Therapy for UC Berkeley Students: Help for Anxiety, Depression, ADHD & Campus Stress

Berkeley can be incredibly hard. The academic pressure, the housing situation, the gap between what this place is supposed to be and what students actually experience—a lot of people are struggling right now.

What Berkeley Students Are Dealing With

Berkeley is intense. Many students were at the top of their class in high school, and then they arrive at lectures with 300 other high-achievers. The curve means someone has to be average. This can be hard or it can be hard to not care about being "average" when surrounded by competitive people.

But it's more than just grades. Students I work with often come in dealing with:

Anxiety - Racing heart before exams in Wheeler Hall. Lying awake at night with thoughts spinning. Finding it hard to concentrate even on things that used to be easy. For many Berkeley students, what starts as stress crosses into clinical anxiety.

Depression - Getting to class can feel impossibly difficult. Things that used to bring joy feel flat. Sleep is either too much or not enough, and the exhaustion doesn't lift. It's common to look around and assume everyone else has it figured out.

ADHD - High school was manageable with certain strategies. Berkeley's workload is different. Some students spend six hours on problem sets that should take two. Deadlines get missed despite genuine effort. Sometimes ADHD doesn't get diagnosed until college, when old coping mechanisms stop working and the demands intensify.

Disappointment - Many students chose Berkeley for its progressive values and intellectual community. Those things exist here. But there's also bureaucracy, housing crises, administrative responses that fall short. The gap between Berkeley's reputation and some students' actual experience can be significant.

Navigating difficult systems - Whether it's Title IX processes, financial aid complications, experiences with discrimination, or accessing mental health resources at Tang—sometimes the problem isn't just individual stress. Sometimes systems themselves are creating real barriers, and the frustration is legitimate.

Why Berkeley-Specific Support Matters

The pressure at Berkeley is particular. Students are surrounded by exceptional peers in one of the country's most expensive cities. The school emphasizes activism and social justice, which can create additional pressure or expose institutional contradictions.

Standard college counseling often doesn't address:

• Identity shifts that come with being academically overwhelmed for the first time

• The realities of living in Berkeley (cost, housing instability, visible inequality)

• Holding appreciation for intellectual community alongside institutional frustration

• Balancing academics with activism when both feel important

• ADHD in students who've compensated successfully until now

How Therapy Can Help

For Anxiety & Depression: Treatment addresses underlying patterns—imposter syndrome, perfectionism, social anxiety in competitive environments, depression that makes daily functioning difficult. This goes beyond surface-level coping tips to look at root causes and develop real strategies.

For ADHD: This includes referrals for formal diagnosis when appropriate and practical approaches for managing Berkeley's demands when executive function is challenging. Many students also benefit from addressing the shame or self-judgment that builds up over years of struggling without understanding why.

For Institutional Frustration: Therapy can validate observations about real problems while exploring sustainable engagement. This might include processing grief about unmet expectations, developing boundaries to prevent burnout, or finding ways to stay involved without sacrificing wellbeing.

My Approach

I have an LCSW and a PhD in East-West Psychology. The clinical training covers evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, and ADHD. The East-West Psychology background brings in philosophical frameworks for bigger questions that Berkeley students often grapple with—questions about meaning, justice, success, and how to engage with imperfect systems.

Many Berkeley students are intellectually curious and appreciate therapy that offers both practical tools and space for deeper exploration.

Common Questions

"What about Tang Center?" Tang provides important services, but capacity limits can mean limited sessions. Private therapy offers more flexibility and continuity.

"Should I be able to handle this on my own?" Berkeley culture can create pressure to manage everything independently. Many students find that getting support actually helps them function better academically and personally.

"Will therapy interfere with school?" Students typically report that addressing mental health concerns improves their ability to focus, complete work, and engage with their education.

Getting Started

If anxiety, depression, ADHD, or campus stress is affecting your experience at Berkeley, therapy might help. Many students find relief and develop strategies that make their time here more manageable.