Young Adult Therapy
Young Adult Counseling
You were so excited to graduate from high school. Maybe you decided to join the workforce, join the service or maybe you decided to go to college. You’re also trying to figure out your own identity now that you’re officially an adult. It’s exciting and a little daunting to make your own decisions and if you go away to college, you may miss your family and need to adjust to living on campus. College classes may be a lot harder and you have to manage your own time and responsibilities. There may also be pressure to pick the right major.
It can also feel like a lonely time after graduating from college, especially if you aren’t local and had to leave your college friends behind. You may find yourself needing to find a new friend group as you may not be close with your high school friends anymore. A lot of young adults need to move back home due to the economy, which is also a huge adjustment for both you and your parents. Having boundaries with your parents can be really stressful as a lot of parents still treat their young adult children like teenagers when they come back home after college, making the transition to adulthood even more challenging.
Joining the workforce after college or graduate school is also very stressful. You may be looking for positive feedback from a supervisor that you’re doing a good job, since you’re used to getting feedback on papers and tests while in school. You quickly learn that you may not get any feedback from your supervisor unless something is going wrong. Learning how to function in an office or other work environment has it’s own challenges and unfortunately, binging The Office may not be enough to bring you up to speed. Check out the old school movie Office Space if your job is stressful!
In short, this can be an overwhelming time in your life. It’s okay to seek out help. You’re not the only one that feels this way. A lot of people, not just young adults go through this.
What are Some Common things that Young Adults Struggle With
It’s totally normal to struggle with a host of various issues as a young adult. Some of these things may include stress and anxiety over college coursework, transitions, starting a career and relationships. A lot of young adults also struggle with anxiety and depression. During the pandemic, the CDC reports that 62.9% of young adults report symptoms of anxiety and depression. Young adults can also struggle significantly with suicidal ideation. Additional issues may include having identity issues around your spirituality, sexuality and where you fit in with your peers and the world in general. Social media doesn’t seem to help these issues, FOMO anyone?
How Can Therapy Help
Therapy is a very personal process. I will take a lot of time to get to know you— your concerns about therapy, your background and upbringing, your personality and the reasons why you came to therapy in the first place. I take a collaborative approach and will work with you to develop goals to work towards what you want to accomplish. We will focus on your strengths and utilize these to work towards your goals. A lot of times, therapy with young adults involves processing thoughts and emotions that come up during the transitions you’re going through. You’re in charge during the therapy process and I will respect how you will like to move forward in therapy.
In therapy you can learn customized tools to manage the stressors in your life such as work, relationships and time management to name a few. We will also work together to gain insight into your anxiety and depression. This may involve talking about patterns that have come up in your life. We will talk about practical things you can do when you have anxiety or depressive symptoms. We will also explore your values and how this influences the choices you make in your life and influences your identity. You will gain confidence and begin to feel empowered in your ability to make your own decisions.
You May Still have Some Concerns…
Will Therapy Be Worth My Time and Money?
This is an understandable concern as this may be the first time that you’ve thought about going to therapy. It’s a big step and a big investment in yourself and your future. Therapy can give you the tools to be more productive through processing difficult emotions and situations, which can help you save more time in the long run. If you’re willing to make an investment in therapy now, it may help you to avoid more serious mental health issues in the future. It can also help form a foundation for your sense of self and build your confidence and self-esteem that you can continue building on as you get older.
I have had friends say that they had a bad experience in therapy…
Everyone’s experience in therapy is so different. It’s possible that your friends didn’t have the right therapist, the therapist may not have been qualified to work with young adults or to meet their needs. It’s also possible that your friend wasn’t ready for therapy. It’s impossible for you to know what your experience will be like without trying it yourself. I will check in with you after the first few sessions to make sure that you’re comfortable and that you feel as though we’re a good fit. If I’m not a good fit, I can refer you to someone else who I think can better meet your needs.
I’m Nervous to ‘Dig Deep’…
This is totally understandable. Therapy can be intimidating for a lot of people. You’re coming to see a complete stranger and telling them about your life. You may be concerned about feeling judged or being ‘the worst case’. I can tell you that this is highly unlikely after working with so many young adults in so many different situations. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to learn things about yourself that you don’t like. You may see some behavior patterns that you’ve developed over the years or realize that you have some unresolved relationship issues. This can be really scary to come to terms with but once you are aware of the issue, you’re able to do something about it.
Are you Ready To Take The Plunge
I love working with young adults to help them reach their full potential and develop their sense of self. I’ve worked with so many young adults in my practice and am excited to serve you. If you feel ready to take the next step, set up a time to talk with me or book a session!