Why Students Seek Therapy During College
College is a landmark time of growth for most young adults. It is a time of experimentation, new environments, and sometimes substances. It can be overwhelming for many students and teens who came from living at home with little to no responsibilities. This is why therapy for college students can be vital to the mental and physical health of teens and young adults.
Some of the common reasons we’ve seen college-aged students seek therapy are for support in adjusting to a new location, new expectations, struggling with the pressures and stressors, social conditions, or substance use disorder. Learning how to manage these stressors before they get out of hand is essential for a successful college career.
How Therapy Can Help College Students
Therapy can be a place students can confide and sort through their thoughts without judgment. The relationship built between the therapist and the patient provides a safe space for the patient. This allows them to express what they are facing and work through solutions to practice a higher quality of life. As well as coping mechanisms and building healthy patterns for success throughout life.
Therapy can be one of the best tools when utilized even as preventative care during new life experiences. Starting fresh in any new circumstances and environments can bring on feelings of stress, anxiety, or depression. When these new emotions are left unresolved, they can turn into something more dangerous.
Many colleges and universities provide the resources for students to talk to a professional when needed.
Advice for College Students Thinking about Therapy
Don’t be ashamed of seeking help or worried that it will affect your career. Often your school will offer a counselor or some type of licensed mental health professional available to you at no charge. We suggest you take advantage of this and consider your therapist to be part of your team.
Having a licensed mental health professional to help you balance your lifestyle, new challenges, adjusting to increased stress, coping with change or decisions from peer pressure can change the outcome of your life. Also, it can keep you on track with your dreams and goals (even when they are ever-changing).
Some of the main ways therapy for college students can be effective are:
- Helps clarifies a problem
- It helps students cope with depression and anxieties
- Builds self-confidence in young people
- Opens up their perspective to explore opportunities (and find a chance) for change
- Helps them see more options and make better decisions with these options
- One of the advantages of seeing a counselor is that students improve personal skills
- Helps with managing anxiety and pressure (especially when there are school projects, deadlines, exams, and financial constraints)
- Gives students a safe place to speak openly
If You Are a Student Seeking Therapy and Don’t Want to Speak to a School Therapist…
Harm Reduction Center is a safe place with a professional staff to help guide you on this new exciting journey. At Harm, we offer many different types of therapy and treatment options that be suit each client personally. Whether you are dealing with the anxiety of moving away and being on your own. Or, you are down and depressed about juggling classes, sports, and social life. Whatever the case may be, Harm Reduction center is here to empower and support you.
If you want to speak to one of our staff members, contact us directly through the Harm Reduction Center website. We are excited to help you any way we can and prepare you for a bright future ahead.
