Andrea Lawson

Andrea Lawson, LCSW, Director of Counseling Services

 

Pronouns: She/Her

Specializes in:

• Eating Disorders
• Life Transitions
• Depression/Anxiety
• Identity Exploration
• Spirituality/Meaning-Making

Fun Facts:

I love to travel and capture moments in photos.

 

 

Andrea Lawson is a clinical social worker with an extensive background in college mental health, serving at four institutions of higher education across the country since 2007.  Andrea is trained as a generalist, and also completed a fellowship at the University of Michigan where she specialized in eating disorder treatment in a college setting.  As a therapist, she draws from feminist, narrative, and relational approaches through a multicultural lens. She is passionate about connecting people to resources - whether internal or external - to be active players in their stories, understanding how their environment influences their experiences and sense of identity.  Partnering with students to take steps toward wellbeing, empowerment, meaning-making, and integration is an honor for her.   

In addition to providing clinical services, Andrea also enjoys the administrative side of her role as Director of Counseling Services, especially collaborating with colleagues across campus, coordinating with students to 'learn by doing', and finding avenues to cultivate spaces of belonging for students across identity.  Ensuring all students have access to quality, culturally-responsive mental health care and services has been a hallmark of her leadership.  She recognizes the value of integrated centers that attend to the whole student, and considers wellness across many dimensions.  Over her years in counseling center administration, she has built compassionate and connected staff teams, facilitated growth in seasons of transition, centered the voices of students, and positioned agencies to better support the mental health needs of the campus from a social justice framework. 

Andrea has lived in every time zone in the contiguous US and enjoys feeling at home in many places.  Building community and meaningful connections has always been an important part of her life.  Traveling to new places with friends and family are highlights of her experiences, and often include both adventure and nature.  She enjoys the outdoors, whether hiking along bluffs, skiing in the mountains, or biking through the foothills.  Though she grew up in the Midwest, the Central Coast has happily become her new home.