Therapists for college students near Los Angeles, CA
Do you wonder whether your experience may be neurodivergent or related to ADHD or autism? Do you want to better understand your mental and emotional experience? I specialize in comprehensive psychological evaluations for adults seeking clarity around ADHD, autism, and other mental health or neurodivergence-related questions. Evaluations may include ADHD diagnostic evaluations (including Telehealth ADHD diagnostic evaluations), autism assessment, cognitive testing, and broader mental health diagnostic evaluations. Comprehensive assessments provide diagnostic clarification and clinical recommendations. Each evaluation is conducted by a licensed psychologist specializing in adult psychological testing and differential diagnosis. Each evaluation includes an intake, testing, scoring, a written report, feedback, and recommendations when applicable. Evaluations may be completed via telehealth, hybrid format (telehealth combined with in-person testing), or fully in-person, depending on evaluation type and clinical needs. Telehealth ADHD diagnostic evaluations are available. I serve adults throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Torrance, and the South Bay. Cognitive testing and some other assessments are conducted in-person only. Please contact me with any questions about evaluation format or recommendations.​ My goal is to help you better understand yourself and your experiences. Evaluations use a strength-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach tailored to each individual. Evaluations are designed to be thorough, collaborative, and respectful of each individual’s lived experience. Fees vary by evaluation type and clinical complexity. Fee ranges are listed on my website (axeltesting.com). Telehealth services are available for adults throughout CA. My practice focuses specifically on adult diagnostic evaluation rather than ongoing therapy. You don't need to be certain about pursuing an evaluation to reach out. I am happy to answer questions and help you explore options. Contact me for a free consultation or questions.
I specialize working with gender and sexuality, anyone struggling through life transitions and change, folks who identify as highly sensitive people. I also focus on using self compassion techniques and perspectives and provide trauma informed, social justice/feminist oriented, and culturally attuned care. I fully enjoy both of us benefiting from building a meaningful relationship together, because I see it as an honor to be a part of your journey towards self actualization and well-being. I’m personable, transparent, enjoy humor, connection and appreciate depth. I'd honestly love to hear from you!
I honor and respect the opportunity I have to help my clients recognize their worth, build trust in themselves and others, and empower them to be their authentic selves. I strive to create a warm, safe, and nonjudgmental space where you feel heard, seen and truly understood. I use a client centered approach while working to build rapport with clients. I use a mix of ACT, CBT, DBT, Solution focused and MI to assist clients in identifying their values, exploring how their thought and behavioral patterns are serving them, increase their distress tolerance, build mindfulness and relaxation skills to help them meet their goals.
This time in your life can be one of transitions and transformations. Talking to a professional and processing it all can be very beneficial. You’re not alone. Whether you’re dealing with the stress of academic pressure, social pressures, anxiety, or depression, I’ve helped many individuals sort through these issues that can arise during this time in one’s life.
Kate Rifkin, LMHC (pronouns she/her/hers) offers individual mental health counseling sessions for adults (18+) to provide a safe space where folks are able to freely explore their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and goals in a non-judgmental space. She takes an individualized, holistic, and integrative approach to therapy, that draws upon cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and multicultural-based therapies. Kate has expertise and interest in working with athletes, young professionals, college students, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Wellness Therapy of San Diego is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based psychological services to promote individual growth and relief from distress by providing wrap-around services meeting our clients’ various needs. The clinicians at Wellness Therapy of San Diego specialize in the treatment individuals across the lifespan using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and associated treatments. In addition to psychotherapy, the practice offers expert services in medication management and psychological assessments.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Welcome! I’m Jill. If you haven’t been feeling like yourself and want to feel better, then I’m glad you’re here. Together we can explore what may feel difficult–anxiety, life changes, boundaries and relationships. I enjoy teaching clients coping skills to help manage mental health symptoms. If you’d like to learn more about my approach, please visit my website. Thanks, I hope to meet you.
WE WERE BORN TO SERVE - THIS IS HOW WE DO IT! Encouragers Counseling and Training Centers, Inc. often referred to as ECTC offers services to address the whole person, including mind, body, and spirit. Our endeavor to assist worthy active-duty military and veterans, along with children, families, and those underserved in Richmond, Virginia, and surrounding areas. With a decade-long commitment to providing comprehensive mental health services, we are proud to share that not one person in our care has been lost to suicide. We understand that societal challenges are taking a toll that plague our communities leading to Grief/Loss, Uncertainty, Confusion, Trauma, Addictions, and Relationship Distress. Every day, thousands of individuals are feeling anxious, fearful, and depressed, however, many are unable to find mental health providers who can help. Statistical analysis shows our youth are suffering the consequences of educational, social, medical, and economic limitations however, many cannot afford the high rates for therapeutic intervention. At Encouragers Counseling and Training Centers, Inc. our mission at is to create a positive impact for purposeful change. Our providers have a passion for helping, but even more than that, we feel called to serve. Reach out today at 951-900-4414 or send us an email at to see how we can best serve you.
I am motivated by the idea that every human being deserves to be truly heard by someone they believe cares about their wellbeing. I am confident that through mindful and empathetic exploration in a safe and trusting space, many reoccurring and/or cooccurring somatic, emotional, and psychological difficulties may be better understood and processed in a way that can facilitate a deeper understanding of ourselves and the environments in which we exist. I am an existential and humanistic provider who believes that we are driven by our unconscious and because of this, past psychological, emotional, and physical injuries may leave an imprint on our psyche that can continue to interrupt our lives and reinjure us unless we can see ourselves and our part in these injurious events differently. I use an eclectic treatment style that includes many different treatment modalities such as Mindfulness, Bilateral Tapping, CBT, DBT, cognitive reframing, and MI. I have had the opportunity to work with many different socioeconomic populations from the homeless to the very wealthy with conditions ranging from addiction and obsessive disorders to depression and anxiety. They each come with an interesting and unique perspective. I come from a background of childhood trauma, abuse, and addiction. My journey began with a 9th grade education and homelessness as I traveled my road of happy destiny to a Bachelors and Masters degree with two professional licenses (LPCC & LAADC) in the state of California, and continues to unfold today. I have turned my life’s experiences into a place of wisdom and growth and have dedicated my life and career to helping others find the light in whatever darkness they are experiencing.
I provide therapy for adolescents and young adults ages 12-25, supporting them through academic, emotional, and social challenges that come with this stage of life. Together we will explore your goals and strengthen coping skills and create lasting tools for managing stress, relationships, and self-esteem in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment.
Over the last decade, I have been dedicated to providing compassionate and empathetic mental health care and working in the communities to reduce mental health stigma. To support my patients and community, I have had many roles, including volunteering at domestic abuse shelters, speaking for mental health organizations, facilitating campus support groups, and working as a psychiatric registered nurse. As a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I will continue my passion for providing quality mental health care for my patients, ensuring every patient feels supported and heard. I center around collaboration and empowerment. What inspires me to work in the mental health field is witnessing the resilience of those I serve. Every day, I see individuals overcome challenges and rediscover hope through compassionate, personalized care. Their journeys remind me that mental health care is about more than treating symptoms—it’s about empowering people to reclaim their lives. I am driven by the opportunity to create safe, supportive environments where patients feel heard, valued, and inspired to achieve their full potential. This work not only fuels my passion but also reaffirms my commitment to making a positive, lasting impact in the lives of others. My approach centers around collaboration, empowering patients to actively participate in treatment plans that best suit their goals and lifestyles. There is no ‘one size fits all’; every patient has different symptoms, beliefs, and needs. Building a therapeutic alliance and fostering an environment of trust and empathy are essential in my practice, ensuring each patient feels supported and understood. In addition, I practice holistic care and look at all aspects of my patient’s life to help improve their quality of life. Finally, I am passionate about Trauma-Informed Care as trauma is a nearly universal experience and patients should all be treated with sensitivity and care.
I specialize working with trans, queer, bisexual, lesbian, questioning, and gay people of color (Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latino/a/x/e, Multiracial/Biracial), providing gender- and queer-affirming care. I can provide letters of support for gender-affirming surgery. I work well with folks who are self-aware but sometimes "to a fault." You find feelings hard but really want to work on "feel the feelings!" You are willing to take risks and be real when something is hard. You want a change but feel stuck, and are down to try both new and old things. You want to be a better person/friend/partner/coworker/child/etc. My approach is integrative, relationship-oriented, and social-justice informed. I adapt my evidence-based methods to your needs. We build a supportive therapeutic relationship that helps you heal and grow. In each session, we focus on what matters to you, with consideration of how your environment, relationships, and social realities affect your wellbeing. I know how hard it can be to feel stuck in a cycle of criticism with yourself and others. You may wonder why you can’t seem to change the things that bother you or improve your relationships. I believe that you can find ways to accept what you can’t control, and to change what you can. I would be honored to support you on this journey of growth and healing.
There are many things that can lead a person to seek therapy. You may be experiencing a persistent feeling of fear but just can't put your finger on where it’s coming from. Perhaps you've been feeling anxious about being judged harshly by others or have been struggling with feelings of emptiness, loneliness, or loss of control. Bearing the weight of these experiences can often feel exhausting. But, you do not have to be alone in these struggles. Taking the first step to seek help can feel vulnerable and even scary. I believe that when the right conditions are present healing of the heart, mind, body, and soul can – and will – occur. Reach out today.
I am a Stanford trained Physician with a specialization in Psychiatry. I have advanced training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy or "CBT." CBT is a very well researched form of counseling that is highly effective for depression, anxiety, insomnia and many other conditions. I love what I do and previously served as the Director of Evidence Based Practice and Ongoing Education in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Medicine. I conducted research, taught, and saw patients at Stanford for more than a decade and I received numerous awards for excellence in these areas. I was trained for more than ten years with a person named Stewart Agras, and another named David Burns - they are pioneers in Behavioral Medicine and CBT. I was very blessed to have excellent mentors and training. I have extensive experience sharing this experience with those students I have consulted with in higher education at Stanford and in the University of California. I have worked all of my career with undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students and believe that these formative years are critical times in the formation of a person, and they are often challenging times. I am warm, friendly and approachable. I laugh frequently (and often cry) with my patients. My family is from Italy where sincerity and the authentic sharing of emotions is valued and respected. Parlo un 'po l'italiano ma non molto bene! (I speak a little Italian but not very well!) I am very conservative with respect to use of medications and prefer to help students develop skills in managing life stressors by getting trained in CBT. This art is disappearing sadly in my field as brief medication checks are much more lucrative to clinics but there is a cost to the patient in this reductionist approach! I am very comfortable and prefer to help persons manage stress with CBT alone without medications as it can provide a lot of sophisticated and lasting protections that are well supported in the scientific research literature. As professionals, we should do what is right and not what is most profitable as we take the Hippocratic oath to defend our patients. I can add medications if they are indicated and supported by good research when CBT is not helping on its own as I am a physician trained in all scientifically supported modalities of providing support. I respect my patients' values in this. If we can work through though times without medicines, I really try to encourage that, and, for many persons willing to grow through stress, it is definitely achievable, and strongly supported by randomized controlled trials (fancy studies used to test treatments for effectiveness). There is substantial evidence that suggests that this approach is very important in reducing risk for relapse in the long term. I love helping students build confidence in themselves when the circumstances are really challenging and have many, many patients who have reached out to me over many years thanking me for the times we spent together getting through the roughest of times. I don't have a lot of material wealth. The pictures and post cards of so many smiling, happy, and good persons graduating, getting married, getting started in their careers, and getting started with their families and overall being in a good, secure place are the real treasures that I have collected in my career. I am a practicing Catholic and am very comfortable incorporating faith in treating my patients. Many persons are referred to me when seeking a caring Catholic Psychiatrist who is highly trained in using Cognitive Behavior Therapy to promote resilience and virtue when life becomes really challenging. I am sadly quite familiar with the pain of having lost very precious persons in my life including my own dear wife to devastating metastatic cancer at an extremely young age. That was tough and occurred shortly after we lost our infant daughter. I have two beautiful college aged children who are doing very well despite all of the things our family was beset with. We came together and got through. Faith, family and fellowship can be crucial sources of support when things feel really overwhelming. I was highly trained in CBT and combining this with the above made all of the difference. I will encourage you also to protect yourself with these types of resources when all seems lost. Note that I do not manage ADD or ADHD or prescribe habit forming medications or perform evaluations for these conditions or autism spectrum disorder. I do see students who need to use their insurance through Headway and MyCatholicDoctor at the links below: Headway: https://care.headway.co/providers/anthony-mascola-m-d?utm_source=pem&utm_medium=direct_link&utm_campaign=201271 MyCatholicDoctor.com https://mycatholicdoctor.com/resources/doctors/anthony-mascola-md/ Accepting insurance in private practice in Psychiatry is unfortunately not very common. The majority of the most highly qualified Psychiatrists and Psychologists forego seeing patients with insurance as it is really tough to manage coordinating insurance in a small practice and does not reimburse well. This does not feel right to me as when life is hardest, finances are tight. My Italian family were poor and commercial fishermen and I am sworn as a Catholic to help persons when they don't have a lot of resources. The portals above are trying to help persons who are seeking help who don't have a lot of money to get connected to really good care. If you are going through a tough time and looking for someone who is both qualified and kind to support and encourage you, then don't wait any longer. Don't go through this alone! Please reach out and call me. I have spent all of my life training to help you! I promise I will support you and push you to find strength that you don't even realize you have. You can't realize it when you are stressed and often working with a professional person can help. Be prepared to work though, as sometimes this means facing a fear you'd rather avoid, or examining uncomfortable patterns of thoughts and behavior. I need a willing collaborator and promise you that I want ask you to do more than you can. I know from a lot of my own life experience how devastating stress can be but I also want to be honest and real and genuine and effective. I don't see passive treatment reduce suffering effectively in the long run. I don't want my students to suffer their whole life. I want my students to grow and recover, just like a good coach or teacher. You are smart, you have a good head on your shoulders and if we can learn from the circumstances that evoke stress we will be able to overcome stress in the future. Those who do not train in CBT are often on medications for years and suffer a great deal with a very high rate of relapse. Taking time to train in CBT is a more challenging treatment but it can develop powerful skills that will help you for your whole life! If while reading this you get a good feeling inside, then please schedule a free fifteen-minute visit to see if it is a good fit for you. If you are looking for a really caring Psychiatrist who is warm and kind, highly qualified, who really enjoys helping persons find their strength with a healthy, proactive, evidence based and highly effective approach to dealing with stress, you will not be disappointed!
At Minds Moving Forward, we provide highly customized, private-pay mental health care designed to support your entire family. From helping young children navigate big emotions and supporting teens through academic stress, to guiding adults through deep trauma recovery and training elite athletes to win their inner game, our therapists offer the advanced expertise you need to thrive. You deserve a space where you can be yourself, talk openly, and not feel judged or rushed. In our work, we move at your pace, especially if therapy is new to you. Together, we will have real conversations, explore your emotions and experiences, and gently face the parts of life that feel overwhelming so you can build coping skills and confidence.
We all face challenges in our lives and sometimes we need some extra support to help us overcome them. I moved to the Bay Area (from Toronto) in my early twenties without knowing a soul. It was the most exciting and also challenging time in my life. I navigated my career, dating, and relationships; all while facing the same pressures that most of us women face today. I understand feeling pulled in different directions, competing priorities, and anxieties about living up to high expectations (usually our own). Through my career and personal exploration, I came to discover the incredible benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation. I use a Mindfulness based approach in my work because I have seen it help so many people to be more present, intentional and content in their lives (myself included!). In working with me, you will find that I am compassionate, non-judgemental, direct and honest. I will help you recognize and build up your inherent strengths (yes you have them), give you coping strategies, and help you to make space for more adaptive ways of relating to the world. I am also a big believer in the healing power of humor so don't be surprised if we end up having a laugh every once in a while. I offer my services online so that busy people can still access excellent support. Please feel free to reach out for a free consultation and I look forward to learning more about you!
I’m a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, veteran, and former ER nurse and healthcare administrator dedicated to providing compassionate, individualized mental health care. My background in emergency medicine taught me how to support people through some of the most difficult and vulnerable moments of their lives. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I value creating a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where patients feel safe being themselves. I take a collaborative and down-to-earth approach to treatment, with a focus on helping patients feel understood, empowered, and supported in building meaningful, lasting change. My path into psychiatry was shaped by both my professional and personal experiences. Working as an ER nurse, I saw firsthand how deeply mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life and how often people were struggling silently long before reaching a crisis point. Those experiences inspired me to pursue a role where I could build longer-term relationships with patients and focus not only on stabilization, but on healing, growth, and overall quality of life. As a veteran and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I also understand the importance of feeling seen, heard, and supported, which continues to influence the kind of care and environment I strive to provide for my patients. I take a collaborative, patient-centered approach to treatment and believe the best care comes from truly understanding each person’s unique experiences, goals, and challenges. I strive to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where patients feel comfortable being open and honest. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, surfing, and endurance training. Staying active and spending time outdoors are important parts of how I maintain balance and mental wellness, and I enjoy connecting with patients over the importance of finding healthy outlets and activities that bring meaning and fulfillment outside of work and daily stressors.
We are a non-profit organization geared towards serving the community. HOH offers a variety of services from individual, couples, to group therapy. In addition, we are a training site for graduate level students offering supervision and clinical skills training.