Thriving at Boarding School and College
There’s no place like home…
Leaving home for the first time can be overwhelming, in the best and worst ways. You are bombarded with opportunities, but maybe anxiety is holding you back from taking them. You are meeting tons of new people, but are uncertain about how to take those relationships from the surface to a deeper level. You have inspiring teachers, but are struggling to manage your time and the work seems like it might just be too much for you. All of these wonderful and horrible things are impacting you, while you’re away from your family, your friends, your pets and your bed.
I remember going away to college, and though it was only 90 minutes away I missed the simplest things. Making Kraft Mac n’ Cheese, watching Dodgers games with my friend Heidi, lying under a tree in my backyard with my friend Fiona, talking about the future*. I later moved across the country to go to graduate school, a 7 year stint in New England that has lasted for 23 years…It can happen! Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard, but a worthwhile endeavor to become your best self. I work with teens and young adults to not only adjust to their new surroundings, but thrive while doing so. Going away to school increases stress which may result in symptoms of depression, anxiety, disordered eating, or feelings of loneliness. If you’ve struggled with mental illness in the past, leaving your safety net may trigger a resurgence of those symptoms. Know that you’re not alone, that there are strategies to help and that you can find a way to build a new home and community that might just rival your old one.
*FYI, Despite making wonderful friends in college and since, I still cherish my high school friends, Fiona and Heidi included! No need to give up those wonderful relationships, you can always make space for new ones.
How I Can Help
I help teens and young adults adjust to being away from home
In therapy, I can help you:
Develop self-awareness and improve self-esteem so you can successfully engage with people in a variety of settings
Learn strategies for accepting, responding to and managing strong feelings
Organize your time and energy to balance the new and often overwhelming demands of life away
Understand your strengths, and help you harness them to deal with challenges
Deal with perfectionism and performance anxiety that can be all encompassing in competitive institutions
Help you gain clarity about your values, so you make choices in line with how you want to live your life
Build meaningful, joyful and supportive relationships and feel comfortable letting go of relationships that are holding you back
Say “yes!” to a variety of opportunities, so you can thrive in new and different ways
Let’s talk!
Something positive that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic (perhaps the only thing?) is that it has challenged all of us to be more flexible. I love that I get to work with students all over the states of Virginia and Massachusetts and see how they are setting up their rooms, finding quiet places outside, and actively building new communities at their schools. If you’re interested in learning more about engaging in virtual psychotherapy with me, please click below…