Therapy for College Students & Young Adults
Support for the Challenges and Transitions of Young Adulthood
College and young adulthood can be exciting periods of growth and increasing independence, but they can also bring significant academic, social, emotional, and relationship challenges. For many young adults, this is the first time they are navigating these demands with substantially greater independence while also making important decisions about relationships, identity, education, career, and the direction of their lives.
Dr. Hill has a particular interest in working with college students and young adults. She helps individuals address immediate concerns while also developing greater self understanding, confidence, and more effective ways of navigating the challenges that accompany this stage of life.
Treatment is available in person in Annapolis, Maryland, and through telehealth for students and young adults located in PSYPACT participating states and jurisdictions.
Common Reasons College Students and Young Adults Seek Therapy
Young adulthood involves considerable change, and the concerns that bring someone to therapy often overlap. Dr. Hill works with college students and young adults experiencing:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Academic stress and perfectionism
Depression and low mood
Eating disorders and disordered eating
Body image concerns
Self esteem and confidence difficulties
Dating and relationship concerns
Friendship and social difficulties
Identity development
Family relationships and changing family dynamics
Learning differences and executive functioning challenges
Difficulty adjusting to college or living away from home
Loneliness and difficulty finding a sense of belonging
Uncertainty about academic, career, or life direction
Stress associated with transitions and change
Students do not need to be in crisis or have a particular diagnosis to benefit from therapy. Sometimes the reason for seeking help is simply a sense that something is not working as well as it could or that navigating a particular stage or decision has become difficult.
Developing Independence While Understanding Yourself
The college years and early adulthood often involve balancing two important processes: becoming increasingly independent while developing a clearer understanding of oneself.
For some young adults, longstanding patterns become more apparent when they leave home or encounter greater academic, social, or personal demands. Anxiety, perfectionism, difficulty managing emotions, relationship patterns, or problems with eating and body image may become more difficult to manage during this period.
Therapy can provide a place to understand these patterns while developing more effective ways of responding to challenges. Dr. Hill helps young adults consider not only what is happening in the present, but also how previous experiences, relationships, expectations, and patterns may be influencing current difficulties.
An Individualized Approach
Dr. Hill takes an integrative and individualized approach to treatment. She draws from evidence based psychological treatments while recognizing that each young adult's circumstances, history, relationships, strengths, and goals are different.
Treatment may focus on reducing distress and addressing immediate problems while also helping individuals develop greater insight, improve relationships, manage emotions more effectively, make thoughtful decisions, and build confidence in their ability to navigate challenges independently.
When eating or body image concerns are part of the clinical picture, Dr. Hill brings extensive experience in these areas to her work with college students and young adults.
Learn more about Eating Disorder Treatment
Learn more about Body Image Treatment
Therapy for College Students Away From Home
Telehealth can be particularly useful for college students who attend school away from home or who move between locations during the academic year, summers, internships, or other transitions.
Through PSYPACT, Dr. Hill can provide telehealth to individuals who are physically located in participating states and jurisdictions. Because a student's location at the time of an appointment determines whether telehealth can be provided, Dr. Hill can help prospective patients determine whether treatment is available where they attend school.
Learn more about Online Therapy and Telehealth
Getting Started
Finding a psychologist who feels like a good fit can be particularly important during a period of life when so much is changing. An initial consultation provides an opportunity to discuss what has been going on, what an individual hopes to get from therapy, and whether working with Dr. Hill makes sense.
Dr. Hill offers a complimentary 15 minute consultation to prospective patients.
To learn more about therapy for college students and young adults or schedule an initial consultation, please contact Dr. Hill.