13 Reasons to Go to Therapy as a College Student

Did you know that 20% of Americans grapple with mental health issues each year? If you're a college student, you're constantly juggling homework, social invitations, and lofty expectations. All of these challenges can make it hard to keep your mental health in check.

That's why reaching out to trained professionals for help can be one of the best decisions you make. Continue reading to learn about 13 reasons to go to therapy as a college student.

1. Adapt to College More Easily

Whether you're a college freshman or seasoned senior, college can be a stressful experience. This is particularly true when you return to campus after a break or move in with roommates for the first time.

You may feel like you've lost a familiar and comfortable routine. The social rules of high school no longer apply. And you don't have the same sense of personal space you may have enjoyed at home.

That's where therapy can play a positive role in helping ease the transition to college. You'll be able to express your anxieties, frustrations, and concerns to your therapist. While they may not have simple solutions, they will be able to help you learn how to handle your emotional ups and downs.

Further, a therapist can help you clarify your expectations for college. By listening to you talk, they'll be able to pinpoint concrete objectives in your statements. Approaching your college experience with clear ambitions can get you started on the right foot!

2. Manage Stress

Are you stressed about an upcoming exam or job interview? Managing stress is a challenging part of the college experience. Often, it pays to get some help along the way.

When a failed relationship or academic problem weighs you down, therapy can help you develop a game plan to deal with these stressors. Therapy won't make the sources of stress go away, but you'll be better equipped to handle them.

A therapist can help you learn to make peace with what's stressing you. You may not be able to eliminate a stressor, but at least you will know how to deal with it more effectively. And by reducing anxiety, you'll enjoy each day more. 

It's important to note that it takes time to reap the benefits of therapy. And you don't need to commit to the first therapist you see. If you're not feeling a strong connection to a therapist, you may be better off trying a different one.

3. Get Better at Time Management

Living on your own for the first time can be liberating. But it also comes with the responsibility of managing your time efficiently. This skill doesn't come naturally to everyone.

When you're feeling flustered, a therapist can work with you to outline what you need to accomplish. They can help you prioritize your tasks, too, and establish a system to ensure you're making progress each day.

Improving your time management skills can help with other areas of your life, too. You might be struggling with overspending your budget, for instance. Or you might be spending too much time playing video games or chatting with friends.

You should be able to apply the skills learned through therapy to these issues, as well. After all, if you're stressed, it's far too easy to medicate yourself with a spending spree on food, clothing, or other products. You'll need to learn how to set boundaries and budget your time.

4. Improve Your Mood

Stress and anxiety can bring down your mood in a hurry. Any number of factors, including classwork and personal relationships, can sour your mood. And when you're in a communal living situation, a bad mood won't exactly endear you to those around you.

Worse yet, a bad mood can keep you from ticking items off your to-do list. You may become consumed by a feeling that you've been slighted by a friend or dealt an unfair grade on a test. 

Turn to professional therapy to get help dealing with the underlying causes of your bad mood. A therapist can help you acknowledge your role in shaping your daily outlook. As a result, you might start shifting your perspective toward one of gratitude and positivity. 

5. Build Confidence

Being a college student comes with its share of self-doubt. You may feel like your peers are outperforming you. And you might not feel like you're the top student in the class anymore.

Waning confidence doesn't just apply to classroom efforts, either. Sports and club participation can feed into a student's social life in high school. But in college, seeking new friends can require efforts you haven't needed to put forward before. 

Going to therapy can be a source of confidence. A therapist can articulate what makes you capable and help you determine strategies that may help. Take the first step of scheduling an appointment to explore this possibility!

You may gain the confidence you need to apply for a competitive scholarship or lead role in a school production. You'll feel more surefooted as you enter social situations, as well. 

6. Become a Better Advocate

Do you struggle to stand up for yourself? Advocating for your needs may not be something that comes naturally to you. And when you're in college, you could feel like you're just one of hundreds or thousands of students with needs.

A therapist can help you understand why it's important to advocate for your needs and wishes. But they can go another step and help you formulate ways to do this. You don't have to be the most assertive or talkative person in the room to take on self-advocacy, either!

7. Find a Confidential Listener

College students can count on therapy as a way to ensure someone is listening to their problems. It's common to feel alone when you're away from home for the first time. On top of that, you may feel like you don't have a friend or confidant who can provide a sounding board when you encounter a problem.

Going to therapy provides access to a guaranteed confidential listener. Therapists are bound to keep what you disclose to them confidential. Exceptions may include instances where a patient indicates intention to do self-harm. 

If you're having roommate or relationship issues, a therapist can listen to you vent. More importantly, they can help you see core issues that may be igniting the conflict — and help you learn to manage the situation. 

8. Learn to Communicate Better

Knowing how to communicate with lots of different types of people is a normal part of growth during college. But it's not always easy to communicate your feelings in a way that's honest and considerate. Attending therapy can be a great way to practicing honing communication skills. 

Your therapist may prompt discussion with questions. But it's up to you to guide the content and respond openly and honestly. You'll want to speak clearly and with enough detail to help your therapist understand your perspective.

Speaking with vulnerability isn't the most comfortable thing to do. As you engage in new friendships during college, therapy is an excellent way to become more self-assured when speaking with new people. 

9. See Academic Improvement

When you're weighed down by stress, your academic performance can take a hit. You may start skipping classes or avoiding homework. If your mind is fixated on a nagging problem or sense of self-doubt, you won't have room to consider much else.

All of these stressors can hurt your grade point average, which, by extension, may hurt your prospects beyond graduation. What if you're planning on applying to competitive graduate programs or internships? You'll need a strong academic record to position yourself for success. 

As you move toward graduation, therapy can help you stay on track to finish well. Committing to routine therapy sessions may help you avoid mounting problems that can derail your efforts.

Consider setting several appointments in advance throughout the year. Your college may offer a certain number of free sessions per semester. Understand your options, and aim to maintain consistent contact with a therapist. 

10. Identify Potential Triggers

Depending on your past experiences, certain things can have a triggering effect. For instance, seeing an ex-partner or walking past a particular building on campus may trigger anxiety. And sometimes these triggers are unavoidable.

When you know about triggers in advance, you can try to avoid them — or at least have strategies to cope with them. A therapist can walk you through your options.

They'll also help you determine safe spaces where you can go to feel comfortable upon encountering a trigger. This may be your dorm room, a coffee, shop, or another space on campus that brings you joy. Alternatively, you may find comfort interacting with a friend, going for a walk, or listening to a favorite song to ease your anxiety.

11. Gain Problem-Solving Skills

Choosing therapy also can help you get better at handling problems. Problems don't need to be enormous to make consulting a therapist worthwhile. Learning to overcome even a small problem is a skill that can help you in any facet of your life. 

Maybe you're prone to freezing with fear when confronted with a problem. You may overthink things, or simply procrastinate making any effort to find a solution. These reactions can make problems fester so they're only worse to deal with later. 

If you're on the hunt for a job, for example, you may need to create a resume. But if you've never done that — or you're anxious about leaving college — putting together a resume may not be at the top of your to-do list. Failing to take the next step only will hinder your chances of landing a job you're exciting about after college.

Be honest about the anxieties and fears that lead to your problems. Then your therapist can assist you as you make a plan to solve them!

12. Know If Medication Is an Option

In some circumstances, therapy alone may not be enough to combat depression or anxiety. You may benefit from using medication to help control symptoms and gain control of your life. Depression, insomnia, and other significant challenges can be managed more effectively with medications. 

A licensed therapist will be able to recommend and prescribe medications that are appropriate for your conditions. Trying to forge ahead without a therapist's help means you might miss out on a medication that could help you feel much better. 

13. Invest in an Act of Self-Care

Ultimately, scheduling that initial therapy appointment is an act of self-care. While attending therapy may have had a stigma in the past, fortunately, that is not the case today. There's no reason that a college student should feel ashamed to seek professional help. 

Simply hoping that you'll sleep away any anxieties or problems won't work. And often times, one-time activities like distracting yourself with a movie only provide a temporary fix. It's better to delve deeper and get at the root of challenges, no matter how big or small. 

Whether you choose an emergency one-day therapy session or seek therapy over the longterm, it can help. You'll be putting yourself first, which isn't an act of self-absorption. It's a show of respect for your needs and potential. 

Make Plans to Go to Therapy

When you go to therapy as a college student, you can set yourself up for greater personal success. You'll get help identifying problems and learning how to cope with them. In the process, you can boost your mood, motivation, and confidence.

Make plans to gain as much as you can from your college experience. Contact us to learn more about scholarship and recognition opportunities that can help you thrive!