Therapists for college students near 02138
I am a psychotherapist and psychiatrist with decades of experience helping people overcome depression, anxiety, relationship issues and other life problems. I see patients weekly in my office for insight-oriented and cognitive behavioral therapy. Please contact me if you are interested in doing deep work to improve your life. Please be aware that the following are outside my practice area: ADD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, acute suicidality, addiction problems, sexual trauma, and patients who have been psychiatrically hospitalized. I prescribe medication as needed for patients who are in therapy with me, but I don't do medication management alone. In general, I see women ages 20-40. I have many years' experience working with students. I graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, and I am Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. Looking forward to hearing from you!
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I work from a relational-cultural, psychodynamic lens rooted in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and liberation-centered therapeutic work. Within a trusting relationship, we will adapt our work to your needs, which may involve use of techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), motivational interviewing, intersectional feminist therapy, narrative therapy, expressive arts therapy, and/or grief counseling. Mutuality is the essence of my work; in relationships between people, people and nature, and people and their socio-cultural-political landscape. Intentionally focused on de-pathologizing our human experiences, I work with adults navigating relational dynamics, anxiety/mood disorders, complex/interpersonal/institutional/systemic trauma, queer-trans and ethno-racial identity development, grief, transitions, immigration, body image, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and economic stressors, in context. I have worked extensively with survivors (aged 18-72) of gender-based violence in India and the US. Consensual resource-sharing, political education, therapeutic self-disclosure, seeking feedback, and reflecting on our interpersonal dynamics will be embedded within my therapeutic work, which will be adapted to your personal needs from one session to another.
We all want to be happy. More specifically, most people want to feel effective and confident, especially when it comes to relationships. We want to feel included, appreciated, and loved. Sometimes these things may seem out of reach, or you may be struggling with other challenges that leave you feeling stuck, discouraged, or helpless. Seeking support from someone with expertise relating to the human experience may be just what you need to feel more empowered and in control of your life. I am a clinical psychologist in private practice, providing behavioral health services to individuals, families, and groups in the Greater Boston area. My goal in a collaborative treatment is to work with you to identify areas of need and to utilize your unique strengths to develop, rediscover or refine ways of managing the obstacles that impede your growth. In a warm and caring environment, we will explore and expand your assets and skills to facilitate positive and adaptive change. Together we will cut the path that you choose toward a life that is increasingly meaningful and satisfying.
If you’ve been finding yourself stuck in old patterns that you cannot change, perhaps struggling with feelings of inadequacy or fear of failure, you’ve come to the right place. The constant doubting and shaming of a strong inner critic can prevent us from entering new relationships, pursuing our interests and goals, and convince us that it’s not safe to allow anyone to get to know our true selves. Choosing to confront these themes in therapy takes courage and vulnerability, and represents the first step in a decision to prioritize your mental health. I will work with you to explore the themes that brought you to therapy, and develop the self-compassion to show up more authentically in your life. My therapeutic style is compassionate, sometimes humorous, and client-led. I center my work around Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach, and I often pull from relational or psychodynamic modalities as well. I work with adolescents and adults of all backgrounds, and I specialize in working with those who identify as athletes or performers (musicians, actors, dancers, etc.) If you’re interested in starting therapy to address some of those old patterns or painful feelings, I hope you’ll take the time to consider if we would work well together.
I provide individual therapy and couples counseling for adults struggling with a wide range of issues. My areas of expertise include mood dysregulation, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, life transitions, identity issues, college counseling, and trauma/PTSD. Overall, I view therapy as a collaborative relationship between client and therapist in which we work together towards client self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and healing. I work from a flexible, integrative approach, drawing on aspects of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and relational modalities, depending on each client's particular needs. My style is empathetic, respectful, and curious. I have specialized training in Prolonged Exposure therapy for PTSD, cross-cultural therapy, working with veterans, and working with asylum-seekers/refugees.
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.
Together, we can evaluate where your personality, coping skills, behaviors, lifestyle, and relational habits come together either to promote or impede your health. I am passionate about helping people who suffer from obsessions, compulsions, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, perfectionism, and other such unhelpful behaviors. My attention to all-around health is useful for working with those experiencing depression or problematic substance use. In addition, I enjoy supporting those experiencing relational or familial difficulties, romantic/sexual dissatisfaction, or working through issues at the intersection of gender and culture. Our work will be tailored to your unique goals and personality. Using interventions from ACT, ERP, CBT, and mindfulness, I will help you to act in sustainable, value-aligned ways by changing how you relate to your thoughts and emotions. Psychodynamic, existential, spiritual, and holistic health frameworks will provide additional support to our work together. With humor, insight, compassion, and skill, I can help you recognize where you get in your own way and establish new modes of being. Utilizing lived experience and a commitment to transparent, collaborative therapy, I provide a comfortable space for suffering to be aired out and reimagined. I would be honored to walk with you on your journey.
My approach to psychotherapy is primarily relational and psychodynamic, guided by the concept that healing and change happen in relationship. I aim to create a containing environment where we can be compassionately curious about how your past experiences inform your present. My work incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Liberation Health Model, and mindfulness-based interventions to help meet clients’ unique and wide-ranging needs. I provide a supportive, affirming space for clients’ diverse intersecting identities and experiences (e.g., race, immigration status, gender, sexuality). I provide psychotherapy to adults of all ages and have experience helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, identity exploration, life transitions, grief and loss, shame, trauma, and relational stressors. I also have expertise supporting clients through the challenges of college, graduate school, postgraduate life, and emerging adulthood. Before arriving at CAS, I completed a postgraduate fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Cambridge Health Alliance. I also worked in university, medical, and community-based mental health services in academic counseling, peer education, and clinical research.
Life has a way of surprising us — a loss, a betrayal, a diagnosis, or a path that no longer feels right. In these moments, it’s easy to feel unsteady or unsure how to move forward. I specialize in working with college students and young adults who are navigating these turning points and trying to find their footing again. With over 15 years of experience in counseling settings at Harvard and MIT, I offer a warm, supportive space where you can slow down, reflect, and feel understood. My approach is both insight-oriented and practical — helping you make sense of your experiences while building tools for meaningful change. Many of my clients are high-achieving individuals — often children of immigrants, or professionals in higher education and STEM — who appear put-together on the outside while quietly carrying stress, grief, or a sense that something isn’t quite working. If that sounds like you, I can help. Let's get started!
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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.
People come to see me when they feel stuck and have had enough. I help parents help their children; help couples and families get closer and happier; and in general help people successfully resolve issues such as: stress, anxiety, adjustment to new life circumstances (relocation, family changes), relationship issues (divorce, extra-marital affairs, conflict), and dealing with difficult family members. I work with individuals and families dealing with medical conditions that can be affected by stress (Gastrointestinal issues, pain, sleep disturbances). I also work with people interested in specific skill building such as: stress/anxiety management, assertiveness and dealing with conflict, communication, and more.
I am a licensed mental health practitioner with 13 years of experience and specialized certification in child and family forensics. I support individuals as they navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation difficulties, intimate partner violence, forensic and legal challenges, and major life transitions. My approach cultivates self-awareness within the unique context of each client’s social identities, drawing on multidisciplinary methods such as CBT applied through a social justice lens. I tailor my techniques to individual needs, fostering a supportive and collaborative therapeutic relationship.
It's hard to be successful as a college student when you are constantly worried, have that "sinking feeling" in your stomach, have difficulty managing your time and social commitments. These can be signs of anxiety and I can help with treatment that works. I also treat panic disorders, PTSD and other trauma related challenges. I can help you deal with perfectionism, performance anxiety, creativity struggles, environmental anxiety, gender identity, experience of sexual trauma, and attention related struggles. I also help improve male mental health journeys. My clients note they like my present and focused approach that does not leave them "floundering" in therapy. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you get better faster. I know you already have the capacity and the strength to change, and you are channeling it right now. Even if you don't feel that power we will help you connect to it. I have seen the transformation many times, the freedom and the full engagement in life that can follow after the most distressing anxiety symptoms are under control.
You may appear confident on the outside, but internally struggle with self-doubt, anxiety, or fear of rejection. Many of my clients feel “too much” and not enough at the same time, which can show up as overgiving, withdrawing, or difficulty setting boundaries. I work with high-achieving individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, and grief—often expressed through overthinking, emotional avoidance, or disconnection. These patterns are often rooted in early experiences, cultural pressures, or navigating marginalized identities, all of which can shape how we view ourselves and relate to others. Together, we work to build a more grounded sense of self, increase emotional awareness, and shift away from survival patterns like numbing, overcontrolling, or checking out. My goal is to help you feel more confident, connected, and at ease in your life and relationships. I especially enjoy working with BIPOC clients, Asian Americans, first-generation individuals, and those exploring identity and belonging. I offer a free, no-pressure consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
I specialize in working with clients who are experiencing a multitude of challenges, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, disability/chronic illness, identity exploration, and challenges with self-esteem. This can include family/relationship issues, life transitions (including college/early adulthood), or identity formation. I specialize in working with neurodivergent individuals, especially women with ADHD. Supporting LGBTQ+ mental health from an intersectional lens is another focus. I also have an interest in working with clients who are exploring immigrant experience, family dynamics, and generational trauma. I previously worked in college counseling (at Wellesley College) and residential life (at Harvard College), so I'm well-attuned to the specific experiences and challenges of college student life! As a relational psychodynamic therapist, I believe that our experiences are shaped by our relationships with ourselves, other people, and the world at large. My work is informed by feminist, queer, disability, and critical race theory. I also integrate narrative therapy, which allows us to reimagine the stories we tell about ourselves and our lives. I am deeply attentive to how identity and marginalization can impact one's experiences and movement through the world. In my work, I strive for a trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive, and socially just practice. I meet clients with curiosity, warmth, and nuance to explore their experiences, relationships, and challenges. My goal is to co-create a welcoming and supportive space in which clients can tell/retell their stories, appreciate their strengths, and work towards their goals
We grow in relationships when we feel seen, responded to, and appreciated. My goal is to build a therapeutic connection together that enables you to work on challenges you are facing while also empowering you to feel more connected to yourself and others. I provide a curious, caring, collaborative presence in the hopes that our sessions offer a space to take a breath, experience your feelings, and explore. My therapeutic approach is grounded in relational cultural therapy and psychodynamic therapy. I also incorporate narrative, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing in my work. I support clients experiencing mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, family and relationship issues, ADHD, grief, and identity exploration. I have experience working with college students, including first generation and international students, and educators. I welcome all clients including BIPOC, queer, trans, and gender-expansive individuals. I am a former educator and work from a strengths-based and trauma-informed perspective. I draw on attachment theory and systems theory to understand clients’ experiences in the full context of their lives, including how our identities, needs, and experiences are connected to our communities, cultures, and the broader forces that shape our well-being.
People seek psychotherapy for different reasons. You may want to address symptoms of depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem, feelings of distress, vulnerability, or isolation. You may be searching for greater meaning, connection, authenticity, and empowerment in your daily interactions. Therapy can help reveal and change patterns that inhibit or undermine living the life you desire. In a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship, we can create conditions for growth, challenge ways of seeing, process painful experiences, and increase your awareness and acceptance of different parts of yourself. I take a relational therapeutic approach and integrate methods that promote insight, emotional awareness, and motivation for behavioral change. Through my training and education at Harvard and Boston Universities, I developed expertise in treating anxiety disorders, trauma and loss, and in helping people identify and strengthen their sources of resilience. It can be an uncomfortable endeavor to start therapy for the first time or again. Building comfort and trust in relationship is one of the first things you and I would work on together. I welcome your questions and input from the start and throughout the process. Please feel free to get in touch.
I have 35 years of experience in doing therapy, including having done a fellowship in College Health. I am a Clinical Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and am affiliated at Brigham & Women's Hospital. I enjoy working with people particularly in the areas of anxiety and depression, love and relationship concerns, family issues, college life adjustment, career matters, and dealing with medical illness. My office is in Cambridge. I am trained in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for young people, adults, and kids. I can also prescribe medication, although I don’t do that unless it is in the context of an ongoing regular therapy. I’d be happy to talk with you to see if we’re a good fit for working together! You can also check out my website at kimfoehl.com