Therapists for college students near San Diego State University
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.
I have rich experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Therapeutically, I am person-centered and focus on my client’s ability to adapt and develop as a person. I provide a safe environment for them to discover themselves and experiment with new ways of being and work through obstacles to lead fuller, more meaningful lives outside the therapy office. I am extensively trained and mentored in interpersonal neurobiology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Bowen family systems theory. I further provide therapy in Portuguese.
Feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and grief are part of life, but when they begin to interfere with work or relationships, it may be time to connect and seek support. I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, I spent four years working in PR within the entertainment and nonprofit industries. This experience gave me an understanding of the many stresses intense careers cause and the importance of developing coping skills, strong interpersonal communication, and emotional intelligence to maintain a healthy well-being and thrive in a fast-paced workplace. I am passionate about helping individuals struggling with eating disorders find recovery using a Health At Every Size/Intuitive Eating perspective. We will examine the underlying issues and maladaptive beliefs that perpetuate your eating disorder and work on healing your relationship with yourself. I work with young women, adolescents, and individuals to help them lessen their burdens and embrace their newfound freedom using a blend of theoretical orientations. I enjoy collaborating with my clients on what works best for them to help them meet their goals and am committed to creating an inclusive environment in my practice.
As a licensed Marriage and Family therapist with over 20 years experience, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of individuals and couples going through many different life experiences. I am a therapist who listens, helps support client goals, meets the client where they are at in their life, and encourages clients to look closely at one’s life and choices both in the session, and in between sessions.
Therapy offers a confidential place of refuge where you can be seen and heard. Together we will explore how daily external pressures and feelings of self-blame, self-criticism, fear or sadness, as well as loss and past trauma, may be affecting your ability to move forward or express yourself in an authentic way. By devoting time and attention to understanding your unique story and the ways in which past relationships shape current ones, you can gain greater self-awareness and an understanding of how underlying feelings and thoughts are affecting your mood. In building a strong, supportive relationship I will help you uncover core issues. I primarily use a psychodynamic, creative approach to guide my clients towards greater self-compassion and clarity that will allow you to feel more confident in your ability to change and heal.
All of my work involves Somatic Mindfulness. With Somatic work, we often forget that the body is the faculty whereby all of our consciousness is born. Without our senses we would not be able to experience our lives. When we live in our heads we lose the combined force of an aligned mind-body system. Body wisdom, awareness, critical thinking, and investigation allow us to live in the present, and feel comfortable, embodied, and alive. The existential facet of my work focuses on choice. Oftentimes in life, we forget that we have so many choices and possibilities available to us, even choices that seem challenging but that may help us flex new muscles for psychological growth. Realizing that you have both choice and agency brings real empowerment to your life. I work as a psychodynamic psychotherapist utilizing somatic, existential, and psychodynamic practices to help you reflect and explore. The work we do revolves around what is alive in you at the moment, as well as managing the energy in the room and what feels most pervasive to you.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
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.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
You give a lot — to your work, your relationships, your community — and you've started to feel the cost of that. Maybe you're carrying grief that hasn't had space to breathe, navigating your identity in a world that doesn't always make room for you, or stuck in patterns you understand but can't seem to move. My clients are thoughtful, deeply feeling, and are ready for therapy that goes beneath the surface. Together, we work toward something more than coping. We work towards change, compassion, and confidence.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Areas of Focus Include: Specializing in Women's Concerns, Life Transitions , Relationship Issues, Grief & Loss, Infidelity, Betrayal, Divorce, Stress Management, Communication Skills, Self-Esteem, Codependency, Intimacy, Personal Growth, Mid-Life, Family of Origin Dysfunction, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Menopause, Empty Nest, Retirement, Aging, Elder Care Support, Existential Concerns, Reinventing Self, Starting Over, Only Children As Adults, Acculturation Problems Referrals: I provide psychotherapist referrals to those who are seeking comprehensive and efficacious treatment for postpartum mood disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, major depression, OCD, active addiction, and bipolar disorders.
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.
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
