The holidays carry a lot of pressure and expectation, no matter what age you are. But, due to common developmental stages and changes, going home for the holidays can be tricky for a college student. While breaks from school are a welcome respite in a warm, restorative environment for some, we know that is not […]
This semester has been particularly difficult on college campuses as we seek to guide and support students impacted by the global unrest and atrocities happening in many areas. From central and north Africa to rising tensions in the Middle East, students with personal connections to those areas, and even those without, are navigating discussions, media […]
I’ve spent a lot of time in college. Undergraduate. Graduate. Graduate again. It was partly because I enjoyed school and partly because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Later, I worked for a college in a college counseling center. Interestingly, after all those years in a college setting, it […]
College is a time often full of “mistakes.” At least, that is what the media portrays and how many of us think about some of the things we did during those years. But, what if we framed that conversation differently? What if some things are mistakes but, many more are a reflection of the developmental […]
The media-driven image of a student going off to college is often one of happiness, even elation, leaving home to make new friends and have wonderful experiences. However, what we know to be true is many college students struggle, at least to some degree, with the transition to college. In addition to homesickness, many students […]
The media image of students heading off or returning to college is full of youthful exuberance and independence. “Finally! I’m out of the house and on my own!” “I am so excited to be back with my friends again!” However, as a former college counselor, I can share with you that not only is homesickness […]
Here’s a fun fact many may not know: July 17th is World Emoji Day! As silly as this day might seem, it points to how much our communication has changed since the late 1990s when emojis became part of our regular, digital communication. With as many fun, creative, unique, and potentially subjective ways we have […]
Summer, particularly for those whose lives are impacted by the school calendar, holds the hopeful promise of rest. Even with an obligation here or there, we often hope summer is different somehow in terms of fun, space to breathe, the chance to travel, rest, catch up, or whatever else may feel beyond our reach during […]
The other day, Academy-award-winning actress and philanthropist Viola Davis shared an image by @haleydrewthis on Instagram. In the image, an anthropomorphized scribble with legs, arms, and wide eyes is labeled “my anxiety.” In the adjacent picture, it is the same scribble but with Christmas lights, labeled “my anxiety in December.” The picture is adorable but, […]
In the early years of mental health practice, the focus of the research was on the minority of mentally unwell people. The goal was to study these people, how they were suffering, and how we could work to make them better. However, toward the end of the 1900s, some psychologists began to consider what we […]