Therapists for college students near 02139

My expertise is working with college students as I've worked at MIT for 22 and a half years at the MIT MH Counseling Service. Have worked with students from the US and all over the worlds on a variety of issues including depression, anxiety, academic challenges, sexual identity, cultural adjustment and relationships issues.

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) providing psychotherapy to individual adults, couples and groups. As a clinician, I prioritize collaboration, curiosity and inclusion. My treatment approach emphasizes a strong therapeutic relationship centered on your experiences and goals. I incorporate evidenced-based approaches into treatment that aligns with your needs -- including cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), psychodynamic, relational and solutions-focused methods. In addition to my private practice, I am a staff member in the Department of Psychiatry at a Boston hospital.

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or family conflict? You don’t have to face it alone. I specialize in helping adults work through overwhelming emotions, painful family dynamics, and the lasting effects of difficult or abusive relationships. Together, we process complex trauma, build healthier boundaries, and foster resilience, healing, and growth. I’m a licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts with over 10 years of experience. As a bilingual therapist (English & Spanish), I value the role that culture, identity, and lived experience play in shaping your mental health journey. My care is warm, collaborative, and culturally responsive, always tailored to your unique needs and goals. My approach is integrative, drawing from psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, mindfulness-based practices, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and attachment-based therapy. This flexibility allows us to use the approaches and strategies that best fit your circumstances. I am in-network with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, Tufts, and Optum. Let’s connect. I offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can share your needs, ask questions, and see if we’re a good fit.

Join me in a collaborative focus on your mental health, designed to build resilience, improve the quality of life, and increase self-acceptance. I work with adults and young adults in individual psychotherapy on a short or long-term basis. I have a background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance Commitment Therapy. I treat a range of presenting concerns, including relationship stress, life transitions, depression, anxiety, and trauma. I have experience in college mental health, early intervention in mental illness, and family therapy. I have a special interest in issues of diversity and inclusion, and exploring an individual’s unique relationship to a variety of their own personal intersecting identities.

My work is relationally based, and I additionally integrate the approaches of Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Internal Family Systems (IFS), which are both mind/body modalities. These approaches have been transformational for myself and many clients I have witnessed because they offer an orientation of radical openness and compassionate inquiry about all parts of your experience.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

At the current time I am not *personally* accepting new clients because of having to only meet via telehealth. Our practice, however, is still accepting new clients. I've been working individually with college students since 2003. I specialize in the treatment of eating disorders/disordered eating, body image issues, and perfectionism, but also treat clients with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma histories/PTSD, relationship issues, family issues, life adjustment/transition issues.

If you’re trying to navigate stress, identity, relationships, or just the pressure of figuring life out, you don’t have to do it alone. I have nearly 15 years of experience working specifically with young adults, and I aim to create a space where you can show up exactly as you are. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or just unsure of what you need, we can take the time to sort through it together. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine curiosity about you. I believe therapy works best when you feel safe, respected, and understood, so I prioritize building a relationship where you can speak openly. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming and deeply committed to creating a space that is welcoming and inclusive of BIPOC clients. Your identities, experiences, and cultural context matter. If you’re looking for a therapist who will meet you with openness, respect, and care, I’d be glad to connect.

When people come to treatment with problems, it is important to remember that they are trying to cope with them in the best way they can. With that in mind, I offer a reflective and engaging partnership with my clients, working toward the goal of helping them to be autonomous, authentic and compassionate in a world that can be extremely stressful. Although my work is solidly grounded in psychodynamic, cognitive/learning, and systems theories, my approach is client-centered, practical and strengths-based. I bring honesty, warmth, and humor to the therapy relationship. I am LGBTQ affirmative and invested in doing cross-cultural therapy which is culturally sensitive. I have a dog, Bracket, who works with me, and I have been doing AAT since 2002. There is a growing body of research which suggests that AAT (Animal-Assisted Therapy) can be helpful with a range of diagnoses, including Depression, PTSD, and Autistic Spectrum. Many therapists know little about online games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. They may dismiss it as unimportant, or assume it is a problem. I am a gamer-affirmative therapist, meaning I’m more interested in understanding your in-world experience and activity than pathologizing it.

We don’t like uncertainty. It is tempting to grasp for the certainty of “everything is doomed” or “everything will be ok.” But a part of us remains unconvinced. It is hard to face the truth: I don’t know what is coming, only that my experience will keep changing and eventually end. There are many aspects of our experience that are hard to face. We aren’t meant to do this alone. I partner with my clients to walk together into this wilderness. I offer a kind, curious, nonjudgmental attention, with the intent of helping my clients to sort through thoughts, judgements, reactions, behaviors, and felt experience, so they can learn to care more skillfully for the parts of their experience that are outside of their control and to take decisive action in the areas of their life where they have agency. Over time, this relational practice builds solidity. It loosens the tight grip on “everything is doomed” or “everything will be ok,” and opens up “it will keep changing, and eventually end, and I trust in my capacity to feel and care for my experience, no matter what comes.”

Dr. Shelby Ortega is a clinical psychologist serving the North Shore and Metro Boston areas via Cambridge and Salem office locations. My approach is one characterized by warmth, humor, and the welcoming of diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives. I believe in tailoring the treatment to the unique needs of my clients and providing a safe space that is equally supportive and challenging. I offer individual psychotherapy for adolescents and adults, as well as couples therapy, clinical supervision, and consultation services. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life, and make every effort to help those I work with feel welcomed, engaged, supported, and respected. I work to provide a safe therapeutic frame that is inclusive of social and cultural context, and therefore, welcome discussions of issues related to oppression, privilege, and of course, intersectionality of complex identity statuses. My private practice work is enriched by my academic scholarship and teaching experiences. I believe this work is an asset to my role as a practitioner and I work to extend this benefit to the patients I serve. My specific interests and areas of expertise include the following: Anxiety, Depression and Mood Disorders Relationship and Intimacy Difficulties Identity Exploration Recovery from Trauma and Loss I have extensive training in multicultural mental health, identity development, adult attachment relationships and intimacy, and have also completed two fellowships in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Harvard Medical School. Presently, I serve as a Teaching Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a Psychological and Educational Consultant with Jernigan & Associates, LLC, and as an Advisory Board Member for the Psychology Department at Regis College.

Whatever it is that has brought you here, welcome! I work with folks facing a range of issues, with a specialty in trauma, anxiety, family conflict, LGBTQIA+ identity, and relationship issues. If you experience stress from caring for/about others and our environment, I am ready to support you. I am a climate-aware therapist, meaning I recognize climate grief and eco-anxiety as legitimate responses to a global crisis and important areas of attention in therapy to help you better navigate our changing world. In therapy, I attend to ways in which the ideas, actions and policies in our communities, cultures and families can be sources of both pain and resilience. I am committed to providing queer- and LGBTQIA+ affirming care, and I believe in the collaborative exploration of all intersections of identity that feel important to you. My experience informs my work. My career in international humanitarian aid and gender-based violence lends a unique perspective to trauma-informed care. Trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, I bring neuroscience and the mind-body connection into therapy. Our work will explore how the body holds past experiences and how it can help you heal. I also support people in therapeutically integrating psychedelic experiences. I look forward to getting started!

About Me / Specialties I am a licensed psychologist specializing in treating adolescents and young adults with OCD, anxiety (including social anxiety, panic, phobias, and generalized anxiety), and related conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, tics, and excoriation disorder. I provide evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I see clients in-person in Cambridge, MA and virtually throughout Massachusetts and Texas. I also work with parents, offering coaching to help support their teen or young adult while reducing family accommodations. My goal is to create a compassionate, collaborative space where we take mental health seriously—but not ourselves too seriously. A little humor can go a long way in therapy! Treatment Approach I tailor treatment to each individual, often addressing co-occurring concerns like depression, eating issues, or trauma alongside anxiety or OCD. Using ERP, CBT, ACT, and DBT strategies, I help students manage symptoms, regulate emotions, and make meaningful, lasting changes—all in a supportive and approachable way. Training & Experience I earned my PhD from the University of Virginia, completed my clinical internship at Harvard Medical School/Cambridge Health Alliance, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for OCD and Related Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, where I currently see therapy patients and conduct research on OCD spectrum disorders.

Cory McDinger is a licensed mental health counselor with over a decade of clinical experience in school and community settings. With her gentle and non-judgmental demeanor and strength-based, insight-oriented, relational approach to therapy, she supports personal growth, new understandings, and valuable change. Cory earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University.

Using an integrative approach, my therapeutic style is grounded in compassion, honesty, humor, and humility. I work with individuals of all ages, but specialize in working with college-age adults. Individual therapy sessions are provided for 45-minutes/session, usually scheduled on a weekly basis. These weekly sessions lay the foundation for a strong therapeutic relationship, help with learning new skills, and create important momentum so you can experience relief and reach your therapy goals. We will work together to acknowledge and understand your past experiences and begin to re-affirm your feelings of personal worth. I also provide full and partial psychological evaluations, diagnostic evaluations (ADHD, mood, anxiety, learning, autism, developmental disorders), and educational evaluations. Assessments can be structured to measure social functioning, personality, memory, language, learning, and attention, or to provide diagnostic clarity. Individualized recommendations provided will support and facilitate growth, helping to set the path for success.

Talking about your life in a structured, mindful, and confidential manner can move you in the direction of creating a rich and meaningful life. I can help you develop the skills and tools that will support you in managing what is difficult for you right now. Some people see me for an open ended period. Others, prefer to work on a specific concern where we may meet for a much shorter length of time.

If you've been feeling emotionally overwhelmed and it's affecting your sleep, work, or relationships, today is a good day to prioritize your well-being! I offer telehealth sessions throughout Massachusetts and Virginia, and in person walk-and-talk sessions in Charlottesville, VA. I specialize in helping young adults manage stress, anxiety, feelings of isolation, depression, or of not feeling good enough that can accompany being a college student in an academically rigorous environment. If your previous ways of dealing with challenges are not working, you find yourself drinking more than you used to, not sleeping well, or not feeling able to connect with your friends and family, this is a good time to get additional support. I take an active role in helping you sort out the best way to approach your challenges and teach you the foundations of mental health so you get back on track. Together we will explore the connection between how you live and how you feel, and identify the areas that feel out of balance. I take a comprehensive holistic approach to wellness because, for the people I work with, traditional talk therapy is often not enough. Our mental health is impacted by our environment, sleep, physical activity, what we eat, relationships, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors–and I believe our mental health care should include these elements as components of the whole system. Evidence-based tools we may incorporate include meditation and somatic mind-body practices, techniques to work with thought patterns, interpersonal skills, and lifestyle interventions. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to discuss if we are a good fit to help you achieve your goals!

*****UPDATE 5/27/26: Our clinician Nobska Goodhue has current openings for clients seeking individual therapy on Monday or Tuesday mornings, or Thursday afternoon! If you are interested in setting up care, please email nobska@deepdivecounseling.net ***** We are a small group of like-minded practitioners. Our clinicians take a trauma-informed approach to all client work, and have significant experience treating sex-related trauma. We share a therapeutic focus on relationship dynamics, identity exploration, and self-growth, and commonly work with those in young adulthood and/or higher education. Clients who seek our services are often looking for help with trauma/PTSD/C-PTSD, grief, depression, anxiety, sexual health, relationships, identity exploration, and/or spirituality; our practitioners are kink and poly-informed, social-justice oriented, and share a special commitment to serving members of the LGBTQ+ community specifically.

Accepting new clients! At the center of my work is the belief that healing happens through connection—therapy begins with a space that feels safe, compassionate, and authentically supportive. I work with adults and young adults who are navigating life changes, anxiety, depression, identity questions, relationship challenges, and the ongoing work of self-discovery. I am affirming of LGBTQ+ identities, supportive of neurodiverse experiences, and committed to practicing in ways that are inclusive, culturally attuned, and trauma-informed. My style is person-centered and strengths-focused, rooted in humanistic values. I support clients in making sense of their experiences, discovering meaning, and reconnecting with what matters most to them. In addition to my general practice, I also support caregivers, siblings, and parents of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering space for emotional processing and deeper understanding. I see therapy as a collaborative journey, an opportunity to explore meaning, reclaim personal narratives, and cultivate resilience. Each person brings their own wisdom, and I’m honored to walk alongside you as you move toward greater clarity. Please reach out with any questions you may have about the therapeutic process or working with me!