Therapists for college students near New York University

Hi! My name is Mary Denning and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who loves helping clients live happier, healthier lives. I've worked across many age groups, cultures, and diagnoses. I started my career with geriatric clients, then worked with adolescents and families throughout the public school system, all while working in palliative and hospice care. Those experiences shaped my private practice today and gave me the skills to meet a wide range of needs. As your therapist, my goal is to help you reach yours. I'll be a sounding board where you can freely share your thoughts and feelings, and I'll work to fully understand you so I can help you understand yourself. Together we'll set realistic goals and build the tools to reach them. I genuinely love helping people see themselves in a new light and create real change in their lives. I know firsthand what it feels like to be heard, supported, and guided, and how much that can shift your whole outlook. Therapy can help anyone, and I'd really encourage you to give it a try. Life is too short to be at war with yourself! Looking forward to meeting you! Mary Denning, LCSW

Hello! I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 10 years of experience in hospitals, therapy clinics, and academic research settings. l work with adolescents and young adults facing a range of challenges, including more serious mental health concerns. My practice focuses on treating individuals with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. My style is warm and client-centered, with a strong emphasis on building a trusting therapeutic relationship. You will always be met with acceptance, support, and a space free of shame and judgment. My goal is to arm you with knowledge and tools so that you develop confidence to better manage difficulties in your life. I aim to provide you with clear information related to symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. I have expertise in evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). I often bring worksheets and treatment manuals into the session, and use assessments to learn more about you and track progress. If you're unsure of what to expect from therapy, I will be there to guide you. In our initial sessions, we'll work toward gaining a good understanding of your difficulties and goals, and develop a treatment plan together. Sometimes we may even complete a clinical and diagnostic evaluation, where I will review the results with you and provide tailored treatment recommendations. If you’re looking for an experienced psychologist who values collaboration and providing you with structured tools, I’d love to hear from you! I offer free 15-minute consultations if you'd like to meet first to see if we'd be a good fit.

Kimberlee VanBurch is dedicated to building trust by creating a safe, welcoming, and nonjudgemental space where clients feel heard, respected, and valued. She approaches each client with empathy, authenticity, and genuine curiosity about their unique experiences. Kimberlee describes her therapeutic style as warm, collaborative, strength-based, and goal oriented. She believes that every client brings unique strengths and resilience to the therapeutic process and works collaboratively to identify meaningful goals and practical strategies for achieving them.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Teresa "Lynn" is dedicated to helping people find relief, balance, and strength through evidence-based care and compassionate connection. She values genuine connection, respect, and consistency, always meeting people where they are and moving at their pace. Teresa's warm, supportive, and collaborative approach combines structure with compassion, helping clients set small, realistic goals while creating a safe space where they feel heard and understood. Outside of work, she enjoys time with family and friends, listening to live music, being by the water, spending time in nature, and finding simple ways to feel calm and grounded. Teresa believes music, laughter, movement, and mindfulness are powerful medicine, and she brings that energy into her sessions when it fits.

Hey there, I am Tiara-Nicole, an Individual, Couples and Family Therapist in New York State. I understand firsthand how college and young adulthood may bring a lot of changes, pressure, and uncertainty. As someone who has gone through both undergraduate and graduate school, I understand the unique challenges that can come with balancing academics, choosing a career path, relationships, family life, changing friendships, responsibilities, and figuring out what comes next. Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and judgment-free. I use a multi-systemic approach (CBT, DBT, Trauma informed, family systems and more). I also utilize a creative and problem solving lens to help each person incorporate interventions that are specific to their needs and lifestyle. I also have extensive training in alcohol and substance abuse counseling and sexuality education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I currently work with college students and young adults who may be: * Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally drained * Struggling with motivation, confidence, or self-esteem * Experiencing academic pressure, perfectionism, burnout * Trying to balance school, work, relationships, family, and their own needs * Navigating career decisions, internships, jobs, or uncertainty about the future * Struggling with anxiety, depression, or difficulty managing emotions * Having challenges with friendships, dating, or romantic relationships * Dealing with family conflict, expectations, or difficult family dynamics * Learning how to set and maintain healthy boundaries * Feeling lonely, disconnected, or unsure where they fit in * Exploring their identity, values, goals, or sense of direction * Adjusting to major life transitions, such as starting college, graduating, moving, or entering the workforce * Coping with grief, loss, or difficult experiences * Feeling like something is “off” but not necessarily knowing why Here's the thing- You don’t have to be at your breaking point to start therapy. Sometimes, you may simply feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, unsure of what comes next or maybe you might just need a space to explore the different thoughts in your mind. Therapy can provide a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and figure out what you want and need moving forward. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. You can come as you are, and we can figure things out together. I look forward to working with you on your journey. Feel free to send me a text or call if you would like a free consultation before starting your therapy journey! (Just in case you see two profiles for me. I promise it's not a bot- it's because I work with two different group practices. Feel free to reach out to either!)

Molly Alexander began her path into clinical work in early childhood education. She brings a strong background in child development and trauma-informed care to her work with children, adults, and families. Over the past fifteen years her work has taken her from preschool classrooms, to school administration, special education advocacy, and refugee resettlement case management. ​Molly's depth of understanding of attachment and child development is rooted in her work experience at the Center for Toddler Development at Barnard College in NYC, and her trauma-informed lens was formed through her work at Global Roots Play School in Ithaca, a program which she helped build to serve immigrant and refugee families — work that earned the Innovation Prize for Women Building Community in 2018. Her drive to better support the families she served there sent her back to school. She earned her master's in Social Work at Columbia University, concentrating in advanced clinical practice and specializing in family and children's services. ​Molly's practice experience includes such areas as trauma, perinatal and postpartum mental health, parenting challenges, struggles in school, anxiety and depression, grief and loss, isolation, acculturation, aging, illness, and survival and recovery from abuse and political violence. She takes a psychodynamic approach in her clinical work and draws on motivational interviewing, play therapy, bibliotherapy, mindfulness, and emotionally responsive practice. ​Underlying every modality, Molly's practice is organized around honoring lived experience and individual strengths and agency — meeting people where they are, without rushing them toward a different version of themselves. Clients who work with Molly are drawn to her warmth, attunement, and presence. Molly values the dignity and worth of all people, and her work is driven by her belief in the universal need to be known and understood. Molly prioritizes creating a safe and responsive therapeutic relationship and she is honored to partner with individuals toward personal change and growth. ​Molly's specialty is working with children and parents, and she also works with people at every stage of life. She holds a master's in Social Work from Columbia School of Social Work, a master's in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education, and a bachelor's in American Studies from Wesleyan University. Molly has lived and taught in France, and she speaks French.

We’re a team of therapists in Princeton, NJ, offering warm, thoughtful therapy to college and graduate students, faculty, and other adults. We work with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, academic and achievement pressure, life transitions, and other mental health concerns. Whether you’ve been struggling for some time or something has recently become more difficult, therapy can offer a place to better understand what you’re experiencing and find a way forward. Our therapists bring rigorous clinical training and genuine engagement to their work. We use a range of approaches, including CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic, and integrative therapies, and adapt our work based on what is most useful for each person. We also take care in helping you connect with a therapist whose experience and style fit what you are looking for. We offer in-person therapy at our Princeton office as well as virtual appointments throughout New Jersey. We currently have openings for new patients, including a limited number of reduced-fee appointments with our postdoctoral fellow.

I provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy for adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, emotion dysregulation, relationship difficulties, and chronic self-criticism. I specialize in helping people who feel stuck despite trying hard or having previous therapy. My approach is warm, individualized, and nonjudgmental, integrating evidence-based treatments with mindfulness, attachment-informed, and compassion-centered approaches to create meaningful, lasting change.

Hello, My name is Vanessa McClaney, and I am in my final year at Yeshiva University, where I am pursuing my Master of Social Work (MSW). As a Clinical Resident at Living Purpose Mental Health Counseling, I find purpose in supporting individuals as they navigate life’s transitions, work through known and unknown stressors, and move toward healing in ways that feel authentic to them. Starting therapy can feel intimidating, and I know reaching out is often the hardest part. My goal is to create a space where you can show up exactly as you are- without pressure, judgment, or the expectation that you have to have everything figured out. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine partnership, so my approach is collaborative, set at your pace, and centered on your unique goals and strengths. I work with women and men in all stages of life, individuals looking to break self-defeating patterns, adolescents, and parents navigating the joys and challenges of raising children, including children with special needs. I also have experience supporting individuals navigating substance use and recovery. In addition to my clinical training, I am a certified yoga instructor and enjoy incorporating mindfulness and holistic practices into therapy when they align with a client’s goals. I believe healing involves caring for both the mind and body, and sometimes the smallest moments of self-compassion can create meaningful change. My hope is that our sessions feel like an exhale- a place where you can set down what you’ve been carrying and simply be yourself. I look forward to welcoming you to my virtual couch and exploring how we can work together on your healing journey.

Liesa Watson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey with close to a decade of practice and a steady, unhurried way of working. People usually find her when anxiety, low mood, grief, or plain relentless stress has started running the show, and she helps them get their footing back. She works with adults of every age, from students figuring out who they are to people navigating caregiving, career shifts, and later life. Her approach pulls from acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT, DBT, exposure and response prevention, motivational interviewing, narrative and solution focused work, mindfulness, and coaching. She also holds certifications in perinatal mental health and disaster response crisis counseling. Expect someone practical and warm who will actually help you build a plan. Liesa sees clients through WellQor, which provides therapy online, so you can meet from wherever you are without adding a commute to your week. To get started, fill out the Get Started form on the WellQor website. A patient liaison will text you with next steps and help you schedule your first session.

There are times in life when what once felt familiar no longer fits and you find yourself asking, Is this the life I want to be living? With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and mental health, I offer a supportive space to pause and reflect, where we can work together to build greater clarity, resilience, and purpose.

I'm Lex E. Santí, therapist, writer, professional overthinker. If you've ever been told to "just relax" and immediately came up with seventeen reasons that's impossible, you're my kind of person. I've spent 20 years in and around higher education: first running Cornell's travel safety and international crisis response program, then in community mental health, then back on campus as a therapist at Cornell Health's Counseling and Psychological Services, where I built four of the university's six flagship wellness workshops (covering resilience, meditation, thesis stress, and anxiety) and helped them reach more than 25,000 students. Campus life isn't abstract to me: the deadlines, the roommate politics, the 2 a.m. spirals, the leave-of-absence paperwork. I work with students and young adults sorting through relationships, anxiety, creative blocks, identity, and the general weirdness of being human, especially in the stretch of life when everyone assumes you've got it figured out. My sessions mix curiosity, structure, mindfulness, and the occasional well-timed eye roll at life's absurdities. Now I help clients rewrite their stories: with more agency, more humor, and fewer plot holes. Licensed in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. Individual and group sessions available by telehealth.

Counseling for College Students & Young Adults College and young adulthood can be an exciting time—but it can also come with a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and change. At Inspiring Wellness, we provide a supportive, judgment-free space for college students and young adults to navigate the challenges that come with this stage of life. We help young adults work through academic stress and pressure, life transitions, body image, self-esteem, self-confidence, social anxiety, relationships, identity, and the everyday struggles that can come with becoming more independent and figuring out what’s next. Whether you’re adjusting to college, navigating friendships and relationships, feeling overwhelmed by expectations, or simply struggling to feel like yourself, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Our compassionate, client-centered approach combines traditional counseling with mindfulness-based techniques when appropriate. We help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and patterns so you can develop healthier ways to cope, build confidence, and feel more grounded in your life. At Inspiring Wellness, we believe mental health is connected to the whole person. Through an integrative, mind-body approach, we support you in creating greater self-awareness, resilience, and balance—not just getting through this chapter, but learning how to feel more confident and connected as you move forward.

My therapeutic work tends to resonate with people who have spent a long time thinking their way through distress and are ready for something that goes deeper. I tend to work well with people who are struggling with a persistent sense of loneliness or feeling misunderstood, and who need therapy to be able to hold complex layers of experience. Many are navigating a queer, trans, or neurodivergent experience that doesn't fit easily into any category, struggling with nuanced questions about relationships and sexuality, or bearing the weight of repeated traumas, anxiety, and depression.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Dr. S. Jenny Klein is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides mental health services to individuals seeking psychotherapy to help navigate life stressors and transitions. Specializing in anxiety, depression, and burnout, Dr. Klein integrates cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic practices to help her clients gain insight, create change, and improve well-being.

I am an energetic Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) specializing in relationship-centered therapy for children, adolescents, young adults, and adults facing life transitions, emotional and behavioral challenges, trauma and loss, and relationship concerns. Grounded in partnership and genuine care, this work means helping individuals and those who care for them navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, emotional dysregulation, ADHD, grief and loss, legal system involvement, and role transitions. I believe that everyone is worthy of compassion, respect, and genuine care, regardless of their circumstances and experiences. Relationship-building is central to how I work, and I am honored to walk alongside you as you navigate life's obstacles and work toward your goals. I specialize in trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practice, bringing a warm, collaborative, and empathetic approach to our work together, because a strong relationship between therapist and patient is where meaningful therapy begins. Feeling heard, understood, and respected in a safe and supportive space is, I believe, an essential part of the healing process. In session, you can expect a nonjudgmental environment where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, and trauma-informed approaches guide our work toward self-realization, change, and acceptance. I consider both internal and external factors that affect you, encouraging honest conversations about internalized messaging, system involvement, and experiences of oppression and marginalization. This relationship-first, patient-centered style means working alongside you with a tailored approach that addresses your unique experiences and needs. Before becoming a therapist, I specialized in diagnostic and clinical assessment for adolescents and young adults facing mood, behavioral, and perceptual challenges, such as hallucinations, for the first time. This experience deepened my commitment to destigmatizing mental health diagnoses and helping individuals understand and accept their experiences and symptoms. That diagnostic background allows me to help you build an understanding of your own experiences and troubles through non-judgmental psychoeducation and individualized partnership. I love spending quality time with my loved ones, exploring New York City, doing dance workouts, listening to musical theatre, making crafts, and trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends. I'm also an avid reader, always aiming to beat my personal record of 74 books read in a year!

You may look like you're holding it all together on the outside while feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck, or exhausted on the inside. Whether you're navigating anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, burnout, relationship challenges, or a major life transition, therapy can offer a space to slow down, gain clarity, and reconnect with yourself. I take a warm, relational, and trauma-informed approach to therapy, integrating mindfulness-based, somatic, CBT, DBT-informed, and psychodynamic perspectives. Together, we'll work through what brought you to therapy, while exploring the deeper patterns that shape how you relate to yourself, others, and the world around you. My goal is to create a supportive, collaborative space where insight and practical tools can help foster meaningful, lasting change. Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the corporate and technology sectors, an experience that continues to inform my work with clients navigating career stress, burnout, perfectionism, identity shifts, and life transitions. I understand the pressures that can come with demanding professional environments and enjoy helping clients build more sustainable, values-aligned ways of living. I work with clients experiencing anxiety, OCD, depression, stress, self-esteem concerns, relationship difficulties, emotional regulation challenges, and major life transitions. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply looking to understand yourself better, I'd love to support you and provide a space for growth, healing, and deeper self-understanding.

My name is Scott Graybow. I am a psychotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive post-graduate training. I welcome the opportunity to help you work on the issues that bring you to therapy. I understand therapy to be a cooperative effort in which we work together to help you engage with your mind, your environment, and your relationships. Therapy is pragmatic yet deeply meaningful; we simultaneously focus on immediate problems and opportunities for long-term growth. Throughout our work together, I strive to offer help that resonates with your individual needs and preferences. I work with young adults, adults, seniors, and couples. People who work with me are often seeking help for depression, anxiety, trauma, sexuality/intimacy, LGBTQ issues, self-esteem, religion/spirituality, work/life balance, men's issues, and the emotional impact of navigating challenging life transitions. As your therapist, I work to help you understand yourself so you can grow, be more effective, and cope better with the problems that bring you to therapy. I earned a PhD at the CUNY Graduate Center and an MSW from Columbia University. I completed postgraduate psychotherapy training at the Psychoanalytic Training Institute of the Contemporary Freudian Society. Besides private practice, I’ve worked as a therapist at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Washington Square Inst., and Montefiore Medical Center. I also have experience teaching clinical practice classes to graduate-level social work students and publishing/presenting peer reviewed articles about psychotherapy and other mental health topics.