Therapy for Students
College and Life after High School can be one of the most exciting and transformative times in your life… and also one of the hardest. You’re expected to be independent, but maybe you don’t feel prepared. You’re not a kid anymore, but you might not feel fully ready to be a full on “adult”. There’s pressure to dream big, but also be practical, Have all the fun, but also be fully responsible- sometimes all at once.
If you're struggling, you're not alone. I've worked with many college students, both on campus and in outpatient therapy, and I know how overwhelming this chapter can be. Below are some of the most common reasons students reach out for support and some of the deeper questions therapy can help you explore:
Becoming Yourself
College is often seen as a time of freedom and self-discovery. But for many students, it feels like a time of enormous pressure. to perform, to choose correctly, and to become someone others will approve of.
Academic Pressure and the Fear of Getting It Wrong
Students often feel anxious about making the “right” choices when it comes to their major or career. Schoolwork can become a source of constant stress. Underneath this urgency is often something deeper. a fear of failure, the pressure to live up to family expectations, or an internal sense that nothing short of perfection is acceptable. Sometimes it can feel hard just knowing how much studying is “enough” and when it’s ok to give yourself a break.
Differentiating from Family
For many students, this is the first time they are far enough from home to reflect on their family dynamics. Some are still strongly tied to what their parents want for them. Others feel guilt for pulling away. Therapy can help students like you understand how their past shapes the present, and how they might begin to choose for themselves what they want out of life.
Belonging and Identity in a New Environment
College can raise hard questions about fitting in. Students might feel different from their peers in ways they can’t quite name. This might show up as self-doubt, shame, or constantly comparing themselves to others. These feelings often relate not just to the present, but to earlier questions about identity, safety, and visibility.
Learning to Be Independent
College is often the first chance we get at “adulting” for the first time. Managing your own schedules, navigating money, making decisions without outside input, and trying to keep up with everyday demands. It can be a flood of pressure that leads to shutting down. Therapy can help students like you understand the emotional weight behind things like procrastination, forgetfulness, or executive functioning struggles.
Navigating and Improving Relationships
Friendship and the Challenge of Feeling Known
Some students make lots of acquaintances but still feel isolated. Others have trouble reaching out at all. It can feel hard to trust others or to let them see the parts of yourself that feel messy or uncertain.
Romantic Relationships, Sexuality, and Consent
Romantic and sexual dynamics in college can bring up a lot of big emotions: desire, vulnerability, power, confusion. It is a chance to learn and explore who you’re attracted to, what makes you feel safe and secure, and make sense of what feels uncomfortable or even violating. These experiences stir deeper feelings about safety, identity, and attachment.
Roommates, Conflict, and Setting Boundaries
Sharing space with others can bring up patterns students didn’t know they had. They may avoid conflict, become overly accommodating, or feel overwhelmed by closeness. These dynamics are often shaped by earlier relational experiences. Therapy can help students understand where these patterns come from and how to respond differently.
How to Cope with Overwhelming Emotions
Mental health concerns often become more visible in college. But symptoms like anxiety or depression aren’t just problems to fix. They often express something important about needs, stress, and internal conflict.
Anxiety, Panic, and the Need to Hold It All Together
Anxiety can look like over-preparing, overthinking, or a constant sense of urgency. Panic may feel like it comes out of nowhere. These experiences are often linked to a deeper fear of losing control, disappointing others, or not being enough.
Depression, Numbness, and Disconnection
Some students feel flat, unmotivated, or detached. This might be dismissed as laziness or burnout, but it often reflects something more — a sense of disconnection from one’s real feelings or desires. Therapy can help students reconnect to what’s missing.
Coping, Avoidance, and Self-Soothing
Many students rely on coping habits that used to work, like overworking, drinking, avoiding, distracting. These strategies can become painful or self-defeating. In therapy, we explore not just how to stop them, but what purpose they serve, and what new forms of care might be possible.
