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Therapists for college students near San Francisco, CA

Photo of Leah Oliver, PsyD - Deeper Than Color
Leah Oliver, PsyD - Deeper Than Color
Group practice
Oakland, CA
Accepting new clients

I work with a diverse clientele and specialize in providing culturally responsive and identity-affirming psychotherapy. The clients I work with often identify as first-gen students, artists, performers, educators, and professionals, as well as those who have experienced trauma in relationships or who have a history of family cycles of addiction and drug use. I use a relational-psychodynamic and liberatory approach to therapy; incorporating mindfulness techniques that support you to build awareness of what is happening between your mind and body. A strong therapeutic relationship where you feel safe to explore thoughts and feelings is essential and building trust to do so takes time. I will support you in the therapy to navigate communicating what is happening for you in the therapy so that you can then apply a deepened awareness of yourself to interactions and events in everyday life. Feelings and thoughts can be hard to identify, and having time set aside to delve into this process can be transformative. Your participation in the therapy by bringing in your lived experiences will help you to deepen your insights and understanding, which will inform your decisions and choices in life moving forward.

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Erin O'Connor
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

Living in your body may feel exhausting, unfamiliar, or even unsafe. Trauma, relationship harm, health changes or chronic illness, and struggles with body image and eating can leave us feeling disconnected and stuck between overwhelm and shutdown. I offer a warm, grounded presence where you can feel seen and begin cultivating a deeper sense of self-trust and wholeness - a space to explore lived experiences and learn supportive wellness practices. I work with busy students who are carrying the weight of stress, trauma, and grief while navigating immense transitions and responsibilities. Many of my clients are healing from sexual violence, emotional relationship harm, chronic/invisible illness and health-related changes (migraines, endometriosis, PCOS, POTS, cancer), and concerns around relationship with body and food, including disordered eating. I've supported students and young adults for over a decade, with many years of experience working in a college specialty counseling clinic. I use a mind-body approach that blends somatic (body-based), cognitive, and mindfulness practices including Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping). This helps us understand ourselves with compassion, cope with emotional overwhelm and physical body discomfort, heal from trauma, and reconnect to relationships and activities that nourish us. I find great joy in serving multicultural and multi-faith communities while providing a weight-inclusive, culturally-affirming, and trauma-informed space where all parts of you are welcome.

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Winding River Psychotherapy Services
Licensed Professional Counselor
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

Is heavy stress and anxiety making it hard to feel steady, present, and focused as you move through the semester? You might get stuck in loops of overthinking about grades, deadlines, money, or the future, while your body stays tense and on edge. For some students, social anxiety can be its own grind, making you skip gatherings or spend too long replaying conversations afterward. Sometimes anxiety doesn’t just make you worry—it forecasts disaster and turns choices into landmines. Left running in the background, it can spill into perfectionism, stress-eating, zoning out, or leaning on weed or alcohol to take the edge off. You deserve support that helps you function and feel better. Not just pushing through, but building a foundation of well-being that lasts beyond the semester. In our work, we’ll address the anxiety and help you feel like yourself again with clearer thinking, a steadier mood, and more ease in your body. I’ve spent 13 years helping people with anxiety, and I know the unique pressures of college life. Together, we’ll find practical, compassionate ways to feel more grounded and zoned-in. My style is gentle and collaborative, yet active in guiding the work. You don’t have to power your way through alone. Take the first step toward change and book a free intro call on the calendar section of my website.

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Kara Vesely
Marriage & Family Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

I love being able to combine my passions for helping others, creativity, and understanding why people think, feel, and behave as they do! I believe therapy should be a collaborative relationship where we are working together on an issue, rather than me being The Expert. Instead, you are the expert on what it is like to be you in your life. I may share my perspective on what I believe may be going on and ask you to reflect on its accuracy and relevance to your experience. I take my job in the helping profession seriously. Consistent studies on why psychotherapy works indicate that the therapeutic relationship is the most important variable determining therapeutic outcomes. I relate to you as a regular person with education, training, and experience that I am eager to share with you to help you feel safe and understood. I occasionally will share relevant experiences either from past anonymous clients or from personal experience to normalize, validate, and help you feel that you are not alone in your pain.

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Martha Cervantes
Marriage & Family Therapist
San Leandro, CA
Accepting new clients

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’ve spent much of your life being strong for others. I specialize in working with members of the Latino community across generations, including immigrants, first- and second-generation individuals, and monolingual Spanish speakers. Many of my clients are navigating family expectations, identity exploration, acculturation stress, and the challenge of balancing multiple cultural worlds while managing anxiety, depression, relationship stress, parenting concerns, or major life transitions. I provide a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space using a behavioral and systemic approach. As a bilingual Latina therapist, I help clients build coping skills, strengthen relationships, navigate immigration and adjustment stress, and explore how culture and family shape their experiences. Evening, Saturday, and limited sliding scale spots available. I understand the deep importance of culture, family, and identity, and I am passionate about helping clients feel seen, heard, and supported in ways that honor their lived experiences. You deserve a space where you can show up fully, heal at your own pace, and begin creating meaningful change.

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Bay Area CBT Center
Group practice
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

We are a group practice of cognitive behavioral therapists located in the Bay Area. We offer a number of empirically supported treatments including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), mindfulness-based therapies, and schema therapy. We apply behavioral principles while emphasizing an attachment and relational frame that considers the whole person.

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Omar Geray
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

My main inspiration for becoming a therapist is to help people, from all walks of life. I have been working in the fields of substance abuse and mental health since 2006, and specialize in treating clients with Co-Occurring Disorders. Prior to entering the MSW program at San Jose State University, I studied Sociology at UC Santa Cruz, and received my BA degree in 2005. I have a solid background in social theory, and I apply social theory as part of my clinical approach, thus enhancing the therapeutic process. I am continuously working towards my ongoing professional development to help my clients using cutting-edge techniques. Therapy is more than a career, it is a passion and it is my life’s work. My empathetic approach, in which I actively listen to clients and reflect their goals, values, and struggles, fosters understanding and clarity. If I were to summarize what it is like to work with me, I would say “collaborative.” am committed to collaborative relationships with clients to maximize their capacity for growth and their ability to become resilient-to the many speed bumps and potholes along life’s path.”

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Susan Joyner (She/They)
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
San Mateo, CA
Accepting new clients

Therapy that encourages and empowers Guiding Healing versus Treatment Do you feel alone? Like the world is burning? In today's day and time, it is hard to cope with the day to day. We have political overwhelm as well as climate overwhelm. I hear you. I see you. I don't promise to have all of the answers but I promise to meet you where you are as a human being. I am here to help you cope and provide a nonjudmental and safer space to process your experiences. I will help you learn how to be present in your body and identify what subtle messages your body might be telling you. Clients often describe my "superpower" as being a calming, gentle presence for my clients. You will be the expert of your experience and I am here as a guide. I aim to encourage and empower you to be your authentic self. My therapy style includes the belief that we all live within larger systems that have significant impacts on our physical, financial, mental, and emotional well being. In addition to clinical trauma work, I am a registered yoga teacher. My approach is grounded in the idea that trauma is stored in our bodies and requires more than just talk therapy. I am passionate about helping queer and gender non conforming clients live their most authentic selves with kindness. My experience includes providing therapy to individual adults, typically in the 18-45 age range. My practice is trans affirming and I have experience providing Gender Affirmation Surgery letters. I enjoy working with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and identity issues. I provide kink and poly/CNM informed therapy and have both clinical and lived experience with religious trauma. I’m a sex positive and fat positive clinician. I actively engage in personal and clinical work to provide a safer space for all humans and bodies. I use an anti-racist, person-centered, and trauma-informed lens. It is my opinion that therapy should be collaborative and non pathologizing.

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Lindsay Evans
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Oakland, CA
Accepting new clients

Many of the people I work with come to therapy because they are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, seeking relief from anxiety or depression, needing support as they adjust to a new life circumstance, or are wanting to develop a better understanding of themselves. During therapy, I frequently look at the relationship between your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions and how they affect your daily experiences. I can help you identify key thoughts and specific barriers or behaviors that are interfering or impacting your quality of life. As we work together, I can offer tools and concepts that may be helpful for coping with difficult emotions, improving relationships, and changing unhelpful patterns. I offer a free, 20-minute phone consultation to prospective clients. This provides an opportunity for us to determine if we might work well together. We can talk about what is leading you to seek therapy and I can provide you with more information on my approach to treatment and answer any questions you may have.

Photo of Caméo Wong
Caméo Wong
Marriage & Family Therapist
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

My name is Cameo (she/her) and I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) since 2016. I provide Cantonese-bilingual therapy and am located in San Francisco, CA. I am able to provide telehealth throughout California, Massachusetts and New York. My clinical practice is informed by a mix of psychoanalysis, solution-focused, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy. I provide support, guidance and reflection to the entire life spectrum (children, youth, adults, families and couples) as they face life difficulties, transitions, pain and suffering. My work with you is to utilize insights to create awareness, change, healing and restoration towards emotional wellness. My clinical experiences include: primary care, outpatient community mental health, geriatric home visits, early intervention, early childhood consultation, elementary and middle school settings, pregnancy counseling and private practice.

Photo of Harley Quinzel
Harley Quinzel
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

If you're looking for a therapist who you can count on to be authentic and direct—let's connect! Whatever concerns you’re bringing to therapy, you can depend on me to take your priorities seriously. As a therapist, my style is conversational—with a little bit of humor—but I’m also ready to get to work. We’ll work together to clarify your goals and a plan to achieve them. I'll help you challenge your thinking when your mindset is getting in the way, and can keep us on track to finding solutions when you need it. I can also step back from the practical stuff to offer support and insight, because sometimes therapy means slowing down. My clients are typically Black women and/or members of the LGBTQIA+ community seeking to improve their relationships with themselves and others. I support clients through life transitions, and also work well with clients addressing identity issues, anxiety, and ADHD. I know that starting therapy can be scary, but it’s also an opportunity for growth and transformation. If you've got the courage to take the first step, I invite you to reach out today!

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Curtin Counseling
Licensed Professional Counselor
Oakland, CA
Accepting new clients

Starting college — or just trying to get through it — can bring up a lot: Am I doing this right? Do I even belong here? Who am I becoming? I’d love to help you figure it out. Together we can work through the stress of adjusting to a new place, academic and social anxiety, career uncertainty, drinking or eating patterns that feel hard to shake, or trauma that’s still asking to be understood. I especially enjoy working with students nearing graduation who are wrestling with what comes next — career direction, next steps, and the identity shift that comes with leaving college behind. Before becoming a therapist, I spent years as a professor, and my research focused on identity and belonging — so I have a real passion for working with students exploring who they are, especially those navigating race, class, gender, or sexuality, or who just feel like they’re on the outside looking in. I bring both that academic background and genuine warmth to our work together.

Photo of Candy Taylor-Ceballos
Candy Taylor-Ceballos
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

Hello/Hola, I am Candy! It takes courage to address your emotional, spiritual and mental well-being. One of the hardest challenges in life is to discover a new path when you're feeling stuck. You have just taken the hardest step by seeking support from an experienced licensed mental health professional. If you're dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions or have experienced a traumatic event, I want you to know that you're not alone. I use tele-therapy to offer a safe, non-judgemental space where we can explore your thoughts, feelings and underlying issues that may be contributing to your well-being. Se necesita de mucha valentía para lidiar con su bienestar emocional, espiritual y mental. Uno de los desafíos más difíciles de la vida es descubrir un nuevo camino cuando nos sentimos estancado. Tu acabas de dar el paso más difícil al buscar el apoyo de una profesional de salud mental con experiencia. Si estás lidiando con ansiedad, depresión, estrés, transiciones de vida o has pasado por un evento traumático, quiero que sepas que no estás solo. Yo utilizo la terapia para ofrecer un espacio seguro y sin prejuicios donde podemos explorar tus pensamientos, sentimientos y problemas subyacentes que pueden estar influenciando a tu bienestar.

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Marina Duarte Pulido
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

Hello, I am a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care. I have an academic foundation in child development and psychology. I earned my Master’s degree in nursing with a focus on clinical nurse leadership. I am driven by my passion for mental health and committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to support individuals on their journey toward improved mental well-being. After working inpatient/acute care medical floors for several years, I became inspired to work within the field of psychiatry and providing care to those who struggle with mental health issues related to chronic conditions and helping people through difficult stages in their lives. My goal is to meet each patient at whichever stage they are and deliver care that will provide them safety and lead them to a more stable, healthier life. I strive to give each person their best chance at achieving success. Each patient is provided an individualized plan of care. We collaborate to reach the safest and best treatment options for you, including education and appropriate follow-up care.

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Aurelio Edward Sadang
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
San Leandro, CA
Accepting new clients

I am a Board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Across the Life Span since 2017. I had been practicing Medicine and Surgery in the Philippines from 1985 - 2004.

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Mary Payette, LCSW
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
San Francisco, CA
Accepting new clients

I specialize in working with women in California experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, perfectionism, self-doubt, and difficulty adjusting to major life transitions. I especially enjoy working with graduate and professional students who are balancing demanding academic environments, relationships, and uncertainty about the future. My approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. I foucs on helping clients feel understood, develop greater self-trust, and build practical tools for navigating life's challenges. Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I help clients move toward a life that feels more aligned with their values, even when anixety, self-doubt, or difficult thoughts or emotions are present.

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Authentically Thrive Therapy
Pre-Licensed Professional
San Mateo, CA
Accepting new clients

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life stressors or struggling with confusing emotions? Has stress or anxiety started to affect the way you think, feel, or interact with the people around you? Maybe you’re facing ongoing pressure from family or relationship conflicts and need support coping. I specialize in helping individuals navigating the impact of stress, anxiety, adjustment challenges, communication difficulties, and relationship conflicts. I also support individuals experiencing burnout, depression, substance use, or the effects of trauma. I strive to create a safe, non-judgmental space where we can explore and process emotions, thoughts, and behaviors together. I work with individuals wanting to: >Develop a more balanced relationship with themselves and others >Challenge old patterns and create new, healthier ones >Embrace changes that have or will occur >Learn and Apply practical tools and strategies to cope with ongoing stressors My Approach: My approach combines relational, holistic, and practical strategies to give you tools for short-term relief while also creating lasting change. We’ll explore how your environment and past experiences have shaped you, and find new ways to cope, regulate emotions, and express your needs. Together, we’ll build on your strengths and clarify the goals that matter most to you—working at a pace that feels right for you.

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Eileen Banados
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

I find inspiration in helping others that are struggling with mental health problems. My clients have my attention, support, and feel heard and validated. I also collaborate with them to address their problems or distress. As a registered therapist, I strive to meet the client where they are at in life and help them move forward in their individual goals. I work with people from all age groups, religious and cultural backgrounds, states of life (pregnancy), and the LGBTQ population. I have experience working with individuals suffering from a wide range of mental health disorders, grief and loss, trauma symptomatology, medical conditions, and dual diagnoses. I have a passion for reaching out, connecting and relieving mental suffering. I have specialized training working in the following areas: CBT, DBT, Clinical Sexology training in Florida, and TRAUMA training in SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner), EMDR. I have worked with couples using the Gottman method, attachment issues and communication skills. My PhD is in international psychology and I enjoy working with people from all backgrounds.

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Alan Dean
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Oakland, CA
Accepting new clients

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and graduated from USC in 2014. In my practice, I support people healing from trauma, including those living with C-PTSD/ PTSD, dissociation, depression, and anxiety. I often work with clients who identify as LGBTQ, neurodivergent, or disabled, and those navigating the impact of systemic oppression.

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Dawn Holtan
Marriage & Family Therapist
Berkeley, CA
Accepting new clients

Sometimes life shatters us, and we have to pick up the pieces and figure out who we are all over again. It is harder than ever to do this work when the world around us is falling apart. And yet, here we are. You do not have to suffer alone. With curiosity, compassion, and a healthy sense of humor, I will help you identify strengths, tap into courage, and develop resilience. I see you as the expert on your life and I welcome the opportunity to help you become who you were always meant to be. I work with individuals, couples, folks in unconventional or ethically non-monogamous relationships, and families. My style is warm, direct, and playful. I can support you in deepening your connection to your body and in changing your thinking. My clients often tell me that I help them see themselves more clearly. Our work will happen within the safety of the relationship we create together. A healthy, authentic connection is vital for successful therapy, and I welcome your questions about my practice. Please contact me for a free consultation–I look forward to meeting you so that we can see if we’re a good fit.

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