College Students: Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
The transition from high school to college is one of the most significant transitions in human life. For teens who attend college, it may be their first time living independently--managing their diet, daily schedule, sleep, and mental health. It is the first time that they make decisions far from the oversight of their parents about risky behaviors such as substance use and sex.
Parents often feel torn during this period. Many parents have a strong desire for their college-aged kids to develop independence, but also worry that they aren’t ready for the full range of self-management required in college. This ambivalence can be especially strong if teens have been managing mental health or substance use disorders since high school.
Plan Your Recovery’s College Students Mental Health Program can help ease students’ transition to college and alleviate parent anxieties. Family therapists facilitate regular, targeted conversations between parents and college students about how they are coping with the transition to college, managing their mental health, and making important decisions. It is remarkable how much more forthcoming college students can be when a therapist is on board to facilitate a matter-of-fact conversation in a non-judgmental space. Parents regularly tell us that they get more out of their college students in 10 minutes with one of our therapists than in a month of gently prodding for information.
Beyond family-based interventions, students receive one-on-one support from our therapists based on their unique needs. Therapists can work with college students on managing school and social anxiety, feelings of depression, and strategies to overcome problems of attention deficit and organization. Unlike traditional therapy, our college students mental health support can be in shorter, more frequent sessions which reinforce positive functioning and academic success. And for college students with identified mental health conditions, extra help from a trained therapist can make the difference between a successful transition to college and a “failure to launch.”
Frequently Asked Questions
(Parents) I want my student to live a sober life. Will you help me accomplish this?
(Parents) I’m worried my child won’t do their homework. How do I know they will succeed?
(Parents) What’s the benefit of using your program rather than having my student go to their college’s mental health center?
(Students) Are you just going to tell me I can’t have fun in college?
(Students) I’m going away to college and am enjoying more independence from my parents. Why would I want to start family therapy?
(Students) What if my goals don’t align with my parents’?
