College Student Counseling

The COVID 19 pandemic impacted all students in profound ways. Your world outside your home became inaccessible for months. You became confined to a laptop, your classmates in little square boxes on the screen. You got to stay home, but it was was probably harder to connect with friends, particularly in the early days and weeks of the pandemic.

Your annual progress from grade to grade was disrupted, regardless of what grade you were in during March 2020. There was just no way to seamlessly transition to this new remote way of educating millions of students. Maybe online learning worked for you in some subject areas, but failed you in others. The chats on social media may have provided some way of connecting to the world outside your home but we all know that it’s not a substitute for face-to-face interactions.

How you managed and reacted to all this change may have varied over the course of days and weeks. Even as we attempt to go about things in the “old way,” we are still struggling with the disruption of COVID surges. It’s not quite business as usual as much as we all might like it to be. College is not different from any other learning environments. Public health remains a much larger concern than we would like it to be.

Disruption is Still Possible

Many college students are feeling an extra need for support in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic. As we continue to face surges in cases with emerging variants, getting sick with COVID while away from home at college remains a real possibility. This uncertainty creates anxiety for some students.

If you are unfortunate to test positive, there are a host of decisions to be made and actions to be undertaken at a time when you may not be feeling well physically. Most college students live in communal environments. What is required may vary depending upon whether you are residing on campus or off campus. You still may be expected to quarantine but your school may or may not provide a location to do this. So, you may have to make quick arrangements to go home. Similarly, while most likely you will not be able to attend your classes in person, your college or university may no longer be offering the option to join classes via Zoom. If you’ve been on campus in the previous few years and this is not your first COVID winter at school, the prospect of having to navigate these waters yet again may fill you with a sense of despair or frustration.

The Need for Services Has Been Documented

According to Active Minds, a national organization devoted to student mental health, an overwhelming majority of college students – 80 percent – reported that their mental health has been adversely impacted by the changes in their lives during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Active Minds surveyed college students in April 2020 with the following results:

     · 91% of students reported stress or anxiety

     · 81% of students reported disappointment or sadness

     · 80 % of students reported loneliness or isolation

     · 63 % of students reported difficulty staying connected to others

     · 56 % of students reported relocation

     · 48 % of students reported financial setback

Given these statistics, it’s little wonder if you are feeling sad, anxious or overwhelmed as you gaze out your dorm room window. You are not alone among your peers, even if you are socially isolated from them according to protocol.

College Students Still Face Typical Challenges

All of the challenges created by the COVID 19 pandemic are a layer on top of the usual array of difficulties that many students typically encounter as part of their college experience. These include things like learning to live with people who are different from themselves in a communal environment, making sure to eat regular nutritious meals, staying on top of laundry, getting an adequate amount of sleep, managing a challenging academic workload, balancing part-time work with classes, and making new friends.

Even in better times, a number of college students come to campus with a history of mental health challenges or have some brush with these types of issues over the course of degree program. These include depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders and cutting. Sexual assault programming and awareness is also a staple of college life on pretty much every campus.

Finding a Counselor Can Be Difficult

You may be starting to think that it might be really helpful to have someone to talk to who’s not a friend or a family member. Someone who can provide support and guidance as you navigate this new version of the college scene in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Many colleges and universities have increased staffing or provided new ways to access mental health services as a result of the pandemic. Despite these efforts, you may still unfortunately find it difficult to make an appointment on campus. It can be a challenge to find a therapist who has availability - and maybe takes your insurance - even with the rise in teletherapy services. The other difficulty is that your therapist must be licensed in the state where you are located at the time the services are provided. This means that you may make a great therapeutic connection over the summer and then then need to find a new therapist during the school year if you attend an out-of-state college or university.

Questions?

How Will I Attend Sessions?

I am currently providing all of my services online through a client portal specifically designed for mental health professionals. It will be possible for you to meet with me using your laptop, iPhone or iPad. Appointments for sessions may be made by email using the Contact Me button below.

How Will I Pay for Sessions?

I am a participating provider with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and will submit claims on your behalf as your provider. I am an out of network provider for all other insurance plans in Massachusetts. Payment for any portion of my services not covered by insurance occurs through the client portal, using Stripe.

Active Minds (April 2020). Covid-19 Impact on College Student Mental Health. PDF format. https://www.activeminds.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Student-Survey-Infographic.pdf.

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