Therapy for College Students: Anxiety
College is a transition
The college experience can be a lot of… everything. It can be exciting, confusing, exhausting, terrifying, terrible, and/or liberating. Whether you’re headed to college for the first time or are headed back to college after the summer, you likely hold some expectations for the college experience.
For some, that might look like anxiety around being completely in charge of your own schedule or worry that you might not be able to keep up with the more accelerated pace. Maybe it means excitement about getting to start over, making a new friend group, or finally finding your people. For others, it might mean a chance to explore your gender identity or sexuality. Or perhaps it means getting away from an abusive and/or toxic household dynamic. Whatever your expectations for college, the transition of this season of life can impact 1) how you feel about yourself, 2) how you relate to others, and 3) how you show up.
Expectations
You’ve probably heard phrases like…. College is the best time of your life, you’ll make life-long friendships there, and how you do in college sets you up for the rest of your life. That’s a lot to put on one experience!
What are your expectations around college?
One thing I tell my clients in college is that a new opportunity doesn’t suddenly change everything about you. If you were expecting to walk into college feeling confident after spending years in high school talking down to yourself, minimizing your needs, or struggling with body image issues or low self-esteem, then it’s going to take time and effort to undo those patterns. College can be a beautiful space to learn how to develop into the person that you want to be and therapy for college students can be a great place to begin.
For many of the students I work with, college isn’t exactly what they were expecting. For some, college feels too open and too free and they’re faced with figuring out a lot of new things for themselves without regular check-ins from friends and family. In other words, the freedom feels overwhelming and at times terrifying.
For others, college provides them with the freedom to lean into their independence and to learn to trust that they are capable of taking care of themselves and honoring their own needs.
Whatever your experience of college, it’s important to know that like any other stage of life, there will be ups and there will be downs and you don’t have to have everything figured out.
Are you a college student struggling with anxiety?
Therapy for Anxiety can help! Reach out to an anxiety counselor today or learn more about online anxiety treatment.
Anxiety & College Students
In 2022, more than three-quarters of college students reported that they experienced moderate to severe levels of psychological distress. I’m sharing this to normalize that college can bring up a lot of unresolved issues.
One of the biggest reasons college students come to me for therapy is for anxiety. As an anxiety specialist, I work to learn more about who you are and how you relate to your own emotions.
Therapy for college students is a space for you to learn how to 1) notice what you are feeling, 2) learn to identify your triggers, and 3) practice changing the relationship that you have with your emotions.
Performance Anxiety
For many of the students that I work with, college can bring up old pressures to over-perform and to have everything “figured out.” This pressure can lead to difficulty sleeping, headaches, stomach aches, social withdrawal, and at times emotional shutdown. The expectations of “doing college right” or making others proud can also strip students of their ability to truly enjoy their time in college.
If you are struggling with performance-based anxiety, you likely find yourself stuck in a pattern of what-ifs like:
✨ What if I let my family down?
✨ What if I don’t pass this class?
✨ What if I don’t get a good job after all this?
✨ What if I’m not perfect?
✨ What if I make a fool out of myself?
✨ What if I don’t make any friends?
If you notice that you get stuck in a pattern of what-ifs, anxiety therapy for college students can help!
Relational Anxiety
Many of the college students that I work with find that relationships in this space can be difficult. Popular media can set college students up to believe that this one moment of time is going to be the highlight of their lives. It can feel disappointing then when you struggle to connect or find yourself isolated or lonely. It can also be frustrating when you run into difficult or even traumatic interpersonal dynamics and don’t feel like you have adequate support.
While I’ve found that Gen Z is more open to talking about mental health, there can still be a disconnect in the way that you learn to identify and state your own needs. The way that we show up in relationships is often something that is modeled in our early home lives. For instance:
✨ How did you learn to relate to your emotions?
✨ Who was available to you when you were feeling big feelings?
✨ How did your primary caregiver(s) respond when you were feeling sad, scared, or angry?
✨ How did your family model conflict?
✨ How did your family model apologies?
Our early models teach us about trust, our needs, and our worth. If you struggle with relational anxiety, trust, or self-worth, then anxiety therapy can help!
Looking for therapy for college students?
An anxiety counselor can help! Reach out to learn more about therapy for anxiety today.
Begin Working with An Anxiety Therapist in Los Angeles, CA
Anxiety doesn’t have to affect your college experience. As an anxiety therapist, I would be happy to offer support in addressing the anxiety symptoms that you’re most concerned with. I’m happy to offer support from my Los Angeles, CA-based practice and across the state. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
Fill out our contact form online for a consultation.
Speak with an experienced and caring therapist.
Start enjoying the college experience!
Other Services Offered with Worth and Wellness
Anxiety therapy isn’t the only service offered by Worth and Wellness. We specialize in EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, and therapy for therapists. We also provide online therapy, therapy for women of color, and therapy for individuals. Visit us today or our blog today to start your journey to a better life!
Disclaimer:
This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website, or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This blog does not constitute the practice of any medical or mental healthcare advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We cannot diagnose, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this blog or website.
