College Students

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Are you feeling overwhelmed or perhaps a bit isolated?

Progressive Option Support Services (POSS) recognizes the challenges associated with college life. Our approach is dynamic and fresh. We work creatively to find out how to make a partnership with young adults that is respectful, based in trust and also includes room for being demanding when needed. Much of this comes from our own practice. We are in touch and provide therapy to young adults all the time. Issues related to sex and dating, drugs and drinking, depression, anxiety and academic pressures are those that are treatable.

Academic challenges and pressures

Many young people struggle with the academic independence that college allows. Getting to class on time, managing assignments, choosing classes, and knowing when to ask for help all take more initiative than in high school. If a young adult struggles with time management or organization, there are fewer safety nets to catch them and draw attention to the problem–perhaps until these struggles are reflected in grades. POSS therapists can assist with making sense of many aspects of academic life which may feel overwhelming. Our clinicians are skilled at providing guidance in many areas of academic life which may hinder progress.

Making friends and building a social life

College is not only a time to grow academically but also socially. This does not mean all young people feel capable of making sense of this new landscape. Sometimes, students find themselves less outgoing, and anxious in social settings.

College students frequently discuss challenges related to making friends in ways that do not involve alcohol, making friends as a person of color, navigating social situations that demand connecting with strangers and finding “their people.” POSS clinicians work to create a partnership that takes these challenges on together, trying new strategies, taking increasingly bigger risks, and dealing with the disappointments and celebrating the successes that follow.

Therapy for depression and anxiety

As with at any moment in life, depression and anxiety can grow and linger and become in various ways debilitating. Getting the right help from our clinicians enables students to make sense of emergent adulthood and the myriad of emotional experiences that come at this time of transition. This also empowers students to make strong choices about how to maneuver through their academic and social lives.

Therapy for drug and alcohol abuse

While young people today are exposed to drugs and alcohol in high school or even earlier, most college students find the availability of both drugs and alcohol, as well as the pressure to use and abuse these substances, intense. At POSS our task isn’t to make decisions for young adults but rather, to help them explore options and consequences, better understand the pressures they experience and make safe choices if they do choose to use drugs or alcohol.

Sexuality and sexual orientation

College is a time when many young adults explore their sexuality. POSS therapists strive to create a space where young adults feel comfortable talking about sex using a safe, non-judgmental approach. Our goal is to support clients to understand sex and attraction, and to make conscious decisions about where they stand.

Sexual orientation is in focus at this stage in life. If young adults find themselves attracted to the same sex, they may need help making sense of this attraction, talking to their parents and friends about this–when ready–and dealing with the bias that’s inevitably present even on the most progressive campuses. It is important to recognize that suicide rates are higher among LGTBQ individuals. POSS may help young people by giving them the help that they need.

POSS clinicians also have experience with a myriad of other issues that may hinder students’ progress while in college. Some of these include sexual assault, body image issues, managing money, and career and post college life.