Therapists for college students near University of Pittsburgh

Navigating mental health and its treatment can be challenging. Having personally experienced a late in life ADHD diagnosis, along with struggles with anxiety and depression, I deeply understand the difficulties that can arise. These experiences shape my approach to therapy, where my goal is create a welcoming and supportive environment in which you feel validated, understood, and safe to grow into your best self. Through my work in schools, outpatient, and inpatient settings, I have gained extensive experience across multiple levels of mental health treatment. I specialize in working with teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, life transitions, and challenges with self-esteem and self-worth. With compassion and openness, I help clients navigate these struggles and foster growth. Using a person-centered approach, I collaborate with clients to build skills that support their goals. Drawing from CBT, narrative therapy, and reality therapy, I help identify unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, and work together to create healthier perspectives. When you learn to recognize your own power, manage your thoughts, and shift unhelpful behaviors, you can create more joy and independence in your life. I’m here to support you as you take steps to rewrite your story and build the life you want.

Many people come to counseling when life gets overwhelming, unhealthy patterns feel hard to change, or emotions become too heavy to carry alone. It’s no wonder then, that therapy can sometimes feel like a lot of work! But having a strong therapeutic relationship and safe environment to process feelings can make all the difference. I approach therapy with a supportive, down-to-earth style in order to give clients the space necessary to pause, reflect, and start taking concrete steps towards building a life that feels more meaningful. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC), and also have a Ph.D. in neuroscience. My primary therapeutic modality is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and I also integrate skills and strategies from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when appropriate. I've worked with adolescents, young adults, and adults who are navigating depression, anxiety, identity questions, relationship issues, life transitions, or just the everyday stress that we all experience. Together we will focus on building skills to help live a more mindful, values-aligned existence, while also creating space for deeper self-understanding.

In my view, mental health struggles are not just random blips of brain chemistry, but connect to our histories, personalities, desires, and fears. I work primarily from a relational and psychodynamic perspective, an approach that is slower than some other methods, but often more transformative and long-lasting. My work takes place at the level of the innermost self, parts that may be unknown or consciously rejected. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy: we build this practice together as we go. Through a process of nonjudgmental curiosity, I create a safe space for self-discovery and acceptance. I enjoy working with adults from all walks of life. I welcome and have experience working with LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse clients, as well as those from alternative lifestyles/subcultures. I will also soon be offering psychological assessment services. I work from a collaborative orientation that puts assessment data in the context of your life and world. I have completed a doctoral (Psy.D.) program and am currently working toward licensure as a psychologist. I work under the supervision of a licensed clinician I can consult about my work. I have over three years of experience in community mental health and college counseling settings, as well as several years in social work prior to my graduate training.

I have experience working with emerging adults (18-21 years old), providing individual counseling surrounding life transitions and identity development. I earned my bachelor’s degree at University of North Carolina- Asheville in 2010. Before moving to Pittsburgh, I worked in a whole person centered recovery program helping people with substance use and mental health challenges. I draw from therapeutic frameworks such as existential-humanistic, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. At the core, my therapeutic perspective is curiosity and compassion. It is my role to understand and honor your complexities and contradictions, instead of neutralizing them. I want to work with adult individuals and couples who are interested in their past, present, and future selves. I will bring a non-judgmental, person-centered approach that prioritizes your needs and wants in every session. I believe healing and growth doesn’t happen in a bubble, but in the moments of connection where you can be both genuine and vulnerable. My purpose as a therapist is to create a safe space for you to cultivate authenticity, explore those vulnerabilities, and move towards your goals. My practice is strongly informed by the urgency and reality of our current times. Mental health is not just an individual issue, but intertwined with our systemic and community environments. I will seek to understand your unique lived experiences, especially if those experiences include marginalization and oppression. I hope to help you navigate these real overwhelming struggles and find paths towards resistance, empowerment, and joy.

With over 15 years in the mental health field, I'm thrilled to begin the next chapter of my career as a therapist and clinical supervisor at Congruent Relationships. I earned my master's degree in Couples and Family Therapy with a specialization in Art Therapy from Antioch University Seattle in 2014. After returning to Pittsburgh, I spent several years in community mental health, gaining a broad range of experience working with individuals and families of all ages in various settings. For the past five years, I've worked in private practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. During this time, I trained under a certified sex therapist, which equipped me to support individuals and couples with diverse sexual concerns and goals. My practice is built on an inclusive, sex-positive, trauma-informed, anti-racist, anti-ableism, and anti-colonialism lens. I am committed to providing gender-affirming care to individuals, couples, and families within the LGBTQIA+ community. I also specialize in treating neurodivergent individuals. I am passionate about empowering them and their loved ones to navigate the world, celebrating their unique brains and abilities while developing skills and accommodations to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. I approach therapy with a foundation of non-judgmental curiosity, collaboration, humor, and humanity. I utilize systemic theory and an eclectic combination of approaches, including talk therapy, art therapy, sex therapy, mindfulness, and somatic interventions, tailoring each one to a client's specific needs.

I’m Grace! In the therapy room, I show up authentically. We’re both human, and I believe that connecting on a human level rather than just a professional level fosters a deeper connection and the potential for stronger trust and safety to be built. I spend more time than many on building a strong foundation of rapport with clients through getting to know the stories that built them. I feel strongly that every individual is an expert on themself, and I am a learner in the first stage of therapy. It’s so important to me that you know that I will accept you unconditionally. In therapy, there will absolutely be a time and place for challenging and calling you on your bullshit when appropriate. However, I also believe that in order for the challenging to feel safe, it is necessary for there to be a foundation of non-judgment and understanding that each person is doing the best they can in a given situation. I am committed to doing everything I can to understand where you may be coming from, what led you there, and why you made the decisions you did. That doesn’t mean I’ll always agree with you, and I may offer other perspectives, but I will consistently prioritize validation and giving context to your self-judgments. How do you know if I’m the right therapist for you? If any of the following resonate with you, I may be a good fit for your needs: You struggle with aspects of your identity (gender, sexuality, life stage, ways of defining worth, etc.) You often feel as if you are “not enough” and don’t measure up to those around you You have trouble expressing, processing, or regulating emotion, perhaps due to past contexts in which you didn’t feel safe to do so You notice that you are sometimes really mean to yourself You find yourself pushing away the “hard stuff” You want to build self-awareness to understand your inner world on a deeper level As someone who grew up closeted in an extremely religious household, I get what it’s like to feel like you don’t belong or like you need to push away parts of yourself. I can never fully understand what exactly it’s like to be you, but I can connect with you through the shared experience of being a person who’s trying their best to figure out who the hell they are. I want you to know that all parts of you are important, and we can work together to figure out how they have historically functioned to protect you, and perhaps how they can function differently to protect you in the present. I can truly say that I love my job. It’s so beautiful to be able to share in both the joys and sorrows with a client, holding some of those emotions for them when we’re in the room together. I feel very lucky to witness the changes clients make over time, as they learn more about their inherent worth and ability to weather the storms that life inevitably brings. I can’t make the rain go away, but I can help you find some boots and an umbrella.

Our Medication Management Services integrate seamlessly with therapy to support your full healing journey. Whether you’re exploring medication for the first time or continuing ongoing treatment, our goal is to help you feel grounded, supported, and empowered every step of the way.

I’m passionate about providing creative and exploratory therapeutic practices to help children, adolescents, families, and individuals of all ages thrive. I truly value open communication and an open-minded approach throughout the therapeutic process. My goal is to create a welcoming space where clients can think, feel, explore, and make sense of their innermost experiences. I strive to foster an empathetic, respectful, and safe environment that allows everyone to process their unique life challenges. Over the past fifteen years, I've had the pleasure of working with a variety of people in different settings, both in the community and through one-on-one interactions. Alongside my MSW/LSW, I’ve earned certifications in areas like Child Welfare, Complex Case Management, Family Intervention Counseling, Crisis Management, and Drug and Alcohol Counseling. I embrace an person-centered approach to treatment in a way that's holistic, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I incorporate a range of clinical techniques, including Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and more, to tailor my support to each individual.

Hello and welcome to my page! I am an LCSW in Pennsylvania and am currently a Doctorate of Social Work candidate. My passion is in helping individuals to recover from traumatic events and have worked extensively with survivors of sexual trauma and other traumatic events. I have also worked extensively with survivors of forced migration, including refugees and asylum seekers and I offer evaluations for immigration court.

We are a liberation-focused therapy and consulting practice offering affirming care. Our practice emphasizes affirming care for queer, neurodivergent, and marginalized communities because these groups often struggle to find safe providers. At the same time, therapy is for anyone seeking personal growth and support. You don’t have to hold a marginalized identity to benefit from what we offer – we’re here for the full range of human experience. Regardless of your identity, we’re here to offer our support. ALL are welcome.

I’m passionate about working with individuals who have experienced a wide range of traumatic experiences, and I hold specialized training and experience in supporting survivors of sexual trauma. I’m trained in EMDR, which I find especially helpful for clients who feel stuck, disconnected, or trapped in old patterns that no longer serve them. It’s one thing to logically tell yourself, ‘what happened wasn’t my fault’ or ‘I am safe now’ – and an entirely different journey to help your body believe that the threat has passed. I specialize in helping clients navigate shame and identity challenges with compassion and curiosity. My approach focuses on creating a non-judgmental space to explore the stories and experiences that have shaped how you see yourself. Together, we’ll work on uncovering the roots of shame, building self-compassion, and encouraging a more authentic sense of self. Anxiety often feels like you’re bracing for something you can’t quite name. You might feel restless, hyperaware, overwhelmed, or like you’re always trying to stay one step ahead of disaster. In our work, we’ll slow things down and get curious – not critical. Instead of fighting your anxiety, we’ll explore what it’s trying to signal, protect, or prepare you for. I’ll help you develop grounding strategies and ways of relating to your anxiety that actually fit your life and values, so you can feel more settled and connected in the present. When working with me, you can expect to enter a space where you don’t need to have it all together. We’ll celebrate your successes, and I’ll be there to sit with you during the heavy moments. I’m not here to ‘fix’ you, but I am here to help you dig deeper and start connecting the dots in your life. Typically, this will include a healthy dose of sarcasm, practical skills, humor, warmth, and empathy. My goal is to help you find what works best for you while we move at a pace that feels right.

College can be exciting, overwhelming, and everything in between. Whether you’re figuring out who you are, navigating friendships or relationships, managing anxiety or depression, dealing with stress, or feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, I offer a warm, supportive space where you don’t have to have it all figured out. I believe therapy should feel collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to you. Together, we’ll explore the thoughts, emotions, and experiences that may be getting in the way of feeling more grounded, connected, and confident. My approach combines practical coping skills with opportunities for deeper self-understanding, helping you build self-compassion and create meaningful change. Young adulthood comes with a lot of transitions such as starting college, exploring identity, balancing academics and relationships, preparing for life after graduation, or simply trying to keep up with everything on your plate. Therapy can be a place to slow down, process what you’re going through, and reconnect with what matters most to you. You don’t have to navigate it all on your own. Wherever you are in your journey, I’d be honored to support your growth, healing, and the life you’re creating for yourself.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Welcome! I work primarily with those who identify as high achievers, problem solvers, and doers. Often that identity can be really functional in some parts of life, but leave us feeling stuck, confused, and frustrated in other parts of life. You can find me on Instagram at @act_therapy_pgh.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Inner Journey Counseling, a Group Therapy Practice, provides therapy, consultation, and other services to individuals, couples, and families in the Pittsburgh Region. Our treatment approach is based on the concept that your mental health is equally as important as your physical health, and that attending to your mental health is essential for living a truly fulfilled life. We believe that therapy should feel collaborative and empowering, rather than pathologizing. Our team is dedicated to providing you with comprehensive and evidence-based psychological care.

Welcome to Common Thread Counseling! We are a practice that specializes in school aged youths, students, and transitional aged young adults. We are located in the heart of Shadyside and look forward to connecting with you in our office or through our telehealth services. Life as a student often pulls you in many directions, with many demands on your time, your energy, and your focus. Maintaining your capacity for all factors in your life is challenging. Everyone needs a space to feel heard, supported, and encouraged. We would be honored to join you alongside your journey. Through creative interventions and evidenced based practices we engage in meaningful work to support you toward your goals.

I enjoy working with children, teens and young adults struggling with depression, anxiety and behavioral issues. I've had success helping clients with difficulty focusing in school, trouble with impulse control or managing emotions, and with clients who find social interactions challenging. I believe that every young person deserves a safe, supportive space where they feel heard, understood, and valued. I am passionate about helping navigate life's challenges while building confidence, resilience, and healthy coping skills through specific methods such as CBT, behavioral therapy, play therapy and art. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors while building healthy coping skills. Through play, art, behavioral strategies, and mindfulness techniques, I create a safe, engaging environment where children and teens can express emotions, reduce anxiety, strengthen problem-solving skills, and practice tools they can use at home

As a group practice, we believe therapy is a space where your whole identity is welcome, respected, and affirmed. We offer compassionate, confidential mental health care rooted in systemic awareness and informed by our social work values. Whether you are navigating anxiety, depression, OCD, relationship difficulties, chronic illness, or healing from trauma and life transitions, we're here to help. We know that managing the impacts of life events is difficult, and we offer culturally humble, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care tailored to your needs—available in-person at our Pittsburgh office and via telehealth throughout Pennsylvania. Alliance therapists have expertise in a wide-range of mental health issues, diagnoses, and treatment modalities. If you're looking for the right therapist, Alliance is a great place to start! Contact us today for a free 15-minute consultation.