Therapists for college students near San Diego State University
If you have found yourself here it is because you are wanting to make a change in your life and/or your relationships. Maybe you have been being experiencing pain, are feeling overwhelmed at work or at home, have been experiencing low self-esteem, or you are stuck in a relationship that is no longer serving you. The therapeutic process is a powerful one where you get to work through your emotions and thoughts to see if these thoughts and emotions are in service to you. We believe that these emotions we experience are telling us something about our needs, and rather than not listening to this, we encourage our clients to lean into the experience of feeling. We are here to walk through this process with you and it is our absolute privilege to be engaging in this work with you. Here at Living Within Therapy we work with individuals coping with a variety of issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, and loss to name a few. We use evidence-based approaches, including but not limited to: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Solution Focused Therapy; however, we tailor our approach to meet your needs. In addition, we work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and are LGBTQIA affirming. We work collaboratively with our clients throughout the entire process to ensure your needs are being met. Feedback is imperative within the therapeutic relationship to make sure this is happening for you. Our main objective is to assist you in feeling safe to share your experiences and to discover hope and your strengths within the therapeutic process so that you can connect with yourself and your values. We believe that the client/therapist relationship is the most important component of therapy; therefore, we offer a free fifteen-minute phone consultation to help you determine if we are the right fit. Looking forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Hello, my name is Heather Pederson. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego and am so glad you are here. Seeking help can potentially feel daunting, exposing, and overwhelming. It can also be our first steps toward repair, healing, and growth. I have found that people are so very strong, courageous, and hard-working, and still need some help when things get hard. I believe therapy can be a unique chance to discover parts of ourselves we forgot about, allow healing for the tender parts, and find new ways of interacting with ourselves and our loved ones that allow for deeper understanding and connection. I work with individuals and couples who often struggle with: a feeling of something between angry, sad, and fear that doesn’t have a name, as well as feelings of overwhelm, worry and stress that gets between them and their preferred lives. I seek to create opportunities in therapy to connect more deeply with the truest parts of yourself so that you can then connect more deeply with your purpose, values, and trusted others. I am trained in Emotionally-Focused Therapy (Externship with Sue Johnson, Core Skills to become Certified in progress), a Certified Prepare/Enrich facilitator, Trauma Informed Care, and a graduate of Bethel Seminary San Diego with an M.A. in Marital and Family Therapy. Please contact me with any questions you might have regarding therapy. I work with college students (extensive experience working on college campuses), couples, individuals, premarital/pre-engagement, relational distress, trauma, and anxiety.
I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, using a variety of methods to encourage change and growth. I understand it can be difficult to build trust and talk to a stranger about past or current traumas, stresses, and worries. I will make every effort to create a safe space to work through those events and issues, while providing support. It is always an honor for me to witness change, to be a part of growth and to see my clients thrive and find more of themselves.
There’s a lot happening in our world right now. If you’re finding yourself struggling with adjusting to life changes, experiencing low mood, or feeling challenged in a relationship, you don’t have to hold this alone. In therapy, I create a space where you can be your authentic self, in the safety of a therapeutic relationship where you feel heard, understood, and cared for. I have a warm therapeutic approach that is collaborative so we can work together towards the heart of what you are needing. I have an integrative, depth-focused approach, and specialized training in trauma, EMDR, depression, anxiety, perfectionism, and building self-compassion. It’s vulnerable to start therapy, but at times we all feel terrified, overwhelmed, or realize things aren’t working as well as they could. Allowing a therapist to join you on your journey can help turn these times of crisis into opportunities for growth and healing. Visit my website to schedule an initial consultation so we can talk about what's possible. I look forward to speaking with you.
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