Therapists for college students near Cambridge, MA

Hi, I’m Rebecca Scott. I’ve been working in the mental health field for over 7 years working in agencies, private practices, and school settings—supporting individuals, couples, and families. My experience spans a wide range of backgrounds from cultures, sexualities, belief systems, and life experiences. I specialize in helping people heal from narcissistic abuse, navigate complex trauma, improve executive functioning, build stronger, more fulfilling relationships, and navigate everyday life stress. My work is trauma-informed and evidence-based, supporting survivors of complex trauma and neurodivergent clients (ADHD, autism). I help clients build self-trust, emotional regulation, and executive functioning skills. My approach is strengths-based, collaborative, and tailored to each person’s unique experience and needs. I integrate a variety of modalities, including CBT, DBT, REBT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Feminist Therapy. I also take a holistic approach that incorporates mindfulness, somatic awareness, and lifestyle support to address mental, emotional, and physical well-being. I currently hold both a BA and MA in Psychology and Mental Health Counseling from Merrimack College, earned in 2019 and 2022. Together let me help you navigate the stressors of life not alone.

As a psychologist, writer and consultant, my favorite population to work with are college students and graduate students, often managing mental health issues, while navigating independence, relationships and larger life choices all at once. In fact, I recently finished writing a book, "College Mental Health 101" based on hundred of interviews and thousands of students I've worked with over the years whose voices are in the pages. Whether its adjustment to school and making career decisions, to identity or family of origin concerns, to depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, I love working with students to find ways to improve their life circumstance. I have an academic interest in mindfulness, neuroscience and communication, and teach on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and globally.

I am a board certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Thoughtful Psychiatry, P.C. I provide psychotherapy and medication management for children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of stress related conditions. As therapist and prescriber, I try to pave the way for my clients to tell their stories and feel truly understood. I strive to provide a safe environment that allows for self-expression. While diagnosis can be helpful, I believe that each individual enters treatment with a unique set of circumstances, and that it is important to focus on the needs of each individual rather than focus only on his or her symptoms. I am interested in treating patients with all types of conditions, but have a special affinity for working with clients who suffer from anxiety and trauma-related conditions. Currently, I am accepting clients primarily for medication management. Clients seeking medication management should have a therapist in place.

*****UPDATE 5/27/26: Our clinician Nobska Goodhue has current openings for clients seeking individual therapy on Monday or Tuesday mornings, or Thursday afternoon! If you are interested in setting up care, please email nobska@deepdivecounseling.net ***** We are a small group of like-minded practitioners. Our clinicians take a trauma-informed approach to all client work, and have significant experience treating sex-related trauma. We share a therapeutic focus on relationship dynamics, identity exploration, and self-growth, and commonly work with those in young adulthood and/or higher education. Clients who seek our services are often looking for help with trauma/PTSD/C-PTSD, grief, depression, anxiety, sexual health, relationships, identity exploration, and/or spirituality; our practitioners are kink and poly-informed, social-justice oriented, and share a special commitment to serving members of the LGBTQ+ community specifically.

I am licensed and able to practice in both Massachusetts and Maine. I have immediate openings for in-person and telehealth sessions, and offer free 10-15 minute phone consultations to discuss your goals, areas of needs, and see if you feel we would be a good fit! I have experience working with ages ranging from adolescents to older adults, with my current focus being on early adulthood, college students, and those working in the arts. I have extensive experience working with individuals experiencing substance use and recovery, as well as depression, anxiety, trauma, identity exploration, and life transitions. I use a humanistic and client-centered approach to promote trust and comfort within my sessions. I utilize therapeutic modalities including DBT, CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma Informed Care, and Harm Reduction. I encourage client feedback to assess what you are finding helpful within sessions, and tailor my approach to fit your needs. I believe in a collaborative approach between therapist and client, combining psychoeducation, skill building, empathy, and humor within my therapeutic framework. I am available to see new clients with BCBS, United Healthcare, Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim, Aetna or self-pay, and am happy to answer any questions you may have about starting therapy.

My aim as a therapist is to help clients resolve the problem they are experiencing in their lives. I offer a safe environment for clients to express themselves, gain a sense mastery and autonomy through talking and increasing strategies and skills to better cope and thrive in life. My clinical approach is to tailor care to clients’ individual needs- integrating an array of approaches and training experience such as insight-oriented methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, trauma informed treatment, mindfulness-based care, and addiction and substance use disorders treatment. My education includes a Master’s in social work (MSW) from Rutgers University( with Minor in Alcohol Studies) and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BA) from the University of New Hampshire( English Literature/Minor in Psychology.) My professional experience includes university counseling, NIAAA/NIDA research studies, community mental health, hospital based social work, clinical director of inpatient /outpatient program, employee assistance. Clients describe me as a good listener, empathetic, compassionate, a good sense of humor and a firm believer in change. Please note II do not take referrals from students who are currently enrolled at Harvard University as I am also working in CAMHS.

One of my specializations is helping students who feel they are on the verge of dropping a semester because of stress, anxiety, or other difficulties. If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, in a crisis or at a crossroads, or in any situation in which 50 minutes of counseling isn't “enough”, an Individual Counseling Retreat may be a good fit. This service was created in part to fill a gap in services between the 50-minute session and going into a hospital or rehab. But it's also intended for anyone who simply wants or needs to go deeper than the typical therapy session. A personal counseling retreat puts therapy into a different context: An inspiring setting with a lot of time outdoors. Time to walk and talk, rather than just sitting, and leverage the healing effect of time in nature. We choose a retreat center or other setting so that the process itself is uplifting and inspiring, both calming and energizing. The impact of getting off the grid and devoting time to re-grouping can't be overstated. The time frame of a multi-day retreat allows a lot of learning and processing in a condensed period of time, with a minimum of distractions. The counseling addresses your difficulties, but also focuses on positive psychology- the skills of thriving and well-being. It also integrates meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and healthy food. The one-to-one counseling allows for truly personalized attention and coaching. It provides the time and space to explore issues in depth, connecting dots and seeing new ways of responding. It's not a magic cure, because nothing is. But it is a unique and highly impactful experience and a powerful commitment to your future well-being. A typical retreat is 3-5 days, and includes mindfulness meditation, stress management skills, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), addiction recovery counselings as appropriate, and other evidence-supported therapeutic frameworks. MBCT focuses on empowering you to understand helpful and unhelpful patterns of thinking and reacting, and grow the positive ones. The work focuses primarily on the here and now, less on lengthy excavation of your past. The overall goal is resourcing you with new skills to better manage the stress and challenges you return to post-retreat. You come away with more than a diagnosis and a medication prescription. The outcome of a retreat is a new understanding of how your mind, nervous system and body interact, and how to ride life's ups and downs with more resilience. You leave with a post-retreat plan of self-care, which includes specific daily practices to support ongoing self-regulation and what you value most: Being your best self. As appropriate, post-retreat follow up with me is available. Clients who bring flexibility of mind- an ability to look at problems in a new way- and who have a love of the outdoors tend to resonate with this work the most. To discuss fees, location options and other logistical matters, email or call. Let's find a plan that works for you!