Therapists for college students near 20052
Hello, I’m Alison. I help young adults who are overwhelmed, hopeless or anxious feel more in control and able to manage life's stressors and challenges. Some of the issues young adults have come to see me for include: relationship concerns, feelings of being overwhelmed, struggling to adapt to college or missing home, body image issues, life transitions, questions about gender/sexuality, and personal and family trauma. Trauma can include many things, such as relationship abuse, childhood abuse, illness, death, discrimination, and adoption issues. Using talk and somatic (body-oriented) therapy, as well as the expressive arts, I help clients connect to themselves and access resources to help them feel more at peace and in control of their lives. You will find me to be authentic, caring, and a dedicated support on your journey to healing. I bring compassion, mindfulness, and creativity to my work and consider it an honor to work with my clients. As a lifelong traveler who has lived in many places, I enjoy and value working with people from all walks of life. I look forward to meeting you.
I work with LGBTQ+ college students who are feeling overwhelmed by emotions or stuck in perfectionism. In therapy, I use a DBT-informed approach to help you build coping tools while also making space for where you are right now. I have experience supporting folks with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, and I aim to create a space that feels warm, validating, and real.
I love working with people who think they may have lost the plot. Who wonder if their symptoms may be a natural reaction to our society and our utter disconnection....from everything. I see you, and I get it. I think there is more to a life well-lived than mainstream notions of success. Come explore your life through values exploration and honest self-assessment, whether short or long-term. Welcoming and affirming for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC. I have an eclectic approach, which is a fancy way of saying that I don't rely on any one way of approaching curiosities. But my starting point is always from a place of your strengths, the things you are doing well, and your unique interests/wants/needs. I trend toward elements from Acceptance and Commitment, Positive Psychology, Existentialism, Brief Solution- Focused, Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation, Radical Acceptance, and Mindfulness. I am progressive in my politics, non-religious, and I believe that cursing is a valid form of self-expression. Humor is a big part of how I communicate and I believe it can get us through a lot of things. Despite being a middle-aged white woman who grew up in the south, you will find no bigoted mindset here. I will never pretend to understand the totality of your experience, but I do promise to see you, hear you, and respect you, while being mindful of the systemic, familial, and cultural issues that may be impacting you. I have stopped taking insurance because of all the barriers it creates from its medical model of viewing functionality and need. I know this creates a financial barrier for some, but I believe that until the system changes, its more of a detriment overall. But lets check those out-of-network benefits and see what we can squeeze out of the insurance company for you :)
I specialize in working with adults & teens struggling with mood disorders, depression, self-harm, anxiety, substance abuse, trauma and personality disorders to replace problem behaviors with positive coping skills through Dialectical Behavior Therapy. DBT is helpful for those struggling with managing emotions & stress. I also run DBT Groups for adults & teens. I also have a subspecialty in perinatal mental health including during PPD/PPA, pregnancy, postpartum, loss and PPD in spouses. I have a Masters in Social Work at Rutgers University. I believe that therapy should be client-centered, non-judgmental and at your pace. I hope to inspire you to make change in their life, work towards your goals, process life events and build useful coping skills. I can help you be in control of your emotions, manage stress without problem behaviors and be present in your life. Please feel free to reach out via phone, email or message so that we can chat about how I can be helpful!