Carissa Cullum Ferdinand

After starting a career in higher education, I realized that I wanted more opportunities to spend time with students 1:1 and support them through all of the life changes that occur throughout college: deciding on a major, finding new friends, separating from family, changing majors, figuring out how to adult, starting a career, excelling in classes that only become more rigorous, and maybe changing majors again. All of this in addition to finding time for yourself becomes quite difficult!

As a psychotherapist, I work with students experiencing depression and anxiety as they navigate the challenges and stressors that come with being in college. Many have also had difficult or traumatic experiences while growing up, and are ready to figure out how to talk about them.

Through weekly appointments, we'll build a therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, and quickly develop an understanding of your goals for therapy. For some, this will mean our work together is brief. For others, we'll settle into a long-term working relationship that will see you through the ups and downs over the next few years.

I primarily use a psychodynamic approach in therapy, which means we'll explore your inner thoughts and feelings to understand how they affect your behaviors and relationships. I find that this approach helps you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, including how you might get in your own way from time to time and what you might want to do differently. Always, the goal is to support you as you (re)discover your strengths and learn to accept yourself as human, making both life and college a little easier to navigate moving forward.

Please note: I'm licensed to see individuals in Florida, Illinois, and Michigan.