Therapists for college students near Pittsburgh, PA

My name is Rachel Noderer and I have spent the past 10 years helping individuals develop a stronger sense of compassion for themselves and mastery over their own identity. I work with folks who may be struggling with a lack of purpose, low self esteem, anxiety, or difficulty managing relationships with friends and loved ones. As we work together, my hope is that you will gradually feel more centered in your sense of self. You'll feel like you are making decisions more thoughtfully and that you are acting in accordance with your values. While I tailor my specific therapeutic interventions to meet your needs, my preference is for a conversational non-directive approach to explore and discover underlying patterns that may be influencing your experiences. I am a person-centered therapist first and foremost - which means I prioritize placing you and all of your intersecting identities at the center of the story. You are the expert in your own life and I'm here to walk beside you, provide feedback, and most importantly provide you the space you need to figure things out. Therapy with me may feel like sitting down with a friend who is your biggest cheerleader. I value curiosity, humor, and reflection in therapy and I strive to create lots of space for those qualities in our work together. I am queer-affirming, trans-affirming, sex-positive, and believe in practicing Health at Every Size. I also have experience in and am comfortable working with individuals in the kink/BDSM community as well as individuals practicing consensual non-monogamy.

Do you ever feel like no matter how much you achieve, your anxiety, stress, or burnout never lets up? Perfectionism, overthinking, or past trauma may leave you tense, stuck, or constantly on edge. Your body might feel wired, your mind keeps racing, and you can’t fully relax even when life seems “fine.” You want relief, better focus, and a calmer, steadier nervous system. You want to thrive without being trapped by overwhelm, worry, or patterns that keep you from feeling truly present—and maybe even laugh a little along the way. I specialize in anxiety, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Using trauma-informed and somatic approaches, I help you regulate your nervous system, address patterns from past experiences, and, when appropriate, use Brainspotting for deeper trauma processing. You don’t have to manage anxiety or stress alone. Therapy is a space to feel supported, slow down, and create meaningful change. We may even use humor to lighten the load and help your nervous system settle. If this approach resonates, I invite you to reach out and explore whether we are a good fit.

Rachel Porterfield is a licensed clinical social worker who provides psychotherapeutic care to adults of all ages. She has years of experience working with individuals who struggle with a variety of challenges, including anxiety/panic attacks, depression, grief and loss, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and relationship concerns. Rachel helps others to share their intimate thoughts and feelings while guiding them to learn new skills that will encourage them to develop healthy life changes openly and collaboratively. Rachel has been extensively trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches/models including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and psychodynamic therapy. Rachel has worked in outpatient dual diagnosed programs, hospitals, and primary care offices. Rachel received her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh with a certification in mental health.

Hello and welcome to my page. My ideal client is struggling with their self-esteem, anxious and/or depressive symptoms, relationship issues, and even substance use/misuse. Most of my clients' goal is to live a more fulfilling and content life. They want to feel understood, supported, and listened to empathetically. I can help by primarily trying to understand you. That is the bottom line. I will offer you a safe, caring, and nonjudgemental environment to do this. I will listen fully with interest and respect so you can begin to talk about the parts of your life and yourself you are struggling with. I have worked as a social worker for 18 years, first at a community mental health center, then at a private group practice, and now solely in my own private practice. I work with young adults, adults, and older adults.

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East End Therapists provide counseling support for teens and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, loss, and life stressors. Both individual and couple’s therapy are offered. We have therapists trained in multiple modalities including EMDR, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt, and mindfulness techniques. Creating a comfortable, helpful, and beneficial experience for our clients is important to us.

My practice is a soft place for high-achieving and creative women to finally let go of the 'shoulds.' Together, we create a gentle space to breathe, slow down, and untangle the things that are keeping you from feeling truly connected to yourself. We’ll do more than just recap your week. I blend talk therapy with Gestalt and expressive arts to help you bridge the gap between your thoughts and feelings. We might explore an emotion through imagery or notice how a memory feels in your body. It’s a creative, collaborative process to help you feel at home in your own skin. No art skills required. I value authenticity, warmth, and honest feedback. My clients often tell me they feel “more like themselves” after our work together. If that sounds like something you're looking for, I’d love to connect.

I believe each of us has deep intuition, wisdom and knows what we need in order to heal; I will help you clear that path to healing. Making peace with the changes in our lives and finding acceptance can be extremely challenging. I would be honored to be present with you as you navigate this experience. I work well with individuals who are motivated and ready to transform by providing practical, research based tools and interventions that can help alleviate symptoms like stress, anxiety, sadness or irritability. I often encourage clients to continue our work outside of the therapy hour to expedite progress. I have 15 years of experience working with individuals and families across the lifespan in various settings including outpatient, home, school, community mental health, and crisis support. I help clients understand thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, blending somatic approaches, mindfulness and other therapeutic techniques to repair the body-mind connection and facilitate healing. Known for my calm, grounding presence, I bring authenticity, humor, and intuition into my work. Drawing on my knowledge as a Reiki Master and yoga teacher, I incorporate holistic practices such as relaxation, breathwork, and embodiment. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community with lived experience managing the chronic pain of endometriosis, I bring both clinical expertise and personal understanding to my work. I believe in the inherent dignity and worth that each of us carries and in our innate capacity for healing.

I am a licensed psychologist who works with young adults who are seeking help with emotional, social, and behavioral problems. Building a strong therapeutic relationship is essential to creating change. My goal is to create a safe, supportive environment to help you navigate the challenges you're facing. I use CBT and other evidence-based treatments, tailored to each individual, to help meet their needs and achieve their goals. I also conduct neuropsychological assessments for various concerns including ADHD, learning disabilities, memory problems etc. My background in school psychology has trained me to collaborate and consult with other professionals, including school counselors, teachers, doctors, and other specialists to work as a team to improve outcomes for my clients. I also have training in treating teens and college students with depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Beginning therapy can be an anxiety-inducing and scary process. My goal is to create a comfortable, safe, and supportive environment where we can work together to help you cope with whatever challenges and stressors you're facing. Please contact me by email or phone to see if we would be a good fit.

Spiegel Freedman Psychological Associates has provided psychotherapeutic care to our Pittsburgh community’s young children, teenagers, adults, and elderly since 2003. We are fortunate to have a clinical team who have the collective expertise and experience in helping those who struggle with depression, anxiety, marital problems, gender identity and transitions, medical complications, and decline associated with aging, to name just a few areas of common concern. We provide psychological care for people with problems including: ADHD Anxiety Chronic Illness Dementia Depression Eating Disorders Family Conflict Gender Identity Issues Grief and Loss Marital Issues OCD Parenting Concerns PTSD Sleep Disturbance Women’s Issues

Thank you for taking the time to look at my page. I commend you for taking the first step in exploring a therapist in the Pittsburgh area. My approach to counseling is grounded in empathy, compassion, and trust. I want our time together to be a collaborative process built on respect, understanding, non-judgment, and genuineness. There are points in everyone’s lives that may become unmanageable due to transitions, conflicts or a realization that may require the assistance of a therapist to help the client navigate forward in their journey. Counseling can be a valuable resource with lifelong tools to resolve past and present issues in people’s lives. I extend this invitation to you. My goal is to create a space for safety and empowerment. I am passionate about providing a collaborative therapeutic journey together. You are the expert of your life and your experiences, and it would be a privilege to go on this journey of growth and exploration with you. I believe learning and growing are constants in life. We can learn and grow from not only obstacles and challenges in life, but also successes and achievements, and therapy is a place to explore and process these parts of us. I value awareness and self-compassion, and I am drawn to find the deeper meaning of our behaviors and actions. My goal is to support you in living your life from a place of authenticity and self-understanding. I have a holistic perspective and I believe in the interdependence of the body, mind, and spirit. A person-centered and psychodynamic approach is what I bring to my work with individuals. My style pulls from different theories and practices of counseling. I want to meet you where you are, and I realize that one type of counseling does not fit everyone. You are unique and we will work together to find what works best for you!

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.

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My counseling style is grounded in the belief that, as humans, we are all imperfect; but are also inherently "ENOUGH". I believe in an empoweringly collaborative approach to help clients identify patterns and address cycles of distress.

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

I see one of the most important roles as a therapist to be putting in the work to earn someone’s trust and walking beside them as an accomplice on their path towards growth. I don’t believe that people are “broken” or “need to be fixed”, but rather that somewhere within every person lies the capacity to generate change. I believe this change begins by finding someone trustworthy to support them through this process. And—that being kinder and gentler towards ourselves goes a long way to building the foundation for this change to occur. My experiences span across 15 years, with the scope of my direct work supporting clients in their exploration of gender expression/transition, depression, anxiety, trauma, grief/loss and more- all within Allegheny County. I am also happy to provide evaluations and letters for Gender Affirming surgeries, Green Card Status, and Emotional Support Animals. The world is an often hard place to be, and my goal is to create a space for softness to occur. To not only listen but to hear and understand. To respect through accountability. To address struggles through processing and also through action leading to systemic change.

My experiences stem from working with children of all ages within a variety of educational and therapeutic settings that ultimately led towards my work with at-risk children as a Family Based Therapist. Working hands on with families in their homes within authentic and relational setting(s) (i.e., home and community) had shaped my learning experiences and identified my growth as a person and a therapist. My work prepared me to differentiate my therapeutic approaches and enable connections that no traditional clinical experience could offer. Fast forward, working as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I have the privilege to work with a variety of populations, with clients ranging from mild to severe mental health conditions. I offer a warm safe setting that enables a professional therapeutic collaboration and growth towards client centered therapeutic goals. I continue to rely upon evidenced based interventions to help guide our therapeutic relationship towards progress or help uncover potential barriers to that may impede your therapeutic progress.

Kings And Queens Family Services LLC is now accepting new clients until April, 2025!!! (Please Note: We have a five (5) question screening requirement prior to scheduling) -Who We Are- *We welcome and accept all individuals seeking support and readiness for real change. Our world can be hard to navigate alone therefore, allow us the opportunity to support you. *We are up to the task and have various therapist on staff that specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, veteran adjustment and reintegration concerns, human sexuality, families and children. You will also discover our commitment to privacy to be far more than a promise, and therefore we do not display the last names of our therapists. *Our team works with several survivors of human trafficking and victims of extreme circumstance relative to domestic violence. WE WILL NEVER PUT ANY PRACTICE PARTNERS AT RISK and pledge to keep our therapeutic interactions in a safe and stealth space. *We have developed a discreet and rapid screening process which allows us to book much more efficiently, and it is a difference you need experience to believe. At Kings & Queens Family Services LLC, getting you the help you need is more than a promise- It is our dignity-driven, clear and compassionate priority with every call, appointment and referral. *Recovering and Reaching Your Life Goals With Us Is Real Royalty.*

I am pleased that you are here. I know it is not easy to take this first step, but I want you to know first and foremost, that I take great care and pride in creating a safe place for my clients to talk about their internal conflicts, interpersonal problems, traumas, and whatever is interfering with living a fuller, richer life. I bring to my clinical practice a great deal of skills coupled with passion to engage in a meaningful therapeutic relationship. I invite clients to increase their self-awareness while aspiring to high levels of wellness: biologically, psychologically, relationally, sexually and spiritually. I offer a safe space free of judgment, filled with compassion and kindness towards your own process. My theoretical orientation to counseling is rooted in humanistic theories with underlying existentialism and phenomenological philosophies. I firmly believe in the therapeutic alliance and its curative power, in addition to striving to look at all situations from a sex positive, non-shaming, and non-judgmental lens.

Hi, I’m Rich. I’m an experienced counselor who offers a grounded, experiential approach to therapy and coaching. My work is shaped by both clinical training and real-world learning; offering a perspective that integrates mindfulness based interventions, existential exploration, nature-based interventions, and embodied practices. I enjoy working with individuals transitioning to adulthood, students, and adults who are seeking an alternative to traditional talk therapy. My own path has been strongly influenced by my personal and professional time spent outdoors. In wilderness settings, I’ve seen firsthand how facing challenges, building trust, and stepping into the unknown can lead to meaningful transformation. These experiences inform how I support clients as they navigate life’s complexities, transitions, and obstacles. I believe strongly in the power of the here and now. Together, we’ll explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a way that feels collaborative, present-centered, and supportive. Utilizing mindfulness based, behavioral, goal driven, and existential approaches, I aim to help you cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and a deeper sense of well-being. Seeking help is a courageous step, and I look forward to walking alongside you as you find your own path toward healing and growth.