Therapy For Young Adults
Are You A Young Person In Need Of Guidance?
Have you been facing a lot of transition and upheaval lately? Has this turbulent season of life left you feeling confused, directionless, or disconnected from your true purpose? Would you benefit from taking time out to look at your priorities and learn healthier ways to navigate this season of life?
More than any phase, young adulthood is a time when your circumstances can change rapidly. Stepping into adulthood not only means striving toward emotional and social maturity but also gaining financial independence, pursuing a career, exploring identity, and, possibly, developing a romantic relationship. You’re trying to explore and find your sense of self. With all this happening, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed, frozen, or even confused.
Adulthood Could Be A Challenging Time For You
Although you may have been looking forward to new adventures and independence, you might feel lost now that it’s here. Perhaps you’ve invested a lot into your education but find yourself without a job or degree. Or maybe because you haven’t formed or maintained close relationships with like-minded people, you feel lonely and socially isolated. Or, perhaps you’re struggling in the reality that this life season can be monotonous, and where you thought you’d be is different than where you are.
If you’re feeling pressure to have it all figured out when, in fact, you don’t, you may become anxious or depressed. If you could just stop being so hard on yourself and feel supported, you could navigate these transitions with more confidence, direction, and empowerment. Therapy for young adults offers you the coping skills to navigate life’s challenges more effectively. With the opportunity to explore your desires, needs, purpose, and inherent strengths, as well as learn tools and skills, you can become known to yourself and set a course toward what you truly want and value. You can become who you’re meant to be.
Historically, The Transition Into Adulthood Has Always Been Rocky
Although growing pains are usually associated with puberty, they seldom end there. As young adults, we are challenged to reach a myriad of milestones that lay ahead of us. To transition into this next phase of our lives successfully, we must discover who we are and where we want to go. However, the journey is often rocky. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 23 percent of adults in the U.S. experience mental health issues in a given year including young adults. [1]
The good news is that the younger generation is more open to seeking support than any preceding generation. In 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that although Generation Z has been called the most depressed generation, members of this group are more likely than their older peers to get help. [2]
Generation Z Faces An Uncertain Future
Today’s young adults have a lot to contend with on both micro and macro levels. In recent years, there has been increasing competition within the academic and professional landscapes that, for many, make obtaining an education and entering a fulfilling career more challenging. Add to that the pressures and self-comparison stemming from social media, today’s polarizing political landscape, runaway inflation, and existential threats like climate change and global turmoil, and it’s no wonder that mental health issues and mood disorders in today’s youth are on the rise.
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression can be exacerbated in times of flux and transition. A therapist who has experience working with young adults can be a safe, non-judgmental, and truth-telling space you may not have access to elsewhere. What’s more, therapy for young adults offers new skills to manage anxiety and depression that you might not innately possess.
Therapy For Young Adults Offers Objective, Helpful Perspective
Early adulthood can feel overwhelming and intense. Taking time out at this juncture to unpack your challenges, explore your values and desires, and develop coping skills to manage stress, change, anxiety, or depression can have a significant long-term impact on the rest of your life.
In therapy for young adults, we will discuss the principles of neuropsychology and neurobiology so you can better understand how your brain works and gain insights into how your body, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interlinked. You will also gain a deeper understanding of why you might be struggling with certain things, identifying how important relationships and experiences influenced your present. With this knowledge, you can restructure unhelpful self-talk into healthier thought patterns, actions and emotions leading to a more positive, whole sense of self.
What To Expect In Sessions
I aim to provide a safe and welcoming environment where you feel comfortable to bring your authentic self, no judgment. As a relationally-based therapist, sessions feel like a mutually engaged conversation. Because the issues you are dealing with may be complex and overlap, I provide professional guidance and expertise so we can tackle them collaboratively and effectively.
The goals we set in young adult counseling may include:
Processing trauma;
Developing resiliency and balance when faced with adversity;
Strengthening familial, platonic, and romantic relationships by establishing healthy boundaries and communication;
Exploring attachment styles in the context of understanding your past to navigate future relationships;
Cultivating a separate and unique identity that exists apart from family, culture, etc.
Working on self-worth, confidence, esteem, and knowing the difference and implications of each in personal betterment;
Exploring and deciding life choices and;
Learning to nurture self-trust and valuing it so that internal validation outweighs external validation.
In the long term, we will strive to achieve the goals you set for yourself and, along the way, come to know yourself in a deeper, more holistic way. Embracing who you are allows you to make decisions that are in your best interest and live life in alignment with your values and beliefs.
In Therapy, You Will Learn Hands-On Skills While Gaining Insight
I offer a variety of evidence-based and modalities for young adults, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), mindfulness, trauma-informed and narrative therapy. In counseling, we often look at the past to understand the present. We do this by exploring how you learned to interact with the world from an objective perspective so you can shed patterns that no longer serve you and embrace new supportive coping skills. Getting to the core of the issue helps you get to who you are meant to be.
The skills you can expect to take away from therapy for young adults will be:
Improved communication by learning conflict resolution, assertiveness, empathy, and social skills;
Better self-support to keep you feeling good and prevent future issues from arising down the road;
Improved decision-making skills based on personal values and positive self-advocacy;
Reduction in negative intrusive thoughts, self-sabotage, and destructive habits or behavior;
Healthier habits and lifestyle choices
Mindfulness, relaxation and other somatic techniques for stress management and brain / nervous system regulation;
Emotional regulation and;
Time, value and priority management.
Seeking therapy is a courageous step toward personal growth and well-being. You can find the guidance and tools you need to overcome the challenges and transitions that lay before you in a way that highlights and develops your inner strength. With supportive discovery and intention, you can become who you were meant to be and be known to yourself and others.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Therapy For Young Adults Is Right For You…
How long does counseling for young adults usually last?
The duration of therapy can vary greatly depending on individual needs and goals. If, for example, you enter therapy with a specific goal in mind, SFBT for young adults can be relatively short-term. However, in other instances where you may need to address unresolved trauma, anxiety, or depression with a therapist, you may benefit from ongoing counseling for young adults.
Young adult counseling is new to me. What can I expect in our first session?
As a relationship-minded therapist, building rapport and making a strong connection with you comes first. In our first session, we may explore what a successful therapy experience looks like. I will also ensure you learn coping skills you can implement before our next session to address any immediate concerns you may have.
If I need medication for a mental health condition, like anxiety or depression, will I receive it in young adult therapy?
Because each of us have different needs and goals for achieving mental health and wellness, you may find medication to be a beneficial addition to working with a young adult counselor. Although, as a psychotherapist, I do not prescribe medication, a psychiatrist or medical professional can manage medication as part of your overall treatment plan.
Getting Support During This Important Phase Can Benefit Your Life In The Long Term
The choices you make now can have a positive effect on your future. To find out more about therapy for young adults at Be Known Wellness Group, email, call 857-505-1856, or visit our contact page to schedule a free 15-minute call.
[1] https://www.nami.org/mhstats#:
[2] https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/01/gen-z
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