Therapists for college students near San Diego State University

Jacob’s Ladder is here to help you navigate your complex needs, provide you with the best clinical services and to provide renewed hope and optimism in this challenging time. We provide individual and group therapy that assesses for safety, teaches distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills as well as provide renewed hope and optimism. All of our services can be provided in person and via telehealth by licensed clinicians. We have availability Monday – Saturday 8am-8pm PST. Call today for a free consult.

Hello, my name is Lauren and I am a therapist working in private practice in Saratoga. My style is warm, supportive, and collaborative. I have a relational focus and I value how attachment influences each individual and the process of therapy. My clients seek to change what is difficult and what isn’t working in their life. Many struggle with the impacts of trauma interfering with their day to day life. Others may struggle with feeling stuck or emotionally overwhelmed. They may be experiencing a challenging dynamic in their relationships or a lack of connectedness to others. My clients are looking to transform their life, achieve personal growth, and to heal. It takes courage to recognize each of our own unique needs and struggles, and I admire the strength it takes to reach out for support and help. I believe that all individuals have the ability to change, and that personal growth is possible for everyone. If you are ready to take the first step toward your path of healing, please contact me. I am currently offering in person services on Wednesdays.

Hi, I’m Zirley Macias, LCSW, a bilingual (English | Spanish) therapist who meets with California college students via secure tele-health. For nearly a decade I’ve helped undergrads and grad students untangle test anxiety, academic stress, low mood, social or roommate conflicts, and the identity questions that come with campus life. Sessions feel like a friendly, judgment-free zone that doubles as a launchpad for growth: we blend evidence-based tools—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused, and strength-based techniques—and, if you wish, faith-informed perspectives. You’ll leave each meeting with a bite-sized practice exercise you can fit between classes and study sessions, turning insight into daily habits. Whether you’re adjusting to dorm life, juggling coursework and part-time work, or simply feeling stuck, I’m here to help you find realistic solutions, stronger boundaries, and a sustainable sense of hope.

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Do you struggle with feeling inferior or plagued with self-doubt? Is anxiety or stress making it difficult to feel motivated and be productive? Take the first step with me - a supportive space to feel heard and acknowledged. Find the hope you have been looking for to make growth and positive change in your life! My approach is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which involves exploring the beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors causing distress and using healthy strategies to regulate the emotions and respond effectively. I also incorporate a trauma-informed, strength based approach, and mindfulness. If you are interested in learning more about what to expect with therapy or want to see if we would be a good fit, please call or email me to set up a free 15 minute consultation call! I look forward to meeting you!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, struggling to find your identity, or dealing with the pressures of life transitions and relationships? College is an exciting time, but it can also feel stressful and uncertain. As a therapist, I specialize in helping students like you navigate these challenges with compassion and understanding. Together, we'll explore your values, develop effective coping strategies, and build stronger connections, so you can feel more confident and empowered in your journey. I’m here to support you every step of the way. To start the conversation about therapy, please contact me to set up a free, 15-minute consultation.

Whether you’re facing a challenge or simply looking for growth, therapy can help. My hope is to accompany you as you move toward healing, wholeness, and flourishing. In therapy, I seek to embody a nonjudgmental, honest, and compassionate presence. You will find an environment where you can share freely and work on what’s most important to you. You will be equipped with tools and skills that will enable you to reach your goals. I have training in multiple modes of research-backed therapy, and I consistently pursue ongoing training. I tailor my approach to your specific needs. I use methods from CBT, DBT, ACT, family systems, and mindfulness. I believe in your capacity to heal, change, and grow. It can be hard, but we can do hard things–we've done it before. Call or email me today for a free consultation.

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*Serving clients in California, Pennsylvania & North Carolina via teletherapy* I imagine you're looking for help, maybe a kind and guiding mental health professional wherever you are on your healing journey. Perhaps you've felt confused, misunderstood, unseen, overwhelmed with the constant pressures and stresses of this current moment. You may be struggling with shame, self-hatred, a lack of belonging, imposter syndrome. You might feel nervous about asking for help. I welcome the chance to work together in personalized, culturally sensitive, and confidential virtual therapy. As a multicultural and multiethnic cisfemale therapist of color, I seek to understand who you are, your worldview, and your environment. Once you reach out to me, I'll invite you to set up a consultation to discuss your needs, what's going on and how we may work together. We'll get to know each other a little. I'll also invite your questions and perspectives on what you're looking for in a therapist. Together we can help you heal, create a space to honor and respect who you are, and support a life of meaningful connection and empowerment. Contact me or schedule an initial consultation via the secure client portal https://ashleyaclemft.clientsecure.me/!

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Victor E. Frankl Making the decision to seek therapy is often a deeply personal one and something that you may not have come to easily. The unknown aspects of therapy can be intimidating, but I am here to create a safe and accepting environment where you can embrace your true self, with all its vulnerabilities and honesty. My belief in the innate power of every individual to grow and transform their lives fuels my passion for therapy. I am dedicated to fostering a collaborative and open-minded relationship with you. As the master of your own life, I see myself as a tool, utilizing my expertise to help you discover the best possible version of yourself and your life. On a personal note, I hold a BA in Psychology and an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. Working with individuals who are ready to confront their challenges and make positive changes is my true calling. Our life experiences can have far-reaching implications, affecting relationships, work or school performance, self-image, and overall beliefs about oneself and the world. I enjoy working with diverse clients, including teens, young adults, singles, parents, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. While I take my work seriously, I am, by nature, a truly laid-back person and strive to make you feel welcomed and supported throughout our journey together. In the words of Abraham Maslow, "In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety." I commend you for taking that first step forward.

The people who come to me are curious to get to know themselves in a deeper away. I work with people to help them heal from trauma, interrupt unhelpful patterns, set healthier boundaries in relationships, dismantle crippling perfectionism, bolster their sense of self, increase self-esteem, mindfully manage anxiety, and live a more authentic existence. Together, we can work toward both short-term and long-term change.

"Since 2019, Peace and Purpose Therapy has offered compassionate psychotherapy to adults and teens throughout San Luis Obispo County. Located in Arroyo Grande, this dedicated practice specializes in trauma-informed care, including EMDR, alongside expert support for relationship dynamics, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Their experienced team provides a safe, nurturing environment for individual, couple, and family counseling, tailoring every approach to foster healing, growth, and lasting well-being. Peace and Purpose Therapy is excited to announce that we are now accepting Cencal Insurance."

Life is rough sometimes, and it’s so easy to feel stuck, wondering where life is going. My goal is to help you find new perspectives and new ways of looking at any situation, so that you can approach life with confidence and authenticity. Along with bringing a multicultural perspective to therapy as a therapist of color, I utilize an integrative approach of Narrative and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, and other modalities that fit your unique life journey. I find the greatest enjoyment in working with adults, couples, and adolescents from culturally diverse backgrounds. Areas of concern that I have extensive experience in includes, anxiety, burnout, depression, interpersonal/ relationship difficulties, racial stress and trauma, general school-work-life balance stress, helping clients cultivate a healthy relationship with physical fitness, as well as those simply seeking a bit more fulfillment or life satisfaction. I also work diligently in conducting psychological assessments and ADHD evaluations. Of special interest, my research on the psychological impact of code-switching behavior in African-Americans allows me a unique perspective on how to help professionals of color learn to cope with stress. Coupled with my passion for social justice, advocacy and the role they play in mental health, my goal is to help break the stigma of mental health in communities of color. If you feel we may be a good fit, or desire to learn more about my specialties, experience & approaches to therapy, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you!

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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.

I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in practice for 7 years. I have been in practice at Forward Focus Counseling Huntington Beach for 4 years. I work with individuals, couples, and families offering remote tele-health based video services. I graduated from LMU with a Masters in counseling with a focus of working with diverse populations. My outlook is to help provide support with an empathic, compassionate, accepting, and non-judgmental approach. It is important to me that my clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences and to strengthen the tools they have to eventually work through whatever they experience. My goal is to make a positive difference and impact on the lives of others.

Therapy for Young Adults You waited your entire life to graduate high school but things aren’t working out the way you imagined. You moved back home because the college wasn’t a good fit. Your psychological disorder is flaring up and you need some help managing your symptoms. Your mood is taking over your behaviors and it’s hard to be successful meeting all of the demands in this new phase of your life. Maybe you are confused and don’t know what to do next. I help young adults who are experiencing overwhelm with the transition into adulthood. Some issues I help young people with are: Creating goals, plans to achieve them and exploring what is getting in the way of living the life you want. Managing the demands of school, work, social situations and the tasks that come with everyday life. Anxiety. Depression. Isolation and Loneliness. Self-harm. Making and keeping friends.

I am here to support you step into your authentic self. The individuals, couples, and family constellations I work with are committed to making real changes in their lives. I will meet you with an unconditional, warm, empathetic environment to soften into while we face and process some of the things that hurt, bewilder, or confuse you the most. By doing so, the goal is to release that which is no longer yours to carry and align with the most authentic version of yourself. Our work includes making meaning of your experiences and relationships. Through our work, patterns and struggles become illuminated and change can come in.

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 a licensed psychologist, I partner with young adults navigating life’s most difficult chapters. My primary expertise lies in the assessment and treatment of stress, trauma, and PTSD, helping young people process painful experiences in a safe, validating space. Additionally, I specialize in managing ADHD symptomatology, providing actionable strategies to strengthen executive functioning, improve emotional regulation, and reduce impulsivity. Whether you are managing anxiety and depression, balancing heavy academic and work demands, or wading through a complex life transition, my goal is to help you build real-world coping skills. By blending evidence-based therapies like CBT, DBT, TF-CBT, and mindfulness, I empower you to leverage your natural strengths, cultivate self-compassion, and gain the practical tools needed to thrive. I am a highly accomplished licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in the psychological assessment and evidence-based treatment with young adults. I demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of youth development and systemic care across the full continuum of mental health settings.