Therapy for College Students

College isn’t always exactly what we’d hoped it’d be. For many, this is the first time away from the comfort and stability of the place we grew up, and the safety and security afforded by our social networks. If this is our first time being out on our own, we can feel overwhelmed by the efforts required in redefining who we are.

Or afraid of what it might mean if we’d found a way to succeed in high school but are struggling to do so now.

Maybe anxious about the work it may take to make lasting friendships—all while feeling like we’re meant to be figuring out the rest of our lives.

It’s a lot.

The college experience as we’ve seen it in the media (think of any movie with prominent red solo cups on display) usually glosses over the harder things that can accompany this period of our lives. For so many folks, the years after high school are marked by tremendous worry—about failing, disappointing other people, forging friendships, measuring up, being or feeling different. It can feel like the ground is constantly shifting all around us, and we’re all on our own in finding a way to handle it.

You don’t have to handle it all alone—in fact, not a single human being in the history of the world has been designed to get through life without support. Perhaps you’re struggling to make new friends and want to create a plan for how that could be different going forward. Perhaps you’re struggling for the first time academically, and feelings of self-doubt are creeping in. Perhaps you’re tackling persistent loneliness, or you’ve just had your heart broken. Maybe you’re not quite sure where you fit in, and you’re feeling a little lost at sea.

Whatever your struggle, it can be helpful to have a safe, neutral space to talk and think through the trickier parts of growing up and forging a new path on your own.

At SHIFT Psychology, we’ll get to know you—we’ll face the tough questions together, explore what the answers tell us about you on a deep level, and work to encourage and nourish the parts of you that are working most helpfully. We’ll combine humor, shared expertise, and collaboration along the way—all in the service of tackling whatever obstacles are preventing you from moving forward in the ways that work best for you