Young Adult Counseling

In-Person and Online Therapy for Young Adults within New Hampshire

Are you wishing that you felt more confident and in control of your life?

Female young adult with brown hair and earbuds sitting cross legged on floor looking at laptop

You thought life as a “real adult” would be different than this.  Maybe you thought once you turned a certain age or accomplished a particular milestone you’d have it all figured out.  Now you’re there, and instead of feeling confident and in control of your life you feel overwhelmed and uncertain, as if the ground beneath you is constantly shifting.  Perhaps you keep finding yourself saying things like “I just can’t handle all of this.  I don’t know how to balance it all.” or asking yourself “Why do I keep feeling this way?”.  It doesn’t help that you look around at others your age, both in real life and on social media, and compare yourself to them.  Maybe it feels like you’re failing in comparison, so then you ask “What’s wrong with me?  Why are they succeeding at ‘adulting’ and I’m not?”.  It can feel like you’re spiraling out of control.

These feelings can permeate every aspect of your life…

  • Being overwhelmed in school or at work

  • Feeling uncertain about the choices you need to make for your future

  • Learning to navigate new relationship dynamics with family or friends

  • Conflict with roommates or in other relationships

  • Navigating dating and romantic relationships

  • Dating/Relationship Violence

  • Loss of a person or relationship

  • Stress over financial responsibilities

  • Struggling to find school/work/life balance

Young Adult Counseling can help!

Many of these are normal feelings and can be a natural part of being a young adult, but they can quickly make you feel like you’re drowning.  Life doesn’t have to feel that way and you don’t have to do it on your own.  You can feel confident and in control of your life. I can help you get to that point.

Therapy can help you:

Figure out the areas you’re struggling with & clarify your goals

Whether you’re seeking out help for problems you’re currently encountering or just feel a little lost right now, we’ll work together to identify the type of support you need.  We’ll also look at clarifying the goals you want to set for yourself, both now and long-term.

Young Adult female sitting in cafe smiling as she looks at her phone with a layered drink in front of her

Learn the skills you need to feel confident and in control

Once we’ve identified the areas to address and set your goals, we’ll then be able to look at what skills you need to learn or improve in order to reach those life goals.  It might be time management skills, learning to set healthy boundaries, or positive communication skills.  Maybe it’s changing the way you think about situations or enabling you to consider fresh perspectives when it comes to your identity or your relationships.  I’ll also help you identify your strengths and how you can apply those strengths to gain more control in your life.  Whatever those missing tools or skills are, I’ll help you “fill in the gaps” so that you are able to successfully overcome your challenges, seize opportunities, and create the life you envision for yourself… confidently.

Group of young adults sitting on ground outside of tent talking and smiling

Live the life you want

Through these steps, you gain the confidence and the ability to take control of your life and set yourself up for success, now and in the future.  This empowers you to finally have reality match what you envisioned for yourself at this stage in your life.

Group of young adult friends sitting on ground laughing hysterically

I’ll meet you where you’re at and guide you through this process, tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances.  I believe that with a little bit of support and guidance, you have what it takes within you to make life be what you want it to be.

It’s time to approach life with confidence and take control of your journey.

I can help you do exactly that!

FAQ:

  • Well, to start, you have a lot of say in what your therapy is like, but I’ll give you an idea of what it could look like.  Usually, sessions are 50 minutes and we meet weekly.  This frequency allows for the therapeutic momentum to build.  However, everyone’s needs are different, so this is decided on a case-by-case basis, and other frequencies, such as every other week instead, could be considered.  We’ll either meet in-person or online, depending on your location and preference.  Therapy might look a little different depending on which it is, but either way, it’ll be a place where you are free to discuss what’s been going on that week or what’s on your mind.  We’ll work together to create some goals that you would like to work on.  I’ll also help you think through the problems you’re facing and even practice some of the new skills you’ve learned to help you resolve those problems. 

    Since talking about hard topics can feel uncomfortable at times, I try to pull in some other activities that can help the session feel more relaxed or even break through resistance you may be feeling around a particular topic.  We might break out some games or maybe you’ll share some of your favorite music with me.  You’d be surprised how much therapeutic insight is gained through these activities.  This is your time and since you’re unique, your therapy is bound to be too.

  • The best way I have seen this arranged is for a credit card of the parent to be kept on file that is billed directly.  If you and your parents are splitting the cost of therapy, I can charge each credit card separately.  If this approach doesn’t work though, we can discuss and make a different plan.

    Therapy is designed to be confidential.  Confidentiality is a term that means that what you share with me stays between us.  This helps build trust so that you will be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings in all areas of your life.  Confidentiality remains in place regardless of how payment is arranged, even if it's through your parents.

    While most of what you share with me will be kept confidential, there are a couple of situations where I might need to break that confidentiality to keep you or someone else safe. Those situations include if you tell me about harm to yourself or someone else.  In those situations, I may legally need to involve others to ensure everyone's safety.

  • It’s normal and ok to be nervous, or even unsure, about starting therapy.  Almost everybody is!  You don’t know me and it can feel uncomfortable talking with someone you don’t know.  The nervousness will usually go away relatively quickly.  Hopefully, you’ll start to feel comfortable as you get to know me and get a better feel for what therapy is like.  It’s also totally alright to let me know if you’re feeling nervous so we can talk about it… in fact, I encourage it!

  • I think sometimes there is a belief that talking with a therapist means you walk in and tell them EVERYTHING you’re thinking and feeling; “spill your guts” so to speak.  This isn’t usually how it goes and it isn’t even necessary or therapeutically appropriate.  Therapy is about building trust.  I would never expect that you’d feel comfortable sharing very personal things right away with me.  As we get to know each other and that trust builds, then you will hopefully feel more comfortable talking about the personal or hard things that come up.  The first few sessions (and subsequent sessions) really are about building that trust and rapport.  Ultimately it is up to you to decide what and when to share or discuss something.  There may be times that I bring something up (that is kind of my job after all), but it is totally acceptable to let me know you’re not ready to talk about that right then and we can circle back to it if needed.

  • Reach out to schedule your free 20-minute consultation.  During the call, I will answer any questions you may have, learn about what you’re struggling with, and tell you more about my approach to therapy.  Part of the purpose of the initial consultation call is to figure out if we’re a good fit to work together, based both on personalities and the challenges you’re experiencing right now.  I want you to feel comfortable and for you to get the help you want, need, and deserve.  Hopefully, I can be that for you, but if not, I’ll try to refer you to someone who can.