Therapists for college students near Cambridge, MA

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.

Ana welcomes students ages 18 and older of all backgrounds and all identities including LGBTQIA+ to feel supported in individual therapy. She uses a trauma-informed approach and specializes in using mindfulness, meditation, yoga, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR). Ana creates a sacred space in therapy for people to be seen and heard for who they truly are. You'll be greeted with respect, empathy and support. Whether you are coping with anxiety, depression or sleep issues, perhaps going through a relationship transition or want to set boundaries with a loved one, or are learning better self care strategies, there is always help and hope available. Ana Baumgart Schreck trained at Boston University in 2013 to become a social worker and therapist.

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) providing psychotherapy to individual adults, couples and groups. As a clinician, I prioritize collaboration, curiosity and inclusion. My treatment approach emphasizes a strong therapeutic relationship centered on your experiences and goals. I incorporate evidenced-based approaches into treatment that aligns with your needs -- including cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), psychodynamic, relational and solutions-focused methods. In addition to my private practice, I am a staff member in the Department of Psychiatry at a Boston hospital.

Hello! We are a group nutrition practice in Cambridge, MA. We are passionate about helping our clients stay healthy and feel better with each meal. Our specialties include nutrition for eating disorders and disordered eating, sports nutrition, digestive health, food allergies and intolerances, women’s health, perinatal nutrition, and creating positive relationships with food. We utilize a Health at Every Size philosophy in practice, and take a holistic approach – exploring how food intersects with other aspects of your life – while providing guidance based on the latest scientific evidence.

It can be extremely hard to navigate through life with all of the stressors we face on a daily basis. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and various challenges in college. It would be my great pleasure to work with you and to help you on your journey of growth and discovery.

I am an LGBTQ+ therapist supporting adults. Whether you are coming to therapy to make a change, make sense of yourself or past experiences, or simply want someone to listen to you, I provide a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space for you to explore your life, relationships and concerns. Whatever your goals, I will guide you through the process and together we will try to understand any repetitive patterns of unfulfilling behaviour and gain insight into how past experiences have come to shape present-day experiences. I also work full-time as a therapist supporting undergraduate and graduate students at Harvard University helping them navigate challenges associated with mental health, academics, and relationships. I believe the single most important aspect of successful therapy is the quality of the relationship between therapist and client. I therefore invite you to sit down with me in a relaxed way so we can talk. I can help you make better sense of your experiences, thoughts and feelings. Together we can discover meanings, recognise patterns, and explore options.

Dr. Shelby Ortega is a clinical psychologist serving the North Shore and Metro Boston areas via Cambridge and Salem office locations. My approach is one characterized by warmth, humor, and the welcoming of diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives. I believe in tailoring the treatment to the unique needs of my clients and providing a safe space that is equally supportive and challenging. I offer individual psychotherapy for adolescents and adults, as well as couples therapy, clinical supervision, and consultation services. I enjoy working with people from all walks of life, and make every effort to help those I work with feel welcomed, engaged, supported, and respected. I work to provide a safe therapeutic frame that is inclusive of social and cultural context, and therefore, welcome discussions of issues related to oppression, privilege, and of course, intersectionality of complex identity statuses. My private practice work is enriched by my academic scholarship and teaching experiences. I believe this work is an asset to my role as a practitioner and I work to extend this benefit to the patients I serve. My specific interests and areas of expertise include the following: Anxiety, Depression and Mood Disorders Relationship and Intimacy Difficulties Identity Exploration Recovery from Trauma and Loss I have extensive training in multicultural mental health, identity development, adult attachment relationships and intimacy, and have also completed two fellowships in psychodynamic psychotherapy at Harvard Medical School. Presently, I serve as a Teaching Associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a Psychological and Educational Consultant with Jernigan & Associates, LLC, and as an Advisory Board Member for the Psychology Department at Regis College.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I’m Colleen Madden, PMHNP, specializing in medication management for college students. Whether it’s ADHD, anxiety, or mood concerns, I’ll help you find the right support—without judgment and with your busy schedule in mind. Virtual visits. Afternoon and evening hours available. A safe, understanding space to help you feel like yourself again.

Hello, I’m Ruolin Xie, an outpatient therapist at Orange Door Collaborative. Since earning my Master’s degree in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis in 2016, I have provided psychotherapy and clinical support to individuals and families of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds. My clinical specialties include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex trauma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), grief and loss, LGBTQ+ concerns, interpersonal and relational challenges, parenting stress, and cultural adjustment issues. In my practice, I strive to create an affirming, empowering, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, strength-based, and client-centered therapeutic space. I dedicate myself to bringing both compassionate presence and active collaboration, offering skill-building where appropriate, while actively listening to each person’s unique experiences. My approach integrates neuroscience-informed methods with a holistic mind-body philosophy, allowing for tailored treatment plans that support both effective symptom relief and meaningful, long-term healing. I offer both short-term therapy for immediate needs and longer-term therapy for trauma recovery and self-exploration. I am trained in a range of evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). As a multilingual clinician, I offer therapy in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. A quote that continues to resonate with me is from Leonard Cohen: “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” While I don’t seek to romanticize suffering — pain can be disorienting and deeply isolating—I believe that with skilled support, it is possible to uncover the human resilience, self-authenticity, and fierce self-compassion that emerge through healing. I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to help you explore whether working together feels like the right fit. Please feel free to reach out by phone or email—I'd be honored to support you on your path.

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, 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. Please note II do not take referrals from students who are currently enrolled at Harvard University as I am also working in CAMHS.

Marisa Anderson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has recently started work at Crooked Tree after many years of experience working with adolescents and adults in outpatient agencies within the Boston area. In her work with clients, Marisa incorporates both strength-based and cognitive behavioral therapies to help facilitate and support a better sense of self, healthy relationships, and stress management skills. Currently, Marisa also works as a school clinician at Beacon High School in Watertown. Marisa received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University.

Bret is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor working in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, MA. Bret brings a history of working in diverse clinical settings to bear on the work he does with his clients. His range of experiences include in-patient psychiatric settings, partial hospitalization programs, college counseling centers, and the Massachusetts correctional system. He has worked with those seeking therapy for the first time, as well as folks who have experienced a lifetime of navigating the mental health system. Through each of those settings, one constant has remained in the work he has done, which is the conviction that healing only happens through the establishment of a meaningful and authentic therapeutic relationship. Bret’s eclectic history has enabled him to develop a rich and integrated approach to collaborating with the people he forms connections with in his work. In his private practice, Bret works with adults college-age and older. His abiding belief is that in his work he is not working with a diagnosis or a set of symptoms, but with a person with a unique set of complex challenges that have encouraged them to seek assistance from a caring professional. As such, he feels comfortable working with a broad spectrum of therapeutic concerns. However, given his work in corrections, Bret has developed a unique capacity to connect with those who may be skeptical of the therapeutic process or struggled to find success in other therapies. Additionally, Bret specializes in working with young men who have difficulty forming meaningful connections, finding effective ways to express their emotions, and managing impulsivity and aggression towards themself and others. Bret is currently available for in-person and online sessions

I have been a therapist in the mental health field for almost 20 years. I have experience helping people with grief and loss, addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma and PTSD. I offer a supportive environment where we will collaborate to establish what your goals are in therapy and how to achieve your goals.

Are you an anxious over thinker navigating relationships or a new career? Are you a people pleaser or highly self critical? I'm Aisling, a licensed therapist specializing in supporting women and adolescents dealing with anxiety, navigating life transitions, and healing from trauma. I hope to provide a space to explore all of those challenges with compassion, sensitivity, and sometimes humor. I view this work as the most important thing I could possibly be doing and I hope each client leaves this space feeling hopeful about themselves and the world around them. I work with adolescents and women to navigate a spectrum of anxiety disorders. In particular, I know how debilitating high functioning anxiety and perfectionism can be. I offer a place to explore the root of the anxiety, people pleasing behaviors, and develop healthy coping skills. I want to empower clients and help them see their own strengths.

Having spent part of my life in Europe and Africa, my background helps me work with a diverse range of clients - from college students and veterans to corporate employees and expats. I am a clinical psychologist and cultural psychologist (Rutgers, PsyD; Harvard, BA) with 19 years of experience providing psychotherapy to adults. My specialties include depression, trauma, and anxiety as well as stress, life transitions, cultural adjustment, and relationship issues. I am a caring, interactive therapist and use an integrative approach (ACT, CBT, psychodynamic, and mindfulness techniques) to provide you with a safe space to heal and practice new tools as you reset your life compass. I see therapy as a gift to yourself: making time to build knowledge, awareness, and compassion, try new behaviors, and improve your quality of life. Change is possible at any age if there is courage, flexibility, willingness, and action. I also believe that a variety of things can help us heal and enrich our lives (e.g. music, sports, nature, friendships). I look forward to starting this chapter of compassion, healing, and growth with you and invite you to schedule a free consultation today.

We don’t like uncertainty. It is tempting to grasp for the certainty of “everything is doomed” or “everything will be ok.” But a part of us remains unconvinced. It is hard to face the truth: I don’t know what is coming, only that my experience will keep changing and eventually end. There are many aspects of our experience that are hard to face. We aren’t meant to do this alone. I partner with my clients to walk together into this wilderness. I offer a kind, curious, nonjudgmental attention, with the intent of helping my clients to sort through thoughts, judgements, reactions, behaviors, and felt experience, so they can learn to care more skillfully for the parts of their experience that are outside of their control and to take decisive action in the areas of their life where they have agency. Over time, this relational practice builds solidity. It loosens the tight grip on “everything is doomed” or “everything will be ok,” and opens up “it will keep changing, and eventually end, and I trust in my capacity to feel and care for my experience, no matter what comes.”

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.

I am passionate about reducing stigma around mental health and creating a supportive space for all clients. I strongly believe in meeting clients where they are and collaborating with them to create an environment that is most conducive to meeting their therapeutic goals. Additionally, I value the importance of trust in the therapeutic relationship, and I strive to understand my clients’ identities and experiences while exploring their strengths. My passion is working with young adults experiencing anxiety, general stress, interpersonal relationship and family challenges, as well as work or school challenges. I like to work collaboratively with clients, and I welcome open feedback around the therapeutic relationship and process. I am committed to self-reflection and growing in this field to better serve my clients and community. If you think I may be a good fit for you, please reach out. I understand starting therapy can be challenging, and I am here to help with the process. Additionally, many clinicians in our small practice are accepting new clients, and I am happy to provide a referral if you feel I am not be the best match for you.

If you’re trying to navigate stress, identity, relationships, or just the pressure of figuring life out, you don’t have to do it alone. I have nearly 15 years of experience working specifically with young adults, and I aim to create a space where you can show up exactly as you are. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or just unsure of what you need, we can take the time to sort through it together. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in genuine curiosity about you. I believe therapy works best when you feel safe, respected, and understood, so I prioritize building a relationship where you can speak openly. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming and deeply committed to creating a space that is welcoming and inclusive of BIPOC clients. Your identities, experiences, and cultural context matter. If you’re looking for a therapist who will meet you with openness, respect, and care, I’d be glad to connect.