Counseling for University Learners
By: 2SC Staff
Are you a college student in Chicago looking for counseling? Are you hoping to find a therapist to help you with issues related to stress, anxiety and depression?
If so, you are not alone. With over 100 colleges campuses in the Chicago metropolitan area alone, many people attending school seek out the guidance of a therapist to help them during an important time of transition.
Student Counseling Services Chicago
Here at 2nd Story Counseling, we work with lots of students who are enrolled in college. Learners come to us from a variety of institutions, including DePaul, Loyola, Columbia and Chicago’s City College System.
Related: Therapy for college students Chicago, Illinois
In most all cases, these students share the common bond of trying to better understand where they are heading in life. Anxiety is a natural experience for many.
You may be wondering: “How can I benefit from counseling while in college?” Well wonder no more because we’ve got the answers! Here are 7 concrete ways counseling can help you while in school. Some of these points might seem obvious while other areas will cause you to think. Read them all to see the big picture.
1. Help with anxiety
One of the biggest concerns you may have is the ability to remain focused on your studies. Many students hold big time anxiety that they may fail college because they don’t feel equipped to handle the rigors of college life. It comes up a lot during sessions so if you feel this way, know you are not alone.
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Exploring your fears and challenging irrational thoughts
- Identifying time management issues
- Reframing your thoughts to something more positive
2. Degree program concerns
Do you ever wonder if you are enrolled in the right degree program? Did you pick your undergraduate or graduate program based on the advice of others? Does that program truly speak to where you want to be in life? If you are saying, “Yes” to any of these questions, join the club.
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Exploring the motivation behind your degree choice
- Calming fears if you’re feeling stuck
- Examining potential options for the future
- Career counseling and coaching
3. Establishing priorities
Learning how to balance time and set priorities is one of the hardest things to learn during college. This is particularly true in a world of constant contact where use of social media has become woven into the fabric of daily life.
Here’s how counseling helps:
- Determine your time wasters
- Create a realistic plan for change
- Having an accountability partner
4. Love and relationships
If it hasn’t happened already, it will – you are going to meet someone in college that you will become smitten with. When this happens, it can throw a real monkey-wrench into your plans for success. Instead of focusing on that chemistry class, your mind is wandering elsewhere. It’s all good though – having feelings for someone can be a wonderful thing but can also present challenges.
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Assessing the intensity of your feelings
- Figuring out how to integrate your relationship into college life
- Determining if the relationship is healthy for you.
5. Family issues
A major issue that pops up for students attending college in Chicago relates to family. Here we are talking about issues that run the gamut, including anxiety around disappointing your parents to being freaked about family expectations. If your parents are pushing you in ways that stress you out, it can make this time of life even worse.
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Exploring your feelings
- Setting realistic expectations for yourself
- Helping you to set boundaries with family
- Assessing how to deal with family substance abuse issues
6. Financial issues
Unless you won the Illinois State Lotto, you are probably like most college students – broke. Well, maybe you are not quite broke but at the very least experiencing stress because of finances. Stress related to money issues while in school is a serious problem and if left unchecked can cause someone to drop out.
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Explore your financial issues
- Help you figure out wasteful spending
- Assess the possibility of increasing your income
7. Managing Stress
Most college students experience stress. It’s part of being in school. How you handle that stress is another matter. Do you find healthy outlets for working through or do you bottle it up inside until it becomes overwhelming? Do you abuse alcohol as a way to chillax? Does your anxiety build up to the point that it morphs into something even more challenging, like depression?
Here’s how counseling can help:
- Pinpointing your triggers for stress
- Identifying healthy ways of coping with stress
- Introducing you to mindful ways of coping with anxiety
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the list of 7 benefits you may realize through counseling as a Chicago college student spoke to some of your issues.
What’s important that you know is this – we totally get it! Some of our therapists have special insight into these issues because they also happen to also teach college courses.
If you want to get a new perspective on your life while in school, we encourage you to give us a call. FYI: All of our therapists are paneled with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO. Most have flexible hours and can accommodate your busy schedule.
To reach us, dial 773.528.1777 or send us a quick note using our confidential online contact form.
