Austin Therapy for College Students
Takeaway: College can be a tender time for many young adults. While exploring your newfound independence can be exciting, there are many unique challenges to this period of life. Working with a therapist for college students can give you the support you need to explore your identity, build fulfilling relationships, and adjust to your new chapter.
Why therapy matters for college students
College is a crucial time in life when you gain independence and grow personally. Yet, it can be tough too. Many college students face new or intensified mental health challenges. Counseling for college students is important because of the unique pressures they face during this season of life. Many students face overwhelming emotions due to academic pressures, social adjustments, financial burdens, and identity exploration. Studies show that about 41.6% deal with anxiety, and 36.4% experience depression. That's why therapy for college students matters greatly.
Here are some common problems college students often face:
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College often demands higher academic rigor, leading to stress, performance anxiety, and the fear of failure. Students may struggle to cope with heavy workloads, challenging coursework, new responsibilities, and the pressure to excel. First generation college students may feel an extra amount of pressure to succeed and do well due to their parent's sacrifice and expectations.
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Moving away from home and starting college can make you feel alone or unsure. Transitioning to a new environment can be daunting. Students might face loneliness, difficulty making new friends, homesickness, or cultural adjustments. All these things can can impact mental health and a sense of belonging.
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Financial constraints, tuition fees, living expenses, and managing jobs can cause overwhelming feelings. This can cause huge stress and anxiety, as well as feelings of isolation if peers experience more financial privilege.
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Dating in college can be a fun and full of new experiences and exploration. However, it can also be stressful, heartbreaking, confusing, overwhelming, traumatic and oh so vulnerable. Managing expectations, navigating your own sexual values and boundaries, exploring your gender and/or sexual orientation can all be part of the process. Sexual assault is also a reality for many on college campuses, which can lead to many mental health issues.
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With the increase in freedom and stress, experimentation with alcohol and drugs is common for many young adults. However some may struggle with excess use, addiction or lack of positive coping skills. It may be hard or overwhelming to seek support around this issue, especially since this behavior is normalized on campus.
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There is so much new to adjust to during the college years, which can cause an increase in mental health disorders. Worrying about grades, how to make friends, being gone from home, struggling financially, can all factor into increased feelings of anxiety and depression. The National Eating Disorder Association estimates that between “10 and 20% of women and 4 to 10% of men in college suffer from eating disorders, and rates are on the rise.”
Benefits of therapy for college students
College is a time of change, navigating school, making friends, and figuring out who you are. In dealing with these complexities, counseling services can be a powerful tool. Therapy provides a supportive environment for students to address mental health concerns, develop coping strategies, and foster resilience.
Meet Meg Mattingly, therapist for college students in Austin
I remember so vividly the rollercoaster I felt I was on during early adulthood. I went from a town of around 4,000 people to a college campus of over 40,000. This alone, was a huge adjustment for me to navigate as an 18 year old. I grew so much during these years, but struggled with loneliness, imposter syndrome, religious trauma, academic pressures and dating, to name a few. I felt so much pressure to have it all figured out.
I spent much of my career before becoming a therapist, working with teenagers and young adults. I loved my work with this population and feel forever changed by what I learned from them. The time between 16-25 is so formative; full of uncertainty and change. It can be a special time of new experiences, responsibilities, friends, relationship, jobs, interests, and self discoveries. It can also be so challenging and overwhelming to deal with all that! As a mental health professional, I feel strongly about supporting and learning from this next generation of young adults. I value their voice, their advocacy, passion, and new perspectives. I feel so grateful for the young adults I've connected to through this work, and look forward to continuing to be a support to them. I am continually working on unlearning biases I hold in order to stay in the work of decolonizing the mental health space and being active in breaking down oppressive systems impacting BIPOC and queer communities.
Why choose Willow Tree Collective for college aged student therapy in Austin
When starting the process of finding a therapist, it can feel overwhelming searching for the right mental health services to meet your needs. At Willow Tree Collective, we work with college aged students navigating the many life transitions that come up during these formative years. We strive to create an inclusive and relationally focused environment. Here is what sets us a part from other mental health services:
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Therapy serves as a cornerstone for mental health support, offering students a safe space to discuss concerns, alleviate distress, and gain a deeper understanding of their emotions. Through therapy, students can develop self-compassion, recognize triggers for stress or anxiety, and learn effective coping mechanisms to manage these challenges. It encourages a collaborative approach toward mental health and helps reduce the stigma around seeking support.
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College is a melting pot of diverse relationships, and therapy aids students in navigating interpersonal dynamics. By enhancing communication skills, fostering empathy, and providing insights into healthy relationships, therapy empowers students to cultivate meaningful connections, both personally and professionally.
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College life often brings intense stressors, from academic pressures to personal dilemmas. Therapy equips students with practical tools and strategies to navigate stress effectively. Techniques such as mindfulness, self compassion, and connecting to nature help students manage stress, regulate emotions, and build resilience.
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Being away from home for the first time can create more space to figure out who you are, what you believe, and the permission to take up space. As students discover more about themselves, there may be parts of themselves that no longer align with beliefs or values of their family or community back home. Having a safe space to explore their full self without judgement can be beneficial in ones personal growth.
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Perhaps most importantly, therapy fosters resilience. It encourages students to tap into their strengths, overcome obstacles, and cultivate a sense of empowerment. Therapy can provide students the space for deep self exploration, cultivate growth and build self compassion. By providing tools to navigate life’s uncertainties, therapy equips students with invaluable skills that extend far beyond their college years to help navigate future challenges as they arise.
FAQs about counseling for college-aged students
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A college counselor and therapist are distinct roles. While both provide support, a college counselor typically focuses on academic and career guidance, helping students navigate educational challenges. Therapists, on the other hand, offer emotional and psychological support, addressing mental health concerns. Although grades and school stressors are discussed in sessions, as a therapist, this practice is not going to provide academic support or guidance. If you're in need of career and academic support, check with your school's student support center.
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There are a variety of styles of therapy and modalities that can be useful in navigating mental health issues and self exploration for college students. Here are a few that can be particularly helpful to this population: Attachment theory is helpful in learning your own attachment style and can create healing and understanding around your family of origin story. It can also be beneficial when navigating dating and friendships. Nonviolent Communication helps folks identify and name needs and feelings. This is helpful in relationship building, boundary setting and self exploration. Self-Compassion work helps deepen the relationship to self and create healing within. All of these styles of therapy are practiced at Willow Tree Collective.
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The Austin area is home to at least 14 college campuses, many of them offer counseling on campus. The four largest colleges in the area have campus counseling centers: The University of Texas, St. Edwards University, Huston-Tillotson University and Austin Community College. Most college campuses have their campus counseling services, so make sure to ask your advisor for more information. If your campus does not have a counseling center and you're worried about finances and unable to afford the cost of private pay therapy, Capital Area Counseling offers sessions fees between $15-$60. No matter who you end up working with, it is important you feel comfortable and supported by your therapist.
Give yourself the space to process life’s changes with a therapist for college students.
At some point, every college student deals with challenging emotional issues and stress. Although it can feel isolating trying to navigate all that life throws your way, we are not created to figure it out alone. As Brene Brown said, "We are wired for connection." Willow Tree Collective desires to help folks deepen their connection to themselves, their communities and the natural world. If you're looking for the right therapist to help you on your journey, reach out and schedule a free consultation today. We're ready to meet you!
