Therapy for High-Achieving College Students
Isn’t college supposed to be the greatest years of your life?
You dreamed of the freedom and opportunities at college and you worked so hard to get in to one of your top schools. You were confident in your decision and excited to start exploring new opportunities and working towards your future career. After starting school, you soon realized that it wasn’t the dream you pictured. You’re overwhelmed by schoolwork, trying to get along with roommates, missing home, and finding it hard to enjoy going out with friends or taking breaks from schoolwork.
You cared about schoolwork in high school, but you don’t remember it being this hard to balance with other activities and friendships. You find yourself crossing off the days on your calendar and wishing you could just relax and have fun like everyone else. You wish that your school felt like home and you want to feel more like yourself again. You’re tired of feeling like you’re the only one who feels like this when everyone else seems to be having fun.
You want to talk to someone who gets it
You told yourself that if you just do your schoolwork and plan trips home you could make it through the semester. You didn’t want to admit you aren’t happy at school and you wish you were excited to stay. It’s impacting your friendships at school or home, your family, and makes you feel nervous and sad. My clients just want to feel happier at school, without sacrificing their own wellbeing and relationships with friends and family. Many of my clients come to me because they are having a hard time opening up about how they feel at school, and they need help learning how to cope with the stress of being away from home.
Most of my clients who are college students are struggling to make friends or get involved on campus, and they feel overwhelmed trying to maintain grades they are proud of.
Therapy may be for you if:
You care about getting good grades but you feel that you are too consumed by schoolwork
You’re having a hard time finding friends at school or you can rarely find time to spend with friends
You rarely have time to do something fun for yourself
You don’t want to work so hard all the time but fear that your future career will suffer if you pull back on work
You feel nervous that others will judge you for not fully enjoying the college experience
Struggling to figure out who you want to become
My goal for my clients is to help them better understand what classes and experiences are most interesting to them, without being too hard on themselves about their grades and their future. I also help them find a better balance in their schedule with more fun, self-care, and a social life that is meaningful to them.
Therapy for high-achieving college students isn’t:
Me telling you that you shouldn’t care about schoolwork
Me telling you that college is supposed to be fun for everyone
You are expected to fall in love with your school
Me recommending that you join a club that doesn’t interest you
We’ll meet for your initial intake session to get a sense of what your needs are and where I can help. I’m excited to help clients who want to talk about what’s bothering them at school or home and who want to devote more time for themselves and find what brings them joy. People who have a lot on their plate they want to discuss and are ready to finally feel understood as they navigate such a challenging stage in their life. What we process in therapy is 100% confidential. You may feel vulnerable initially, but at your pace, what you choose to discuss and how we approach solutions and coping is up to you!
