Therapists for college students near Pittsburgh, PA

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, I bring good energy, empathy, and clinical expertise to my work. My approach to therapy is trauma-informed, culturally informed, and person-centered. I offer a safe, affirming, and comfortable space for you to be your authentic self, free from judgment. I meet you wherever you are on your healing journey and we work together on reaching your desired treatment goals at your own pace. I specialize in working with teens, young adults, adults, and older adults who have experienced acute/chronic/complex trauma, chronic stress, PTSD, sexual trauma, and sex trafficking. I use a range of treatment modalities (EMDR, IFS, CPT, TF-CBT, SMART, Seeking Safety, etc.). I love using music, art, games, and interactive activities if you're interested. I also work well with anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity development, and existential crises. I am passionate about empowering others with knowledge, skills, and tools to help people rebuild, heal, and grow. Let’s connect to see if counseling is a good fit for you!

I specialize in supporting international students as they navigate the unique challenges of adapting to a new culture, managing academic pressures, and balancing personal and family expectations. Together, we can work through feelings of homesickness, anxiety, identity shifts, or loneliness in a safe, nonjudgmental space. My approach is collaborative and compassionate, with a focus on building resilience, fostering self-awareness, and helping students feel more grounded and connected.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I have worked with a diverse population of high school students, college students, athletes, young adults, and adults for the past for the past 18 years. My clinical experience is based within higher education settings with the past six years in community-based settings. I understand the processes and stressors associated with post-secondary and graduate admissions, financial aid, maintaining enrollment, and academic advisement for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level students. I provide individual counseling, couples counseling, and career planning for adults, adolescents, college-aged students, and athletes. My clients are committed and motivated to make positive changes in their lives and see the future as the next step in living their best self. My goal is to assist clients build the strength within while providing a safe and non-judgmental environment. I also work with student athletes (high school, college, and retired) navigate sport performance, career options, educational options, and outside pressures. I provide mental health counseling, academic counseling, and programming for student athletes from a variety of sport teams. Also, I work with retired athletes as they transition out of their sport, redefined their identity, and explored career options. So when life traumas, transitions issues, relationships or friendships, loss, grades, and career distress gets you off track, Counseling can empower your soul, build your esteem, and jumpstarts your spirit. What should you do next? Email us or visit our website to set up an appointment. PLEASE NOTE: Due to confidentiality, HIPPA laws, and clients/ prospective clients being over the age of 18, I only communicate with the clients directly.

I help my clients get results fast. Therapy isn't a complicated process. We meet, we talk about the expectations of therapy, identify specific treatment goals and map out a plan. Our work takes place in the boundaries of a safe, corrective emotional relationship. I put patients’ feelings into words, focus on symptom management and reduce their impact on personal and professional lives. I've been practicing as a licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker for over 15 years. I use a CBT/ Solution Focused approach in helping patients reduce anxiety and elevate and stabilize depressed mood. I help people move toward wellness in a safe, non-judgemental space. Therapy works. It is about growth and evolution, and I've observed that there is great joy in embracing positive new behaviors based on this collaborative approach. I look forward to working with you via telehealth or in-person in our Squirrel Hill office.

Brynne has a history of working with college age students in an outpatient setting. Brynne works with students in all stages of their college experience. From students who are taking 1-2 classes to students who are in technical schools to students working on certificates to students who are non-traditional students to students who are working on their associates to their bachelors, master’s, PhD and/or MD degrees. She has assisted young adults with navigating the transition to college, learning coping skills and life skills, and managing evolving relationships and life stressors while adjusting to setting safe and healthy boundaries in their lives. Brynne also has a history of working with students who have moved from other countries to pursue their education in the United States of America. She has worked with the students to assist them in working through their emotions related to becoming acclimated to a new country, learning/incorporating new cultural norms, navigating familial expectations and other feelings as they arise.

At Creating Connections Counseling, we believe that anyone can benefit from counseling. If you find yourself struggling with the challenges of life, counseling services can help you to clarify your thoughts and emotions and put them in proper context to guide you forward. Counseling can be a vehicle to finding or maintaining healthy relationships, uncovering hidden passions, managing symptoms of mental illness, and establishing life goals for those who feel stuck. Our team of licensed clinicians in the Pittsburgh region are available to guide you through the journey of self-examination and personal growth that all people deserve. Creating Connections Counseling is a safe space where all are welcome. We believe in the intrinsic value of all human beings and are here to serve all who seek our help.

I am a psychotherapist with over 20 yrs of experience and expertise in eating disorders, women's issues and working with college students. I provide therapy for those struggling with depression, anxiety, ocd, grief/loss, co-occurring illnesses and life transitions. I welcome a collaborative approach in which we work together to best understand your needs and concerns and to help you in the most impactful way.

25+ yrs of post-licensure experience. Co-owner of Existential-Dynamic Associates. I see counseling as a collaborative process designed to help you overcome problems & live more fully. I believe that seeing yourself & others with compassion & acceptance is a path to well-being & meaning. I have an engaging, experiential style. I also lecture domestically & internationally on anger management, mindful eating, & perfectionism. My approach to self-criticalness was validated by an independent research team. I am on the Advisory Board of The Mindfulness Project (London, UK).

Our goal is to empower individuals, couples, and families to overcome life’s challenges and to achieve their goals. Our experienced therapists will work with you to find new ways to manage emotional or relational stressors that are impacting your ability to be your most confident and powerful self. We believe in a collaborative approach where you as the client are in the captain’s seat, and our therapist acts as your compass, guiding the way to achieving the healthy and vibrant life you deserve. We can’t wait to meet you!

Dr. Thomas Petrone is the Director and senior faculty member of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor and is the President and Clinical Director of the Psychological and Counseling Center, Inc. where he has provided psychotherapy, consultation, training and evaluation services for over 40 years. He practices Gestalt therapy which is a non-pathologizing, supportive therapy that focusses on the whole person and provides individuals with opportunity to address concerns about the various relationship concerns in their lives. His specialty areas include, working wtih Individuals, couples, mental health evaluation services and evaluation services for immigration concerns. Dr. Petrone is also a staff member of the Pittsburgh Irish festival and co-proprietor, with his spouse Dr. Maura Krushinski, of the Irish Design Center in Pittsburgh.

I believe in using a holistic, strength based approach that builds on your current assets to help you achieve your goals. I work collaboratively with you to focus on individual whole health, which includes identifying your aspirations and emphasizing empowerment and self care. I have experience creating a safe and warm environment in which to incorporate evidenced based interventions and coping strategies to help improve focus and manage anxiety, grief, and depression. I also utilize expressive arts to help identify unique, creative approaches to help you improve the quality of your life. My background includes over 25 years of experience in community and school based mental health settings with diverse populations including children, adolescents, and adults. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board Certified Art Therapist.

Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping. Thich Nhat Hanh Thank you for Inviting us to meet you in the middle of your journey and taking us with you on your next steps. We want to acknowledge the courage it takes to seek the help when things get tough, and it feels unbalanced. We are here to walk with you and to help you find your way. We understand that you can’t change the past and want to help you bridge your life and values in order to move forward. We use an acceptance stance and behavioral activation skills in order to assist you with finding your most fulfilling path. We will provide you with support and guidance through difficult times and life’s transitions. We want to help provide you with useful skills to answer the questions that you may face. We have over 15 years of experience working with a variety of people. We have the knowledge of working in a variety of settings and seeing people in different struggles in their lives. We have learned to engage with people in a variety of different ways in order to help promote healing and understanding that is unattainable on your own. It takes different questioning and new lenses to break old patterns of behavior and old responses. We teach people to be proactive and understanding instead of reactive and repetitive. If you want to have a healthier more understanding view of yourself with skills to deal with those difficult times, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

At Sensory and Sensibility, our therapists can help you with anxiety, depression, family issues, sexuality or gender identity exploration, and all kinds of other concerns. We tailor your therapy to fit your needs, using a variety of evidence-based therapies, including cultural-relational, mind-body, attachment-based, cognitive/insight based, strengths-based and trauma focused. Feel free to reach out to schedule a free initial phone call to see if any of our therapists would be a good fit for you.

Hi! I’m Tori I’ve been working in the mental health field for 10 years, gaining experience in a variety of settings, and I’ve found my passion in helping adolescents, young adults, and adults navigate the ups and downs of life. This time in life is full of growth, change, and self-discovery—exciting, but also intimidating. I love supporting my clients through managing anxiety, depression, stress, and interpersonal challenges, and helping them build the skills to thrive. I take a laid-back approach to therapy, aiming to create a space where you feel safe, supported, and genuinely understood. Humor is a big part of my style—life is tough enough, so I believe therapy should have some light moments. That said, I know when to be serious, and I’ll be right there with you as we work through whatever’s on your mind. I’m here for people from all walks of life, and I’m a strong ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. My approach combines Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you develop practical tools for managing emotions, improving relationships, and making real, lasting changes in your life. In our work together, you’ll gain valuable insight into your thought patterns, learn skills to cope with stress, and build the resilience to live more authentically and mindfully. Outside of therapy, you’ll probably find me spending time with loved ones, catching concerts, watching horror movies, or taking walks. I’d be honored to walk alongside you on your journey to greater well-being. Reach out if you’d like to learn more or get started!

Many of my clients are making exciting but often daunting transitions -- either from Jr High to High School, High School to College, or whatever comes next. Change is so often viewed with anxiety and negativity. Yet, change is happening all around us every day. How can we make change a positive experience in our lives? How can we choose to change something that is not working? How can we learn and grow from a challenging experience? As a counselor, I believe my job is to create a space where clients can explore these and other topics, in a way that ultimately positively impacts their day to day lives. I have 10+ years of professional experience working with adolescents and adults in outreach and community based organizations. I have a client centered, strengths-based approach to my work that integrates Positive Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I believe that it is critical that the client takes an active role in the counseling process. My clients face a range of life’s challenges: depression, anxiety, peer conflict, communication, transition to college/work, enhancing self-awareness, relationship/family dynamics (separation/divorce), grief, and autism or attention deficit/executive functioning challenges. I work primarily with young adults and their families, adults, parents and couples.

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you achieve, your anxiety, stress, or burnout never lets up? Perfectionism, overthinking, or past trauma may leave you tense, stuck, or constantly on edge. Your body might feel wired, your mind keeps racing, and you can’t fully relax even when life seems “fine.” You want relief, better focus, and a calmer, steadier nervous system. You want to thrive without being trapped by overwhelm, worry, or patterns that keep you from feeling truly present—and maybe even laugh a little along the way. I specialize in anxiety, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Using trauma-informed and somatic approaches, I help you regulate your nervous system, address patterns from past experiences, and, when appropriate, use Brainspotting for deeper trauma processing. You don’t have to manage anxiety or stress alone. Therapy is a space to feel supported, slow down, and create meaningful change. We may even use humor to lighten the load and help your nervous system settle. If this approach resonates, I invite you to reach out and explore whether we are a good fit.

At some point along the journey, our stories demand to be told. Whether through painful emotional and physical symptoms, relationship struggles, or other interruptive experiences, our lives catch up to us. They ask for our attention. Therapy is a place where, together, we can pay closer attention to your story and the person you are becoming. We are all always in process. I believe that we can experience true healing in a human encounter, and I strive to deeply listen to my clients, bringing curiosity and attention to the parts of you that may have gone unnoticed. Approach to Therapy My counseling approach is rooted in relational psychodynamic therapy, which focuses on patterns and themes from early childhood and how they show up in your life today. This approach also emphasizes the relationship between the therapist and client as a vehicle for healing and change. It’s important to find someone you feel comfortable with, and it may take you some time to discern the right fit. I respect the vulnerability and bravery required to step into this work, and aim to meet you with humility, curiosity, and a responsible awareness of my own intersecting identities. Each person brings unique concerns and needs, and I am committed to ongoing research and training to provide the best care I can. I draw from a variety of approaches, including attachment-based therapy, family systems work, liberation psychology, Internal Family Systems (informed, not certified), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Narrative-Focused Trauma Therapy. Background: I have worked with at-risk youth, college students, and folks from all walks of life in outpatient and community mental health settings. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Theater, and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Trauma and Abuse from the Seattle School (2023). Outside of therapy, I enjoy lots of things, including yoga, performing arts, poetry, and being outside!

Welcome! Let’s explore what a meaningful and balanced life looks like for you as an undergraduate or graduate student. I work with students on managing anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. I also enjoy helping students build stress management skills and navigate life transitions, identity exploration, relationship stress, or feeling “stuck” or burned out. My goal is to keep sessions feeling genuine and conversational, and to create a space where you feel comfortable being yourself while we work together on what matters most to you. I use evidence-based approaches to help you manage difficult thoughts and emotions, reduce self-criticism, and build coping skills that actually work. I also offer EMDR and Cognitive Processing Therapy for trauma, and Inference-Based CBT for OCD. If you’re curious about starting therapy or just want to see if we’re a good fit, I offer free 15-minute video consultations. Email is the best way to reach me.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.