College Students & Young Adults
Counseling & Psychotherapy in SLO / the Central Coast / California
College students and young adults are at a critical time of life, when the pressures are extremely high. But it's also a time of great opportunity, because starting off on the right foot at a young age can save you a lot of trouble later down the road. In your personal life, it's about finding and building your individual identity and achieving healthy relationships and intimacy with others. Professionally, it's about making sure you're on the right career path. These major challenges, coming right at the start of life, can create a lot of stress, pressure, complexity, confusion, depression and anxiety.
Having a good guide and consultant to help with clarity, direction, and encouragement can be invaluable at this time. I'm Erik Edler LMFT, and I'm here to be of help. I am able to meet with local clients in person, but I continue to see many clients by video as well. Let me know what you prefer and we can talk about our options. In addition, I can see clients from any part of California by video. Please feel free to call or email with any questions you might have, at 805-868-0767 or [email protected], or use the form at the bottom of this page.
The great psychologist Erick Erickson explained how psychological growth can be divided into developmental stages that start in childhood and continue through to the end of our lives. In your teens, 20's and 30's, the main developmental stages are known as Identity vs. Role Confusion and Intimacy vs. Isolation.
The first main task of life during these stages are to come to know yourself well, to recognize the individual strengths and weaknesses that are specific to you, and to learn how to play on your strengths and manage your weaknesses. It's this achievement that becomes the core of a person's mental health and wellbeing. The second main task of life during these stages is to learn how to connect well with others, to find and create healthy friendships, and most of all to learn how to form an intimate bond with a significant other.
"I am not what happened to me; I am what I choose to become." Carl Jung
I would add a third development task for this age and stage of life, and that's making sure you are pursuing the right career path for you. So many people have been given wrong advice about what career they should pursue, and if you start off in the wrong direction in this area, it can affect how your whole life feels and unfolds. It's much better to get the best grasp you can on what kind of work will be the best fit and make you most happy, because it's these things that will also allow you to achieve the most and earn the most in your work. Loving the work you do is the secret ingredient to your greatest success. But to know your best field of work, you first have to know yourself accurately, well, and positively. In other words, you need to have a healthy identity formation.
I am happy to offer good feedback and guidance to those young people who are struggling with the emotional challenges of this phase of life, to help you find your feet, and get you launched in the right direction. I know that at this age, the cost of therapy can be daunting, but I believe it is more than worth it. Depending on your circumstances, we may need to meet weekly; or every-other week may be okay. Since I don't bill insurance, but collect the fee ($150) from the client at the time of each session, you'll have to make sure it will fit in your budget. Often a young person's parents will be willing to cover the cost of treatment, knowing how incredibly valuable it can be. If the cost of meeting with me makes it impossible, I would be happy to help you find a lower-cost referral.
I look forward to working with you. Please call or email with any questions. Erik
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