in the present to heal your past and move toward your ideal future.

Pain can quietly shape your life and sense of self, even when things look “fine” from the outside. It may show up as anxiety, depression, grief, anger, low self-esteem, substance use, or painful relationship patterns. You might notice yourself longing for closeness while also pulling away, or repeating dynamics you don’t fully understand. You may be navigating relationship challenges, life transitions, trauma, or longstanding attachment patterns that continue to surface in the present. Even when you can make sense of your experiences, something may still feel unresolved or unmoved. Together, we take time to know you and to understand how you experience yourself and others—how you relate, protect, and respond to closeness and emotion. We also pay attention to patterns as they emerge in your life and in therapy. My style is warm, collaborative, and relational. Our work supports greater awareness and a sense of safety, gradually loosening what has felt fixed so new possibilities can emerge. You’re welcome to reach out for a complimentary consultation. I reserve a few sliding scale spots for college students. Please reach out for more info.

Many of the students I work with share this in common: they are navigating a major change and trying to find solid ground again. Some are living away from home for the first time, juggling academic pressure, identity shifts, and relationships. Others are coping with chronic health issues, burnout, or stress that feels heavier than it used to. Many describe feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of their next step, even though they’re usually the ones others look to. I help young adults understand what is happening beneath the stress and build tools that make daily life lighter and more manageable. My style is warm, practical, and grounded in the mind-body connection. This is a space where you can be brutally honest, reflect deeply, and grow exponentially. I provide services via Telehealth with morning hours Monday through Thursday; I keep a boutique style practice so you are not just another number- support is available upon request during off hours. To start, I offer a complimentary meet & greet that you can schedule directly online at www.marinahealthca.com so you can feel the fit for yourself. You deserve more than coping skills and trying to survive. Start your day with your mental health in focus and let us begin thriving through change, together. You can read more about me on my website and on my socials (IG: @nushanouhiphd).

Overwhelmed with the stress and demands of trying to be successful? Spending too much time feeling anxious about close relationships and exams? Discussing the things that are getting you down, holding you back, with a therapist is often very helpful. I am a supportive listener who will guide you toward therapy goals without judgement or criticism. I support neurodivergent thinking, harnessing ADHD strengths, and encourage creative development.

As a therapist, I consider my role to be a guide and witness to facilitate the development of your true self and your inner resources. I create a genuine and respectful space that allows us to explore where you're at, your goals, and your challenges. I love using expressive arts therapy and seeing people blossom when they experience the nourishment, wisdom, power, and insight of their creativity. I also use mindfulness, somatic awareness, and Jungian psychology. My focus is on working with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, childhood wounding, creative blocks, finding passion/direction in life, grief, and loss.