Therapists for college students near University of Pennsylvania

I'm a person-centered therapist with 15+ years of experience using existential, CBT, Gestalt, and counseling techniques to help you understand your mental health and handle life's stressors-with honesty, empathy, and just the right amount of humor.

I provide therapy for young adults and adults struggling with mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression, personal and family trauma, stress, adjustment disorder, and relationship issues. If you are looking to process through emotions and feelings, reframe negative, defeating thoughts, or make changes to improve your wellbeing, my counseling services may be the right fit for you.

Your emotions have felt too overwhelming to acknowledge, so you try to ignore them, but they spill over into your daily life. You become triggered and have difficulty managing those emotions when they come to the surface. Negative thoughts pop into your head, and you spiral, believing your inner critic's every word. But you're ready to break free from the old story. If you are feeling the ripple effects of past trauma or experience intense emotions such as shame, sadness, low self-esteem, anger, or anxiety, I know how to help!

College brings many transitions that can be difficult to navigate, especially without the opportunity to reflect on the many changes and challenges you may be experiencing. My intention is to provide a safe space to explore your life as a student, and beyond. With nearly two decades of clinical experience, I offer compassionate and supportive therapy that openly explores thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

Therapy is a journey that can be beneficial for people at any stage of life; whether it's to overcome fear, process loss, build self esteem, practice more self care, reduce anxiety, or to simply have a safe space to talk about the beauty and hardships in life. I am here for you and with you at whatever stage of life you may be in. I believe in the importance of having a strong and trusting relationship with your therapist. You can expect to always be met with empathy, understanding, and kindness when meeting with me. I believe that when relationships are strong, change is even stronger. I will work collaboratively with you to help create goals that promote positive change and reduce symptoms that may be causing distress in your life. We will work together to remove the barriers that are keeping you from blooming to your full potential. My eclectic approach to therapy allows me to individualize treatment based on your needs in therapy. My greatest joy as a counselor is being able to walk with my clients through their journey of healing, growth, and transformation. I am truly passionate about helping people improve the quality of their life through empowerment and healing. I will help you build the skills necessary to create sustainable change and unlock your incredible potential. * I work well with college students who are also athletes, as I once competed at the collegiate level. This allows me to opportunity to relate to a lot of the stressors college athletes might experience*

Children, teenagers, and young adults are more overwhelmed today than ever. The daily challenges they face can be highly stressful and can lead to significant impairments in self-esteem, family relationships, school functioning, friendships, and other important areas of life. My ultimate goals as a therapist are to help young people find good life balance and develop a sense of peace within themselves. I enjoy providing a space where individuals and families can safely work through difficult situations, while learning to feel good about themselves, acquire problem-solving skills, maximize their natural strengths, and utilize the supports they have in their lives.

Are you having difficulty managing life’s challenges such as transitions, anxiety, depression, trauma, or attention issues? I understand how scary it can be to take the first step towards change and I am honored to work with you through this. You are the expert on your own life and we will work collaboratively to develop effective strategies to better manage your life. I specialize in working with teens and adults who are struggling with sadness, constant worries, difficulty concentrating, loneliness, relationship difficulties, traumatic experiences, feeling overwhelmed, and/or stress in the family, work, or school environment. With 8 years of experience in mental health, I present an eclectic, creative approach to identify your strengths and abilities to develop a plan that works for you. This allows us to start where you are now and help you to move forward at the pace at which you are ready. At LifeSpire, we work hard to assure you and your family are comfortable, regardless of what experience brought you through our door. Our office is easily accessible to Enola, Camp Hill, Harrisburg, New Cumberland, and Mechanicsburg residents.

Yihhsing Liu (中文: 劉懿馨; Pronouns: she/her/hers), Ph.D., LPC., NCC My clinical practice is informed by principles of humanistic psychology with the following focuses: psychodynamics, cultural relational theory, and trauma-focused framework. I believe in the power of therapeutic discourses that facilitate clients to discover unspoken thoughts and emotions related to their issues. I help clients to make meaningful connections and integrate thoughts, feelings, and actions given a situated culture and context. Additionally, I help clients explore meanings and patterns from a variety of roles they may identify with while developing creative mechanisms to respond to contextual and systematic stressors. My overarching treatment direction is to promote insight and adaptability for clients in each unique healing journey. I have practiced psychotherapy and clinical mental health counseling in various types of treatment facilities in the United States since 2010. I offered individual as well as group counseling in the areas of mood disturbances, maladaptive behaviors, crisis & trauma, relationship issues, identity issues, and substance abuse. I practiced psychiatric nursing as a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Registered Professional Nurse (RPN) in both child & adolescent and adult in-patient units at the designated psychiatric treatment center in the city of Taipei, aka Taipei City Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Taiwan from 1999 to 2004. Additionally, I served as a clinical faculty in the program of Counselor Education at Duquesne University (2015-2024). I provided teaching, training, and clinical supervision for counselors-in-training and supervisors-in-training on a regular basis throughout my academic appointments. I offer services for a variety of mental health issues from short term, brief interventions to long term psychotherapy. I am a native speaker of Mandarin and offer bilingual mental health counseling.

Melvinik Simmons was born and raised in Brownsville Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in a single parent household in the projects of Brooklyn was challenging. Where she comes from truly makes her the person she is today. "I saw everything that you can imagine, drugs, violence, even witnessing my childhood friend jump off a building". She knew at a young age people were "broken and felt helpless". Melvinik’s passion and mission is to inspire people and work with them to achieve their goals. "I am not only a therapist, but I care a great deal about my clients who I work with". "I am you and you are me" My mission is to help heal broken hearts. "I have been through a lot of what you may be going through, and I am here to tell you that healing is possible". Melvinik has been in the helping profession for over 20 years. She specializes in depression, grief/loss, anxiety and PTSD. She was a social worker for several foster care agencies, a supervisor for a crisis unit, a counselor for YMCA, and a therapist in the behavioral health department for several years at Richmond University Medical Center (N.Y) and St Luke University Health Network (P.A.). She has been in private practice (Talk Trust Heal LLC) for 4 years providing virtual therapy to clients in N.Y. P.A. and S.C. where she currently resides. She has an integrative approach combined with different styles, modalities, and methods to promote wellness. "I don't have a "one size fit's all approach" I immediately like to start where my clients are and offer a non-judgmental platform where they are able to talk in a safe environment. She is dedicated and committed to her clients and their mental health. Her motto is "Trust the therapeutic process, talk about the presenting issues and heal".

You might feel torn between what you want and what everyone else expects from you. You try to make the right choices, keep the peace, and be there for everyone, yet you are left feeling anxious, guilty, and unsure of your own needs. I work with women who feel stuck in relationships, career decisions, and life transitions, and who want to understand themselves more clearly and set healthier boundaries. My work is grounded in CBT, Mindfulness, EMDR, strengths-based therapy, and Trauma Informed care. I pay close attention to the mind-body connection because it often reveals what words cannot. Our goal is to help you feel more like yourself, more confident in your decisions, and more connected to what you truly want. I show up with honesty, compassion, and a little humor. I will support you, challenge you, and call out the patterns that keep showing up so you can stay focused on what matters to you. If you want to talk and see if we are a good fit, click the website button to schedule a free consultation.

I have worked for last 6 years at Pitt's Counseling Center, focused primarily on transition, trauma, substance use and family concerns. My approach is to be in a 50/50 partnership with you, since you have the most experience with you, and I have the clinical experience and education. Therapy is by, for and about you and your health and well-being. I do not set expectations for you, we identify your goals together. Call or email for an initial, free consultation if you'd like to talk more about possibly working together! I look forward to meeting you!

If you struggle with self-esteem, managing emotions, boundaries in relationships, or you've survived a traumatic childhood or young adulthood, I may be a good fit for you. Abusive or neglectful experiences from our past can impact our self-worth, our capacity to cope with stress, and our ability to feel safe connecting with others. I specialize in working with people who have had trauma in their lives or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, whether in your childhood, in a relationship, or due to COVID or another recent isolated experience. I offer weekly therapy as well as skills training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. I see therapy as a resource for you, a way to find coping skills that actually work for you. You can learn to shift the way you respond to stress & let go of unhelpful patterns. My other areas of expertise: working with young adults facing anxiety, depression, or difficult life transitions, & people facing the challenges of pregnancy and/or new parenthood. I'm committed to helping you heal. Through our work together, I will help you find compassion, respect and forgiveness for yourself. By starting with a safe and supportive relationship in therapy, you can become grounded, confident, and able to feel more connected to others. Please feel free to reach out to discuss options and make a plan. You are worth it.

Our group understands that finding mental health services can be difficult and expensive. Our therapists are committed to providing quality, affordable care to members of our community. We are aware of the importance of making ourselves available to those who are in need of support, and would not be able to afford therapeutic care without use of their insurance. We are proud to partner with Aetna, Cigna, Highmark, Quest, Imagine, & United / Optum insurances to allow their members access to quality mental health services. Our mission is to destigmatize insurance-based mental health services; you do not need to pay private pay rates for quality care

Open Space Counseling, Consulting & Wellness is a LGBTQIA+, racial and relationship minority affirming practice. Our mission is to eliminate fear of judgement as a barrier to personal growth. You’re likely here because your life isn’t quite where you’d like it to be. You’re struggling with relationships, or finding yourself reliving old patterns that are causing you pain. You’re sick of feeling so isolated, depressed, disconnected, and frustrated when everyone else on Instagram seems so much happier and more successful. Maybe you’ve been trying to solve these problems on your own for a long time, yet still feeling stuck in the same old rut. You might be contemplating a big transition. You might really need space to talk through all the jumbled up thoughts and feelings inside. Maybe it'd be helpful to share the self-critical thoughts ("I am broken;" "I'm a failure;" "I have nothing to offer;" "I can't change;" "If I make changes, everyone will hate me"), so that we can look at them together, and notice that they aren't you. I am experienced in providing supportive counseling to folks across the lifespan, in and around the gender binary, and at all stages of “acuity.” In light of my experience, I am a staunch believer in the philosophy that all people have the resources inside themselves to make changes toward becoming ever more healthy, connected, and complex. The focus of my approach is self-acceptance. This means that I'm not going to push you to talk about things you're not ready to talk about yet, or offer much in the way of advice or homework. Instead, we'll make space for you to examine your process toward making the changes you want for your life. I am a gender affirming therapist specializing in trans and nonbinary wellness. Since 2013, I have co-authored several letters of recommendation for medical gender confirmation, and am familiar with that process. I also know that many people aren’t seeking physical changes as a part of their journey. In 2021, I obtained WPATH certification, which rewards those committed to staying on top of both the current evidence and consensus in the field through continuing education. It is the gold standard of trans-specific healthcare certification.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Welcome! I am so glad you are taking the first steps to feeling better. Whether you are suffering from relationship struggles, depression, difficulty adjusting, anxiety, loss, trauma or just need someone to talk to about your life, I welcome you to reach out to see if my services and treatment are right for you. I offer traditional psychotherapy, expressive therapy, and EMDR. My office (in-person and virtual) is a safe place to share what weighs on you, heal trauma and learn about healthy ways of coping and interacting with people in your life. Together we can make a plan for a fulfilling and positive future. The first step is reaching out. From there we can work together to help you feel better.

College can be a very difficult time for us. We may face some changes and also notice new expectations for ourselves during these transitional moments. It is highly likely to feel confused at times and unsure of where we see ourselves next. I want to help you become the best version of yourself so that you are better suited for making these decisions and feel comfortable with them! My Supervisor is Bill Coffey, License number: CW014371

Do you feel isolated, like you just can’t really seem to connect with others in a meaningful way? Is life starting to become boringly repetitive with no end in sight? Are you drinking or using other drugs more than you are comfortable and worry you might have a problem? Maybe you chronically feel depressed, anxious, or that your mood is just all over the place for no obvious reason? Are you experiencing distressing memories, thoughts, and strong feelings without having a sense of control over them? I can help you by developing healthy self-resourcing tools to manage your thoughts, feelings, and distress experiences. I work with individuals by offering a healthy, nonjudgmental, encouraging, and collaborative relationship that promote your strengths through a process of discovery, acceptance, growth, and becoming. I believe every person has an inherent potential for growth. I work diligently with you as a collaborator to help you harness this potential through support, encouragement, and, at times, even challenging you. I work with adults of all ages, gender identities, races, sexual orientations and economic/ethnic backgrounds to treat a wide range of problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, chronic anger management issues, addiction, PTSD, and a variety of other behavior conditions. I practice eclectically with a strong emphasis on Person-Centered Therapy and Gestalt Therapy. I am trained in a variety of techniques including Motivational Interviewing and EMDR.

I am a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy. Having spent many years working in university settings, I understand the needs and challenges of being a college student and navigating the stresses and demands of student life. I work best with clients who are struggling with anxiety and stress, depression, and family and/or other relationship concerns. I believe that therapy is most effective in the context of a supportive and honest relationship in which we agree to work together to help you: -- Gain a better understanding of your feelings and experiences -- Explore aspects of your life or experience that you may have been avoiding -- Identify patterns in your actions, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and relationships -- Live a more authentic life, i.e., a life that is most consistent with your beliefs, values, and feelings As I listen to your story, I will offer reflections and interpretations with the goal of increasing understanding of your feelings and experiences, both past and present. An honest, unflinching look at our own feelings and experiences helps us make the best decisions possible about our lives. While I believe that understanding oneself is of utmost importance, I also make use of skill-focused approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy to help with the process of behavior change. While engaging in a process of self-reflection can be difficult at times, developing self-awareness helps you gain the skills to live an authentic life. In simple terms, the goal of therapy is to give you the skills to be able to check in with yourself about what you want and need and take the steps to meet those needs while at the same time nurturing and maintaining your relationships and social/vocational commitments.

Life is challenging and trying to figure out who you are, where you are going and what your purpose is, is hard enough. Then we throw in friendships, romantic relationships, careers and family dynamics and we can get overwhelmed so easily. In therapy we work together to find clarity. I have significant experience helping young adults in their 20s and 30s to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression by exploring relationship and work difficulties, figuring out adulthood, and navigate feeling lost amongst your peers. I work with college students and young professionals navigating young early adulthood. Where we go in therapy depends on you. I take my expertise and knowledge and tailor it to meet your personal needs and what would bring you relief. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy which is rooted in mindfulness and self-compassion with a focus on living a life that makes you feel fulfilled. Whether this is your first time looking for a therapist or you've traveled down this road before, good for you. Asking for help requires courage. If you are looking to work with a therapist that will be interactive, non-judgmental, empathic and kind, reach out to see if we are a good fit. We will set up at 10minute call to see if we are good fit!