Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Amy Anderson, LCSW is a solo practice run by Amy Anderson who has been in practice since 2017. She specializes in high performing achievers struggling with relationship instabilities, burnout, and or misalignment of values. She is trained in Gottman Method Couples, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR.

I specialize in working with people who experience intense emotions like anxiety, sadness, or anger in response to life changes or adjustments. If you're looking for a psychologist who incorporates evidence-based practices while flexibly tailoring treatment to meet your unique problems and background, you've come to the right place! Whether you want to stop worrying or feel more confident, we'll consider how your inner emotional world interacts with the greater cultural context surrounding you. Let's meet if you're open to changing your thoughts, habits and perspective- or simply want someone to understand your point of view!

I was inspired to become a therapist by my experience working with adults with developmental disabilities. I found deep fulfillment in making a positive impact with the people in my community and wanted to make that the focus of my life. I offer a warm and kind presence that allows my clients to speak without judgment. My approach is highly focused on the underlying feelings that inform how we navigate life. Utilizing a balance between compassion and direct communication, my aim is to create an atmosphere that is kind and comforting while respecting the work we do and the need for honesty. I believe in the ideas of genuineness, empathetic understanding, and unconditional positive regard for my clients. My goal is to demonstrate acceptance for my clients from a holistic perspective that includes every aspect of who they are. Understanding all of the facets and intersecting identities that make up a person, allows me to support them at my best. I also wish to provide my clients with useful tools that can help them to be their best selves both within a relationship and individually.

My passion for working in this field stems from a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of mental well-being. Every individual deserves the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and meaningful life and I am honored to support individuals in achieving this. Witnessing the resilience and courage of my clients as they navigate mental health challenges is profoundly inspiring. It fuels my commitment to provide compassionate support and evidence-based interventions that empower them to overcome obstacles and thrive. By fostering empathy, awareness, and de-stigmatization, I aim to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for individuals struggling with mental health concerns. I do this by practicing active listening, which involves giving my full attention to what the client is saying—both verbally and non-verbally. I reflect back what I hear to ensure I understand their perspective and emotions accurately. I also ask clarifying questions when necessary and validate their experiences, showing that I respect their feelings and struggles. By being non-judgmental and compassionate, I help clients feel safe to share more openly. Ultimately, my goal is to create a space where they feel accepted and understood, which fosters trust and the ability to make progress in therapy. I work to create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and emotions. This begins with being genuinely present and engaged in our sessions, listening actively, and responding with empathy. I also ensure that I maintain clear communication about the therapy process, respecting the client’s pace and autonomy. By being consistent, reliable, and transparent about goals and boundaries, clients are more likely to feel secure and confident in the therapeutic relationship. Additionally, I validate their experiences and emotions, which helps to foster mutual respect and understanding. Over time, this collaborative and supportive dynamic allows us to work together toward meaningful change.

Hey we get it. Life’s a lot right now. Between classes, work, family pressure, figuring out who you are, and trying to keep it together… it’s overwhelming. You might be anxious, stuck, burnt out, or just tired of pretending you're okay. At Freedom Within, we’re here to help you sort through all of it. Relationships, trauma, stress, identity, future plans, anxiety, we cover it all. No judgment. Just support that makes sense for where you’re at. We will help you cut through the BS and come out the other side with a better sense of self, identity and purpose. We have several different therapists and match you with the one who gets you. Someone you can feel safe talking to about even your most challenging struggles. We also offer nutrition counseling for those wanting to explore changes to diet and their impact on your mood and overall health! You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s figure it out together.

Are you feeling stuck, burned out, or overwhelmed by the everyday stresses of life? Perhaps anxiety, depression, or relationship challenges are weighing you down. Seeking meaningful change but finding it hard to move forward? Are you a member of a BIPOC community or other resilient community who is feeling isolated, overwhelmed and desiring a safe space to heal? My practice is warm, compassionate, and strength focused, emphasizing true collaboration. I prioritize creating a secure, welcoming setting where every client feels heard, seen and respected—a vital foundation for addressing deeply personal issues. I believe this is the foundation of a good working relationship to address such sensitive personal matters. Drawing from evidence based modalities—including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychodynamic work, multicultural frameworks, and mindfulness—I tailor my approach to each person’s unique story, identities, and challenges. By honoring your individual experience, we can work together toward lasting well being and the changes you envision.

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.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or unsure where to turn, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Therapy Changes is a San Diego psychology practice offering compassionate, evidence-based therapy for individuals, couples, and families. Our team is composed exclusively of licensed clinical psychologists with doctoral-level training who provide thoughtful, high-quality care tailored to your needs. Our office is located in Mission Valley, and we also offer teletherapy throughout California. Our team specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, grief and loss, relationship challenges, perinatal mental health concerns, and life transitions. Our team of talented therapists are trained in advanced approaches to support meaningful healing and lasting change. We believe therapy should offer focused guidance when you need it most. We help clients find symptom relief while building practical skills for resilience and growth. We take time to understand your goals and create a thoughtful plan. Call to speak with our Client Care Coordinator and get matched with the right therapist.

Many of the students I work with feel overwhelmed trying to figure out who they are and what they want, especially in a time that feels uncertain and constantly changing. You might be thinking about your future while also holding awareness of things like climate change, global crises, or instability in the world, which can make everything feel heavier or harder to make sense of. Some students I work with are dealing with habits like skin picking or hair pulling, while others feel burnt out, anxious, or like they’re trying to keep up but struggling internally. I take a relational and systemic approach, looking at both what’s happening internally and the larger context you’re living in, while also offering practical tools to support change. Many of my clients are thoughtful and aware, trying to make sense of themselves and the world around them. Therapy can be a space to slow things down and find ways to move forward that feel more grounded and realistic.

I am a passionate and caring therapist who uses a lens of self-compassion to help you address and resolve issues or challenges that are negatively impacting quality of life. By changing the negative inner voice to a kinder, more compassionate voice we'll work together toward a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in life.

Change naturally produces anxiety. While a certain amount of anxiety is normal for all persons, those with excessive anxiety may find themselves experiencing constant worry, doubt, and self criticism. In addition, sometimes depression, substance abuse and various disorders may follow. However, anxiety IS manageable. Mind and body will need to work together to relieve the stress that starts your anxiety process. I help you manage these stressful times and difficult life transitions through various therapies suited your unique personality and particular needs. My therapeutic approach is nonjudgmental, supportive and practical. It is based on the latest successful therapies for anxiety and depression, yet tailored to your specific personality and situation. Together we will work through the sequential steps that have resulted in your distress and then follow with the processes that will bring you relief. With the Couples Counseling I do, I see my role as helping to develop healthy person-to-person emotional connections, without sacrificing individuality. Each person’s personality needs to be recognized and respected. In initial sessions, much of my focus begins with changing communication style and learning to negotiate conflict. To restore or develop trust and connection, I find that people need to first literally learn to talk to each other differently. This is not as easy as it may sound, but it is possible and it is the foundation of maintaining healthy relationships. Once respectful and caring communication is established, improved emotional connections become possible and problems can be resolved. In the addiction treatment I do, I work both with clients and their families and friends. In my 20+ years working with dual diagnosis and addictions, I have had the benefit of working in every level of care -- from substance abuse prevention to in-patient rehab treatment programs, PHP, IOP, and outpatient. One of my sincere beliefs is that there is no one way that works for everyone. Not everyone needs rehab and each situation deserves special consideration. In short, that means there are no "have to's", "must's", or "should's." I apply an approach with empathy and compassion for my clients, while bringing them the best type of care they need, and of course, never giving up.

I am motivated by the idea that every human being deserves to be truly heard by someone they believe cares about their wellbeing. I am confident that through mindful and empathetic exploration in a safe and trusting space, many reoccurring and/or cooccurring somatic, emotional, and psychological difficulties may be better understood and processed in a way that can facilitate a deeper understanding of ourselves and the environments in which we exist. I am an existential and humanistic provider who believes that we are driven by our unconscious and because of this, past psychological, emotional, and physical injuries may leave an imprint on our psyche that can continue to interrupt our lives and reinjure us unless we can see ourselves and our part in these injurious events differently. I use an eclectic treatment style that includes many different treatment modalities such as Mindfulness, Bilateral Tapping, CBT, DBT, cognitive reframing, and MI. I have had the opportunity to work with many different socioeconomic populations from the homeless to the very wealthy with conditions ranging from addiction and obsessive disorders to depression and anxiety. They each come with an interesting and unique perspective. I come from a background of childhood trauma, abuse, and addiction. My journey began with a 9th grade education and homelessness as I traveled my road of happy destiny to a Bachelors and Masters degree with two professional licenses (LPCC & LAADC) in the state of California, and continues to unfold today. I have turned my life’s experiences into a place of wisdom and growth and have dedicated my life and career to helping others find the light in whatever darkness they are experiencing.

Hi welcome to the world of Therapy! This step can be daunting to start but rest assured that this can be the beginning of something beautiful. If you are experiencing overwhelming feelings that are hard to explain, you're in the right place. Here, you have the free space to share your thoughts and feelings without feeling judged through the process. Here you get to learn about the most important person in the room, YOU. Being a student, learning about adulting, trying to make ends meet at the end of the month, working during your "free" time and finding time to manage a social life needless to say, trying to make a relationship work is a lot! You're not alone. I can be here with you through the process. There is no shame in knowing we need help. This is the first step of adulting, knowing we can't do life on our own. We need our tribe. Feel free to contact me for your free 10-minute phone consultation where you can ask me any questions or concerns you may have about the therapeutic process. I look forward to meeting with you!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

"Create Wellbeing Therapy Collective provides integrative mental healthcare to students using a compassionate and supportive approach. We will meet you non-judgmentally where you are at and help you with the skills to make changes. Our innovative wellbeing model addresses the needs of the whole person. We will help you to CALM the distress, ENGAGE your whole self, and INTEGRATE healing into your life. We provide expert care to complex situations including: pregnancy, parenting, marriage/divorce, eating struggles, trauma, grief, life stage and older adult care.

I work collaboratively with people who often find me to be fun and funny, positive, caring and compassionate. As I tell clients when they express gratitude toward me for helping them, "I know some stuff. " I know some stuff about trauma and healing and how people overcome difficult pasts that affect them in the present. I know some stuff about relationships, how they go sidewise and how they get repaired. I know a lot about autism and how siblings of spectrum kids are affected and how the future can seem scary if you don't have a plan for yourself or your future. Depression, anxiety, stress, anger, procrastination, relational difficulty, trauma recovery... I know some stuff and I'm here to help you. Therapy shouldn't be scary and once we get started you'll feel well supported and see some changes that are you are looking for.

Since I could remember, I knew that I wanted to be in a field that would give me the opportunity to help others. I chose to be a psychology major for many reasons but one of them is because I found psychology very interesting and fascinating. I also discover that being genuinely interested in people, wanting to help and having the ability to easily connect with others were strengths that would help me in my journey of being able to help others. I have a passion for helping clients enhance their personal strengths, develop coping skills for them to thrive during difficult times, life transitions and needed change. One of the most important thing for me as a therapist is on providing a safe environment to my clients. I do it by being genuine, empathetic and compassionate. I also use actively listening to really understand the client’s perspective on their situations, and also what they want out of treatment. One question that I found important is to ask my client about their previous experiences in therapy and what was something that they did not like or liked in order to understand more what they might need from out therapeutic relationship. I like working collaboratively with my clients to build healthier relationships with themselves and others. I truly believe that people are the experts of their lives. Using compassion, active listening, kindness and a collaborative approach has helped my clients feel safer in our sessions while working together. When leaving our sessions, clients will have a roadmap for their healing and personal development journey. Through out our work together, clients will feel empower, motivate and hopeful that they can improve and achieve their treatment goals.

I believe in our ability and power to transform, heal, and thrive. I discovered this through my own lifelong personal journey as well as my genuine interest and care for the stories and life experiences of others. I pursued education and now two decades of mental health work experience to work alongside you. You are not alone in this process. I will meet you where you are at and we will make goals and set a vision of where you want to be, who you want to become, and/or how you want to change. My priority is that you feel safe, respected, and seen throughout our work together. You have made it this far to even browse our profiles and look for the right fit for you. I already see your strength in making it to this step. Our working relationship is essential to your success in therapy. We carry HEAVY things within us and I’m capable of holding these heavy things with you. With this in mind, I take care and attention to what helps you feel supported. It’s time to make the changes you want and I’m here to help get you there!

With over 15 years of combined experience providing mental health services, our practice provides knowledge and experience specific to working with college-aged folks. There are a lot of challenges and transitions that come with the passage of teen to adult. Recent studies suggest over 40% of college students experience symptoms of anxiety or depression. Our therapists provide guidance and tools to help you find a healing path toward wholeness and happiness. In addition, we provide expertise in the domains of identity and gender, sexual health and relationships, substance use, and trauma. We look forward to hearing from you and connecting you with the therapist who can best fit your needs.

I specialize in working with individuals struggling with weight loss and weight management. I provide an alternative strategy to weight loss based on cognitive therapy that allows people to change their life and their relationship with food, instead of just dieting. Treatment focuses on emotional eating, restructuring routines, and utilizing self-talk to help instead of sabotage. As a licensed personal training, I am also able to provide customized workout programs for clients to coincide with their weight management program. No more dieting! I also am a Certified Insomnia Treatment Clinician and offer 6-week online group treatment programs for insomnia! In addition, I specialize in working with individuals with self-esteem and anxiety issues as well as numerous other concerns, including body image, relationship issues, and parenting. I also have 2 post-graduate interns working with me that are able to offer lower cost options. Please email me or check out my website for all of the details on my different program offerings!