This is the best time to process your past, examine your present, & prepare your future.

Counseling for Young Adults

Teletherapy for emerging adults in Seattle & throughout WA

 
 

Learning how to be an adult in a scary & unpredictable world can feel very lonely & overwhelming.

Whether you identify as a Millennial or Generation Z, are a college student, graduate student, or young professional - you have entered a time in history of collective trauma, technological immersion & a climate in crisis.

The weight of all this can be mentally crushing & feel physically impossible to address.

On top of all this, our twenties & thirties are a time of great transition, change & growth. You may still be in college & wondering where you will go next. Or back home with your parents, feeling like you are failing & disappointing your family. Maybe you have finally landed that corporate dream job only to feel unfulfilled. The responsibilities of adulting are no joke & can feel like a daunting voyage.

Your childhood may not have been perfect or easy but at least there was a container to hold you.

Emerging into adulthood is venturing into unchartered territory. No longer do your parents provide you with a framework on how to behave, how to think, and how to act. Instead, these decisions are now yours.

But it’s hard sometimes to know where your voice begins & your family’s voice ends. You might even continue to be haunted by the words or experiences of friends, family, teachers, & partners from the past. It’s almost like learning how to walk again…but this time it’s not just in the safety of your home but out in the real world with colleagues, co-workers, bosses, neighbors, professors, etc.

I am passionate about working with young adults because I believe this is a special time for intervention & integration.

I have seen first-hand that young adults interested in their mental well-being at this age are like a sponge, soaking up all their experiences & using the therapeutic space to make sense of them. Being in therapy anywhere between the ages of 18 to your 40s allows you to design your own life before you get caught in a rut, defined by unhealthy habits, or stay stuck in your own way.

The young adults I have worked with have experienced the most transformational change.

There is enough life experience & a sense of self that allows therapy to be both challenging & rewarding. Even better - there is plenty of life ahead of you. You get to take all you are learning in therapy about yourself, your life & the adult world in general & convert this into fundamental changes now that will affect the rest of your life trajectory.

 

WHAT WE’LL DO TOGETHER

Counseling for college students & young professionals:

Slow Changes

While major breakthroughs are intense & thrilling, they can also be fleeting. I am interested in going slowly & methodically so that real change is being integrated into your “well-being blueprint.” Focusing on subtle shifts in thinking & habits & then celebrating these nuanced wins will build a long-term skill set. The small changes you will make in therapy can lead you in an entirely new direction over time.

Inner Voice

As your therapist, I take it seriously that you are investing your time, money & energy into this work. I will always give you feedback - but before I tell you what I think, I want to know what you think. You are the expert in your own experience & I am here to be your hype person. That means mistakes are not only necessary in this process but they are celebrated in the therapeutic space.

Mindfulness & Self-Compassion

These concepts aren’t fun buzzwords that sound impressive (although they certainly are) but instead real skills that you will learn in therapy. Mindfulness & self-compassion will be like your North Star as you begin to understand how you are relating to any experience, past, present, or future, while also learning how to be kind to yourself. I aim for these skills to become a way of life for you.

Seeking therapy as a young adult will help you:

  • Learn how to be an individual while still feeling connected to your family of origin.

  • Cultivate a sense of who you are & what you are looking for as you build your chosen community.

  • Invest in your future self & the trajectory of your future.

  • Trust in your own inherent belonging & purpose while here on this Earth.

  • Integrate the skills you will learn as life-long resources you will always have.

Common questions about counseling for college students & young professionals

  • Only you can decide if therapy feels helpful to you or not. Therapy is often the missing element before someone can experience lasting change & growth. I believe this is because the therapeutic space is sacred. Therapy isn’t a quick fix…its’s in-depth, root-rooting work. A person who is finally willing to face their lives & themselves is more likely to do the hard work that is necessary for long-term change.

  • Mindfulness is simply paying attention to the present moment on purpose. Self-compassion is caring about your own suffering. Both of these skills take time to learn because we often grow up in environments that are full of distractions, reactive versus responsive & prioritize appearing “nice” instead of truth-telling. Mindfulness & self-compassion work hand-in-hand & are incomplete without the other.

  • The young adult stage is relative & subjective. This period of emerging adulthood can transcend into one’s mid-thirties or later depending on their culture, life experiences & societal influences (i.e., the Great Depression or the recent global pandemic). Learning how to “adult” takes much longer than generations past due to cultural shifts like a need for an advanced degree, shifting gender norms, & economic prospects. If you are a person going through significant changes emotionally, physically, behaviorally & cognitively, then don’t hesitate to reach out today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.

  • Click here to send me an inquiry for counseling services. We will then schedule a free 20-minute to see if I am the right therapist to lead you through this next phase of your life.

You will now have a person in your corner who will help guide you through one of the most important periods of your life without the fears of judgment, shame, disappointment, or personal agendas. You just have to show up as you.