Therapists for college students near 92093

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

We are a team of therapists dedicated to providing a safe and collaborative environment to help you achieve your therapeutic goals and facilitate meaningful change in your life. We strive to provide multiculturally sensitive care and we welcome working with people from many different backgrounds, systems, and beliefs. Your individuality is important to us and we will work with you to form goals that fit for you and your needs.

My name is Diadra Smith. I am an licensed clinical therapist and I use she/her pronouns. I am a clinician who identifies as black, queer, and neurodivergent. I believe all of these intersections has given me the opportunity to see myself in these communities who are often overlooked and underserved in the field of mental health. Why I got into this field was to create a space that is safe, brave, and encourages you to help find your most authentic self. I believe in abolishing and decolonizing what therapy is “supposed” to look like and who it is "supposed" to be for. I view relationships with my clients as a collaboration, asking you for your expertise on your life while I provide guidance through empowerment and advocacy. I am drawn to working with adolescents, adults, and families. I have a passion for working with BIPOC, neurodivergent folx, and LGBTQIA+ communities. My mission is to help to heal complex traumas, environmental inequities, and address intersections of identity unique to our experiences. If reaching out for help feels scary or shameful, I’d like to offer the idea that you are on the verge of change. Acknowledging what isn’t working today is a big first step to making the changes you'd like to see tomorrow. You’re coming at just the right time. However you found your way here, I am honored to be considered to walk with you on your journey.

If you’re feeling anxious, stuck, or just not like yourself lately, you’re not alone. Life can get heavy, and sometimes we all need a space to pause, breathe, and feel seen. That’s what I’m here for. I’m Rozy Pishvaiy, a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist offering individual, family, and couples therapy in Orange County and across California. Whether you’re going through a major transition, feeling disconnected in relationships, or just trying to make sense of your inner world, therapy can be a place to pause, reflect, and grow. My goal is to create a space where you can be yourself, free from masks and pressure, and begin your journey toward who you truly want to be. We’ll work at your pace and in a way that feels right for you, gently and purposefully. You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. If you’re looking for a space where you feel truly heard, seen, and supported, I’d be honored to walk alongside you. Together, we can nurture growth, find clarity, and celebrate every step forward!

We live in a culture that constantly pushes us to do more, work harder, and question whether we’re ever “enough.” For many students, that pressure leads to stress, anxiety, and burnout. But thriving isn’t about pushing harder—it’s about finding balance, clarity, and a stronger sense of who you are and what you need. This work often extends into your relationships, your identity, and your sense of direction. I offer a supportive, nonjudgmental space where you can slow down, explore what’s weighing on you, and develop a more grounded, sustainable way forward.

*I am licensed in both Oregon and California, and can work with students who often travel between these two states.* When the difficult experiences from your past are still impacting you, it is hard to know what to do. You don’t feel like yourself anymore, and the people in your life are starting to notice. It’s coming out at school, in your relationships, in your mood. You might be thinking “I just want to move on with my life. Why can’t I just get over it already?” But no matter how many times you try to move on, you still feel stuck. You are not alone. I help people who have been through difficult childhood, sexual, and relationship experiences look at how their experiences have shaped them, and explore how to take back their lives from the memories that have burdened them for so long. Together, we will build a trusting relationship where you can feel safe enough to explore what happened in your life, the ways you have survived, and how to get unstuck so you can move toward a life that is ruled by you, and not by the past. I know reaching out to begin therapy can be an overwhelming experience. I offer a free 15-20 minute consultation, where you can share a bit about what you would like to work on, ask me any questions you may have, and we can determine whether I might be a good fit for your needs. Please feel free to visit my website to learn more and schedule a consultation. I'm looking forward to meeting you!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Our 1:1 therapy sessions meet your needs, in-person or via telehealth. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will work with you to create your individualized treatment plan. Our programs include multiple areas of development, including independence, communication, self-help, social-emotional, and academic skills. 1:1 nutrition counseling with a Registered Dietician (RD) is also available. For more information, please visit our website and contact us.

Through a warm, mindful, and compassionate approach to therapy, I aim to foster a welcoming and safe space for you to explore your journey to meaningful healing and self-discovery. Welcome, my name is Vi! I hold different marginalized identities as a woman of color, an immigrant from Việt Nam, a former international student; and have lived experience with anxiety, depression, trauma, racism, and oppression. I also hold privileged identities: able-bodied, cisgender, straight, Christian, and grew up in a middle-class family. These identities allow me to discover life through these intersectional lenses, and I am grateful for all of them. Through my own healing journey, I instantly learned clinicians with similar identities and cultural backgrounds who could fully facilitate a space of growth in my identity as an Asian immigrant woman was lacking. This disheartening experience fueled my passion to provide a space to highlight and honor immigrant and AAPI experiences through my work as a licensed clinical psychologist. It is a privilege and blessing for me to be able to provide the space that was previously unavailable, and to collaborate with international students, immigrants, and AAPI-identified folks, as well as individuals who occupy an intersection of their identity that is marked by marginalization and oppression.

If you are struggling, please contact me right away. As a therapist with over a decade of experience, I specialize in counseling college students and adults in the community who are navigating complex relationships or experiencing depression, shame, or trauma. You are not alone in struggling with profoundly difficult things in your life. You need a place to talk about whatever it is that is troubling you with somebody who can actually help. My counseling approach involves individual one-on-one appointments in a safe and confidential space. In our sessions, I will guide you through processing whatever it is you are struggling with. Through this work you can reach peace, better understand yourself, and find rewarding relationships. There is hope.

Hello my name is Dr. Nekolas “Neko” Milton, I am a Registered Psychological Associate. I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. I operate from a client-centered, humanistic approach, focusing on aspects of existentialism, mindfulness, family-systems, multiculturalism, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, while keeping careful consideration of cultural concerns and practices. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, trauma-related diagnoses, and incorporate evidenced-based practices to address maladaptive patterns and behaviors. A question I often get asked is, “What do you mean by, ‘meeting your clients where they are at’?” In my work of helping people, I strive to subscribe to a compassionate and collaborative approach. This means that the client is part of their own treatment team. Thus, meeting the client where they’re at means embracing a variety of therapeutic interventions. I am committed to working towards social justice and equity both within the therapy room and within the community at large. Thus, my values consistent with providing care around acculturation, mental health access, concerns for underserved populations, community building, and cross-cultural dialogues.

Hello! My name is Danielle, and I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist. I specialize in working with young adults and parents of young children. If the challenges you're experiencing are negatively impacting your relationships, perception of yourself, or your ability to navigate your day to day life, I am here to help. As a therapist, I am happy to provide you with a compassionate presence and a confidential space where you can gain insight on what may be contributing to your difficulties, explore strategies to help you cope, and find solutions that work and feel best for you. I provide services in both English & Spanish. I am a strengths-based, client centered clinician. This means that I work collaboratively with you and will facilitate self-discovery to help you grow in the direction that will help you meet your goals. My practice is informed by my experience and identity. I am the daughter of an immigrant, am active in the LGBTQ+ community, and identify as Latina and multiracial. My previous experience includes supporting young children and their families to foster emotional understanding and to develop healthy family dynamics, as well as assisting young adults in managing their mental health and navigating life transitions. If you are interested in working together, please reach out to me to schedule a free phone consultation!

Hello and Welcome! Are you a couple needing to strengthen communication, navigate conflict effectively, and break free from long‑standing gridlock? I’m Rocio Vaca, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 17 years of experience, and I help you deepen friendship, build emotional intimacy, and create shared meaning. Are you exploring your identity, preparing to come out, struggling with self‑acceptance, or navigating gender‑affirming care? Together, we can build healthy coping strategies, strengthen resilience, and address symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress while supporting a stronger sense of self. I help clients find relief from overwhelming thoughts, emotional exhaustion, & daily stress by identifying triggers, emotional regulation, & building coping skills. I also support children/ teens with OCD, trauma, low self‑esteem, & assertiveness challenges often from being bullied, helping them understand emotions/cognitions, build confidence & boundaries. I view therapy as a collaborative and individualized process—one that builds practical skills while fostering insight, emotional healing, and growth. Clients often describe my style as warm, grounded, and down‑to‑earth, creating a space where they feel supported, understood, and empowered throughout their therapeutic journey.

Seeking help says a lot about you! It means you are open to becoming the best version of you; strong, authentic, balanced. My objective is to provide you with realistic tools for problem solving stressors, while reconnecting you to what truly matters in your life. My background in trauma work allows me to incorporate evidence based interventions and techniques to help adjust your thoughts about yourself and to minimize unhelpful habits that are keeping you from feeling whole. I incorporate grounding work as a way to connect mind, body, heart and spirit, and foster a sense of hope. I have been told I am "Minnesota nice", (a midwesterner at heart...I admit). I am a strong listener and lead with empathy, as I believe a trusting relationship aids in your healing. (p.s...sometimes you might catch a glimpse of my dog Guinness nearby he is a great listener too!) I know when to challenge, and when to allow for space. I have worked with dual diagnosis, addiction, learning disability/neurodivergent, first responders, veterans, couples/families, youth, students and artists.

Therapy isn’t easy — but that doesn't mean it has to be joyless. If you’re looking for a therapist who can delve into the dark stuff with both the compassionate support and the sense of humor that it deserves, you’ve come to the right place. I work with women and LGBTQIA+ folks on a range of issues, from managing anxiety and depression, to improving self-esteem, to healing from past trauma or loss. Many of my clients have experienced violence in an intimate relationship, and I have specialized training to support survivors of domestic violence so that they can move forward in their lives and their relationships with others. In addition to my one-on-one work, I love working with couples on improving communication and increasing intimacy, especially when partners come from different cultural backgrounds and hold different values. I'm a warm and practical therapist who will help you build your toolbox together. LGBTQIA+ folks and non-monogamous people of all genders and orientations are welcome and encouraged to reach out! Please contact our office to schedule a free, 20-minute consultation to learn more about my work and get on my calendar.

College can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Between academics, relationships, family expectations and figuring out your future, it's easy to feel stressed, anxious or unsure of yourself. I enjoy helping college students navigate these challenges, build confidence and feel more in control of their lives. My goal is to provide a supportive space where you can be yourself, feel understood and work towards the goals that matter most to you.

I understand what it is like to feel lonely, stuck, depressed, and anxious about oneself and the future. It can seem tough to move on in life when life appears to move on without you. These heavy feelings and unwanted thoughts are hard to embrace even when everything is going well. Helping others work through these times of deep feelings is very important to me. My focus is to support you as you learn to generate your own purposeful action plan and create a flexible value-directed life that matters to you. You are more than your troubled feelings and thoughts. I do this by careful listening and checking for understanding by reflecting that understanding back to you, the client. I believe trust is the creation of a safe space to reveal your hurts and dreams. If you can see that you are more than your thoughts and feelings, then you can handle uncomfortable unwanted thinking and begin to heal and believe there is hopeful successes in you future.

I have been in practice over 25 years. I particularly specialize in helping young adults transition into adulthood. I understand the added stressors of this period of time including moving away from home, individuating and understanding oneself, figuring out goals for the future, and navigating personal relationships. I see problems from a family and systemic perspective in order to help create dynamic change. I work to help clients expand their understanding of themselves and discover opportunities for growth and change, often in the context of their relationships and families. I focus on helping clients change destructive relationship patterns, choose healthier lifestyles, and engage in fulfilling relationships. In addition to my educational and clinical experience, I have travelled extensively and have incorporated my knowledge of different cultures into my work as well. I believe in understanding and respecting a client’s individual and cultural diversity in all aspects of the clinical relationship.

I feel inspired to help individuals figure out how to manage challenges they are are facing and learn new skills to manage changes that are occurring so that they can feel more in control of their lives. I use a person centered approach to make sure that my clients feel understood, heard, and validated. I make sure to create a safe space for individuals so that they feel secure in opening up and working on issues that they are struggling with. I build a strong and therapeutic alliance with my clients through open and honest communication and creating a safe space for clients to share and explore their challenges and struggles.

I am very easygoing and like to provide a relaxed, judgment-free space for my clients to talk about the issues (and successes) currently in their lives. I am certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I have experience working with clients experiencing Trauma, Bi-Polar, Depression, Anxiety, and persistent mental illness and psychosis. My journey to mental healthcare Like many therapists who chose this path, I have some lived experience with family members who suffer from anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. I enjoy helping people find the light at the end of the tunnel and see themselves making improvements in their lives. Treatment can be brief (4-12 sessions) with a high focus on identifying the barriers preventing a better quality of life, and problem solving or learning new skills. Other times, treatment can be longer (several months) and more in-depth. It takes time to process how we got to this very spot, and reviewing our trauma and stressors. I enjoy using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help my clients learn to re-train their thought processes, so that they may find ways to independently identify and intervene in the negative, distorted thoughts that can sometimes rule their lives. My communication style I will always try my hardest to make my clients understand that I will never judge them. I am incredibly empathetic, humorous at time, but when necessary, I have to call out cycles of behavior that continue to hurt my clients. I try to approach all issues from an understanding perspective. My goals for you I enjoy collaborating with my clients on their goals. It's important that my clients buy into their goals, and typically that requires some partnership in the process. Our first session During our first session, I like to gather information on your past and then begin talking about what brings you to therapy. I like to know, if you've tried therapy before, what worked and what didn't? We will discuss diagnosis, goals and objectives, and the expected length of service anticipated to meet those goals.