Therapists for college students near Houston, TX

Texas therapy that embraces preferences, personalities, fetishes, relationships, kinks, gender identities and romantic feelings. I offer support to individuals, relationships, couples, and polycules seeking an honest, open, therapeutic space for growth and change.

I offer a warm, welcoming approach to therapy. Clients often feel better after the first session and grow on that progress with each subsequent session.... Learning how to thrive, not just survive. Specialties include: anxiety, bipolar, depression, and psychosis. I have experience with Veterans, after working eleven years at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX.

I work with women of all ages struggling with life transitions, depression, anxiety, PTSD, attachment issues, and codependency. In the therapy world, a big focus is often on the client learning to trust the therapist and building a strong therapeutic relationship. While I agree this is an essential catalyst for growth, I also believe it is equally important for the client to learn to trust themselves. I focus on empowering my clients to understand how their past experiences have impacted their current relationships, with self and others, and how they can change these patterns. I am a trained EMDR therapist and I utilize this evidence-based treatment to help my clients heal from emotional distress caused by trauma and adverse life experiences. I also specialize in Client Centered Therapy, Attachment Therapy, The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. My clients and I collaborate on which approach is best for them and their goals. This work includes examining past experiences to make sense of current maladaptive patterns, practicing mindfulness, learning new skills, and examining client values and goals for future relationships. My goal is for my clients to feel empowered and able to view themselves with self-compassion and trust they have the capacity for change.

Our Counseling Practice: we offer outpatient, individualized, psychological care. We treat a number of mental health disorders, and provide a neutral ground to individuals, families, and couples. We are willing to use or avoid using passages from the Christian Bible in sessions. Our Treatment Focus: to help individuals heal, energize, and become aware of their inner strengths through counseling. We achieve this by providing a neutral safe space, listening to your concerns, and customizing a treatment plan. Our Patient Promise: we promise to be there for you every step of your journey. Our goal is to help you grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward to where you want to be in your life.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Mental health is defined as the ability to love, and the ability to work; to be able to have stable and emotionally fulfilling relationships with others, to take care of your daily needs, and to be able to enjoy using your time creatively and productively. As a counselor, I aim to join with my clients and help them identify their troubles, explore their origins, and create unique solutions to help them live the life they hope for. While my work is very relational and focuses more on meeting the unique needs of individuals, I use specific techniques drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I have seven years experience working with young adults, especially neurodivergent young adults on the autism spectrum or with ADHD or learning differences. I particularly enjoy vocational counseling and helping clients navigate life transitions. Many of my clients have complicated diagnositic histories and may have struggled to connect with other counselors in the past. I accept insurance through Headway and also accept private pay through card, cash, check, or Zelle. Please feel free to ask me about sliding scale.

Is life supposed to look like this? Is this how I’m supposed to feel? How many times have you asked yourself these questions, questioned why you are on this earth, questioned your existence? For me, the answer is that I have asked myself this countless times. Most of my life I had people tell me who I was. What I was allowed to say, what I was allowed to feel, what my opinions should or should not be. I was expected to conform, to not take up space, to obey. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I longed for it. I wanted to know myself. I wanted to be seen. So, I went to therapy. My therapist helped me acknowledge the distorted mirror that had been held up in front of my face for so long by others. She helped me stop waiting for others to see me, to validate me, and guided me to my own gut-wrenchingly painful but oh so beautiful journey of self-exploration and healing. I wish that I could say to you that I have always had a strong identity and sense of self, but the truth is that I needed someone to let me know that they saw me. That they understood me. Have you ever felt seen? I mean really seen. Seen for everything you are. The rawness that comes with that. It makes us feel alive, it validates us, it permeates us with energy. Energy to engage, energy to connect, energy to contribute. I want to help you become a reflection of your highest self. I want to help you get to know you. I want to weather the storm of life with you, be there to see you in your most exquisite moments but also in your most broken. I specialize in working with relationship concerns, men’s issues, and trauma work (I do EMDR which is a specialized treatment for trauma. I also help with alcohol and substance-use that is causing you concern (or curiosity), old coping mechanisms stemming from childhood, existential depression, anxiety, and relationship stressors. As a therapist, I want to help my clients relinquish their stories of pain and help them move towards a future that no longer feels limited. SO, let’s begin. Let me provide you a safe, warm, judgement-free, space of acceptance. A space to be seen. A space to heal and grow. I am so excited to see you. The Story: As I consider what initially drew me to the field of psychology, a quote by Robert Frost comes to mind: “The best way out is through”. By age 10, I had already lived a life full of adversity. Receiving therapy to help sort through painful experiences was transformative and my therapist was kind, gentle, full of empathy, respectful, and empowering. My biggest takeaway from therapy was how crucial the therapeutic relationship is; so much more work, growth, and healing can be done when you feel safe with your therapist, when you feel they really see you and understand you. You can always count on me to be genuinely myself when we are together, to be a human with another human. I knew since I was ten years old that I wanted to be able to help people heal. I knew that I wanted to listen to all those intricate details that are woven together that makes up someone’s life story. I wanted to sit there on the floor with someone, help them pick up the pieces, sort through them, notice each piece, and help put things back together. I learned early that pain can travel through family lines until someone is ready to heal it in themselves. I wanted to encourage others that by going through the pain or growth, will allow for the cycle to be broken, for the pattern to end there. It’s incredibly sacred work and incredibly meaningful. I also knew it was going to be a long road to be able to get where I needed to be so that I could offer this to others. I’m thankful to be here now with you. I’m now equipped with my PhD and more life experiences than it might appear at first glance. My Training: I began my pursuit of a career as a psychologist at Texas Tech University where I received my Bachelor of Arts in psychology. I then attended the University of Louisville where I completed my Master’s degree in counseling psychology. I finalized my education at the University of Missouri- Columbia where I received my Doctorate (Ph.D.) in counseling psychology. Through so many years of experience and education, countless hours of research, and looking at the science of everything, I have found that the most crucial part of helping a person heal, is the therapeutic relationship. If we don’t like or trust someone, how in the world can we open up and allow someone to know us intimately enough to help facilitate our own healing? I specialize in working with trauma of all kinds and have obtained my certification as an EMDR therapist (a type of trauma healing therapy). I also have spent a lot of time working with addictions and believe that addiction is not about the substance itself but rather it’s about the pain that fuels the desire to use the substance. I also enjoy working with life anxieties and stressors, family of origin concerns, inner-child healing, relational issues, grief, and so many other things! Can you tell my training has been eclectic? I believe that everyone is unique and there is not a one size fits all method of therapy. I tailor my work to each individual and their needs and goals. Some concepts and theories that inform my work are attachment theory (childhood experiences effect how we see ourselves and others), trauma informed care, interpersonal, relational, and feminist theory (all components of our identities and environments we are in impact us). My Commitment: Every step I have taken in my life has brought me here; to being a psychologist. I look at past experiences I have had as ways of deeply understanding my clients and their struggles. You can trust that I will sit with you, as a human sitting with another human (not some therapy robot), and express genuine empathy and compassion towards you and your story. We will take time to create a relationship that you can believe in, that you can depend on, and feel safe in. I want to spend my time empowering you, helping you feel inconceivably brave, unloading some of the pain you might have been carrying, watching you gain inner peace, and allowing yourself to be seen. It is my privilege to be able to sit and listen to you and be your guide on this journey.

I am a white, queer, fat, disabled, AuDHD, genderfluid therapist based in Houston, Texas. I specialize in working with clients exploring their gender, sexual, or romantic identity, polyamory/relationship anarchy, late-diagnosed Autism or ADHD, adults seeking support around chronic pain and illness, and processing trauma. I am passionate about LGBTQ+ rights (and human rights in general), intersectional feminism, anti-racism, and dismantling systems of oppression. I believe therapy should be a collaborative process, built on mutual respect and authenticity. You know more about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences than anyone else—my role is to provide a safe, supportive, non-judgmental place for you to process your emotions and create a path moving forward. My therapeutic approach will vary from person to person depending on individual need and unique lived experience. I often use a blend of somatic work and mindfulness paired with consent-based, feminist, narrative, trauma-informed, neurodiverse-informed, emotionally focused therapies. I primarily work with adults in individual and group therapy.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Are you tired of struggling with constant thoughts about food, your body, and exercise? I'm passionate about helping you to achieve a balanced relationship with food, find peace and acceptance in your body, and take steps towards a more fulfilling life. I will provide you with support, guidance and compassion as we navigate the growth and changes that come with eating disorder recovery. My approach to treatment is personalized for the unique needs of each of my clients and incorporates a number of evidence-based modalities. As a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, I know that eating disorders are NEVER just about the food. I will also work with you to identify the underlying issues; including depression, anxiety and life stressors that have contributed to your distressing thoughts and behaviors. I believe that no matter what stage of life you're in, therapy can be beneficial. If you’re ready to work through the challenges that have kept you stuck, I'd love to be that safe space and provide the accountability, support, and empathy you need. If you'd like to talk more before scheduling a session, I offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to answer any questions you have and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

You’re the strong one — the responsible one — the one who learned early how to hold it together. You navigate different spaces, code-switching when needed, carrying family expectations while trying to build relationships that feel healthy and secure. You’re self-aware, but old attachment patterns still show up. You’re ready to understand what shaped you and create connection that feels safe, mutual, and authentic. I provide trauma-informed, attachment-focused therapy for Black and Brown Millennials and Gen Z adults and couples. Using EMDR and relational therapy, we process generational and relational wounds so you can shift patterns at their root — not just manage the symptoms. You don’t have to keep carrying everything alone. Many of your patterns were learned for survival — they make sense. Therapy offers space to unlearn what no longer serves you and build something healthier. If you’re ready for intentional, culturally responsive depth work, I invite you to reach out.

If you are trying to figure out who you are and where you’re headed, you are not alone. This stage of life can feel exciting one minute and overwhelming the next. You might look like you have it together on the outside, but inside you are stressed, anxious, burned out, or unsure of yourself. The students I work best with are thoughtful, self-aware, and trying hard to “do things right.” You care about your future. You want meaningful relationships. You want to succeed. But you may also feel pressure from family, academics, social media, or your own expectations. Maybe you overthink everything. Maybe you procrastinate and then criticize yourself for it. Maybe you feel lonely even when you are surrounded by people. Some of the students I work with are: -Adjusting to college life or struggling with the transition -Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or constantly “on edge” -Navigating identity questions around career, relationships, culture, or sexuality -Recovering from a breakup or friendship shift -Dealing with perfectionism or fear of failure -Questioning whether they’re “good enough” In our work together, we create space to slow down and really listen to what’s going on beneath the surface. Therapy is something we build together, a place to be honest, ask hard questions, and try new ways of coping. We will make sense of what you’re feeling, practice tools to manage stress and self-doubt, and help you move toward a life that feels more grounded and more like your own. You don’t have to wait until things fall apart to reach out. If you’are willing to show up as you are, we can start from there.

You’re juggling a lot. Classes, work, friends, family, money, maybe figuring out who you are and what you actually want from life. And somewhere in the middle of all that, your mental health is supposed to “keep up.” My practice is here for that in-between space—when things aren’t exactly falling apart, but they’re definitely not okay. I work with college students who are dealing with anxiety, overthinking, burnout, relationship stress, grief, and big life transitions. Together, we slow things down, sort through the noise, and build practical tools you can actually use in real life. Sessions are judgment-free, conversational, and tailored to you—no pressure to be “put together” or say the perfect thing. You can come as you are: exhausted, unsure, overwhelmed, or just curious about therapy. If you’re ready to feel a little less stuck and a little more like yourself again, you’re in the right place.

Welcome! I'm Alison Bankston, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas. I work with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, life transitions, relationship concerns, self-esteem, and stress. My background includes working in both school counseling and private practice settings, supporting individuals through some of life's most challenging seasons. I have experience working with veterans, adolescents, young adults, and individuals coping with grief, identity concerns, family conflict, and major life changes. My approach is warm, collaborative, and person-centered. I integrate evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills while tailoring treatment to each client's unique needs and goals. I believe therapy should be a space where you feel heard, respected, and supported as you work toward meaningful change. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, navigating a loss, or simply looking for a place to process life's challenges, I would be honored to walk alongside you in your healing journey.

Let’s be honest—being a college student or young adult can feel like a lot. You’re expected to make big life decisions, manage responsibilities, and somehow have a plan for your future… all at the same time. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of what you’re doing. You might be comparing yourself to others, questioning your path, or just trying to keep up day-to-day. The truth is, most people are figuring it out as they go—even if it doesn’t look like it. I work with young adults to create a space where you can be real. You don’t have to have everything together or know all the answers. Whether you’re dealing with stress, life transitions, or just feeling off, this is a place where you can talk things through without judgment. Together, we can make sense of what you’re going through, find ways to cope, and help you feel a little more grounded and confident moving forward. You don’t have to do this alone.

Many people start thinking about therapy because, emotionally, they don’t feel good. Maybe your emotions end up taking you for a ride and you feel helpless to stop it. Emotions come and go, but they can sometimes feel endless, especially if they are intense. Or maybe you are struggling to get in touch with your emotions and you find it difficult to connect. Either way, what ends up making it worse is the power struggle we get into with our own emotions. We want to push away the ones that feel bad and force the ones that feel good, but that never works for long. Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid the power struggle completely?

I am a licensed professional counselor based in Houston, Texas, with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life’s most challenging moments. My background includes 10 years as a high school guidance counselor and 5 years in private practice, where I’ve had the privilege of working with adolescents, couples, and adults from diverse backgrounds. My areas of focus include depression, anxiety, substance use, relationship and marital concerns, domestic violence, self-harm, and stress management. I am deeply committed to creating a safe, empathetic, and nonjudgmental space where clients can explore their experiences and work toward meaningful change. Whether you're navigating a personal crisis, seeking to strengthen your relationships, or simply looking for support, I bring compassion, professionalism, and evidence-based strategies to help you meet your goals.

I work with young adults who feel disconnected from themselves and others, struggling with feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, or the sense that something is missing in their lives. If you’re struggling to understand who you are or how to connect with the people and things that matter most to you, I’m here to help. Many of my clients have experienced childhood trauma or challenging family dynamics, which can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation. Together, we’ll explore your past with compassion and focus on building the skills needed to create relationships that reflect your true self. In our work together, I’ll follow your lead. This is your journey, and I’m here to listen without judgment. As we uncover what’s causing you pain or confusion, I’ll offer tools and skills in a collaborative way to help you manage overwhelming emotions, establish healthy boundaries, and build better communication. If anxiety, depression, or relationship struggles have left you feeling stuck, I offer a supportive space for you to heal and grow. You deserve to be understood and empowered to live life on your terms. Let’s work together to help you create authentic connections, reclaim your sense of self, and find peace in your relationships.

I’m Zac. My pronouns are they/them. I am a queer, nonbinary, and neurodivergent therapist and creative. I believe strongly in the power of connection, prioritizing things we enjoy, and maintaining curiosity, and those values guide my time with clients. I have years of experience working with college students of all ages and I'm passionate about offering support during an exciting, overwhelming time. I specialize in supporting LGBTQIA+ folks; individuals with Autism, ADHD, and/or Neurodivergence; those with interpersonal and chronic trauma, and those new to therapy. My hope for our time together is that you feel seen and heard, that you don’t worry about being judged or rejected—any of the feelings that make it difficult to speak up in life! Removing those barriers makes so much possible. I incorporate Relational-Cultural Therapy (RCT), mindfulness, realistic self-care, social justice and feminist theory, creative expression, creative coping strategies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), safety planning, and fat & body liberation work. Ultimately, how I approach our sessions will be tailored to you.

Hi there, I'm Gabriela! I would describe myself as a warm, supportive, and relational therapist, ensuring to build a strong connection with those I work with. I am dedicated to helping young adults find their footing in a world that often feels unstable. I have a passion for working with complex trauma, anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-esteem, and suicidal ideation. I offer a collaborative space where you don't have to face life's challenges alone.