Therapists for college students near Boston College
I specialize in treating adolescents and college-aged students, millenials, as well as older adults with complex living issues. My job is to create a safe place where individuals and couples can explore current or long-standing problems and find realistic solutions. A significant part of this work involves carefully and mutually developing an appreciation of people's actual qualities and circumstances as the basis for realistic growth. I work with people in crisis or who sense they have patterns of living that could benefit from an experienced partner to help facilitate their desired change. I have received training in motivational interviewing, solutions focused therapy, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, descriptive psychology-informed psychotherapy and I specialize in treating depression and other mood disorders, anxiety and panic related issues, ADHD and addictive disorders.
Our College Mental Health Programs provide young adults with educational opportunities to build collegiate resilience, academic and wellness tools, and social connections. Our work is steeped in the principles of psychiatric rehabilitation: personhood, hope, choice, and self- determination, and we believe in recovery from mental health and substance use conditions, and the power of peers, mentoring, collaboration, mutuality, and inclusive communities.
I am a Harvard-trained physician who practiced Neurology for 25 years before completing a post-graduate psychotherapy fellowship to allow me to help others in a different way. This major life change informs my work as a psychotherapist. No matter where along our life’s path we find ourselves, and no matter how distressed, stuck or trapped we feel, we can always come to know ourselves more fully and to make changes in the service of a more satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling life. I practice a flexible style of psychotherapy tailored to each unique person or couple. Some prefer a shorter-term, more active therapy that focuses on making changes in the here and now. Others benefit from a longer-term, more self-directed exploration in a safe and supportive environment. Although my focus is on helping people meet their goals through therapy, I offer the option to prescribe adjunctive medication when needed. My aim is always to understand each person’s unique life experiences, beliefs, values and goals and to work with each person to promote enhanced self-understanding and freedom of choice in the service of a life that feels satisfying and meaningful. When working with a couple, my aim is to help the couple work through current relationship difficulties and, if both partners are invested in maintaining the relationship, to help them create a partnership where each feels safe, secure, valued and cared for.
Life is a journey and it presents us with struggles. Our minds are resilient and plastic, yet when we are blocked we may not appreciate this. I give my clients tools to help themselves adjust and adapt to their individual struggles, such as death of a love one, stress, relational breakups and a spectrum of traumas. I am a guide to help my clients resolve their temporary block.
Welcome to Meridian Psychotherapy Associates — where we specialize in supporting the mental health needs of college students. We understand that college is a time of excitement and growth, but also one of stress, change, and uncertainty. Our goal is to provide a safe, understanding, and personalized space for students navigating this unique life stage. Our individual therapy addresses common student concerns such as anxiety, depression, academic stress, time management, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. Our trauma-informed therapists are attuned to the emotional, social, and academic pressures of campus life. We also offer couples therapy for college students in relationships, focusing on communication, conflict resolution, and maintaining connection amid busy schedules. For students navigating family dynamics, we help students improve communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen support systems. To fit student lifestyles, we provide flexible in-person and telehealth options, allowing therapy access nearby campus or home. At Meridian, our therapists are compassionate, skilled, and committed to empowering students with tools for resilience, growth, and lasting well-being—during college and beyond. Ready to take the next step? Contact us for a consultation and start building a stronger foundation for your personal and academic success.
I believe personal growth and healing can come from a strong therapeutic alliance. Change and recovery are possible. I promise to provide a trusting, open environment where you will feel seen, understood, and accepted as you are. My approach is genuine, creative, and curious. I strive to help you recognize beliefs that are holding you back, more effectively face struggles in your life, and learn skills to develop healthier relationships and a more meaningful life. In the end, the larger goal is to make you a better ally to yourself. Over the years, I’ve worked primarily with adults and adolescents with depression, anxiety, and trauma and have extensive experience working with identity issues and major life transitions. My clients have experienced challenges with their friendships and family relationships, gender and sexual identity, schooling and careers, parenting and caregiving, and illness and loss. I draw on diverse therapeutic approaches including mindfulness, family systems theory, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and DBT. It takes great courage to face what Yeats described as the “dark corners” of one’s soul. I welcome the opportunity to meet you and support your exploration and self-discovery.
As a somatic trauma therapist, I specialize in supporting individuals affected by complex childhood and developmental trauma. My approach focuses on helping you tune into the mind-body connection as a pathway to healing and building a stronger connection with yourself. Our work together will be a collaborative effort. We will focus on addressing areas of pain while nurturing your inner strength and resilience. My commitment is to be fully present, creating a supportive environment that allows for personal growth and healing.
Sometimes the hardest step is reaching out for help when we need it. As a therapist, it is very important to me to provide a uniquely comfortable (and at times - fun!) approach to sessions. It can be difficult to talk about some of life's challenges, so my goal is to be there to help you through it - in a way that works and feels right for you. We all have the tools within us to manage our mood, emotions, and relationships. My job is to empower you to identify and cultivate your strengths and interests to improve connections with yourself and others. The majority of my clinical work has been done in crisis, hospital, and outpatient settings, so I am very comfortable in navigating whatever challenges you may be facing, calmly and without judgment. In addition, I am certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and bring these skills to sessions to further support you. I have an extensive background working with specialized communities such as the LGBTQIA+ community and neurodivergent communities. Outside of sessions you can find me spending time with my cat (who may visit during Telehealth sessions), playing the piano, or creating a list of the best food in Boston. I am originally from Miami and I hope to bring some of that warmth to therapy sessions here in Boston. As a mental health therapist, I offer consulting services to help individuals and organizations improve their mental health and wellbeing. I work in partnership with my clients to identify areas of concern and develop customized solutions to meet their unique needs.
Our practice is highly specialized to treat OCD, anxiety and related disorders. We have clinicians that specialize in the cross section of ED and OCD, Chronic Illness and OCD as well as ADHD and OCD. Our approach to therapy is both candid and interactive, yielding successful, longterm relationships with our clients. With an understanding that each client is different, we are passionate about developing personalized action plans and adaptive treatment models tailored to your personality and feedback. We help our clients lean in, challenge their fears, and live a more purposeful life. Using proven techniques in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness, as well as more traditional relational approaches, we provide a comforting space for clients to feel heard and see the pathway back to their personal flourishing.
Melanie's work at Upwards 'N' Onwards work is focused around empowering and assisting individuals managing every day life struggles to facilitate change and acceptance during difficult times. Melanie works with individuals, couples and families and facilitates anger and stress management groups. Melanie advocates for individuals who are underserved and continues to work tirelessly to ensure that those who present for help receive fair and equitable treatment despite their backgrounds.
“I don’t want to feel like this any longer.” Or “I just want to feel better about myself and my life.” Many of my clients will say something like this. They feel stuck. Anxieties, sadness, pain and the fears of not being good enough only grow. They can point to many good things in their lives but somehow feeling fulfilled and happier isn’t happening. Feeling ashamed to admit even to themselves or others about how hard things are while self-doubt is settling in. Perfectionism, self-criticism and imposter syndrome can tear you down inside even if no one else knows it. Work, school and relationships require energy that is harder to find. The need to present well can be exhausting and at times even destructive. You may try to remind yourself to feel grateful or more positive but sometimes even that reinforces a feeling of shame that your life feels so difficult. The idea of showing up for yourself starts to feel impossible; connecting with friends, family or a partner feels difficult or simply out of reach. Sadness can show up as anger or withdrawing from activities you once enjoyed and withdrawing from people who care about you. As the need to numb yourself grows, alcohol or other addictive patterns may increase. Anxiety, sadness, shame, medical or physical trauma, perinatal challenges, perfectionism and self-criticism, bullying or pain from childhood and family issues, relationship patterns you want to change, sports performance injuries or difficulties, negative thoughts and feelings about yourself and low self-esteem can all have origins in trauma. Trauma may not be the word that is used. Sometimes we think traumatic experiences must be extremely dramatic but actually trauma is experienced by all of us at different times in our lives. Trauma is really anything in our past that is difficult to think about or feel, draining us emotionally. Having a stronger sense of yourself will allow you to respond to challenges with more freedom, as well as direct your life with goals and purpose. If you want to let go of stuff from your past but aren’t sure of how to move forward, I can help.
I specialize in working with the LGBTQ+ population, addressing men's health issues, and supporting people struggling with addiction and substance use. I am experienced in working with people facing anxiety, stress, depression, and interpersonal conflict. I use a variety of techniques to help my clients, based on what we agree might be best for them - the most important part of therapy with me is you being an active participant in your own goals, progress, and life.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
I specialize in working with adults, children, and families who have been impacted by trauma. I have experience in helping clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, dissociation, relationship difficulties, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and other issues that often result from adverse experiences and traumatic stress. I practice a collaborative approach which honors my clients’ lived experience and allows their needs and our understanding of the challenges they face to shape the specific approaches we use in our work together. I use an integrative style which blends skills-based, relational, and trauma-focused interventions. I see goodness-of-fit as central to the treatment process, and I believe an authentic and trusting relationship is essential to effective therapy. I strive to bring cultural humility to my work, and offer honesty, warmth, humor and compassion to foster the safe environment needed to allow my clients to achieve true growth, healing and transformation. I am fluent in English and Haitian Creole.
Your life is stressful enough as it is and wading through a list of therapists can be hard. We offer both Psychotherapy and Medication Management.
For people of all ages, difficulties in life may result from a lost connection with one’s internal experience. Psychotherapy offers the opportunity to attend closely to one’s thoughts and feelings in a safe, supportive environment. In child therapy, play is the primary mode of communication. Through play, children explore their internal world, rehearse for life, process past events, practice creativity, and learn to moderate themselves. As children begin to feel understood and understand themselves, their internal experience can become their guide to being in the world. In talk therapy with adolescents and adults, I offer a collaborative, exploratory space where together we will work to understand your personal experience and the roots of your distress. This process can lead to a deeper connection with oneself and to others. I have advanced training in psychodynamic psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults. I work with individuals struggling with a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity issues, attentional problems, trauma, and relationship difficulties.
Welcome to my independent private practice! Currently accepting new patients for in person therapy in Watertown and nearby areas, including Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Brookline, Wellesley, Lexington, and Belmont, MA, as well as virtual therapy across MA and NY. I work with children, adolescents, and adults, specializing in anxiety and mood disorders, trauma, and attachment and relationship challenges. With deep respect for life’s complexity, I use an integrative, personalized approach to help you understand patterns, grow insight, develop practical tools, deepen connection, and move toward a life of greater clarity, meaning, and emotional well-being.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Welcome to Meridian Psychotherapy Associates — where we specialize in supporting the mental health needs of college students. We understand that college is a time of excitement and growth, but also one of stress, change, and uncertainty. Our goal is to provide a safe, understanding, and personalized space for students navigating this unique life stage. Our individual therapy addresses common student concerns such as anxiety, depression, academic stress, time management, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. Our trauma-informed therapists are attuned to the emotional, social, and academic pressures of campus life. We also offer couples therapy for college students in relationships, focusing on communication, conflict resolution, and maintaining connection amid busy schedules. For students navigating family dynamics, we help students improve communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen support systems. To fit student lifestyles, we provide flexible in-person and telehealth options, allowing therapy access nearby campus or home. At Meridian, our therapists are compassionate, skilled, and committed to empowering students with tools for resilience, growth, and lasting well-being—during college and beyond. Ready to take the next step? Contact us for a consultation and start building a stronger foundation for your personal and academic success.
Hi, my name is Jenny Rivillas-O'Neill. I am a firm believer in a multidimensional approach to care in order to achieve sustained wellness. My framework incorporates the understanding that we may all experience periods where life management skills alone are insufficient, and thoughtful medication supplementation can be therapeutic in achieving balance and wellness. Through direct care experience, my knowledge, motivation, and passion for assisting people seeking wellness have grown exponentially. My experience includes PMHNP Residency training in the VA Boston Healthcare System, Inpatient Nursing Director at BIDMC, and currently in the last year of a Doctoral program at Yale concentrating on adverse childhood and community experiences and finding pathways toward healing.