Therapists for college students near New York University

Hi! My name is Mary Denning and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who loves helping clients live happier, healthier lives. I've worked across many age groups, cultures, and diagnoses. I started my career with geriatric clients, then worked with adolescents and families throughout the public school system, all while working in palliative and hospice care. Those experiences shaped my private practice today and gave me the skills to meet a wide range of needs. As your therapist, my goal is to help you reach yours. I'll be a sounding board where you can freely share your thoughts and feelings, and I'll work to fully understand you so I can help you understand yourself. Together we'll set realistic goals and build the tools to reach them. I genuinely love helping people see themselves in a new light and create real change in their lives. I know firsthand what it feels like to be heard, supported, and guided, and how much that can shift your whole outlook. Therapy can help anyone, and I'd really encourage you to give it a try. Life is too short to be at war with yourself! Looking forward to meeting you! Mary Denning, LCSW

Hello! I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 10 years of experience in hospitals, therapy clinics, and academic research settings. l work with adolescents and young adults facing a range of challenges, including more serious mental health concerns. My practice focuses on treating individuals with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. My style is warm and client-centered, with a strong emphasis on building a trusting therapeutic relationship. You will always be met with acceptance, support, and a space free of shame and judgment. My goal is to arm you with knowledge and tools so that you develop confidence to better manage difficulties in your life. I aim to provide you with clear information related to symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. I have expertise in evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). I often bring worksheets and treatment manuals into the session, and use assessments to learn more about you and track progress. If you're unsure of what to expect from therapy, I will be there to guide you. In our initial sessions, we'll work toward gaining a good understanding of your difficulties and goals, and develop a treatment plan together. Sometimes we may even complete a clinical and diagnostic evaluation, where I will review the results with you and provide tailored treatment recommendations. If you’re looking for an experienced psychologist who values collaboration and providing you with structured tools, I’d love to hear from you! I offer free 15-minute consultations if you'd like to meet first to see if we'd be a good fit.

Kimberlee VanBurch is dedicated to building trust by creating a safe, welcoming, and nonjudgemental space where clients feel heard, respected, and valued. She approaches each client with empathy, authenticity, and genuine curiosity about their unique experiences. Kimberlee describes her therapeutic style as warm, collaborative, strength-based, and goal oriented. She believes that every client brings unique strengths and resilience to the therapeutic process and works collaboratively to identify meaningful goals and practical strategies for achieving them.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Teresa "Lynn" is dedicated to helping people find relief, balance, and strength through evidence-based care and compassionate connection. She values genuine connection, respect, and consistency, always meeting people where they are and moving at their pace. Teresa's warm, supportive, and collaborative approach combines structure with compassion, helping clients set small, realistic goals while creating a safe space where they feel heard and understood. Outside of work, she enjoys time with family and friends, listening to live music, being by the water, spending time in nature, and finding simple ways to feel calm and grounded. Teresa believes music, laughter, movement, and mindfulness are powerful medicine, and she brings that energy into her sessions when it fits.

Hey there, I am Tiara-Nicole, an Individual, Couples and Family Therapist in New York State. I understand firsthand how college and young adulthood may bring a lot of changes, pressure, and uncertainty. As someone who has gone through both undergraduate and graduate school, I understand the unique challenges that can come with balancing academics, choosing a career path, relationships, family life, changing friendships, responsibilities, and figuring out what comes next. Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and judgment-free. I use a multi-systemic approach (CBT, DBT, Trauma informed, family systems and more). I also utilize a creative and problem solving lens to help each person incorporate interventions that are specific to their needs and lifestyle. I also have extensive training in alcohol and substance abuse counseling and sexuality education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I currently work with college students and young adults who may be: * Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally drained * Struggling with motivation, confidence, or self-esteem * Experiencing academic pressure, perfectionism, burnout * Trying to balance school, work, relationships, family, and their own needs * Navigating career decisions, internships, jobs, or uncertainty about the future * Struggling with anxiety, depression, or difficulty managing emotions * Having challenges with friendships, dating, or romantic relationships * Dealing with family conflict, expectations, or difficult family dynamics * Learning how to set and maintain healthy boundaries * Feeling lonely, disconnected, or unsure where they fit in * Exploring their identity, values, goals, or sense of direction * Adjusting to major life transitions, such as starting college, graduating, moving, or entering the workforce * Coping with grief, loss, or difficult experiences * Feeling like something is “off” but not necessarily knowing why Here's the thing- You don’t have to be at your breaking point to start therapy. Sometimes, you may simply feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, unsure of what comes next or maybe you might just need a space to explore the different thoughts in your mind. Therapy can provide a space to slow down, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and figure out what you want and need moving forward. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. You can come as you are, and we can figure things out together. I look forward to working with you on your journey. Feel free to send me a text or call if you would like a free consultation before starting your therapy journey! (Just in case you see two profiles for me. I promise it's not a bot- it's because I work with two different group practices. Feel free to reach out to either!)

Molly Alexander began her path into clinical work in early childhood education. She brings a strong background in child development and trauma-informed care to her work with children, adolescents, and young adults. Over the past fifteen years her work has taken her from schools, to special education advocacy, and refugee resettlement case management. ​Molly's depth of understanding of attachment and child development is rooted in her work experience at the Center for Toddler Development at Barnard College in NYC, where she worked with toddlers and college students. Her trauma-informed lens was formed through her work at Global Roots Play School in Ithaca, a program which she helped build to serve immigrant and refugee families — work that earned the Innovation Prize for Women Building Community in 2018. Her drive to better support the families she served there sent her back to school. She earned her master's in Social Work at Columbia University, concentrating in advanced clinical practice and specializing in family and children's services. ​Molly's practice experience includes such areas as trauma, perinatal and postpartum mental health, parenting challenges, struggles in school, anxiety and depression, grief and loss, isolation, acculturation, aging, illness, and survival and recovery from abuse and political violence. She takes a psychodynamic approach in her clinical work and draws on motivational interviewing, play therapy, bibliotherapy, mindfulness, and emotionally responsive practice. ​Underlying every modality, Molly's practice is organized around honoring lived experience and individual strengths and agency — meeting people where they are, without rushing them toward a different version of themselves. Clients who work with Molly are drawn to her warmth, attunement, and presence. Molly values the dignity and worth of all people, and her work is driven by her belief in the universal need to be known and understood. Molly prioritizes creating a safe and responsive therapeutic relationship and she is honored to partner with individuals toward personal change, healing, and growth. ​Molly works with people at every stage of life. She holds a master's in Social Work from Columbia School of Social Work, a master's in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education, and a bachelor's in American Studies from Wesleyan University. Molly has lived and taught in France, and she speaks French.

We’re a team of therapists in Princeton, NJ, offering warm, thoughtful therapy to college and graduate students, faculty, and other adults. We work with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, academic and achievement pressure, life transitions, and other mental health concerns. Whether you’ve been struggling for some time or something has recently become more difficult, therapy can offer a place to better understand what you’re experiencing and find a way forward. Our therapists bring rigorous clinical training and genuine engagement to their work. We use a range of approaches, including CBT, DBT, ACT, psychodynamic, and integrative therapies, and adapt our work based on what is most useful for each person. We also take care in helping you connect with a therapist whose experience and style fit what you are looking for. We offer in-person therapy at our Princeton office as well as virtual appointments throughout New Jersey. We currently have openings for new patients, including a limited number of reduced-fee appointments with our postdoctoral fellow.

I provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy for adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, emotion dysregulation, relationship difficulties, and chronic self-criticism. I specialize in helping people who feel stuck despite trying hard or having previous therapy. My approach is warm, individualized, and nonjudgmental, integrating evidence-based treatments with mindfulness, attachment-informed, and compassion-centered approaches to create meaningful, lasting change.

Hello, My name is Vanessa McClaney, and I am in my final year at Yeshiva University, where I am pursuing my Master of Social Work (MSW). As a Clinical Resident at Living Purpose Mental Health Counseling, I find purpose in supporting individuals as they navigate life’s transitions, work through known and unknown stressors, and move toward healing in ways that feel authentic to them. Starting therapy can feel intimidating, and I know reaching out is often the hardest part. My goal is to create a space where you can show up exactly as you are- without pressure, judgment, or the expectation that you have to have everything figured out. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine partnership, so my approach is collaborative, set at your pace, and centered on your unique goals and strengths. I work with women and men in all stages of life, individuals looking to break self-defeating patterns, adolescents, and parents navigating the joys and challenges of raising children, including children with special needs. I also have experience supporting individuals navigating substance use and recovery. In addition to my clinical training, I am a certified yoga instructor and enjoy incorporating mindfulness and holistic practices into therapy when they align with a client’s goals. I believe healing involves caring for both the mind and body, and sometimes the smallest moments of self-compassion can create meaningful change. My hope is that our sessions feel like an exhale- a place where you can set down what you’ve been carrying and simply be yourself. I look forward to welcoming you to my virtual couch and exploring how we can work together on your healing journey.

Liesa Watson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey with close to a decade of practice and a steady, unhurried way of working. People usually find her when anxiety, low mood, grief, or plain relentless stress has started running the show, and she helps them get their footing back. She works with adults of every age, from students figuring out who they are to people navigating caregiving, career shifts, and later life. Her approach pulls from acceptance and commitment therapy, CBT, DBT, exposure and response prevention, motivational interviewing, narrative and solution focused work, mindfulness, and coaching. She also holds certifications in perinatal mental health and disaster response crisis counseling. Expect someone practical and warm who will actually help you build a plan. Liesa sees clients through WellQor, which provides therapy online, so you can meet from wherever you are without adding a commute to your week. To get started, fill out the Get Started form on the WellQor website. A patient liaison will text you with next steps and help you schedule your first session.

There are times in life when what once felt familiar no longer fits and you find yourself asking, Is this the life I want to be living? With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and mental health, I offer a supportive space to pause and reflect, where we can work together to build greater clarity, resilience, and purpose.

I'm Lex E. Santí, therapist, writer, professional overthinker. If you've ever been told to "just relax" and immediately came up with seventeen reasons that's impossible, you're my kind of person. I've spent 20 years in and around higher education: first running Cornell's travel safety and international crisis response program, then in community mental health, then back on campus as a therapist at Cornell Health's Counseling and Psychological Services, where I built four of the university's six flagship wellness workshops (covering resilience, meditation, thesis stress, and anxiety) and helped them reach more than 25,000 students. Campus life isn't abstract to me: the deadlines, the roommate politics, the 2 a.m. spirals, the leave-of-absence paperwork. I work with students and young adults sorting through relationships, anxiety, creative blocks, identity, and the general weirdness of being human, especially in the stretch of life when everyone assumes you've got it figured out. My sessions mix curiosity, structure, mindfulness, and the occasional well-timed eye roll at life's absurdities. Now I help clients rewrite their stories: with more agency, more humor, and fewer plot holes. Licensed in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. Individual and group sessions available by telehealth.

Counseling for College Students & Young Adults College and young adulthood can be an exciting time—but it can also come with a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and change. At Inspiring Wellness, we provide a supportive, judgment-free space for college students and young adults to navigate the challenges that come with this stage of life. We help young adults work through academic stress and pressure, life transitions, body image, self-esteem, self-confidence, social anxiety, relationships, identity, and the everyday struggles that can come with becoming more independent and figuring out what’s next. Whether you’re adjusting to college, navigating friendships and relationships, feeling overwhelmed by expectations, or simply struggling to feel like yourself, you don’t have to figure it all out alone. Our compassionate, client-centered approach combines traditional counseling with mindfulness-based techniques when appropriate. We help you better understand your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and patterns so you can develop healthier ways to cope, build confidence, and feel more grounded in your life. At Inspiring Wellness, we believe mental health is connected to the whole person. Through an integrative, mind-body approach, we support you in creating greater self-awareness, resilience, and balance—not just getting through this chapter, but learning how to feel more confident and connected as you move forward.

At Lager Counseling Services, we work with people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure how to move forward in their lives or relationships. Many of our clients come in after trying to “manage” their symptoms but still feeling like something isn’t changing. We take a down-to-earth approach to therapy. We help clients feel better, but we don’t stop there. We focus on understanding the patterns driving thoughts, emotions, and behaviors so real, lasting change can happen—not just temporary relief. Our goal is to help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and a stronger sense of direction in your life. We take out of network benefits and do our best to ensure your care works for you.

I specialize in working with young adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, and navigating life's challenges. I strive to create a supportive and validating environment. Together, we will work to uncover patterns of behavior or recurring thoughts that may be having a negative impact on how you feel. We will develop useful coping tools to help you make meaningful changes in your life.

We're a Hudson Valley and NYC based practice that provides client-centered individual psychotherapy via tele-health. Our areas of specialization are young adults, life transition, anxiety, depression, harm reduction oriented substance use treatment, and worthiness & perfectionism.

During college, it's not unusual to feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you want closer friendships. Maybe you get anxious when you talk to new people, or you feel lonely or down. Maybe you're falling back into a familiar depression or returning to high levels of anxiety you hoped wouldn't follow you to college. It can be hard to think about going to therapy when you don't even know what you'd say. If you feel badly about yourself or you feel hopeless, it might be hard to think anything will help. You are not alone. You don't have to have the answers. Listening compassionately, I will invite you to bring your experience into the room. Together, we can collaborate to better understand you and the challenges you're confronting. We may discover unmourned losses or unhealed wounds. We may identify recurring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and interactions that may not be serving you anymore. Experiencing a greater emotional range, you can begin to heal. After working in university counseling centers for over 15 years, I now see many undergraduate and graduate students in private practice. I enjoy working both with students who are new to psychotherapy as well as those who have been in therapy previously. Many students I work with are LGBTQIA+/ queer students.

With seven years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I work with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults, helping people navigate life transitions, behavioral challenges, anxiety, depression, trauma, stress management, self-esteem concerns, attachment issues, and relationship difficulties. My goal is to meet you where you are. Whether you're carrying something heavy or simply searching for a clearer path forward, I'm committed to creating a warm, nonjudgmental space where you feel heard, seen, supported, and understood. When you feel that kind of safety, meaningful growth becomes possible — and that's what we'll work toward together: healing, resilience, and the life you envision for yourself. I believe you are the expert on your own life, and my role is to support you as we work together toward your goals. In our sessions, you can expect a nonjudgmental space where you feel empowered to share your experiences, explore challenges, build on your strengths, and create meaningful growth and change. Because every person's journey is unique, I tailor treatment to your individual needs and goals. My warm, empathetic approach may draw on person-centered therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), alongside other evidence-based interventions, to provide care that is personalized, collaborative, and genuinely responsive to your experiences. My path to becoming a therapist began with a genuine desire to understand people and how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors shape the lives we live. That curiosity led me toward direct work with families, children, adolescents, and young adults in crisis, experiences that deepened my commitment to trauma-informed, individualized care. Working alongside people in some of their most difficult moments strengthened my ability to show up with compassion, empathy, and understanding, in an environment where people feel genuinely supported. I love playing softball and catching baseball games whenever I can. When I'm not on the field or in the stands, I enjoy watching movies and TV, traveling, and spending time with the friends, family, and loved ones who matter most to me.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.