Therapists for college students near University of Pittsburgh

I know it can be really hard to share personal information with a stranger, but I strive to create a safe, relaxed and supportive environment so my clients can feel heard and understood. Our private practice is located in McCandless and is made up of 6 counselors. We offer morning, afternoon and evening appointments (in-person or telehealth). Our office building has free and ample parking.

At Purposefully Soaring we understand that life can get hard. We're here to support you with unpacking the many weights you carry, explore the barriers in your way that keep you stuck, and help you find your purpose. Our goal is to support you with learning how to soar, through and over the many ups and downs of life.

I'm a psychotherapist and licensed psychologist specializing in trauma, body image, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. I strive to cultivate a safe and open environment to explore each client’s experience with curiosity and compassion. I support each client’s goals and desire for meaningful change through a collaborative and nonjudgmental approach. With clients, I will strive to work towards genuine growth and self-understanding about the past and present, while strengthening relationships and navigating difficult feelings. I bring my authentic self into each session and will continue to encourage you to be you. I believe the therapeutic relationship can be a vehicle for healing and I invite honest feedback about our work together. I'm attentive to the nuances of identity and committed to integrating a social justice approach. Therapy can be a process of healing and transformation with challenging moments along the way. I'm interested in joining you on this process and working through moments together. Prior to Forward Wellness, I was a staff therapist at CaPS at Carnegie Mellon University.

At some point along the journey, our stories demand to be told. Whether through painful emotional and physical symptoms, relationship struggles, or other interruptive experiences, our lives catch up to us. They ask for our attention. Therapy is a place where, together, we can pay closer attention to your story and the person you are becoming. We are all always in process. I believe that we can experience true healing in a human encounter, and I strive to deeply listen to my clients, bringing curiosity and attention to the parts of you that may have gone unnoticed. Approach to Therapy My counseling approach is rooted in relational psychodynamic therapy, which focuses on patterns and themes from early childhood and how they show up in your life today. This approach also emphasizes the relationship between the therapist and client as a vehicle for healing and change. It’s important to find someone you feel comfortable with, and it may take you some time to discern the right fit. I respect the vulnerability and bravery required to step into this work, and aim to meet you with humility, curiosity, and a responsible awareness of my own intersecting identities. Each person brings unique concerns and needs, and I am committed to ongoing research and training to provide the best care I can. I draw from a variety of approaches, including attachment-based therapy, family systems work, liberation psychology, Internal Family Systems (informed, not certified), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Narrative-Focused Trauma Therapy. Background: I have worked with at-risk youth, college students, and folks from all walks of life in outpatient and community mental health settings. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Theater, and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Trauma and Abuse from the Seattle School (2023). Outside of therapy, I enjoy lots of things, including yoga, performing arts, poetry, and being outside!

Hi. I am glad you are on this journey to feel like yourself again. We have a variety of clinicians with different specialties, though we are all focused on growth and recovery - no matter where you are starting. We look forward to hearing from you. Lorie, our client care manager will return all emails or phone calls and get you set up with someone ASAP. Depending on your availability, we may even have appointments as soon as this week!

People come to therapy for many different reasons, but, at the core, they are looking for understanding, relief, or growth. Maybe you’re trying to understand why you feel the way you do, or you find yourself caught in the same difficult thoughts again and again. Perhaps you’ve noticed patterns of behavior that seem to work against your own well-being. You might be facing a life transition—chosen or not—and are feeling anxious about what’s next. Or maybe you just feel stuck. Therapy offers a space to slow down and make sense of what’s happening. Together, we can clarify your current experience, explore how you got here, and begin to shape a healthier, more fulfilling path forward.

Marybeth Kennedy, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in outpatient psychotherapy with children, teens, and college-age young adults. She has practiced in the field of mental health since 1984 in a variety of settings, including foster care, schools, group homes, and in the pediatric hospital setting. Her areas of expertise include working with patients with adjustment problems, mood disorders, ADHD, and chronic medical illnesses. She focuses particularly on children and teens with anxiety. Ms. Kennedy incorporates cognitive behavior therapy, anger management training, relaxation training, mindfulness interventions, and individualized psychotherapy in her outpatient practice. Ms. Kennedy has provided consultation to schools that specialize in serving students with behavior disorders by advising teachers and administrators in best practice behavioral interventions in the school setting and in the development and implementation of school-wide behavior management systems. She has been an adjunct faculty at several colleges in the Pittsburgh area, teaching courses in psychology. She has also been a guest lecturer in the special education department at the University of Pittsburgh, addressing behavioral interventions for classroom management. Ms. Kennedy earned her master’s degrees in psychology and social work. She is an alum of West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh. She holds a Home-School Visitor certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

We are a collection of dedicated therapists specializing in neurodivergence (particularly ADHD and Autism), trauma and dissociation, and LGBTQIA+ issues.

My practice offers both in person and virtual appointments, making it more convenient for your scheduling needs. My background has been working with college aged young adults who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, and career counseling/ vocational planning. It can be uncomfortable to start therapy but I want you to acknowledge you have already made the first step, so you are already making progress!

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Serenity Counseling, LLC, was created to provide competent psychological counseling while maintaining the utmost confidentiality, respecting the various cultural differences between clients and practicing ethically and responsibly. Serenity Counseling provides an objective, non-judgmental atmosphere where clients will be validated, empowered and encouraged. Serenity Counseling LLC consists of professional therapists, licensed in the State of Pennsylvania and Certified by National Boards. Serenity Counseling features support for a variety of stressors

I worked in university counseling centers for over 10 years before transitioning to full-time private practice, and really enjoy working with undergraduate and graduate students. College and graduate school is often a time to better understand and define who you are and what does and does not work for you and for promoting your wellbeing. As a psychologist, I work to help clients understand themselves better in the unique context and experiences of their own lives so as to figure out what each individual needs to be well, which may be very different than what you think you should need to be well. I also work to help clients not only manage their symptoms and distress, but also understand the root causes of their symptoms and distress. I believe that this deeper understanding can often lead to transformative healing.

Debra Frankel is a private practitioner who has an expertise in Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar Ddpression. I have worked at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School at Western Psychiatric Institute in Mood Disorder Research as both a supervisor and clinician. I utilize the Interpersonal Therapy and Interpersonal and Social Rhythms therapeutic modalitites. I am also skilled in treating people who suffer from anxiety disorders, trauma and transition issues.

If life has been feeling stuck, confusing, or overwhelming, let’s slow things down together. I'm here to listen closely to your lived experience and the stories that have shaped it. My work is grounded in narrative therapy, which means we will pay attention to how problems have come to influence your life and how your preferred values and hopes might guide us forward. We'll stay close to what matters most to you, exploring what you want your life to stand for and supporting steps that move you closer to that direction, one conversation at a time. My approach is collaborative, with your voice guiding what feels most important. I ask questions that invite reflection and new possibilities, and I'm transparent about my thinking. If you want therapy that feels human, thoughtful, and respectful of your context, we may be a good fit. If you would like to see whether we fit, reach out through the contact options on this page. You can share a sentence or two about what you want help with, along with any scheduling needs. I'll respond with what I can offer and what next steps could look like.

Hello! I am Jessica Rose. I am a licensed clinical social worker. I have a BA in Psychology and an MSW in Social Work. I have been working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in a therapeutic capacity for over 13 years. I have experience working in a variety of settings such as public schools, alternative schools, crisis teams, hospitals, homes, and juvenile detention centers. My guiding principles are validating feelings, active listening, and using humor and open communication as a means to build a trusting therapeutic relationship. I am a reliable, consistent support for my clients. I believe in genuine positive regard, being non-judgmental, being warm, understanding, and empathetic.

Of all the relationships we have in our lives, I believe that the one you have with yourself is the most important and impactful. Therapy allows a person to create an authentic relationship with oneself. Through the therapeutic process, a person is able to find and access their own innate ability to heal and grow within a supportive, compassionate, and empowering environment. My passion for this work comes from seeing my clients evolve to feel happier and healthier in their daily lives. What I do: Individual Psychotherapy- I provide both in-person and telehealth treatment for teenagers, young adults, and adults, focusing a wide array of concerns including: life transitions, traumatic life experiences, daily functioning impairment, anxiety, and depression ​Gender and Sexuality Affirming Mental Health Care- I provide a safe space for those of you within the LGBTQIA+ community to process concerns unique to your own lived experiences ​Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)- EMDR is a research-backed treatment developed to help you heal following traumatic events by processing memories and gaining control over the way the trauma history impacts the mind and body. ​Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- CBT is used to help you understand and learn skills to challenge unhelpful or maladaptive thinking and behavioral patterns ​Mindfulness- Mindfulness techniques are used to teach you how to relate to your thoughts differently and to live in the moment

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Training and professional background: I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, graduating in May of 2014. In the Fall of 2012, I received training as a victims’ advocate and crisis line operator at the Family Justice Center in South Bend. For the rest of my time as an undergraduate, I continued volunteering for the FJC, focusing on taking crisis calls, yet unaware of the skills I was building in attending to each caller’s concerns. I utilized my training again during grad school to volunteer for Crisis Text Line, where I honed my skills in crisis management and planning. In December of 2018, I graduated with my Master of Science in Education from Duquesne University, specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Duquesne’s program is CACREP accredited and meets all standards and requirements as an institution for counselor education. I received my license November of 2023. Theoretical orientation and approach to counseling: My clinical approach is rooted in two orientations: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Narrative Therapy. I also draw heavily from the Humanistic-Existentialist perspectives of Psychology and philosophy in helping my clients better understand their feelings, goals, and experiences. My clinical practice embodies the spirit of meeting clients where they are. I enter each session with one objective: a readiness to talk and warmly receive. Client rights and responsibilities: As my client, I encourage you to ask questions and raise concerns about anything, especially my credentials and qualifications, the progress of our work together and its cost, my therapeutic approach, or anything else that concerns you. I take my role seriously as a helper and strongly believe that healthy relationships, especially therapeutic, require communication, consistency, and warmth. Therapeutically, we might be a good fit if: -- You are ready to make new moves in your life and relationships – So many of us know what must be done to address problematic behavior or to build better habits. What might be lacking is an awareness of the theory or tools to support those efforts. I am equipped to teach you how to individualize widely known coping skills, if you are ready to prioritize your mental health treatment. -- You are a creative person – The scaffolding or foundation you need to accomplish your long-term goals comes from your ability to generate creative solutions—no matter the medium! Your unique skills and worldviews can enrich to the work we do in the room. This takes the form of interesting, billowing conversation, not traditional art therapy. -- You are looking for a space to feel seen and heard – I take great pride in my ability to attend to the emotional needs of my clients. A dedicated space where the floor cedes to you, a conversation that is focused with warm curiosity on you, that is quickly becoming a rarity in our social interactions. While attentiveness is one of my biggest strengths to offer, I find being a witness to my clients’ concerns and vulnerabilities the greatest honor and reward in this field; we are the most human in these moments. It sets the stage for therapeutic collaboration and honors our innate drive to identify and hold our emotions without urgency or shame.

My practice is based on the belief in the strength and resilience within all people, even in life's most trying times. Right now you may be feeling overwhelmed, lost, or disconnected from what is meaningful to you. I'd be happy to speak with you so that you may determine if I'm the right person to help you. If you feel that I am, I'll meet with you to discuss your problems, strengths, and goals. We will decide together what your long-term goals for therapy are. During each session, we will collaborate to discuss what problems you have been experiencing and how we can approach them. I'll provide feedback that may include asking you to look at the problem a different way, learning to tolerate difficult feelings, or learning skills, such as relaxation. I ask that you come prepared to session with ideas of what we should focus on. I respect the time and effort you put nto therapy, and I want it to be used in a way that is valuable to you.If you've gotten this far and think I can help, please feel free to call or email me. I offer all prospective clients a free 15-minute phone consultation.

At Strong Foundations, we understand that finding the right mental health provider can be a daunting task. Please see our website for a full list of services we offer and description of our counselors. As a practice, our highest priority is providing supportive, personalized, and effective care to every individual and family. We offer individual therapy, neuropsychological testing, family & marital therapy. We use evidence-based treatment methods, including CBT, DBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and PCIT. Our therapists offer daytime, evening, and some weekend hours to accommodate busy schedules. Sessions can be scheduled in person or virtually. Please call (412) 368-2211 to schedule an appointment or contact us via email: support@sfpgh.com

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.