Therapists for college students near Duke University

Place of Peace was created to help individuals, couples and families in our community navigate the stressful nature of dealing with mental health and other life challenges. We are a group of psychologists, therapists, counselors and social workers who use cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness and meditation and trauma therapy, among other things, with the goal of helping individuals create a peaceful place inside themselves. We know this can be difficult, especially when we are struggling with anxiety, depression or emotional pain. Our therapists use empirically-validated and time-tested treatments to help you identify the cause of your pain, heal the underlying issues that are leading to your symptoms and build new skills for healthier habits and patterns.

Do you feel trapped in cycles of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or repetitive behaviors? Are you exhausted from living in a constant state of anxiety or uncertainty? Are you seeking freedom—freedom from rituals, from self-doubt, from the need for constant reassurance? I specialize in treating adolescents and adults struggling with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and OCD-related disorders such as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Do you feel trapped in cycles of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or repetitive behaviors? Are you exhausted from living in a constant state of anxiety or uncertainty? Are you seeking freedom—freedom from rituals, from self-doubt, from the need for constant reassurance? I specialize in treating adolescents and adults struggling with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and OCD-related disorders such as body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). View 4 Photos My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and evidence-based, helping clients find lasting relief. I draw from Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—the gold standard treatment for OCD—as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and other modalities based on each client’s needs. My style is encouraging, collaborative, and grounded in respect for your courage to face what feels uncomfortable. Whether you’re just starting to explore treatment or have been struggling for years, I’m happy to meet you where you are at and help you build a life guided by your values and goals.

Dr. Shawn Faust, DNP, PMHNP-BC is a distinguished Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who brings a unique and patient-centric approach to the field of mental health. His philosophy centers around the belief that individuals are experts in their own experiences, and collaboration between the patient and their mental health provider is essential for effective and personalized treatment. He believes that informed patients are better equipped to navigate their unique mental health challenges. Thus, treatment with Dr. Faust often involves teaching patients about their diagnosis and discussing the pros and cons of various treatment options. Dr. Faust specializes in the treatment of Anxiety, Depression, and Bipolar disorders. He has honed his skills in various therapeutic modalities, incorporating evidence-based practices into his work. He places a strong emphasis on creating a warm and inclusive therapeutic environment where open communication is encouraged. Dr. Faust is a trusted partner for individuals seeking a collaborative and personalized approach to their mental well-being. His commitment to empowering patients ensures that each person's voice is heard, valued, and integrated into their treatment journey.

I help high achieving and sensitive women to stop doubting themselves and start feeling grounded and confident. Often, I work with people who are tired of keeping it all together and holding things in. People like you who are done putting themselves last and ready to step into themselves and own their worth. Perfectionists who are ready to let go of having to be perfect all the time. Maybe you’re always the one people can count on, yet you have a hard time accepting help from others. Or you feel as though something is weighing you down, though you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. You look like you have it all together from the outside but you aren’t satisfied with your relationships and know there is more to life. You long to feel seen, heard and understood. Together, we will create space for you to get in touch with yourself and your needs. In working with me, people find themselves having the confidence to make decisions that align with their values and lead to desired change. In sessions, I strive to create a space for people to feel seen, heard and understood on a deep level, with the opportunity and safety to explore their inner worlds. I create offerings that encourage growth, self-discovery and healing through the practices of talk-therapy, EMDR, self-compassion, mindfulness, the Enneagram and yoga.

I am a licensed psychologist with over 15 years of experience. I help people stay organized and focused, cope with anxiety and/or depression, manage relationships, and adjust to the challenges of college life. I specialize in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, executive functioning, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, depression, and life changes and adjustments. I believe that effective therapy is built on a strong relationship. This helps people feel safe to talk about important issues. My therapy style is a blend of techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and social skills approaches. Ultimately, I want to find what works best for each client. I offer in-person and virtual sessions.

I am a graduate of Appalachian State University with a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, and have been practicing for the past 17 years. I specialize in work with individuals, couples, families and teens, and have a focus in systems theory and narrative therapy. I prefer to work in collaboration with my clients to use the expertise that they have in their own lives to help find strategies that can help them build the life that they want. I am passionate about helping people work through and solve the problems that are important to them and I consider it an honor to be invited into the lives of my clients through the element of therapy.

My goal is to create a safe and non-judgmental environment where clients are able to explore issues and improve the quality of their lives. I use an integrative style of psychotherapy that pulls from many different approaches with an emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. My work with clients is based on a collaborative approach that promotes a strong alliance and allows for open and honest communication. Within this foundation, clients develop the safety and freedom to challenge behaviors and beliefs and discover new attitudes that promote change.

You came to college with a plan. Maybe you're the first in your family to be here, or the one everyone back home is counting on. You're supposed to have it together. But instead you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and quietly wondering if you even belong here. The pressure to perform is relentless. The anxiety before exams, presentations, or even just speaking up in class. The feeling that everyone else got a manual you never received. You push harder, achieve more, and still feel empty or behind. And underneath all of that hustle, there are older, heavier things: childhood wounds, family expectations, generational patterns, anger, and the grief of watching violence hit people who look like you, love like you, pray like you. That's not weakness. That's not a disorder. That's a lot to carry, and you've been carrying it alone for too long. This is a space for college students who are done pretending they're fine. Whether you're dealing with performance anxiety, depression, burnout, a hard time fitting in, or just a deep sense of not being enough, you don't have to keep grinding through it. Using body and mind approaches, we work with how stress and trauma live in your nervous system, not just your thoughts. We also dig into the stories you tell yourself, where they came from, and whether they're actually yours to carry. We work with college students across North Carolina and specialize in multicultural counseling for BIPOC individuals, first and second generation immigrants, and people from SWANA (South West Asian and North African) communities, including Arabs, North Africans, and people from the Gulf region. We understand what it means to navigate life between worlds, and we meet you exactly where you are. You've carried enough alone. Reach out for a free consultation. We'd love to meet you.

Jennifer Brown is the CEO and founder of Perfectly Imperfect Counseling Services. Perfectly Imperfect Counseling Services was created to serve as a place to navigate the many ups and downs life has to offer. We passionately believe in the power of self-acceptance and in the capacity of every individual to become the best version of themselves. We create a safe, non-judgmental space for clients to explore and gain balance so they can experience peace. Through our sessions, we bring authenticity and empowerment to therapy while helping clients increase their confidence, manage their emotions, cultivate relationships, and prioritize their desires. Jennifer's therapeutic approach is tailored to each client's needs, and she strives to create a safe and non-judgmental space for you. Her commitment to helping you find the right solutions to you live the life you want involves a five-step framework to increase confidence, manage emotions, cultivate relationships, and prioritize their desires.

Contact us via phone call, text, or email if you or a loved one suffers from trauma, anxiety, and depression. For a faster response, please email. Negative thoughts, feelings, and self-defeating behaviors can get us to realize our full potential. We facilitate the healing process needed to recover. We know that with adequate support, compassion, and insight, one can have a new lease on life. We believe in the power to transform and overcome minor mistakes to the most significant obstacles to live the life that we want to live, enabling peace to surface and calmness to be present.We utilize therapeutic tools to help with overcoming provoked fears, worries, and depressed moods. Our experience includes working with youth, adults and families focused on mood disorders (depression, anxiety, Bipolar II), behavior modification, interpersonal development (relationships), trauma, and substance abuse. It takes courage to ask for help. We want to help you grow from your struggles, heal from your pain, and move forward to living your best life as you want it to be. Therapists at SHINE work to strengthen, help, inspire, nurture and empower desired life changes. “Success is not final, and failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

In addition to my private practice, I also work at a university counseling center, which keeps me in tune and up to date on what today's college students are experiencing. I've worked with both traditional and non-traditional students throughout my career and enjoy helping students get back on their path to success. Many of the students I help are struggling with anxiety, depression, academic concerns, or family/relationship issues. My clients enjoy having a non-biased person to support them as they become more independent and explore who they are as a person. College is an exciting time, but can also be stressful and overwhelming. As human beings, we don't like change, and going to college means a lot of changes happening at once...again, exciting, but also scary! I help my clients learn the skills needed to feel capable, resilient, an ultimately successful in both their academic and personal life.

Do you feel like you are never good enough and that nothing will get better? Do you feel like you are the only one struggling with intense emotions and that there is no one to help you figure them out? Are you struggling with how you look and/or feel about yourself? Do you think everyone else has their life together and you don't? Do you experience highly intense emotions that seem to scare other people away? Are you excessively drinking alcohol, excessively spending money, isolating yourself from others, having sex but immediately regretting it afterwards? Do you ever have shame surrounding how you feel? Do you feel marginalized or are you part of the LGBTQ+ community? Are you wanting something different and looking for an alternative approach to counseling? Have you been dissatisfied with counseling in your past or hesitant to try? Finding the right therapist for you can be an overwhelming and scary task. The fear of not knowing how a therapist will accept your story can sometimes hold us back from reaching out. I want you to know that I will accept you where you are now AND help you get to where you want to go. I find passion in helping break through barriers associated with mental health, addictions, and identities. I believe that in order to treat an individual, the therapist needs to look at the WHOLE person. I'm here to help you to understand your own mental health. Click on the website link to hear my own story and my colleagues stories. When you come to an EXPERT in this area, you will leave with information on how to understand these feelings and how to use skills to manage them. I will meet you where you CURRENTLY are and help you get where you want to go. You can find a safe haven when working with me. I hold the space for compassion, acceptance, and the belief in your ability to thrive as you learn to do the same for yourself. After having a session, wouldn’t it be nice to say “What’s next…” and not “What if…”

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Please visit my profile to learn more about my services.

Dani provides a collaborative, safe space, for adults and teens who no longer feel in control of their own life. If you are in a place where your anxiety and/or depression is debilitating, you want to heal from past traumas, or learn how to better cope with life stressors, Dani is happy to support you in your journey to self-discovery. Using a client centered approach, she uses various techniques to guide her clients in understanding underlying thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the aim of personal growth. She is always looking to support clients in finding their true meaning and purpose of being. Dani's passion is helping others find their true selves by conceptualizing their past, present, and future to overcome life's various challenges. She has training in psycho-dynamic work, mindful-based practices, Brainspotting, and various other healing modalities. She hopes to empower all of her clients to take charge of their lives. She understands that life is challenging, but it doesn't have to be paralyzing. Through a combination of evidence-based therapeutic practices, mind-body psychotherapies, Brainspotting, and parts work, let Dani guide you to find your true inner-self and create the life you've always expected!

My clients often struggle with challenges in their relationship’s whether they be romantic, friendly, or family relationships. My clients worry about abandonment, often finding issues from their past show up and negatively affect their relationships. Some feel they may be in a codependent relationship but not sure. Our work together will help you understand how past pain affects present relationships. Then we will work at unpacking that baggage, organize it, and put it away in a safe place. Although it may never truly go away, you can confront it in a way that allows you to move forward and find happiness. My goal is to get to know you and the issues that bring you to counseling. We will work together to help you establish a baseline of calm, good self-care, and coping skills. This will help you feel safe and secure before we dive into unpacking the things that are causing you pain. Together we will set goals, to help you realize all of your unique strengths, create healthy boundaries, and self-esteem to build a happier, healthier life, I look forward to working with you.

I am here to support and work with you to reach your goals for therapy. Goals for sessions could include developing coping skills for stress and difficult emotions, feeling less depressed, or improving communication/relationships. Everyone comes to therapy with strengths and skills that can be used to meet goals like these. My therapeutic approach centers on providing compassion and collaborating to meet your goals in a safe and supportive environment. I have a clinical background in supporting individuals with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and life stressors. Additionally, I have worked with neurodivergent individuals seeking support in recovering from burnout and to be in an affirming space to explore their neurodivergent identity. I am committed as a clinician to provide an inclusive therapeutic environment that affirms individuals of their identities, culture, experiences, and beliefs. I would be happy to meet for a free 15 to 20 minute consultation call to see if I would be a good fit for you.

At times life comes at you so fast that nothing seems to slow it down and walking the journey can feel overwhelming. I am here to walk it with you, at your pace, in any direction you want to go. Some times that means we may sit on a rock together. You will feel heard and validated with no judgement; only acceptance for where you are in the journey.

Our experiences in this world, often based on identities or trauma, can leave us feeling stressed and uncertain. It's confusing to have your worries get in the way of making the connections with people that you long for; or to be so convinced you will fail that it's hard to take the first step in doing the next thing you want to do; or to be suddenly totally overwhelmed in the middle of this exciting new experience you'd been waiting for. Sometimes people need some help slowing down, reconnecting with themselves, and finding new ways to respond so that they can move forward with hope, self-compassion, and empowerment. I have spent many years working in college mental health, helping students from all identities and backgrounds navigate the growth and challenge of the college experience. My approach is collaborative. Together we figure out what's getting in the way for you. I'll be with you in the hard moments, naming and exploring your thoughts, feelings, and experiences so that you can find ways to respond to them that are helpful. Increased connection with your body is key. Let's also celebrate the wins, big and small, along the way. Finding a therapist that is a good fit is so important—if you're not comfortable enough to tell your therapist what's really going on, therapy won't work. Let's find a time to connect to see if I would be a good fit for you in your next step.

As a therapist I focus on developing a greater sense of awareness and presence. I believe that we all want to be understood and accepted at a deep level. I respect your courage and time investment to be willing to look within and make uncomfortable changes. I work in collaborative way and strive to create a safe, accepting and caring environment that I hope is also challenging and insightful to my clients. committed to resolving unhealthy thinking, perceptions, and behaviors. My goal is to work interactively with you to identify flawed schemas that no longer serve you to come together to build new patterns of being. I'm not the kind of therapist who nods & asks: "How do you feel about that?" My approach is integrative and I am trained in IFS, EMDR, and Psychodynamic modalities.