Young Adults

Perhaps it would have been more accurate for me to name this page “Young Adults in Transition.” This is a group of people I also enjoy working with and have unique skills to assist. Often times adults in their early to mid twenties, after graduation from college or after being in the workforce for a few years, find that they want changes – whether it’s with their jobs, to further their education, or to have more relationships whether it’s romantic or friendships. 

I am skilled at listening and helping clients come up with goals and examining what is stopping them from making changes. Frequently clients have struggles with negative messages like the need to be perfect. This can stop someone from trying new things because of the fear of failure. We work through those negative / limiting messages so clients have the freedom to choose how to respond.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,  ACT (said like the word, “act”) is the general cognitive approach I use. ACT is value driven. So we might spend time figuring out what values you have. Then we set goals, referred to in ACT as “committed action” to help us live out those values. Finally we look at what stops you from completing a goal. It makes sense that often times we are going to “fail” when we strive to meet a goal – if we don’t fail, often times it means we are not stretching to grow! Failure for me means we need to look at what happened.

In the work we do, at times there are negative beliefs that interfere with a client’s ability to make progress in living out their values. So, we may use EMDR to help process that negative belief and replace it with a healthier adult perspective.

Another tool I frequently use with clients is CliftonStrengths. This is a quite lengthy assessment  but yields such positive, useful information. I have seen it change the way people view themselves. 

Additionally with nearly all clients I work with, we find it very helpful to teach stress management skills like HeartMath. Science and research has shown that when we become stressed, often times the “thinking part” of our brain shuts down. That’s when we are more likely to make “reactive” choices instead of “proactive choices.”

Finally, to meet the needs of busy young adults and their comfort with technology, I offer telemental appointments on a HIPPA compliant platformI. I do find it more effective to meet face to face though.

When clients finish up, they find that they no longer feel “stuck.” They are able to have choices in how they respond to a variety of situations. They are able to see their situations with more clarity and insight and realize they have options.