Therapists for college students near University of Southern California

Are you tired of "reacting" and not feeling good about yourself? Is your past controlling you in the present in ways that aren't serving you? When we are "hijacked" by our past experiences we lose the ability to "choose" how we want to respond. This affects how we feel physically and emotionally; which can make us feel depressed, anxious, shameful. This in turn impacts the quality of our interpersonal relationships. It doesn't have to be that way. I see therapy as a relational and collaborative process that supports wellbeing on mental, physical and spiritual levels. My approach blends several Somatic and Talk based psychotherapies: EMDR, The Trauma Resiliency Model, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt Psychotherapy, Relational, and several, Mindfulness based awareness techniques which include my many years background in the healing effects of yoga. Each person is an embodied being with pleasant an unpleasant experiences embedded in the flesh and bones and tangled in the mind. My therapeutic work with individuals and couples is to process the unpleasant and build resiliency in support of personal transformation.

Aldemar is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), with 25 years of experience in the field of mental health. He also has a degree in Psychology, which compliments his clinical and social work skills to formulate a more comprehensive and wholistic approach to therapy. Additionally Aldemar is a Certified Trauma Professional, and uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as his primary theoretical approach to trauma. He believes that each individual brings into his/her therapy experience a unique set of skills, which he encourages to identify through Narrative Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is another modality, which Aldemar often uses with his clients to identify maladaptive behavioral patterns, and replace them with healthy habits to achieve a optimal mental health. Aldemar believes in the human connection., which is the power to positively influence others. He welcomes you to a safe space, where you can become the best version of yourself, and he commends you for taking charge of your life through therapy.

In our first session together, I also welcome you to my real or virtual office and I invite you to make it your own safe space. I explain that therapy is a process, a relationship, and an adventure. It's also a gift of discovery and renewal that only you can give to yourself, especially in our challenging days. In this process, my role is to listen, to support, to challenge, to guide, and to celebrate you as you are becoming more courageous to face the parts of yourself you were avoiding, more accepting of yourself and of others, and fully present in your life. For over 25 years, I have practiced psychotherapy with people from all walks of life. My approach evolves as your process deepens and your needs change. As an ordained minister, I also have training and formation in spiritual direction and I can help you explore spiritual and faith concerns as part of the therapy process. I believe we are created with a tremendous capacity for good and we are given inner resources to overcome the gravest difficulties. This faith renews my love for my work and my strength as a therapist. I feel the greatest joy when I witness people's healing from emotional pain as they are making peace with the past and with the challenges of the present.

Many people begin therapy feeling emotionally exhausted, stuck, or unsure of where they belong. This can be especially true for those navigating multiple cultures, identities, and expectations at once. When family values, cultural norms, and personal needs don’t fully align, it’s common to feel pulled in different directions—or to quietly lose touch with yourself. Over time, this strain may show up as burnout, anxiety, relationship stress, or a lingering sense that something isn’t quite right, even if everything looks “fine” on the outside. I take a collaborative, culturally responsive approach to therapy that honors the complexity of your lived experience. I don’t believe there is one “right” way to feel, heal, or move forward—especially when identity, family dynamics, and cultural expectations play such a central role in your life. My work integrates evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Emotion-Focused Therapy, family systems therapy, and person-centered approaches. Together, we will make sense of patterns shaped by your past experiences and relationships while building practical coping skills that support meaningful, sustainable change. I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Francisco. During graduate training, I completed my internship at Gateway Public Schools, where I worked with adolescents ages 11–18. In this role, I supported students navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development, and a wide range of family-related and personal challenges, gaining hands-on experience working within complex systems that impact young people’s emotional well-being. Over time, clients often gain greater emotional clarity, self-trust, and a stronger sense of agency—feeling more empowered to live in ways that feel authentic rather than obligatory. Therapy is a space where you don’t have to choose between parts of yourself—you can bring all of you into the room. My goal is to create a supportive and affirming therapeutic space where you feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood. We will explore how family dynamics, identity development, and cultural influences have shaped your experiences, while also focusing on what matters most to you moving forward. Outside of therapy, I value humor, perspective, and taking meaningful chances in life. One quote that resonates with me is: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky — Michael Scott. This mindset reflects my belief in growth, courage, and the importance of showing up for yourself—even when the next step feels uncertain.

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.

Fuck! Is this as good as it gets? Changes, traumas, relationships, stressors, expectations, life! I dodge right, to get hit from the left. I come up for air, to be pulled back into the current. And sometimes, I just can’t even. You don’t have to face any of those punches or waves alone. Imagine what life could be like, if you could matrix your way through and ride life’s waves with ease. Healing is possible. I want to acknowledge the courage it has taken you just to start looking. Your journey to healing has begun. Contact me now for a free 15-minute consultation. I've got you.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

For 5 years, I worked as the college therapist for a fashion and design college in San Francisco and have helps students first hand manage stress, perfectionism, anxieties, depression, and relationship challenges. College can be exciting, overwhelming, and exhuasting, especially when navigating external stresses at home and in the world. Finding support can be a great way to deepen skills that you can carry with you for years. As a multicultural and inclusive therapist and EMDR trained, I will help you develop skills to relate more effectively with your anxieties and sense of self and navigate the complexities in this stage of your life. My approach is collaborative, warm and engaging. I have a knack for quickly understanding your story, connecting the dots, and getting to work right away. By the end of our first session, I’ll share a clear plan for how we’ll move forward together.

I’m a licensed psychotherapist and consultant specializing in individual and couples therapy. My work focuses on helping people heal from trauma, childhood wounding, attachment injuries, and relational challenges. I believe therapy should be a safe, inclusive, and affirming space—one where every part of you is welcome. In our work together, we’ll gently explore the parts of you that feel difficult to access or understand. Over time, we’ll uncover the internal patterns and protective walls that may have once helped you survive—but are now holding you back from connection, growth, and ease. Many of the individuals I work with are navigating the ongoing effects of painful life experiences, or are beginning to notice how their resistance to vulnerability might be limiting deeper relationships. My goal is to help you feel supported in doing this brave work. Therapy can be challenging, but I strive to make it less overwhelming, more grounded, and deeply human. I draw from a blend of evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies to support healing and long-term change. These include: Internal Family Systems (IFS) – to help you connect with and care for your inner parts Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – a research-supported method for processing trauma and distressing life experiences Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – to strengthen emotional bonds and resolve conflict in couples I tailor our work to your unique needs—whether you're seeking to recover from trauma, build more fulfilling relationships, or simply get to know yourself on a deeper level. If you’re ready to begin—or even just curious—I’d be honored to walk alongside you in this process. Call (408) 800-7305 to get started!

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.

I know it can be daunting reaching out for therapy - to let in support, to try to find the right fit, to allocate the resources & time. When I was a senior in college, therapy truly saved my life - but I so remember how long it took for me to be able to make that first call. So props to you for exploring! If we end up working together, you will likely share a lot about you. So here’s a little bit about me: I’m a white (French, British, and German heritage), queer, cis-woman from a middle-class background who is able-bodied (with some lived experience of chronic illness). I’m often dreamy, sensitive, irritable, passionate, anxious, patient, funny. I love humor, music, sour gummy worms, Rihanna, poetry, shoes, crying, and books. I’m passionate about social justice and art. I grew up in a coastal town so the ocean feels like home. I startle easily. I love singing and songwriting. Some of the big themes I’ve grappled with during this lifetime are: grief & loss; sexuality & sexual orientation; gender; body image and eating disorders; depression; anxiety; addiction and relationships with family members struggling with addiction; containment; perfection; co-dependence & attachment; sexual trauma; disconnection from creativity; betrayal, infidelity, & trust; monogamy & ethical non-monogamy; suicidality. And here's a bit about my therapy practice: I offer therapy for individuals & partners experiencing a broad range of life challenges. And, I have extensive experience in supporting folks as they navigate the following content areas: communication & relationship issues; grief & loss; identity; trauma; sexual orientation, sexuality & sensuality; creativity; systems & lived experiences of oppression; anxiety & fear; depression; co-dependence; addiction; infidelity, betrayal & trust; and inner-child work. I’m sex-positive, queer, and poly- & kink-affirming, and welcome all ethnic & racial identities & positionalities. The therapy that I offer is depth-oriented and strongly rooted in Gestalt & somatic modalities, as well as intersectional feminism. It is trauma-informed and client-centered. For those that are interested, I also enjoy using intuition, creativity, and the imaginal realms (imagery, visualization, experiential exercises, art, dreamwork, etc.) to support our explorations. If none of that means anything to you (understandable!), here's a *hopefully* less-jargon-y description of how I approach my work as a therapist: I fervently believe that you (and only you) are the authority of your experience. I am here to offer my curiosities, intuition, and reflections — in dialogue with you — to help you explore and discover your truth. I am interested in meeting you wherever you are in the present moment, supporting you to increase your awareness. It is my belief that only by increasing our awareness can we increase our felt experiences of agency and choice…which in turn allows us to live a more empowered, aligned, compassionate, and enlivened life. I care deeply about creating a safe container in our therapeutic relationship — to respect boundaries, to always track for consent and choice, to unambivalently welcome all parts of you, to fervently support both your safety and aliveness. I am passionate about and invested in exploring power, positionality, and privilege. I welcome and support difference, and am committed to efforts to not perpetuate authoritarian and oppressive systems in the therapeutic relationship. I honor & trust the massively creative and adaptive survival strategies that you have developed to keep you safe. And, I also honor the ways that the habitual enacting of those survival strategies may no longer be serving you — that your circumstances and capacities may have outgrown these mechanisms, and that you may need some support in this vulnerable re-emergence into the world. I will sit with you in your suffering. I’m not afraid of the darkness, or of your shadow. I will go to the depths with you. And stay there, in the underworld, with you for as long as you need…until you emerge anew on the other side. I believe that, together, we can co-create a homecoming for you. That our work can guide you home to your innate nature — to your authentic expression of your many parts of self. To your passion and presence and joy. To your aliveness. To feeling deeply nurtured and nourished. A return to self in which you come to truly and intimately know yourself for the first time. I so looking forward to hearing from you & seeing if we might be a good fit to work together, should you choose to reach out!

Are you facing changes that feel overwhelming, uncertain, or just plain exhausting? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it alone either. Through my work, I help support individuals and families through the inevitable shifts life brings—whether it’s welcoming a new baby, coping with divorce, relocating, transitioning into a blended family, or adjusting to a new phase of life like, going to college, getting a new job, or caring for aging parents. Transitions can be challenging and unsettling, but they also carry opportunities for growth, healing, and new beginnings. I offer a compassionate and collaborative space where you're seen as whole, already holding the wisdom to heal and grow. My approach invites you to reconnect with your resilience, explore the stories that shaped you, and discover the ones where your strength shines through—so you can reclaim your voice and choose what comes next. In seasons of change, feeling lost or unsure is completely human. I offer a nurturing space where your stories can unfold. As we uncover the strengths within you, we’ll begin to reshape your experience of belonging and safety. Growth often begins in the quiet moments of reflection, where trust can take root and new patterns of connection can bloom.

Chelsea Sterling is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of San Diego. Her clinical experiences include providing individual therapy, group therapy, crisis counseling and psychosocial assessments through work in short-term acute residential treatment (START) programs, outpatient mental health clinics and an alcohol treatment facility. She is a certified Domestic Violence Counselor. Chelsea has expertise in the following modalities: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR).

I help thoughtful, driven students break old patterns to build more connected lives: where impact & soul align. As a former tech leader, Stanford student-athlete, and experienced therapist, I know how achievement can hide inner conflict, and that lasting growth happens when we feel both secure and challenged. In therapy, we explore the pull between ambition and ease, connection and distance, and deeper healing.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I specialize in men's mental health, trauma, moral injury, helping people live a life in accordance with their values, and individuals practicing consensual non-monogamy. The 7+ years I spent working in community mental health has allowed me to gain significant experience working with individuals from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. I am fully trained in EMDR and have received advanced training in Narrative Therapy from the Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy. I am non-binary (they/them/she/her), queer identified, and have relevant lived experience. I am directive but always collaborative, and enjoy taking an active role in your goals.

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.

My treatment focus is on neurodivergent issues and gifted learners. Therapeutic style is evidenced and strength based, multiculturally sensitive, solutions oriented, client centered, and collaborative. You are the expert on you. My role is to facilitate and support an awareness of how to implement changes to overcome unhelpful patterns in thinking and decision making. I strive to see the whole person not just a list of symptoms. Understanding your unique background is key because therapy is not a cookie-cutter approach. Currently in network with Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Lyra Health, SpringHealth, Sutter EAP, and Cigna in certain states. I am a LMFT in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Virginia, LPCC in California, and Registered Out-of-State Telehealth Provider for Florida, South Carolina and Vermont.

As women, we are naturally attuned to the needs of those around us. We don’t think twice about nurturing and loving our people - whether they be our own children, parents, friends, or coworkers. And lately, doesn’t it seem like all of our people need us in one way or another? After the year that we’ve had, it’s no wonder that so many of us are running on empty. Whenever you go on a flight, there is a safety video where an oxygen mask comes down for each passenger in an emergency. You are instructed to put it on yourself before you reach over and put it on your child. This order of priorities can apply to all areas of our lives too. You can’t take care of the people you love well until you take care of yourself first. In the therapy room, there is no topic too trivial or complex. I am here to follow where your thoughts and your heart go, and we will discover how it is you have come to feel this way. Awareness is the first step to creating lasting change. Through therapy, I help my clients understand that their perceived shame and struggle are actually badges of honor and courage. No matter your past or your current circumstances, you deserve to experience life richly and fully. You are in the driver’s seat of your mental health and your life. Thank you for trusting me to be a part of your journey.

Supporting all phases of life in a culturally sensitive manner