Therapists for college students near Pittsburgh, PA

Choosing to heal and be more alive in our society is a brave, daring, and difficult act. I enjoy working with people who want to understand and support themselves in healing from and with shame, disconnection, stagnancy, and trauma with the goal of becoming more alive, more true to themselves, and more genuinely connected with themselves and the world around them. I am a gentle and open person who enjoys using humor and delicately mixing the light and dark of the world in the healing journey. My goal is for you to feel safe in expressing and sharing who you are, to give you a place to rest and explore free of judgement. I am skilled in DBT and ITCT. I am pursuing training in Somatic Experiencing Therapy. I have specialized in working with teens and young adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, BPD, bipolar disorder, and complex trauma. I am dedicated to anti-racism. I am of the LGBTQ+ community and bilingual in Spanish and English. I currently accept UPMC, CCBHO (Medicaid), Highmark, Cigna, and Aetna insurances. I also offer sliding scale sessions. I can offer free introduction phone calls to see if we are a good fit!

As a licensed psychologist, I specialize in working with clients who are experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). I have extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced sexual trauma. I am certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a leading trauma treatment. Furthermore, I have additional training in the treatment of OCD through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment. No matter the approach, I strive to provide a safe, non-judgmental space to support clients through these challenging periods of change. I incorporate a holistic, integrative approach tailored to the client’s unique needs while acknowledging their culture, identities, experiences, and values. I find it especially rewarding to be with clients on their journey towards self-compassion, change, and healing. I draw from various therapeutic practices, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), humanistic-existential therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.

Amber is a keen listener and highly values the relationship between the therapist and the client. She values trust, empathy and authenticity and believes strongly in the power of journeying with someone as a pathway to change. Amber’s style is warm, genuine, supportive and direct. Her theoretical approach is eclectic in nature and client-centered, drawing from psychodynamic and mindfulness-based modalities as well as parts work, and EFT. She works with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship issues, life transitions, trauma, and grief/loss. Amber is well-versed in the concept of Self-Compassion by Dr Kristin Neff and she works with adults of all ages. Amber has experienced religious deconstruction and enjoys working with individuals and couples who are going through these processes or those have experienced religious trauma. She believes spirituality is an integral part of a healthy, happy life and loves to explore meaning making with individuals regardless of religious/spiritual affiliation or non-affiliation-(atheists and agnostics welcome!). Amber loves working with couples, has completed Gottman levels 1 and 2, and has an understanding of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). She enjoys working to improve conflict, connect past experiences to current relationship struggles, and improve intimacy. Amber was an ASL Interpreter for many years and enjoys working with individuals and couples who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She is fluent in ASL and has a deep understanding of Deaf Culture. Amber graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s MSW program in the Spring of 2026. Prior to that, she worked as an ASL/English Interpreter for 24 years, specializing in mental health, higher education, and legal settings. She also served as a professional mentor and taught at the college level. Her B.S. is from Indiana University and is in ASL/English Interpreting. Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. -Rumi For the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. -Audre Lorde

Hello! I am Jessica Rose. I am a licensed clinical social worker. I have a BA in Psychology and an MSW in Social Work. I have been working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in a therapeutic capacity for over 13 years. I have experience working in a variety of settings such as public schools, alternative schools, crisis teams, hospitals, homes, and juvenile detention centers. My guiding principles are validating feelings, active listening, and using humor and open communication as a means to build a trusting therapeutic relationship. I am a reliable, consistent support for my clients. I believe in genuine positive regard, being non-judgmental, being warm, understanding, and empathetic.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Training and professional background: I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, graduating in May of 2014. In the Fall of 2012, I received training as a victims’ advocate and crisis line operator at the Family Justice Center in South Bend. For the rest of my time as an undergraduate, I continued volunteering for the FJC, focusing on taking crisis calls, yet unaware of the skills I was building in attending to each caller’s concerns. I utilized my training again during grad school to volunteer for Crisis Text Line, where I honed my skills in crisis management and planning. In December of 2018, I graduated with my Master of Science in Education from Duquesne University, specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Duquesne’s program is CACREP accredited and meets all standards and requirements as an institution for counselor education. I received my license November of 2023. Theoretical orientation and approach to counseling: My clinical approach is rooted in two orientations: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Narrative Therapy. I also draw heavily from the Humanistic-Existentialist perspectives of Psychology and philosophy in helping my clients better understand their feelings, goals, and experiences. My clinical practice embodies the spirit of meeting clients where they are. I enter each session with one objective: a readiness to talk and warmly receive. Client rights and responsibilities: As my client, I encourage you to ask questions and raise concerns about anything, especially my credentials and qualifications, the progress of our work together and its cost, my therapeutic approach, or anything else that concerns you. I take my role seriously as a helper and strongly believe that healthy relationships, especially therapeutic, require communication, consistency, and warmth. Therapeutically, we might be a good fit if: -- You are ready to make new moves in your life and relationships – So many of us know what must be done to address problematic behavior or to build better habits. What might be lacking is an awareness of the theory or tools to support those efforts. I am equipped to teach you how to individualize widely known coping skills, if you are ready to prioritize your mental health treatment. -- You are a creative person – The scaffolding or foundation you need to accomplish your long-term goals comes from your ability to generate creative solutions—no matter the medium! Your unique skills and worldviews can enrich to the work we do in the room. This takes the form of interesting, billowing conversation, not traditional art therapy. -- You are looking for a space to feel seen and heard – I take great pride in my ability to attend to the emotional needs of my clients. A dedicated space where the floor cedes to you, a conversation that is focused with warm curiosity on you, that is quickly becoming a rarity in our social interactions. While attentiveness is one of my biggest strengths to offer, I find being a witness to my clients’ concerns and vulnerabilities the greatest honor and reward in this field; we are the most human in these moments. It sets the stage for therapeutic collaboration and honors our innate drive to identify and hold our emotions without urgency or shame.

My experience includes 20+ years as at Carnegie Mellon University's Counseling Center and 6 years at Persad Center. The work I do focuses on helping folks understand themselves and feel understood. Working together, we change help you work with difficult emotions,change patterns that cause distress, and nurture a meaningful life, as you define it.

Hi, I’m Rich. I’m an experienced counselor who offers a grounded, experiential approach to therapy and coaching. My work is shaped by both clinical training and real-world learning; offering a perspective that integrates mindfulness based interventions, existential exploration, nature-based interventions, and embodied practices. I enjoy working with individuals transitioning to adulthood, students, and adults who are seeking an alternative to traditional talk therapy. My own path has been strongly influenced by my personal and professional time spent outdoors. In wilderness settings, I’ve seen firsthand how facing challenges, building trust, and stepping into the unknown can lead to meaningful transformation. These experiences inform how I support clients as they navigate life’s complexities, transitions, and obstacles. I believe strongly in the power of the here and now. Together, we’ll explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a way that feels collaborative, present-centered, and supportive. Utilizing mindfulness based, behavioral, goal driven, and existential approaches, I aim to help you cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and a deeper sense of well-being. Seeking help is a courageous step, and I look forward to walking alongside you as you find your own path toward healing and growth.

Do you struggle with self esteem, decision making, or just life in general? Are you ready to make a change? Often times our experiences can/have shape(d) who we’ve become. You may be in need of support and that’s ok. Congratulations to you for taking the first step in seeking support. My mission is to help make a difference in the lives of others one day at a time. As a certified Compassion Fatigue counselor, I can assist with emotional exhaustion. Life experiences can often leave us drained, stressed and or overwhelmed. Are you one who has always been there for others in their time of need? Who helps you? Do you have a healthy support system? The helper often gets neglected because they’re busy assisting others which can lead to Compassion Fatigue. Let me assist you.

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Life is hard, especially when you feel like you just can’t manage everything on your plate. From school to work to relationships with friends and family, there is always a lot to juggle, and stress can build up quickly! When you’re overwhelmed, your behavior, mood, and relationships are all impacted, and it’s harder to be able to fully enjoy life. I help people who feel stressed and overwhelmed learn to manage their emotions so they can be the best version of themselves. I want to hear what is already going well for you, so that we can build on what is already working to improve behaviors, mood, and relationships. From there, we can make a plan to get you back to experiencing the best parts of life. Reaching out for support can be the hardest part, so I’m glad you are here. Contact me by phone or email to discuss options for setting up a consultation call or scheduling an appointment.

Thanks for checking out Thrive Counseling Center. We are here to assist when life's challenges tend to become overwhelming and begin to impact you, your relationships, and your educational and career goals. We work with a variety of mental health and relationship issues, including but not limited to: anxiety, depression, grief and loss, stress, relationship issues, sexuality, gender issues, ptsd/trauma. Using a variety of techniques, we look forward to assisting you in improving your health and well-being on your journey to living your best life!

(Under Development)

Hi! I'm from Pittsburgh and proud to be practicing in my home town. Therapy ranges from directive to less structured approaches. Directive approaches involve identifying a specific problem and starting interventions including skill building for the client. Less directive therapy involves self exploration and understanding our symptoms in an interpersonal context. These two approaches can be combined, tailored to the client. The client's responsibility is committing to therapy, and showing up weekly at the designated time, and engaging in the process. While the therapist is an expert in psychology, the client is an expect in themselves and is ultimately the source of change and improvement. I see myself as a guide, helping the client see things they may have missed or avoided, and making connections that wouldn't otherwise be obvious. The process is collaborative and frequently rewarding.

My approach to therapy emphasizes mindfulness and the development of inner resources to meet the challenges the world presents at every stage of life.

I am pleased that you are here. I know it is not easy to take this first step, but I want you to know first and foremost, that I take great care and pride in creating a safe place for my clients to talk about their internal conflicts, interpersonal problems, traumas, and whatever is interfering with living a fuller, richer life. I bring to my clinical practice a great deal of skills coupled with passion to engage in a meaningful therapeutic relationship. I invite clients to increase their self-awareness while aspiring to high levels of wellness: biologically, psychologically, relationally, sexually and spiritually. I offer a safe space free of judgment, filled with compassion and kindness towards your own process. My theoretical orientation to counseling is rooted in humanistic theories with underlying existentialism and phenomenological philosophies. I firmly believe in the therapeutic alliance and its curative power, in addition to striving to look at all situations from a sex positive, non-shaming, and non-judgmental lens.

Same or next week availability! Welcome, I'm Dr Amy O'Donnell. I'm not here to fix you. Because you aren't broken. I believe everyone naturally has the capacity for healing. Together we learn how that looks for you. I help you incorporate natural approaches into your mental health care to create lasting change in mood, stress and sense of purpose. I’m an integrative psychiatrist. I think of my practice as like a one-stop-shop as services that are normally diluted among different providers get streamlined into one place - psychodynamic psychotherapy, medication management, and holistic approaches like nutrition, supplements and botanicals. While I can help with many concerns, my main areas of focus include new and expectant moms, medication de-prescribing and navigating high stress or low mood. We dig deeper to build insight into your whole person, address root causes and establish a resilient foundation so you face life’s challenges with increasing confidence and balance. I’ll be honest; creating lasting change will be challenging and uncomfortable at times. It will require commitment. My promise to you is that you won’t be alone on this journey. If you think we might be a good fit, please check out my website www.naturesflowpsych.com and schedule a free 15-minutes introductory call. I look forward to connecting with you.

Rachel Porterfield is a licensed clinical social worker who provides psychotherapeutic care to adults of all ages. She has years of experience working with individuals who struggle with a variety of challenges, including anxiety/panic attacks, depression, grief and loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and relationship concerns. Rachel helps others to share their intimate thoughts and feelings while guiding them to learn new skills that will encourage them to develop healthy life changes openly and collaboratively. Rachel has been extensively trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches/models including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic therapy. Rachel has worked in outpatient dual diagnosed programs, hospitals, and primary care offices. Rachel received her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh with a certification in mental health.

At Strong Foundations, we understand that finding the right mental health provider can be a daunting task. Please see our website for a full list of services we offer and description of our counselors. As a practice, our highest priority is providing supportive, personalized, and effective care to every individual and family. We offer individual therapy, neuropsychological testing, family & marital therapy. We use evidence-based treatment methods, including CBT, DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and PCIT. Our therapists offer daytime, evening, and some weekend hours to accommodate busy schedules. Sessions can be scheduled in person or virtually. Please call (412) 368-2211 to schedule an appointment or contact us via email: support@sfpgh.com

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Hi there! Please check out my website for more info. www.stacysimonphd.com