Counseling for Young Adults
ARE YOU STRUGGLING UNDER THE NEW STRESS OF BEING INDEPENDENT? DO YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED BY ADULTING? ARE YOU WONDERING WHETHER COLLEGE IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD?
You’re in your 20’s. These are supposed to be the best years of your life. Instead, it just feels like you’re constantly stressed out. You feel like you have the make the most of every moment, but it’s hard to even know where to focus your energy. You’re trying to navigate relationships, find a career, live independently, and just figure out who you are.
It’s Hard to be a Young Adult in America
The truth is that the transition to adulthood can be stressful and full of potholes and difficult moments. Many young adults find this transition hard to even talk about. Struggling with moving into adulthood is one of those things that our culture describes as “normal.” Which implies you should just “get over it.”
The transition from childhood to adulthood is challenging for even the most fortunate. Being taught to downplay your struggle only creates shame, guilt, and more struggle. Seeking counseling as a young adult can have a large impact on your life. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the new pressures of adulthood! Counseling for young adults can help.
Challenges Facing Young Adults
Every person’s journey through their 20’s and 30’s is unique. As a counselor, I try to help everyone on their journey of self discovery. Some of the most common issues that bring young adults to my counseling office includes:
Making and pursuing job-related or education goals
Learning to balance personal needs with the needs of others
Adapting to increased independence and responsibility
Escaping or recovering from childhood trauma
Confusion and stress related to feelings of identity, purpose, and meaning
Dealing with stress related to making and managing money
Building and maintaining relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners
Increased awareness and understanding of stressful events happening in society and around the world
Symptoms of Mental Health in Young Adults
The National Institute of Mental Health found around 20% of teenagers manage mental health issues. Also that more than 25% of young adults age 18-25 struggle with mental illness of some kind.
Mental illness can take many forms for young adults, including:
Feelings of depression. Such as difficulty with motivation, lack of sense of purpose or meaning in life, changes in sleep or appetite, and feelings of shame, guilt, and worthlessness.
Problems with anxiety and stress. These may include feeling on edge, uncontrolled thinking or worrying, panic attacks, and more
Suicidal thoughts or the urge to harm yourself in some way
Increased use of drugs and alcohol
Body image problems and eating disorders
Difficulty creating and being in relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners
Fortunately, counseling for young adults can be helpful in addressing these issues. Young adult counseling can also help you learn how to live a more healthy and meaningful life.
How does Acceptance and Commitment Therapy help Young Adults?
Learning mindfulness skills and other coping tools in therapy will help you become more resilient. You will also be able to adapt to challenging situations more easily.
I use Acceptance and Commitment therapy. This method uses mindfulness and meditation to help people manage their emotions. We will focus on identifying your goals and values. Therefore, you can learn to explore who you are and what is important to you. This can be both challenging and exciting. It can help you to make decisions more confidently, and express yourself assertively. You may also be able to put more time and energy into what is most important to you.
Challenges in Therapy for Young Adults
Often, things will stand between you and your goals, and counseling can help identify where these barriers are. Counseling can also help you find ways to knock down walls or go around them entirely. This can mean recovering from childhood trauma, identifying unhealthy relationships in your life, or figuring out what you do to get in your own way without knowing it.
I won’t lie -- this approach can often be very challenging for clients. Attempting recovery and growth is difficult. We will likely have some intense sessions from time to time. However, I strongly believe this is work you won’t regret doing. You will look back on it as a rewarding and meaningful experience.
Counseling for Millennials
Millennials (people born in the 80s and 90s) are changing the way we look at mental health. According to an article from the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), millennials are talking about their struggles with depression and anxiety more openly than any generation before. This is a wonderful sign that society is moving towards making seeking therapy more normal.
If you are a millennial ready to focus on your mental health, counseling can be a great way to help you move toward your best life. As an ACT counselor, I help millennials live more mindfully, purposefully, and in line with their own values.
Begin Therapy for Young Adults in Tulsa, OK
You don’t have to navigate life’s stressors alone. Therapy can help you be the best version of yourself.
If you are ready to begin your journey of self-discovery, and start living as the best version of yourself, I’m here to help. Beginning counseling at Gray Matters follows a simple process:
Schedule an intake counseling session.
Meet with me to discuss what therapy can look like
Begin the process of self-discovery and journey toward a fuller life through counseling
Other Counseling Services at Gray Matters:
At Gray Matters, I want to help you improve your mental health in all areas. Regardless of who you are, you can find healing. My counseling practice focuses on men’s counseling, anxiety treatment, depression therapy and LGBT counseling among other concerns. I use acceptance and commitment therapy to help people define their values and goals and live life with meaning and purpose. If you’re ready to start your counseling journey, I’m here to help.
-- Nathan