Identity Affirming Therapy For College Students

Transformative Therapy and Consultation Services logo

Therapy for college students in Lansing & East Lansing, MI

College asks a lot of you at once. You might be dealing with classes, money, relationships, living on your own, and figuring out what comes next, all while the ground under you keeps shifting. Some of it is exciting. Some of it is harder than anyone warned you about. If you’re stretched thin and not sure who to talk to, therapy can be a place that’s just for you.

We’re right on the Lansing and East Lansing line, minutes from MSU, and we also see students online anywhere in Michigan. So whether you want to come in between classes or meet from your dorm, we can work with your schedule.

What students come to us for

Students come to us for different reasons, here are some:

  • Anxiety or panic around exams, deadlines, or performance
  • Feeling low, unmotivated, or like you’re just going through the motions
  • Homesickness, loneliness, or trouble finding your people
  • Stress that’s showing up in your sleep, appetite, or body
  • Relationship, friendship, or family strain
  • Questions about identity, sexuality, or gender that college gave you room to ask
  • Pressure to have it all figured out when you genuinely don’t yet
  • New or increased challenges with focus or finishing schoolwork

None of that means you’re failing at college. It means you are human and juggling a lot.

Being away from home, being yourself

For a lot of students, college is the first time you get real distance from where you grew up, and the first real chance to be yourself. That can be freeing and disorienting at the same time. You might be exploring your identity, coming out, or living openly for the first time, while also missing home, or grieving family who couldn’t stay.

Most of our clinicians hold LGBTQIA2S+ and other marginalized identities. If you’re queer, trans, a student of color, neurodivergent, or all of the above, we are an identity-affirming practice and take great strides to understand what living in one or many identities while navigating school and the world may be like.

How it works with a student schedule

We know college time is chaotic. We offer virtual sessions so you can meet from your room or between classes, and in-person appointments right by campus when you’d rather get off screen. We can talk through what a realistic rhythm looks like around your semester.

Questions students ask

Can I do therapy online from my dorm? Yes. A lot of our students meet virtually, so you don’t have to find time to get across town. Somewhere semi-private helps, headphones do the rest.

What if I have to stop over breaks or the summer? That’s normal for students, and we’ll plan around it. You can pause and pick back up, and virtual sessions make it easier to stay consistent even if you leave town.

Do I have to have a “big” problem to come in? No. Plenty of students come in just because everything’s a lot right now. That’s reason enough.

Meet your future therapist

Research shows the single biggest predictor of whether therapy helps is the therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist. When you trust your therapist, feel safe with them, and agree on what you’re working toward together, therapy works better. Feeling heard, safe, and understood, including in your identity and culture, is what makes the hard work of therapy possible. We do our best to find you a great match, and your input matters.

Our team brings different specialties, styles, and lived experiences. Browse our team and use the filters to find your match. Use the filters to find therapists that meet your needs. Click their picture to see their bio. To see the full page, go to the Meet Our Team page.

Appointment Options
Accepting New Clients
Therapy Type
Insurance Accepted

Click a picture to see the therapist’s full bio.

  • Portrait of Miranda O'Brien, therapist at Transformative Therapy, smiling outdoors.

    Miranda O’Brien

    she/her

    LLMSW

  • Katie Zicarelli Gesell

    she/her

    LMSW

  • Andy Grossmeyer

    he/they

    LLMSW

  • Drea Sims

    she/they

    LMSW

  • Samm Heberlein

    she/they

    LLPC

  • Lexie Morgan

    she/her

    LLPC

  • Jesper (Jess) Shapiro

    they/them

    LMSW

  • Cassie Flory

    she/her

    LMSW

  • Therapist portrait for mental health services at Transformative Therapy CS.

    Emily Kapp

    she/they

    LLPC

  • Claire Nussdorfer

    they/them

    LLMFT

  • Francesca Stringer

    she/her

    LMSW

  • Portrait of Samuel Rhoades, a professional therapist, smiling in a casual setting.

    Samuel Rhoades

    he/him

    LMSW

  • Parker Curtis-Evans

    he/they

    LPC

  • Jess Miller

    she/he/they

    LMSW

  • Angelina Camilleri

    she/her

    LMSW

Start therapy in just 3 easy steps!

We made the process as simple as possible, while still keeping your real needs and preferences in mind.

  1. Click Request Appointment and complete the form.
  2. Check your email. Within 2 days, we will send you a link to complete intake forms, your expected costs, your therapist match, and your scheduled appointment details.
  3. Complete your intake forms and attend your appointment!

Insurance and fees

We work hard to make therapy as accessible as possible. We accept several insurance plans, including several Medicaid plans, and offer a grant to cover therapy, as well.

Insurance and Fees

Where we offer therapy

We offer in-person therapy in Lansing, MI, at our office inside Wild Ferns Wellness Center. Our office is located on the Lansing/East Lansing line and just minutes from MSU. There is a CATA bus stop a half block away from us. Our office is wheelchair accessible, and there is an elevator.

Prefer to meet from home? We offer online therapy across Michigan, so you can work with an identity-affirming therapist wherever you are in the state.

Crisis lines