COLLEGE STUDENTS
I specialize in supporting students. My approach is informed by training at Harvard University, where I provided psychodynamic support to undergraduate- and graduate-level students. I currently offer therapy to college students in Boulder, CO and consult to therapists working with students across the United States.
Students manage many stressors:
Academic Difficulties
Academic challenges may cause stress and anxiety for students. Many college students with disabilities, accessibility needs, or learning challenges may struggle to complete assignments or navigate university systems. Managing commitments can be overwhelming and performance concerns can cause significant stress.
Sexual Assault
Far too many students experience sexual assault and unwanted sexual experiences. These traumatic experiences can have a significant impact on mental and physical health, academic performance, and wellbeing.
Financial Pressures
It is common for young adults to experience distress because of financial concerns. Many college students have the added stressor of balancing student loans with rising rents and high cost of living. These challenges can cause anxiety, depression, and significant stress.
Living Environment
Roomate relationships, small living areas, and a lack of privacy can be hard to navigate. Noisy neighbors and distractions can impact sleep. These challenges can harm academic performance and wellbeing.
Oppression & Marginalization
Many college students experience systemic oppression and marginalization based on gender, race, sexuality, and other sociocultural identities. Privilege and inequitable power dynamics are often left unacknowledged, unchallenged, and unchanged at universities and in the broader culture. These systemic injustices can have a profound impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.
Career Uncertainty
Navigating internships and entry-level positions can be challenging. Today’s graduates are more likely than earlier generations to hold multiple jobs at once to make ends meet or change careers many times over the course of their lives.
Self-Discovery
Young adulthood is often a time for people to explore their personal values and beliefs. Many students identify with different parts of themselves as they navigate different relationships and societal expectations. The process of understanding yourself and realizing your full potential can be overwhelming at times.
International Students
Students raised in other countries often face challenging transitions navigating cultural dynamics, language barriers, and discrimination. Time zone differences can complicate family relationships. Homesickness and a crash of expectations is common.
Environmental Concerns
Many college students have experienced the direct impacts of climate change in stronger storms, more intense wildfires, and diminished air and water quality. These experiences can cause feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and depression. Existential concerns about the future of our planet are common.
Athletics
College athletes face unique stressors that impact their wellbeing, including significant time demands, intense social and academic pressures, and sometimes difficult relationships with coaches and teammates. Many find it challenging to maintain peak performance, recover from injury, or transition to life after sports.
Relationship Challenges
Close friendships may fall away as people move from high school to college or graduate school and enter the workforce. Romantic relationships can test interpersonal skills still under development. Building and maintaining healthy, nurturing relationships can be challenging.
Substance Use
Substance use is prevalent on college campuses. Deeply personal and emotional experiences can drive people toward more substance use than they would like. Substance use is not just about chemical dependency and experiencing altered states but also about the human desire for comfort, connection, and relief.
Lack of Sleep
Difficult living conditions, stress, and managing multiple commitments can impact sleep patterns for many college students. Lack of sleep is often associated with depression, anxiety, and other challenges.
Sexual Exploration
Many college students are learning about sexual pleasure and sexual identity or yearning for more physical connection. When not managed with open communication and emotional awareness, sexual experiences can lead to feelings of guilt, embarrassment, or anxiety. Navigating the social, emotional, and deeply personal parts of sexual wellness can be difficult.
Greek Life
The fraternity and sorority life recruitment process can cause a significant increase in anxiety, especially when rushing students face rejection. For active members, demanding time commitments, social pressures, and the cost of dues, housing, and events can become overwhelming and cause anxiety, depression, and difficult emotions.
