Therapists for college students near UCLA

We are a psychotherapists in Santa Monica, specializing in anxiety, trauma, and relationships. Using a strengths-based approach, we are dedicated to supporting progress through warmth and understanding. We are eager to help clients with a variety of issues such as anxiety, depression, relationships, OCD, self-esteem, and chronic illness. From helping teens with trauma and high-risk behaviors to teaching parents mindfulness strategies, we are passionate about making individuals and families feel stronger. Based on research and experience, we believe in the power of brain-body-based therapies and “focusing on the present” to improve your day-to-day life. Our passion is to help individuals grow through awareness and connection. We strive to meet you where you are and help you get to where you want to be. Together we can use your personal strengths to cope, connect with others, and handle life's many issues. Whatever challenges you are facing, we hope to create a safe environment to support you.

Survivor of trauma. Struggling with addiction. Creative. Do at least two of these three describe you? If you're struggling to get sober, you're fearful about the impact sobriety might have on your creativity (and life in general). If you're in early sobriety, you're trying to gain your footing in a new landscape. If you're a trauma survivor, you're confused as to why your insight & sensitivity aren't helping you get to that light at the end of the tunnel. What do you do if your pain is too great to manage on your own? Working with me, you will be accepted & listened to carefully & perceptively. You will feel much more grounded & centered. I adapt my style to fit you and aim to treat you with a balance of gentleness and active encouragement.

I specialize in working with young adults, teens, caregivers, and families navigating overwhelm, transitions, chronic stress, and challenging relationship dynamics. I provide therapy to help restore stability and trust for those who have experienced trauma or relational wounds such as loss, chronic invalidation, coercive control, neglect, and abuse. I also work with athletes and performance-driven individuals whose ambition, discipline, and high standards fuel their lives yet may conceal pain. I integrate a sports psychology lens when achievement pressure intersects with self-concept, trauma, or burnout. I support high-level performers facing intense demands, competitive dynamics, setbacks, identity shifts, and life beyond sport, drawing on my experience as a former Division I collegiate athlete. Seeking support is a meaningful step. From the start of our work together, we will create a space that feels grounded, intentional, and deeply human, with open and honest communication at its foundation. I invite you to reach out for a free consultation call to explore whether we are a good fit.

A lot of people are struggling to be present today. The pace of life, distraction from our phones, and increasing demands at work and school make it challenging to "slow down" and enjoy life. This is even more difficult when we're experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, or substance use. I work with people to overcome underlying mental health issues and develop skills to improve presence, strengthen relationships, and sustain healthy lifestyle behaviors. I specialize in treating anxiety, including OCD (using ERP, the gold standard), integrating both cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness-based modalities. I also work with people experiencing depression and substance use. I know that struggling with mental health can be overwhelming. It might feel like you are moving through a downward spiral. My goal is to reverse that spiral with you. Together, we'll identify 1) where you're at, 2) where you want to go (and what's getting in the way), and 3) practical, specific, evidence-based actions you can begin taking right away. I was previously a Clinical Assistant Professor at USC (where I worked in the Student Counseling Center), have worked with people across the clinical spectrum, and have been teaching meditation for 10+ years. I also run public courses and workshops on mindfulness and mental health. I would be glad to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit. I look forward to talking more!

Whether you’re starting fresh, returning to school, or trying to find your footing again, support is needed. I’ve been there myself, and I understand how demanding and overwhelming this stage of life can feel. Your schedule is constantly changing, relationships can feel uncertain, and even when this is “supposed” to be the best time of your life, it can still feel like too much. Many of the students and young adults I work with come to therapy carrying pressure from school, family expectations, relationships, work, or simply trying to keep up with life. My goal is not to add to that pressure, but to create a space where you can slow down, process what you’re carrying, and build practical tools to manage stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and life transitions. Together, we work on building coping skills, managing stress and anxiety, improving self-understanding, and finding healthier ways to navigate the demands of everyday life. I support college students, young adults, and returning students in creating more balance while still making space for who they are outside of school, work, and expectations.

Many people come into therapy feeling internally divided — a part of them wants connection while another part pulls away, a part wants change while another part feels scared, overwhelmed, or stuck. My work is centered around helping people understand these different parts of themselves with curiosity instead of shame. I offer short-term, focused therapy that combines deep conversation, nervous system awareness, mindfulness, and medicine-assisted therapy when appropriate. Rather than approaching people as “broken,” I see emotional patterns as intelligent adaptations that once helped someone survive, cope, or stay connected. My approach is influenced by IFS/parts work, attachment theory, somatic therapy, and contemplative practices, while staying grounded, relational, and practical. I tend to work actively and intentionally with clients rather than remaining indefinitely in open-ended therapy. The goal is to help people recognize the patterns that keep repeating in relationships, anxiety, depression, self-criticism, emotional reactivity, or disconnection — and begin relating to themselves with more clarity, compassion, and honesty. Many clients describe the process as both deep and relieving because they begin to experience that they are not one fixed identity, but a complex human being made up of different parts all trying, in their own ways, to protect them.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, body image issues, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder & college adjustment/ academic stress. My therapeutic approach is practical and flexible, grounded in psychodynamic psychotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and exposure therapy. I find that people often assume that they “should” know how to approach therapy. In reality, the process may not be quite so simple and may feel confusing. Thus, I frequently have conversations with my clients about how to use sessions and ongoing dialogues about our work together.

Struggling to achieve a semblance of work-life balance while juggling the demands of a heavy academic courseload, and research, training, teaching, and employment opportunities? It is a privilege to work together with college and graduate students on increasing a sense of well-being and actualizing potential. I typically work with clients who are looking to live their best life in both the personal and academic realms, often focusing on goals related to academic success, career/post-college life decisions, dating, and relationships. I earned my doctorate from Fordham University in New York, and have had a wide variety of clinical experiences throughout my training and career, including work in community mental health clinics, and public and private schools. My experiences working with college and graduate students in a college counseling center in Brooklyn, NY, and my own experiences as a college and graduate student, sparked my enthusiasm for providing quality and compassionate therapy for those on an academic journey. I aim to partner with you on building upon strengths while creating a manageable action plan to help you explore the solutions you seek, and improve outcomes and quality of life. I offer in-person sessions at my office in West LA, as well as via telehealth.

Dr. Marcia Nimmer is a clinical psychologist (PSY31404) and licensed clinical social worker. She received her doctorate from Pacifica Graduate Institute, where she specialized in depth psychology. Dr. Nimmer also completed advanced training at the Wright Institute Los Angeles, where she received certification in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She is known for her warmth and intuitive style. As a clinician, she enables individuals of all ages to make emotional contact with their authentic inner experience, allowing for growth and transformation.

We commend you for taking a step in the right direction by researching therapy for yourself or your loved one. We believe that while we have expertise in mental health treatment, YOU are the expert in your own life! ​Our approach to therapy is to support, encourage, and guide you to tap into your strengths to create the life you and/or your family deserve. We are not a clinic. Our associates are a professional group of skilled, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, and Interns committed to providing a deeply individual, personal, and empowering experience in therapy. Welcome. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Foresight Mental Health’s integrated team of professionals includes licensed therapists, nutritionists, and psychiatric providers dedicated to working with clients to provide individualized and personal care. We believe in providing care that is accessible and affordable, which is why we are in network with most major insurers and provide both telehealth and in-person services. We all experience life differently, so we don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach. We offer a culture of connection that embraces and cares for people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, education levels, and abilities. You deserve the kind of care that helps you feel confident about who you are and optimistic about where you’re headed.

Let’s be real. Therapy isn’t just for when everything’s falling apart, it’s for when you’re tired of pretending you’re fine. I work with students who overthink, feel all over the place, or feel disconnected from themselves. We cut through the noise and get to what’s actually going on, using tools like CBT and a grounded, real-talk approach. I specialize in supporting first-gen and international students navigating culture shifts, identity questions, and the pressure to keep it all together. You don’t have to do it alone, and yes, we’ll probably laugh along the way.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges, struggling with relationships, or facing uncertainty about the future? I specialize in working with young adults who are juggling many responsibilities and are seeking relief from anxiety and stress. Together we develop effective coping strategies, improve emotional well-being, and foster resilience. If you need help navigating a difficult time in your life, like the end of a relationship or figuring how to find a healthy school/life balance, I offer both the compassion and the skills that can lead to symptom relief. Please reach out for a free consultation. I have sliding scale fees so please don't let financial hardship stop you from reaching out!

Our clients come from all walks of life, but tend to have one thing in common when they reach out to set up an initial appointment: they’ve realized they want more out of life. More joy, more freedom, greater emotional and relational health – in short, a more abundant life. In your first few sessions with us, it’s typical to breathe a sigh of relief – as you realize that there’s finally a space where you can be completely, authentically yourself. We start by processing your story – where you’ve been, where you are now, where you want to be. Stephen Covey writes that “to touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.” Being invited to be a witness to your story – in all the pains and triumphs and tragedies and victories – this is not an honor I take lightly. As our work together progresses, we unpack what hasn’t been working – self-defeating beliefs, unprocessed events and emotions, stale relational patterns… and we explore and process and practice new ways of being. Over time, the “ah ha” moments start to add up into the “I can’t believe how far I’ve come” moments as we reflect on your journey toward healing and abundance.

Heart Theory focuses on emotion-focused therapy as an overarching gateway into and through the work. We work with individuals, couples and families helping them navigate through past traumas, symptoms of need, and developing a meaningful process through conceptualizing the problem story.

As highly trained psychotherapists and relationship counselors located in the heart of Culver City, California, Root To Rise Therapy helps you increase emotional intimacy in relationships, communicate better, and find balance in your career, relationships, and personal life. When we are firmly rooted and grounded, we can rise to the heights we are capable of. Getting rooted helps us feel safe and stable; we experience greater freedom, creativity, flexibility, clarity, and feel more connected to others. Relationships are our greatest teachers, and our most fundamental relationship is with ourselves. It serves as a blueprint for all other relationships and therapy helps you get connected with yourself, increase emotional intimacy in relationships, practice mindfulness, and find alignment in your life.

Anxiety, stress and burnout are among the most common struggles people face, yet so many continue to carry them in silence. For those living with it, the pain is very real. It is waking up each morning already feeling trapped in your own thoughts, your body locked in a constant fight or flight state you cannot seem to shut off. It is lying down at night desperate for rest, only to wake up the next day still exhausted, as though no amount of effort ever brings true relief. If this feels familiar, know that you are not alone. These experiences are more than symptoms, they are part of the weight you have been carrying every single day. I help college students and young adults break free from the relentless grip of anxiety and stress by creating highly personalized, evidence-based programs that guide them toward clarity and control. In therapy, you will uncover what is happening in your body, understand why it occurs, and learn to use a range of effective tools so anxiety no longer controls your life. If you are ready to take charge of your anxiety and begin living life on your own terms, I encourage you to reach out for support. Therapy can be the turning point you’ve been searching for, offering tools to navigate stress, burnout, and overwhelming thoughts so you no longer have to face them alone or accept them as your reality.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

The clients I work best with are often navigating significant life transitions, managing mood disorders, or healing from past trauma. Many of them feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain about the path forward, whether due to anxiety, depression, or challenges in their personal or professional lives. I specialize in psychological testing, not just to diagnose conditions like ADHD but to help individuals gain a deeper understanding of themselves—their strengths, struggles, and the patterns that shape their experiences. My approach is collaborative and supportive, helping clients make sense of their emotions and challenges so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.