Therapists for college students near 15213
Maybe you feel directionless, hopeless, or unfulfilled - maybe you spend a lot of time in your day worrying or holding yourself back from what you really want. You might feel like you’re buckling under the pressure of work, relationships, loss, or other stressful and difficult parts of life. If any of this resonates with you, you’re in the right place - I’m here, and I’m excited to support you! Hi, I’m Jackie - I’m a therapist and licensed social worker (LSW) awaiting licensure finalization! My therapeutic approach is to meet you where you are and help you grow into a healed and happier version of yourself. My therapeutic style is laid back, warm, and eclectic; my top priority is to always provide a space where you feel safe, supported, and heard. I’m currently taking new clients for individual therapy and have immediate openings. If you’re ready to take the next step, I’d love to connect. Email me at jsouza@persoma.com to schedule a free 15-minute virtual consultation so we can chat about your goals and how I can best support you. I’m so glad you’re here - let’s get you feeling better!
I provide experienced, thoughtful care to young adults and college students navigating a wide range of challenges. Whether you’re feeling stuck, anxious, disconnected, overwhelmed, or simply seeking clarity and direction, therapy can help you better understand yourself, shift unhelpful patterns, and create meaningful change. My approach is holistic, warm, and relational. I work collaboratively with each client to uncover the underlying forces shaping their current concerns, helping them identify choice points and reconnect with their strengths. While I work with a wide range of presenting issues, I have a special focus on treating trauma in its many forms. I am especially committed to providing safe, affirming, and effective care for survivors of sexual abuse and assault, and for those carrying the long shadows of past experiences. Regardless of the content, I approach every session with cultural humility, clinical attunement, and deep respect for each client’s lived experience. Therapy is your time—for insight, healing, growth, or simply space to breathe and think. A strong therapeutic relationship is at the heart of this work, and I invest fully in building that alliance with every client I meet. To learn more about my practice or see if we might be a good fit, please scroll down and click the link to my website.
Hello. I have been in Private Practice for over 25 years. I have also worked in college counseling centers. My first task is to listen and fully understand the individuals that I work with. Then, we collaboratively identify skills and solutions to improve the situation. We heal old wounds and work through issues so that you can feel more at peace and reach your fullest potential.
Our skilled doctoral-level therapists offer personalized and comprehensive psychological care. Together, we help with most mood, behavioral, relational, and life transition issues. You will receive an assessment of your psychological health and a personalized plan to fit your unique needs, goals, and life situation. Most importantly, you will develop insights and strategies to take therapy “on the go.” We understand that your psychological health and wellness aren’t limited to psychotherapy. We will work with you to ensure that your family, work, and identity are integrated in all aspects of your care. Come to therapy as you are. Our therapists are trained in working with people across all walks of life. We offer in-person and virtual appointments. While we are based in Pittsburgh, we are happy to work with you virtually from anywhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!
I see one of the most important roles as a therapist to be putting in the work to earn someone’s trust and walking beside them as an accomplice on their path towards growth. I don’t believe that people are “broken” or “need to be fixed”, but rather that somewhere within every person lies the capacity to generate change. I believe this change begins by finding someone trustworthy to support them through this process. And—that being kinder and gentler towards ourselves goes a long way to building the foundation for this change to occur. My experiences span across 15 years, with the scope of my direct work supporting clients in their exploration of gender expression/transition, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/loss and more- all within Allegheny County. I am also happy to provide evaluations and letters for Gender Affirming surgeries, Green Card Status, and Emotional Support Animals. The world is an often hard place to be, and my goal is to create a space for softness to occur. To not only listen but to hear and understand. To respect through accountability. To address struggles through processing and also through action leading to systemic change.
I work toward internal and external hope, while also acknowledging the difficult realities and stressors that uniquely affect individuals and relationships. I use art therapy, client-centered, cognitive behavioral, and trauma-informed approaches to therapy recognizing that healing and wholeness come as part of a process. In addition to talk therapy, I am a professional Art Therapist. Art therapy can help hold difficult feelings and experiences for all ages while also creating a safe space for non-verbal and verbal expression. No "artistic skill" is needed and life isn't always pretty, so that is not the goal with the art either. My clinical work has focused on treating trauma and various mental health disorders in children and adults. I have provided art therapy and counseling programming in a women’s shelter for domestic violence, Pittsburgh Public schools K-12, and a therapeutic classroom environment. I now work with adults and children in a private group practice setting. I am currently accepting new clients! Feel free to email me with any questions.
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With over a decade of experience, Emerson specializes in helping college students navigate the unique challenges of young adulthood. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression, ADHD, self-esteem, academic stress, relationship conflicts, substance use, or grief, Emerson provides a supportive space to work through it. He focuses on identifying and challenging negative self-talk while fostering self-compassion, self-love, and personal growth. Understanding that meaningful connections enhance the therapeutic experience, Emerson prioritizes building strong, authentic relationships with his clients. He takes a Solution-Focused approach, integrating CBT and Positive Psychology techniques, and is also certified in Brainspotting and Motivational Interviewing for specialized care. Emerson has dedicated much of his career to supporting young adults through transitional periods, helping them develop the confidence and resilience needed to thrive in college and beyond. As an old Greek proverb says, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Emerson embraces this wisdom, committing himself to helping students build a foundation for a successful future.
At this moment, you face one of the most important choices of your life: Is this the moment you closed your browser and settled for what you have? Or is this the moment you reached out for therapy and reclaimed your life? My approach to therapy focuses on developing a positive vision for your life. You can’t just wish for the suffering to end. You need to be bolder. What becomes possible when the suffering ends - what will it mean for you to live a good life? Many struggle with this question. They think they know what they want, but in reality they want what someone else wanted for them. That is why my approach focuses on understanding your true self - your style of perceiving your environment, interacting with the world, and making decisions. As we discover your true self, we will also work on recognizing the existential choices you face as part of the change process and identifying how you can make those choices in alignment with your core values. You have one precious, beautiful, wild life. With every passing moment, that life is getting shorter. You’ve lost too much time to suffering already. If you are ready to change, reach out to me. I am ready to walk with you every step of the way.
Welcome! I enjoy working collaboratively with folks to identify new coping skills, process difficult emotions, memories, and thoughts. My clients often are adolescents or young adults seeking assistance with social anxiety, stressful life transitions, depression, gender identity, sexuality, relationship and/or family conflicts.
I like to work with children, teens, and young adults with mental and behavioral health disorders after being emersed in the public school system for the past decade. Building a rapport and seeing my patients' confidence grow as their condition improves is my 'why'. Helping children and young adults learn how to recognize, manage, and cope with their symptoms as they progress into adulthood to live a peaceful, meaningful life is my goal.
The Nexus Group is a Pittsburgh-based integrative psychiatric clinic, combining conventional psychiatry and psychotherapy with mind-body techniques, advanced nutrient therapy, and healthy lifestyle practices for a comprehensive, root-cause treatment of behavioral health conditions. We consider ourselves guides and collaborators, assisting you in your journey to achieve your optimal well being.
We believe that each person has the capacity to manifest or access the skills and resources that will help them feel better. You may be experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression due to a life transition, grief, trauma, or even simply a general sense of dissatisfaction that you can’t quite name. Therapy may help you identify the underlying causes and support you on your journey towards wellness. As licensed therapists, our wholistic approach to healing and wellness includes body, mind, and spirit. Therapy with our therapists will impact more than just your thoughts and emotions. We will work together on your emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and physical elements. This wholistic approach ensures that all aspects maintain balance.
I work with athletes, performers, and professionals to improve focus, confidence, and emotional agency under pressure. I will support you in attaining mindful engagement and psychological flow in your daily life. If you’re looking to navigate an important career transition, improve relationship patterns, or heal after a breakup, I’m also here to help. Regardless of your circumstances, you deserve to experience life to its fullest potential. My style is practical, collaborative, and tailored to your specific needs. Whether you are preparing for a critical moment, navigating a high-pressure or professional transition, working through relationship challenges, or trying to break through a plateau, I will help you gain the insight and skills needed to overcome barriers that may be holding you back. Over time, my goal is to help you stay present under stress, recover more quickly from setbacks, and respond to situations with clarity and control rather than force or self-criticism. I bring over a decade of experience as a psychologist, academic instructor, training director, and clinical supervisor. I look forward to serving you. Education and Career I am a licensed psychologist and a founding co-owner of Avellar Warden Psychological Associates, PLLC. I earned my Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and completed my doctoral and post-doctoral residencies respectively at the University of Delaware and University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am a licensed psychologist in PA, NY, and a certified member of The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which allows me to work with clients in almost every state within the U.S.
I help clients learn to listen to and hear themselves; my interest is in helping you to develop the confidence to recognize and honor your own wisdom and thereby make more effective choices in your life. My clinical experiences have afforded me the opportunity to work with a wide range of clients, including but not limited to those with major depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorder, and grief. If you are interested in gaining insight into your problems and concerns in order to make changes in your life, then our work together will be rewarding for you. My therapeutic areas of interest include living with chronic physical illnesses, grief and loss issues, anxiety, depression, life transitions, moving beyond fear in one's life, and providing support during and after pregnancy. I welcome clients of all ethnicities, cultures and orientations.
We are an Integrative Therapy Practice. Clients often face emotional, mental, and physical challenges in their lives. To better prepare them, we often incorporate a combination of traditional and emerging practices. This integrative therapy strives to promote healing by creating both a healthy mind and body. Our licensed professional counselors use this approach in helping clients manage the strong emotional and physical stressors that interfere with their relationships at home, work or school. In addition to our counseling services, some of the tools we recommend in our therapy include massage, yoga, meditation, and diet. Our clinicians provide both in-person and telehealth sessions.
I was both the traditional and non-traditional student in my college career that struggled with balancing it all; work, social life, trying to be healthy, get good grades and discovery myself. I wish I knew then what I know now and that is, you may not need to balance but distribute, prioritize, and compartmentalize! We are not just a "talk therapy" practice, we believe in providing tools and skills to get through the life YOU want effectively. Let us help you discover your journey that aligns with your wants, desires, needs, and values.
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Do you feel stressed, helpless or overlooked? Are you seeking a change? In our sessions, you’ll find a supportive environment where you can be heard and understood without judgement. Together, we will create a safe space for authentic self-expression and address difficulties affecting your wellness. I am dedicated to supporting you in your journey of self-discovery and healing, respecting your unique life stressors and allowing you to move at your own pace – so you can feel empowered to create meaningful change in your life. I specialize in addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship concerns. Our work together will be rooted in client-centered care, allowing us to use evidence-based techniques tailored to your specific needs. I have comprehensive training in EMDR, Mindfulness, CBT, and DBT. I work with teens and adults of any age. Therapy thrives on a strong therapeutic alliance built on empathy, respect, and trust. If you are curious about what therapy might look like for you, feel free to reach out! I offer in-person sessions at our Squirrel Hill office as well as telehealth options for your convenience.
As a therapist, I strive to provide my patients with a balance of validation and challenge. When we feel stuck, it can seem impossible to take action and make change. Together, we can explore your strengths and how those can guide you through your fears and anxieties. I utilize a strength-based, trauma-focused approach that is designed to treat you as an individual, with all the unique experiences and perspectives you bring to the therapy setting.