Therapists for college students near Harvard University

I offer a warm, compassionate, and non-judgmental space to help you explore your thoughts, feelings, and inner experience, work through challenges, and create more freedom in how you live and relate. My aim is to support you in moving beyond old patterns and connecting more fully with the life you want. Our work is collaborative and tailored to you. I work with people navigating a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, family issues, loss, identity questions and many other challenges. I have a particular interest supporting individuals with histories of trauma, and those who grew up with someone with mental illness or addiction. At the heart of my practice is the belief that real healing happens when we meet our inner struggles with kindness and presence. My approach is holistic, honoring the connection between mind and body, and the broader social and cultural contexts that shape your experience. I value clients’ unique strengths and social justice. My work is based primarily in internal family systems therapy, narrative therapy, EMDR, and over twenty years of practicing, studying, and teaching yoga. I also weave in skills and perspectives from other therapeutic modalities to best meet each client's needs. Additionally, for those interested, I offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). This can be individually in my office, and I facilitate KAP groups and retreats. I received my Masters and PhD in Social Work from Boston College and completed postgraduate training at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and Tufts University Counseling and Mental Health Services. I have experience working with adolescents and adults in community mental health, school, and university settings, and completed advanced training in EMDR, IFS (L1, L2, PA), and KAP. My work as a clinician is also informed by specialized training and clinical research that I have conducted in the areas of trauma and recovery, including the role of yoga in processes of healing. Prior to becoming a therapist I received my Bachelors Degree in Sociology from Brandeis University, my Masters degree in Arts in Education from Harvard University, and spent four years as a researcher exploring the role of the arts in personal and social transformation. The arts and creativity continue to be of significant interest to me in my work as a therapist.

I'm available to support students who may feel overwhelmed, stressed, or uncertain about the path ahead. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, adjusting to college life, struggling with self-doubt, or navigating relationships, I offer a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your thoughts and feelings. The students I work best with are those who feel like they’re juggling a lot—academic pressure, personal expectations, and social challenges—but who also want to grow, find balance, and build confidence. Many of my clients are learning to manage stress, cope with feelings of isolation, or figure out how to communicate better in their relationships. My approach is collaborative, and I focus on helping you find practical tools that fit into your life. Therapy doesn’t have to be intimidating; together, we’ll work at your pace to help you feel more grounded and in control. I’m here to listen, offer guidance, and support you as you navigate this chapter of your life.

Welcome I'm Melissa and I'm so glad you landed here! I work with young adults who are feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges—whether it’s relationship struggles, a constant worry loop that you can't get out of, low mood, struggles with food and body image, or difficulty with change. If you're reading this, you might be feeling out of balance or disconnected from what’s meaningful to you. Maybe you’re not sure what’s meaningful right now. You could be stuck in old patterns that no longer serve you, unsure about your next steps, or just know something feels "off" without being able to explain why. Or maybe you just need a safe space to explore it all. Whatever you're experiencing, it’s all valid—and it’s all welcome here.

It’s far from easy, being in your late teens or early 20s. All eyes are on you, it would seem, as you feel like you’re expected to choose a career, form essential relationships and launch an “adult life”. You are leaving the original support of childhood, and your primary task is to gain life experience in order to know who you are and where you want to go. Yet college students feel burdened with the expectation to choose majors, excel academically and socially, and then to seamlessly emerge into the world of work with confidence and clarity. It’s no wonder young adults feel so much internal confusion around identity and their best path forward. In order to know who we are, we first have to have permission not to know. Social media and the accompanying social comparison, intense competition around college acceptance and then the job market all create an atmosphere that fosters self-critical perfectionism as opposed to self-acceptance and discovery. We help college students address common struggles during this life stage such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, body image issues, family of origin issues, identity development, sexuality and relationships, trauma, and spirituality. Every person is different. That's why our clinicians are trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. 1A Wellness is an integrative practice, whereby clinicians have multiple specialties to choose from when working with clients. At 1A Wellness, we are driven to provide exceptional therapy so that clients can transform their lives. Our clinicians understand how to heal pain and how to help clients move forward so that they can make enduring changes and live fuller lives. We cannot change the past. But by investing in therapy, clients can reclaim their lives and change the future. This is our mission.

Hi! I’m a warm, person-centered therapist who tailors each session to your unique needs. I primarily draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and interpersonal therapy — but more importantly, I meet you where you are. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. You’re the expert in your story, and we’ll work together to develop tools, process challenges, and celebrate growth, big or small. I specialize in supporting adolescents and young adults managing academic pressure, identity concerns, anxiety, and trauma. I also offer comprehensive psychological assessments to help students access accommodations in college — like extended time or alternative testing settings.

Do you feel overwhelmed when facing life's obstacles? Have you tried to find ways to help yourself, but things have not improved, no matter what you do? Therapy can help you find new ways of dealing with life's challenges that have become too much to handle alone. Every person has a reservoir of strength inside. Through compassionate, supportive therapy, you can connect to your strengths to develop new ways of dealing with problems and complicated feelings, relationships, and transitions. I work with clients to understand the causes of their pain and difficulties. I offer different approaches to developing an effective strategy for internal and external struggles. I combine concrete skills for managing daily stressors with a process of self-understanding to achieve more profound long-term change. I am a licensed clinical social worker with extensive training in trauma-focused therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and internal family systems (IFS). I also use EMDR modality for some specific processing work. I have experience in providing therapy to people from diverse backgrounds - race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and more.

I am a Harvard-trained physician who practiced Neurology for 25 years before completing a post-graduate psychotherapy fellowship to allow me to help others in a different way. This major life change informs my work as a psychotherapist. No matter where along our life’s path we find ourselves, and no matter how distressed, stuck or trapped we feel, we can always come to know ourselves more fully and to make changes in the service of a more satisfying, meaningful and fulfilling life. I practice a flexible style of psychotherapy tailored to each unique person or couple. Some prefer a shorter-term, more active therapy that focuses on making changes in the here and now. Others benefit from a longer-term, more self-directed exploration in a safe and supportive environment. Although my focus is on helping people meet their goals through therapy, I offer the option to prescribe adjunctive medication when needed. My aim is always to understand each person’s unique life experiences, beliefs, values and goals and to work with each person to promote enhanced self-understanding and freedom of choice in the service of a life that feels satisfying and meaningful. When working with a couple, my aim is to help the couple work through current relationship difficulties and, if both partners are invested in maintaining the relationship, to help them create a partnership where each feels safe, secure, valued and cared for.

I am committed to creating a collaborative and open-minded atmosphere where you can come to know yourself more fully. People often seek psychotherapy when they feel overwhelmed and have reached a breaking point. They want to feel more grounded in who they are and the choices they make. Therapy offers a dedicated space to identify, understand and eventually transform painful experiences that have lead to suffering and frustration. My approach is warm and engaged. I have experience working in varied settings (inpatient units, partial programs, and community clinics) and with adults from all walks of life many of whom have lived through various traumatic experiences. I particularly enjoy working with graduate students and first gen college students navigating life transitions. I deeply respect the courage it takes to come to therapy and I welcome hearing from you.

OptiMindHealth (OMH) professionals are dedicated mental health specialists committed to providing skilled consultation and holistic treatment services for those struggling with ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, personality disorders, relationship conflicts, and work-related challenges. We offer both general counseling and specialty medication management services at our practice that are designed to address a variety of conditions and needs for our patients. OMH is dedicated to helping people live balanced, happy, and productive lives. Our comprehensive approach to mental health services recognizes the unique complexities of every individual, then employs a tailored array of the best therapies, strategies, and tools to efficiently and effectively restore healthy living. We are here to help you regain the balance and hope you need to be well, for life. Please take 5-minutes to complete our online appointment request form by following the link below: https://www.optimindhealth.com/appointments/

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Sandstone Counseling works with adolescents and adults navigating perfectionism, relationship stress, and performance pressure — especially when things look “fine” on the outside. We specialize in challenges with disordered eating, relationships, and anxiety. You’re sick of constantly thinking about your body, what you ate today, your workout, whether that new coworker actually likes you, if you’ll ever find the right partner…the list is never-ending. Therapy can help you understand these patterns and decide how you want to respond — rather than feeling controlled by them. We work with folks (16+) of all genders to slow down, build more flexibility, and make choices that move them closer to their goals.

At the heart of psychotherapy is accompaniment through one’s inner world. Current difficulties, past struggles, individual and familial traumas, hidden hopes and dreams – all of this will be central to making sense of your present and building toward your future. Starting psychotherapy can feel intimidating, but the benefits can be huge: deeper self-understanding, more meaningful and authentic relationships, reduced depression and anxiety, increased self-confidence. I have worked with a diverse swath of undergrad and graduate students in college counseling centers, and have studied and taught at private and public universities across the country. My specializations include relationship struggles, family conflict and crisis, identity development, career direction, academic concerns, gender and sexuality, trauma, spirituality, creativity, chronic illness, immigration, and LGBTQIA+ issues in teens and adults. I am committed to meeting you where you are at in the therapeutic process, and I welcome exploration of racial, sexual, and gender identities. I am a Harvard Medical School Psychiatry fellow trained in psychodynamic, relational, cognitive behavioral, and mindfulness-based therapies, but I believe a strong sense of connection is the most important element in seeking a therapist. I encourage you to reach out to a number of practitioners to find a good match. I look forward to hearing from you.

I’m a therapist in Brookline. I meet with clients in person and online. I enjoy working with adults of all ages and particularly young adults and people early in their careers who are searching for more meaning, fulfillment and balance in life. Regardless of the main issue that brings individuals into therapy, many of my clients struggle with some type of self-defeating narrative, or what I call, an unworkable story about themselves or about some aspect of their lives. I enjoy helping people uncover these unworkable patterns and develop more effective ways of viewing themselves and their lives. Working with me involves exploring what gets in the way of more openness, awareness and engagement with life, and then practicing increasing these ways of being through exercises (such as mindfulness approaches), use of metaphor to shift perspective and other behavioral moves. It’s important to me that I meet every client where he or she is at and work collaboratively toward creating the life you want for yourself. I look forward to connecting with you!

For people of all ages, difficulties in life may result from a lost connection with one’s internal experience. Psychotherapy offers the opportunity to attend closely to one’s thoughts and feelings in a safe, supportive environment. In child therapy, play is the primary mode of communication. Through play, children explore their internal world, rehearse for life, process past events, practice creativity, and learn to moderate themselves. As children begin to feel understood and understand themselves, their internal experience can become their guide to being in the world. In talk therapy with adolescents and adults, I offer a collaborative, exploratory space where together we will work to understand your personal experience and the roots of your distress. This process can lead to a deeper connection with oneself and to others. I have advanced training in psychodynamic psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults. I work with individuals struggling with a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity issues, attentional problems, trauma, and relationship difficulties.

Many people come to therapy when they find themselves stuck repeating old patterns in relationships, work/school, or how they treat themselves. I'm a clinical psychologist with over 17 years of experience in helping people understand themselves more deeply so that change becomes possible. I approach people with a warm, collaborative, and exploratory style. If you're wanting to make sense of what's holding you back and move toward a more authentic, connected life, I can help. I welcome people of all identities and practice gender-affirming care. I use a psychodynamic approach that focuses on thoughts, feelings, and reactions that come up in your life and in our sessions. These moments often connect to deeper issues that we can then explore. I add cognitive-behavioral tools when helpful. Reaching out for therapy can feel vulnerable, and it's important to find a therapist you feel comfortable with. In our first sessions I offer an open space in which you can speak freely and we can get to know each other. If you're unsure whether we're a good fit, I'm happy to talk over phone or email about what you're looking for. I specialize in: • Anxiety and mood disorders • Relationship and interpersonal difficulties • Identity development and LGBTQ+ concerns • Life transitions • Young adults/adults seeking ongoing psychotherapy

Therapy can help you find relief from distress and free up the “stuck” places in your life, the ways of relating to yourself and others that can feel self-defeating, limiting or out of your control. This can lead to distress that may come in many forms: anxiety, anger, emptiness, detachment. Yet these experiences are not only a source of suffering, they are also a message that speaks to desires, conflicts, and pain. Together, we work to understand all this and place it in the context of where you come from and the world you live in now. The goal is relief from ways of being that cause distress, and to move toward ways that feel expressive of who you are, how you want to live, and what you want your relationships to be. I work with individuals and relationships and specialize in a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, difficulties in relationships, psychosis, and issues related to gender, sexual, or racial identity.

I specialize in working with adults, children, and families who have been impacted by trauma. I have experience in helping clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, dissociation, relationship difficulties, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and other issues that often result from adverse experiences and traumatic stress. I practice a collaborative approach which honors my clients’ lived experience and allows their needs and our understanding of the challenges they face to shape the specific approaches we use in our work together. I use an integrative style which blends skills-based, relational, and trauma-focused interventions. I see goodness-of-fit as central to the treatment process, and I believe an authentic and trusting relationship is essential to effective therapy. I strive to bring cultural humility to my work, and offer honesty, warmth, humor and compassion to foster the safe environment needed to allow my clients to achieve true growth, healing and transformation. I am fluent in English and Haitian Creole.

Our practice is highly specialized to treat OCD, anxiety and related disorders. We have clinicians that specialize in the cross section of ED and OCD, Chronic Illness and OCD as well as ADHD and OCD. Our approach to therapy is both candid and interactive, yielding successful, longterm relationships with our clients. With an understanding that each client is different, we are passionate about developing personalized action plans and adaptive treatment models tailored to your personality and feedback. We help our clients lean in, challenge their fears, and live a more purposeful life. Using proven techniques in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness, as well as more traditional relational approaches, we provide a comforting space for clients to feel heard and see the pathway back to their personal flourishing.

My aim as a therapist is to help clients resolve the problem they are experiencing in their lives. I offer a safe environment for clients to express themselves, gain a sense mastery and autonomy through talking and increasing strategies and skills to better cope and thrive in life. My clinical approach is to tailor care to clients’ individual needs- integrating an array of approaches and training experience such as insight-oriented methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, trauma informed treatment, mindfulness-based care, and addiction and substance use disorders treatment. My education includes a Master’s in social work (MSW) from Rutgers University( with Minor in Alcohol Studies) and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BA) from the University of New Hampshire( English Literature/Minor in Psychology.) My professional experience includes university counseling- most recently at Harvard University 's Counseling and Mental Health services where I work for 16 years supporting college and graduate students, and previously in NIAAA/NIDA research studies, community mental health, hospital based social work, clinical director of inpatient /outpatient program, employee assistance. Clients describe me as a good listener, empathetic, compassionate, a good sense of humor and a firm believer in change.

My work focuses on increasing one’s awareness of—and investment in—all aspects of their wellness: emotional, mental, behavioral, physical, relational, and spiritual. Rather than working solely through the lens of specific pathologies or treatment modalities, I aim to evaluate how one’s personality, coping skills, learned behaviors, lifestyle choices, avoided experiences, self-concept, and relationships combine to either promote or impede overall wellness. As such, I provide an eclectic blend of therapy that is informed by third-wave cognitive and behavioral modalities, relational work, insight-oriented approaches, and a broad understanding of health and wellness. Philosophically and clinically, I am influenced by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), contemporary Western Buddhism, mindfulness, relational dynamics, Evolutionary Psychology, Existentialism, and Psychodynamics. I have received training from multiple sources in using ACT and ERP for the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders, am a member of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), and hold a certificate in Mindfulness & Psychotherapy from the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy. I specialize in helping people whose anxiety manifests as obsessions, compulsions, rumination, phobias, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, or perfectionism. My approach is also effective for depression, chronic pain or other psychophysiological concerns; addictive or destructive behaviors; self-concept issues; and tough life transitions. In addition, I enjoy supporting those experiencing relational difficulties, romantic or sexual dissatisfaction, or working through men's issues. I work with many undergraduate and graduate students and am familiar with the lifestyle and unique challenges faced by these populations. I am also pleased to offer empathy and lived experience to those exploring the impacts of their Jewish ethnicity or upbringing. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Human Development from Binghamton University, I spent a few years as a high school educator, focusing on wellness education, sex and sexuality education, mindfulness education, harm reduction, and relational wellness. This path led me to a greater interest in mental health counseling and the decision to obtain a Master of Education in Counseling from Boston University, where I completed a clinical internship at The Groton School, an independent residential school in Massachusetts for grades 8-12. During this experience, I received supervision in the use of ACT and ERP to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, perfectionism, academic stress, adjustment challenges, and depression. After graduate school, I worked at Riverside Community Care’s Life Skills program in Somerville, a day treatment program for adolescents transitioning from psychiatric hospitalization back into their schools and communities. Following that, I became a counselor at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. These positions deepened my clinical experience across a wide range of presentations while strengthening my ability to work with individuals as members of larger relational networks—always focusing on access to resources, connections with peers and programming, and managing the demands of school, work, and life. Since January 2024, I have been working with Soultality and am pleased to offer my services to adolescents, young adults, and emerging adults in the community and across Massachusetts. In my free time, I am usually exercising (running, climbing, biking, jumping, crawling, lifting, etc), at the movie theater, cooking vegetarian feasts, dancing, cleaning and organizing my space, or spending time with friends.