Therapists for college students near Washington, DC
The Sanchez Center is a group psychotherapy practice serving Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and California. OUR mission IS TO PROVIDE mental health services to young professionals in a culturally-sensitive, compassionate, and collaborative setting
Grounded in empathy, compassion and inclusion, Embracing Wellness is committed to providing compassionate, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming care that empowers individuals and communities. Given the challenges of our times including COVID-19, inflation, digital overload, and social unrest, we strive to promote wellness through vulnerability, authenticity, healing, rest, community, and joy. We aim to ensure that each session is an inclusive, safe, and supportive space that takes into account your identity, personal history, and the environments and systems in which you exist. We believe that true wellness encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. Together we will develop an individualized treatment plan using evidence based interventions to enhance your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Therapy Interventions include: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Attachment-Based, Narrative, Person-Centered, Psychodynamic, Solution Focused, and Strength-Based therapy.
As a Licensed Graduate Social Worker, I provide affirming, person-centered support to help you navigate whatever you're facing, whether that's a major life transition, relationship challenges, identity exploration, or simply a desire to grow and better understand yourself. My work centers on LGBTQIA+ individuals, young adults and life changes, and anyone exploring identity, relationships, self-fulfillment, and personal growth. Additionally, I have a deep personal and professional interest in reproductive mental health and perinatal wellbeing, supporting those facing infertility, fertility treatment, and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), including IVF and IUI. I work with LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples on family-building paths such as donor conception, sperm or egg donation, gestational carriers, and third-party reproduction. Whether you're weighing donor options, navigating the emotional landscape of pregnancy and postpartum, or learning to advocate for yourself within the fertility clinic system, I offer informed, compassionate support every step of the way. No matter who you are or what you’re experiencing, my approach is collaborative and tailored to you, meeting you where you are and walking alongside you. At the heart of my work is a genuine commitment to making you feel truly seen. I believe that the most meaningful therapeutic work happens when you feel safe enough to be honest, so I prioritize creating a space that is nonjudgmental, warm, and unhurried from the very first session. Working together, we’ll use collaborative exploration, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and strengths-based techniques to help you reconnect with your values and move through life's most challenging moments with greater clarity. Because no two people – and no two journeys – are exactly alike, my approach is tailored to your unique story, goals, and pace, in an environment that is safe, affirming, and entirely yours. Therapy is your time, which is why I vow to always show up to each session ready to meet you exactly where you are. My path to becoming a therapist began at the St. Louis City Courthouse, where I had the privilege of supporting survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. That experience showed me, in vivid and lasting terms, how community resources, advocacy, and therapeutic care can genuinely change the course of someone's life. I went on to spend several years in Washington, D.C., working in international development and political advocacy. That work deepened my understanding of how the world's larger systems shape each of us at a profoundly personal level, a perspective I carry into every therapeutic relationship. As a queer person who has navigated complex systems, policies, and family-building pathways in the U.S., I bring both personal and professional insight to this work. I understand that these experiences are not just logistical; they are deeply emotional, and they deserve thoughtful, informed support. When I'm not in session, you'll find me exploring new destinations, experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, or hosting friends around the table. I also enjoy crafting, getting lost in a good book, and keeping up with my Pilates practice.
Do you belong everywhere and nowhere? Do you question gender, sexuality & relationship norms? Are you struggling to feel connected or like you belong? Are you struggling with stress and pressure? Are you seeking an affirming, collaborative space to be seen, validated, problem-solve & ultimately heal? You are in the right place. I’m Ariel – a multi-ethnic, queer woman living between and amongst cultures while carving my own path to healing. I specialize in multicultural identity issues, anxiety, depression, intergenerational & other trauma, migration, eating disorders, suicide/self-harm, LGBTQIA+ needs and alternative relationship styles.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Joseph Melendez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. He is licensed in DC, Virginia, Florida, Maryland and New York. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor’s and Master of Social Work. Joseph is heavily involved with the LGBTQIA+ community and is a proud affirming provider. Additionally, he actively supports and works with individuals with disabilities, an area that is often overlooked. Joseph is a holistic and integrative therapist and his core principles are compassion, collaboration, and transparency. He has extensive experience in counseling individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, work/life balance stressors, life transitions, substance use, and other areas. He provides counseling to couples and families to address stress, communication concerns, and conflict. Joseph utilizes various approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Interpersonal Therapy, Existential Therapy, Gottman Training and Parent Management Training. He is committed to helping clients feel their best and believes clients are the experts in their journey. Joseph hopes to work with you soon!
Welcome to Creative Ways Therapy! We are here to support you on your journey to a more joyful, balanced, and meaningful life. Creative Ways is a small, private, mental health therapy practice where adults can refresh and transform within the accepting, and motivating clinical atmosphere. Children can explore and release their worries, losses, and stresses through therapeutic play. Adolescents can consider and practice skills to manage pressures and transitions. Our clinical team consists of both male and female, English and Spanish speaking, Licensed Clinical Social Workers. We also offer trainings, clinical supervision, programmatic support, and participation in legal proceedings. We look forward to working with you!
I am a pragmatic practitioner who combines an extensive background in humanistic, interpersonal, and psychodynamic theory with cognitive behavioral techniques. My aim is to get to know each client as an individual and not rely on a pre-determined program for what works. Everyone is different. I especially enjoy working with clients who are curious about themselves and willing to take the risk of seeing and understanding themselves more clearly in order to make the behavioral changes they need to improve their lives. Of course, there are times when anyone may be in difficult situations that are not of our doing (for example, dysfunctional family systems, mistreatment by those who have power/authority, COVID restrictions) and the changes we need to institute are better self-care and more compassion. As a Ph.D. Psychologist with a post-doctoral fellowship in group and couples, my practice offers individual, couples, and group psychotherapy.
I work with individuals navigating trauma, identity exploration, relationship challenges, and major life transitions through a gender-affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive lens. I am especially mindful of how trauma can impact safety, trust, and the nervous system, and I work at a pace that feels supportive and grounding, whether clients are feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, uncertain, or processing trauma related to identity, relationships, or systemic stress. With experience in queer and gender-affirming care, I take a creative, individualized approach to therapy that honors each client’s lived experience. I especially enjoy supporting LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients, college students, and those exploring identity and belonging. I offer a warm, collaborative space grounded in curiosity and compassion, helping clients build self-trust and resilience at their own pace. It can take a lot of courage to consider reaching out for support, especially if past experiences made it feel unsafe or unhelpful. Therapy does not have to be rushed or forced. If you’re curious about exploring things at a pace that feels respectful and grounding, I welcome you to take that next step when you’re ready.
Online sessions available. Here is what you can expect from me as your therapist: 1) a warm and trusting relationship that allows you to talk about anything and everything in a safe space 2) a space in which you feel heard and attended to, where both important and minor details are remembered and returned to in an effort to examine the full picture over time. 3) genuine feedback that will help you examine yourself and your patterns closely, often providing a new way of understanding yourself and your struggles, and 4) respect for your background and identities, the pace at which you’re comfortable sharing, and your personal goals for therapy. If you have concerns in one or more of the following areas we might be a good fit: adjustment/transitions, relationships and family, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, postpartum/perinatal issues, and/or identity development. I also work with less specific concerns, such as those who are unsatisfied and unsure why. In addition to being a licensed psychologist in DC, I am an adjunct professor and clinical supervisor in the psychology department at the University of Maryland. My research has been published in multiple journals in the field, and I have experience in a variety of settings, including extensive experience with college and graduate students.
The Sterling Group is a team of therapists that specializes in supporting college students and young adults. Being an 'adult' and having it all 'figured out' can feel like a lot of pressure. What they don't tell you is the road to adulthood doesn't end in college, when we graduate, or even in the few years following! Life as a college student can be hard and complicated, but therapy doesn't have to be! Our team at The Sterling Group is made up of therapists who 'get it.' We understand today’s unique demands and pressures of being a young adult. We’ve been there ourselves and our expertise is in helping you get unstuck. It is possible to unlearn negative patterns and replace them with new tools to better handle the hard stuff. We’re here to help you regain a sense of empowerment and control over your life and better manage whatever challenges come your way. Therapy doesn’t have to be stuffy or intimidating. Whether meeting virtually or in our office, our priority is to create a space where you feel comfortable and at ease to be yourself. We’re made up of therapists who have been exactly where you are. And we are as goal-oriented and outcomes-driven as the clients we work with. We want you to see early results so you start to see change and gain confidence in yourself and your continued progress.
As a black queer woman working within both for-profit and non-profit spaces for over 10 years, I became increasingly aware of the need for dedicated restorative and affirming safe spaces for BIPOC and Queer folx. Thus, at Growth Explored my intention is to curate an environment that not only allows individuals to observe their own thoughts and feelings as relates to their behavior but additionally understand how external factors such as discrimination impact response to and perceptive of life experiences. If you find yourself feeling disconnected from the things around you, lacking motivation for the things that once excited you and going through the motions; there is room for you here. Let us collaborate to develop a plan that empowers you by evoking change through tapping into your emotions. Our hope is that in this space of healing you will learn the skills you need to live a fuller and richer life.
Greenhouse Psychotherapy is a boutique mental health practice offering virtual services to clients in DC, MD & VA and in-person services at our office in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC. ​ We provide multidisciplinary care including individual and family therapy, nutrition counseling, and speech language pathology to adolescent and adult clients of all genders. ​ Some of our areas of focus at Greenhouse Psychotherapy include eating disorders, OCD, anxiety, mood disorders, trauma and life transitions. We have a special interest in working with college students and young professionals. ​ We are a values-driven group practice striving to promote high quality mental health services within a social justice framework.
Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.
Who would have known life could be so stressful and complicated- well we do! We understand that being studying is important but that there is a equal need to be healthy. Our practice provides clinical services while reducing the stigma associated with mental health.
My approach to therapy is compassionate, collaborative, holistic and individualized, meeting you where you are. I am passionate about the process of therapy and will help you to develop insight, identify and reach your goals and enhance wellness. I specialize in treating couples and individuals coping with mental health and relationship concerns. My aim is to engage in collaboration to illuminate, foster insight and clarify what is within as well as the path ahead. I have over fifteen years of psychotherapy experience working with individuals, couples and families utilizing a combination of DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Psychodynamic and Relational techniques among other modalities. My goal is to provide a safe place for growth, development and healing. Please take the first step and schedule a free 15 min phone consultation to meet and discuss how to proceed.
I believe we all grow and heal differently. Sometimes it's through exercise, music, quality time with loved ones or the occasional tv marathon; and sometimes it's through the relationship created in therapy where your whole self can be seen without judgment or shame. I support high schoolers, college & graduate students, and adults dealing with a range of concerns including depression, anxiety, major life & relationship transitions, identity development, as well as those seeking an edge in sport/mental performance. I bring an honest, curious, and eclectic approach, striving to make therapy flexible and interactive. I am solution-focused, often combining IFS and CBT with motivational enhancement, mind-body integration, mindfulness, and positive psychology. I aim to highlight and expand your compassion, courage, confidence, and coping skills. If you are adjusting to something new, discovering who you are, or motivated to make a meaningful change, let's dive in. Together, we will work towards harnessing your inner strengths while mending the parts that make life feel challenging. I look forward to greeting you with patience, acceptance, and warmth.
We are born into mystery and we are on a spiritual quest to know ourselves more fully, to discover our life's purpose and to find our personal power. My therapeutic approach involves accompanying my clients on a journey of self-discovery and self-mastery. For, as Carlos Castaneda wrote, "We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong...the amount of work is the same." Ultimately, my goal is to be a mirror that reflects back to you your own innate goodness, strength and wisdom. We repeat what we don't repair. So, my job is to be a witness to your process of awakening the healer that's already present within you. My therapeutic approach draws from psychodynamic theory, client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. I also use meditation, aromatherapy and creative visualization as therapeutic tools. My areas of expertise are treating depression, anxiety, grief and loss and trauma (PTSD). In addition to adult clients, I also see adolescents and families in my practice. I believe that therapy is a sacred relationship and a meeting of two souls. In short, it is an invitation to explore and to discover the depths of our own being through the mirror of relationship. If my therapeutic approach sounds like a good fit for you, then please contact me by phone or email to schedule an appointment. Are you ready?
Welcome to The Healing Palace ✨ College life can feel like a whirlwind — balancing classes, relationships, work, and figuring out your future. At The Healing Palace, we understand that behind the hustle, students often carry stress, anxiety, trauma, and unspoken challenges. We’re here to be your safe space. A place where you can breathe, unpack the weight you’ve been carrying, and discover healthy ways to thrive mentally, emotionally, and socially. Our team of therapists specializes in supporting young adults as they navigate identity, relationships, and the pressures of everyday life. Whether you’re seeking one-on-one therapy, group support, or just a space where you can feel heard without judgment, The Healing Palace is here to walk with you. Because your mental health matters. Your voice matters. You matter.