Therapists for college students near San Diego, CA

Hi, I’m Madison Steele, LMFT, specializing in eating disorders and related challenges. Since 2019, I’ve worked with individuals across various settings, supporting them at different life stages. I recognize that disordered eating often intertwines with broader emotional issues, and my approach is client-centered and judgment-free. I collaborate with registered dietitians to provide comprehensive care tailored to your needs. As a BIPOC therapist, I understand the diverse experiences that shape our relationships with food and self. I’m here to meet you where you are and support your journey to holistic well-being.

​Hi there, and welcome. The choice to begin the therapeutic process is a powerful step in the direction of growth, healing, and a deeper source of empathy for oneself. I view therapy as a foundation of support with moving through whatever hardships may come your way, whether that means navigating grief, trauma, or the struggles of daily life. My approach to therapy can be described as casual, warm, and engaging with a sprinkle of my own personality and sense of humor. I prioritize supporting clients with accessing validation for themselves that they might allow for others and emphasize internal acceptance while challenging thoughts that may prevent folks from moving forward. My hope is for sessions to feel like a space to settle in, collaborate, and investigate together how your past influences your present. I have over eight years of experience working within the mental health community and have been providing therapy for over five years. I work with a variety of issues such as day-to-day stressors, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. I have also received extensive training on crisis intervention and deescalation as well as interventions for passive suicidal ideation, superficial self-harm, and struggles with substance abuse. ​ Therapeutic modalities that I utilize in treatment include: Narrative Therapy Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Attachment Therapy Humanistic Therapy Feminist Therapy ​ In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my cats, gardening, camping, doing yoga, needle pointing, and playing video games.

College can be a time of major change - new pressures, big decisions, and lots of uncertainty. If you're feeling stuck or in transition, we’ll work together to clarify what you want, what’s getting in the way, and how to build more self-trust. You'll learn to feel more grounded, even when things in school or life feel unclear or in-between.

I am a Board Certified Psychiatrist with over 30 years of experience. I have worked with students since the 1990s in a variety of settings and most recently was the director of the Stanford student mental health program (2008-2017) then on staff (2017-2022). I treat a variety of conditions from anxiety and depression to ADHD and bipolar disorder. I also practice intensive short term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP).

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Eating disorders can feel hopeless, but they aren’t. Whether this is your first time seeking help, or your umpteenth time, I believe that everyone can recover. There are many reasons eating disorders are invited into your life. Just as there are many reasons why a person develops an eating disorder, the way you recover will be just as unique. If there was a one size fits all solution, that would perhaps be as deceptive as the problem itself. Whether it’s perfectionism, judgment, loneliness, self-improvement, health, fear, family issues… Together we will discover what invites these problems into your life, and begin to find what recovery means for them. I have been in the battle with food and weight, caught in the war zone of an eating disorder, and come out the other side. Now recovered, I love working with individuals and their loved ones to find their own version of recovery, and find out what is keeping you stuck from living the life you desire. Through conversations, we will create space to discover your preferences, hopes and desires. Many of my clients have described me as the “anti-therapist,” which is a description I wear with pride. I bring enthusiasm, improvisation, imagination, and creativity into each session. My ability to think outside the nine dots and ask questions that others may not enables me to develop creative solutions with clients to help untangle what many would consider to be complicated problems. I believe in (and embrace) experimentation: the freedom to test things out and see how they fit, to explore the various facets of yourself, and to allow for complexities, and contradictions, and messiness… all the stuff the eating disorder hates and recovery needs. Eating disorders, are strong, they need something stronger to overpower them. I want to help discover what that is for you.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Students come to me for various reasons. Sometimes it is to understand why they are feeling the way they are feeling, to understand unwanted symptoms, or behaviors, to understand why their motivation has shifted, or to learn strategies to manage symptoms. I specialize in trauma and health

Jessica C. Lief, MSW, LCSW, MLS Speciality: Eating Disorders, Body Image, Borderline Personality Disorder, Self-Harm, Substance Use LCSW and Psychotherapist Jessica C. Lief, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, body image, Borderline Personality Disorder, self-harm, and substance use. Jessica completed psychoanalytic training through the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology in the Eating Disorders, Compulsions, and Addictions (EDCAS) Program. She also completed the advanced clinical supervision training program through Smith College School for Social Work. Her approach is primarily psychodynamic but combines aspects of self-psychology, feminist/womanist theories, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, mindful self-compassion, and mindfulness. She is particularly interested in the treatment of eating disorders as a social justice issue, as they relate to people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. She is also adept at treating individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Her grief and loss work is broad but focuses on motherless daughters, maternal grief and wounding, and emotional abandonment. Jessica also works with individuals who have experienced miscarriage, fertility-related issues, post-partum depression, anxiety, and psychosis, as well as post-partum PTSD. She also works with individuals undergoing IVF and who have struggled with women’s health issues, such as Endometriosis and PCOS, as well as individuals who are pregnant and struggling with an eating disorder. Jessica’s favorite part of being a therapist is guiding each client in their transformation and witnessing each step as it is achieved. Jessica will work with the client to identify what is deeply meaningful and important in that person’s life. The client will develop concrete skills to get their needs met directly. Jessica will help the client to develop powerful, inner resources, including self-compassion, emotion regulation techniques, radical self-acceptance, and confidence. Jessica earned her undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in literature, nonfiction writing, and French. She earned a master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice in Social Work from New York University. She also earned a Master of Studies in Law with a concentration in Health Law with high honors from UC Law San Francisco. Currently, she is enrolled in a doctorate in social work program through Simmons University. LCSW# 87286 “Jessica’s style has been described as nurturing, empathetic, and empowering. She is direct, authentic and will never blame you for your suffering. She enjoys using humor in psychotherapy.”

I am accepting new clients who may be feeling challenged by PTSD, substance misuse, system-impacted, institutionally traumatized and/or suffer from ADHD and/or Autism.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I work best with clients who are passionate about self-discovery, social change, and navigating life’s challenges. Many of the individuals I support are exploring identity, facing societal pressures, or advocating for human rights, including LGBTQ+ issues, women’s rights, and other radical movements. College can be a time of immense growth and uncertainty, and I help students manage stress, relationships, and personal identity while balancing academic and social expectations. Whether struggling with anxiety, self-esteem, or navigating systemic injustices, I provide a supportive, affirming space to explore these challenges. My goal is to empower clients to embrace their authentic selves and build resilience in the face of adversity.

Hi. If you have ended up here chances are you are questioning if you need help trying to figure something out in your life. Don't close the page...You are here and that is good. Being in college can be a really difficult transition and so much harder than you thought it was going to be. Classes, grades, friends, socializing, drugs, sex, identity, expression, first time independence, and feeling home sick. Perhaps you have dealt with mental health issues before now or maybe this is the first time you are noticing something feeling different. Whatever has brought you to deciding to seek help, know you are making a good choice. Please take a moment to look at my site, and if I am not the right one for you, then look at others. Find someone to talk to today.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

I love to help students succeed academically while keeping life balance. Do you have habits that block you from achieving your potential? As a PhD, I can attest to the challenges students face and I've learned highly effective strategies for addressing adademic stessors. We can all break unhelpful, unconscious patterns and replace them with new models for happiness and success. Working with me, you will learn to recognize your feelings as valuable information and organize your mind so that you can empower your life. I have served clients for over 10 years as a professional coach and therapist. My experience backed by a Doctorate in Depth Psychotherapy, a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, and certifications as a Hypnotherapist and Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).

You've been looking for someone who truly gets what you're experiencing and can provide real tools to help you overcome it. We're not the type of therapists you'll simply vent to; we focus on providing genuine feedback and practical tools. We'll gently guide you through healing old wounds, helping you break free from old patterns, while rediscovering your inherent worth and strength.

I work with a diverse clientele and specialize in providing culturally responsive and identity-affirming psychotherapy. The clients I work with often identify as first-gen students, artists, performers, educators, and professionals, as well as those who have experienced trauma in relationships or who have a history of family cycles of addiction and drug use. I use a relational-psychodynamic and liberatory approach to therapy; incorporating mindfulness techniques that support you to build awareness of what is happening between your mind and body. A strong therapeutic relationship where you feel safe to explore thoughts and feelings is essential and building trust to do so takes time. I will support you in the therapy to navigate communicating what is happening for you in the therapy so that you can then apply a deepened awareness of yourself to interactions and events in everyday life. Feelings and thoughts can be hard to identify, and having time set aside to delve into this process can be transformative. Your participation in the therapy by bringing in your lived experiences will help you to deepen your insights and understanding, which will inform your decisions and choices in life moving forward.

Thank you for taking the time to view my profile. I know personally how hard it can be to reach out for help, and I think it shows a lot of strength that you're trying to make your life better! I often work with clients who struggle with feeling like they can't control their worries, or are feeling stressed and burned out from school or work. I have also worked with many clients dealing with daily sadness and depression, the effects of trauma, and clients managing chronic health conditions like HIV. In addition, I have many years of experience helping clients who identify as LGBTQ+ and are looking for an affirming, understanding space. I'm here to help you find solutions that will help improve your life and help you connect with your values. We can try out several different research backed therapies until we find what is most helpful for you. Please give me a call or send me an email if you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment! I hope to talk with you soon.