Therapists for college students near University of Texas at Austin

Welcome! I’m an individual and family therapist specializing in anxiety, depression, PMDD, relationship issues, and life transitions including adjustment to college. Within my practice, I offer a warm, collaborative space where it’s safe to bring your full self—your strengths, your stuck points, and the parts you’re still figuring out. I believe that when we feel safe enough in a therapeutic relationship to take risks and let down walls, we pave the way for insight and growth that lead to meaningful change.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Do you struggle with depressive moods or negative thoughts you wish you could just change or simply make go away? Wanting those dark thoughts to change, or hoping to run away from them, is completely normal. But avoiding those thoughts can leave us even more stressed, irritable, and disconnected from our loved ones. I promote compassion, honesty, and empowerment while working with clients who struggle with a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, and life transitions. I’m especially passionate about helping students, young adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals struggling with mood, personality, and eating disorders. Above all else, I’m focused on building a strong relationship with my clients, and I feel deeply privileged to be allowed into their lives. I make therapy a judgment-free zone where humor and warmth are a regular part of the process. My therapeutic approach is person-centered and allows each individual to guide their own recovery process. I can help you build upon the strengths you already have and develop even more coping skills for the various obstacles you may face. Ultimately, I strive to create a safe space for you to explore even the thorniest areas of your mental health journey. If you’re ready to make a change, give me a call today!

Are you struggling with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, addiction, or difficulty in relationships, etc.? Have you tried therapy, but not gotten the results you desire? The cause could be past unresolved trauma that is blocking your ability to move forward. Trauma changes the nervous system and brain; therefore, treatment needs to be able to address the body and mind. My holistic approach through EMDR, IFS and other methods will help you get to the root causes and alleviate the disturbing symptoms you are experiencing. I am certified in EMDR treatment and provide a safe space for processing traumatic memories or disturbing life events. I have worked with hundreds of clients and have seen great improvement in a brief time. My clients have said they are amazed at the results and never thought they could feel positive andemor neutral about their past disturbances. I have been described as a trustworthy, compassionate and a calming therapist. I approach each client with respect and kindness. My desire is to help clients open the door for healing in a profound, caring and authentic way. My office is a safe, calm space for you to feel emotionally connected and deeply understood. “Ellen is amazing to work with. She is truly caring and supportive. She helped me so much with what I am going through." “I appreciated the safe space and your calm and non-judgemental approach during our sessions." "I hope you will know what a blessing you've been to me and to our family. I'm so grateful."

Monica is a bilingual therapist and the child of immigrants who believes that true healing grows from the threads that connect us — to our bodies, to the people around us, and to the world we inhabit. Growing up between cultures, she learned early how identity, language, and community shape our sense of self. Her journey to counseling has been shaped not only by professional experience in diverse communities and holistic mind-body practices, but also by years of personal self-healing and self-discovery through reading, reflection, and engagement with feminist theory and history. These experiences have deepened her understanding of how gender, power, and society influence our inner lives and relationships. She works with women and femmes who have ADHD and has a nuanced understanding of how gender shapes ADHD lived experiences. Monica provides compassionate support for the unique challenges and strengths ADHD brings, helping clients navigate identity, relationships, and self-trust with insight and validation. In working with Monica, clients will learn about themselves and ways to leverage their neurodiversity to their benefit, allowing it to enhance their lives rather than hinder them. Monica is also passionate about supporting women in reclaiming their sensuality, self-trust, and pleasure, particularly in the wake of trauma. Her work in this area integrates conversation, somatic awareness, mindfulness, and embodiment practices, including yoga. By creating a safe and affirming space where clients can explore intimacy, desire, boundaries, and identity without shame, the therapeutic space allows clients to heal, reconnect, and embody their true sensual power. Through therapy, Monica guides clients to reconnect with themselves fully. In connecting to their bodies, minds, desires, and voices, clients can cultivate lives that feel grounded, empowered, and authentically their own.

**Some Insurance Accepted in NC through Headway** I practice via telehealth in NY, NC, WA, and TX. I specialize in working with adult men and women who are secretly miserable. You may look fine on the outside, but inside you're struggling to get your own needs met, codependency, perfectionism, and shame. Gestalt Therapy goes beyond looking at just the cognitive, linear perspectives of the person. It demands of the therapist an awareness of the body and how it manifests in the psyche. Through its focus on process rather than content, the patient gains an experiential awareness of how they do what they do and new choices emerge spontaneously. The radical focus on process in the creative therapy of Gestalt keeps the work alive and full of possibility for both the patient and my work as a therapist. Melissa Bennett-Heinz obtained her master’s degree in clinical social work from Columbia University (Class of 2002) and is a graduate of Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy in New York City, NY. In addition to her background in Gestalt Therapy, she obtained her bachelor's and master’s degrees from the esteemed conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, in New York City where she majored in Oboe Performance. Melissa completed cognitive behavioral studies under the tutelage of Dr. William Sanderson. She is a licensed clinical social worker in NY, WA, NC, and TX and has over twenty years of specialized training and experience in PTSD, childhood abuse, mood and anxiety disorders. Melissa brings her background as a classical musician and deep spirituality together in her unique approach in Gestalt's creative and experiential therapy.

Hi, I'm an LPC-Associate at Alive Austin. I work well with college students experiencing stressors and stages commonly faced during this period: life transitions, depression, anxiety, relational concerns, family conflict, or unprocessed childhood trauma. Many of my clients may struggle with boundaries, people pleasing, and navigating their new roles and responsibilities living on their own for the first time. Many people I see have also put off working though painful or significant experiences from their past that are still impacting them presently. I aim to help you build self-awareness, discard what is no longer serving you, and start finding fulfillment in life. I am currently unable to accept insurance as an LPC-Associate in Texas. I try to accommodate to students' needs by offering sliding scales. I also offer free consultations so there is not initial cost until you feel we're a good fit.

**Current availability! Offering teletherapy and in person sessions!** Helping you break free from trauma and abuse, so you can finally live not just survive. I help adolescents and adults overcome trauma and abuse and find their voice. Are you feeling keyed up, tense and reactive? Feel like you are floating outside of your body or feel like a robot? Not connected to your emotions or the world around you? Does someone in your life make you feel 'crazy' and question your truth? I use CBT and EMDR to help you figure out the root cause to your trauma, worries, stress, or whatever is troubling you at the moment. Negative thoughts shape how we view ourselves and are difficult to change. Memories can be intense, vivid and feel overwhelming. I will help you change your thoughts and move on from negative memories to take your life back! At Onyx Counseling and Wellness Center, the goal is for you to learn how to empower yourself and finally live, not just survive. You will learn how to trust yourself again, find happiness and overcome past trauma to emerge as a healed and confident individual. Complete a contact form, call or send an email to schedule a free 30 minute phone consultation.