We often reference some of the factors that go into the development of anxiety, depression, and other disorders. We talk about life traumas. We talk about genetics. We talk about stress. We talk about lack of sleep, poor coping skills, and more.
But one area of concern that is not often discussed is life transitions.
We know from research that change can have a big impact on mental health. Simply the act of making a major change, like moving to a new city, switching jobs, and retiring can all be factors that lead to excess stress, which in turn can cause the development of anxiety and other mental health challenges.
We’re not talking about the stresses that are related to these changes either, like moving to a new city and struggling with finances. Or switching careers and working with a mean boss. We’re talking solely about the act of transition – the change from one part of your life to another – being enough to cause significant stress that affects our mental health.
There is an argument to be made that there is no bigger transition in a person’s life from when they graduate high school and start college or their career. It is a major life change:
- They’re no longer living under your roof, following your rules.
- They’re no longer in forced to be in school, or experiencing school while it’s “easy”
- They’re tasked with becoming adults very, very quickly, with bills, work, and more that all are suddenly under their control.
They’re also experiencing this change at an age when many of them are still rapidly developing, experiencing romantic, psychological, physical, and emotional changes at a rate faster than any other time in their lives.
And again, this does not include the challenges they may face related to the change themselves, like learning how to cook, how to deal with peer pressure, and on and on. This change is one of the biggest a person makes at any point in their lives.
Even if your child is thriving psychologically, this is also a great time to consider sending your child to therapy. It doesn’t matter if they’re currently struggling with anxiety, depression, or ADHD, or if they’re doing well emotionally and do not have any clear mental health issues, it is still highly beneficial to consider connecting them to a therapist to support them during this transition.
Why?
Therapy is not just about treating a mental health disorder. It’s about increasing psychological grit, learning to cope with stress, addressing traumas, reaching goals, and so much more. Through therapy, teens can:
- Learn to Cope with Stress in Advance – Stress coping techniques can be learned at any time, even before the person has experienced stress. Learning these tools in advance and during this transition can aid in the ability to respond to stress as it arises.
- Address Mental Health Challenges – You will never entirely know what is happening inside your teenager’s head. They may seem to be fully functioning emotionally, but deep down they may be struggling with stress, anxiety, or other issues. Seeing a therapist proactively can help ensure that any of these issues are addressed.
- Prepare for Transitional Needs – Therapists can work with college-bound students on what it means to be an adult, how to establish routines, how to overcome setbacks, and more. Working together with someone towards these goals provides another helpful voice for getting your child through this transition.
- Already Have an Established Relationship – Perhaps your child does not need therapy now. But if they do in the future as a result of this transition, they’ll already be working with someone that knows them and understands what they’re experiencing. They’ll have this non-family adult they can open up to about relationships, school stresses, and more that they already trust and feel safe with.
Therapy can be used as a preparational tool to help a teenager continue forward with the process of becoming an adult. It can provide them with the mental health tools they need to manage this transition and – when you work with someone that is experienced working with teens transitioning to college – it can also provide them with specific information related to college, thus giving them more feedback that they can use along the way.
Helping Your Child Thrive in College
The better a child starts their college and adult life, the better they’ll finish it. Therapy isn’t a magic want to make the process of transitioning to adulthood easy, but parents that are concerned about how their child will adapt to college life should consider partnering with a therapist that might be able to offer them ongoing, helpful support early on – before they’ve developed any significant mental health challenges.
If you’re interested in connecting your teen to a therapist to help with transition to college life and adulthood, please reach out to Right Path Counseling today. We have an office in Jericho, NY, and as long as your child will be in the New York State, we’ll be able to continue to see them remotely as needed.
