Young Adult Counseling


Does Young Adulthood Feel Like Being Out In Uncharted Waters? 

young adult man looking at camera

Are you a young adult going through a time of transition in your life? Do you feel overwhelmed by a fear of the unknown? Having lived in a protected environment your whole life, perhaps it feels like you’re navigating uncharted waters. Not only do you have to fend for yourself now, but you have to decide what is important to you. You may find that the values you hold are not the ones your family held, leading to tension with your loved ones.

Because of all the mounting pressures you face, perhaps you’re wrestling with perfectionist tendencies. Maybe your fear of underachieving leads you to overachieve, and you feel an obsessive need to have everything in order—your grades, your career, and even your beliefs. As eager as you are to take the next step in life, you may not even know what that next step is.

Deep down, you probably wish you had the confidence to make choices without feeling anxious. You may tell yourself: If only I could slow down, relax, and take life as it comes my way, I would feel happy and comfortable in my own skin. In young adult counseling, our goal is to help you do just that. We want to help you step back, look at the bigger picture of your life, and stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.

No Time Of Life Is More Stressful And Unpredictable Than Young Adulthood 

lady looking at her phone

From childhood to adolescence, singlehood to marriage, and childlessness to parenthood, everyone goes through hectic transitions in life. But for most people, there is no period of life more stressful, volatile, and unpredictable than ages 18-25. This is a time when young people are really starting to come into their own and develop an identity separate from their family. There is uncertainty about who they will be, what they will do with their lives, and what their new support system will look like.

What’s more, the world of social media has put unprecedented stress on millions of young adults. Every day, they are inundated with images of rich, beautiful young people who seem to have their lives together and enjoy satisfying relationships. This creates a cycle of “compare-and-despair”—because they see everyone else having such a great time, they come to believe they’re the only ones suffering. 

To make matters worse, many young adults lack the support system they had when they were young. Whereas they used to turn to their parents for comfort, they may find that their parents can’t relate to them as well now. This is why young adult therapy is so vital. It’s a chance to rebuild your support system, develop new coping skills, and find the path forward in life.

Young Adult Counseling Can Help You Uncover The Answers That Already Lie Within You

No matter how many times people ask what your career will be or where you see yourself in ten years, you don’t need to have it all figured out. Here at The Davis Group, we want to help you learn to be comfortable with the unknown. This is a time of life for exploration and trying on different hats, not having the rest of your life mapped out. Our role is to simply help you expand your creativity and self-awareness so that you can understand your own possibilities for growth. 

smiling young adult woman

In the beginning, we aim to create an atmosphere of trust and safety so that we can get to know each other and discuss what you’d like to work on. First and foremost, privacy is integral to the healing process. Even if a parent is paying for your time here, we want you to have a safe space where you can freely express yourself without anyone besides your therapist knowing what you share. 

As we continue working together, we will explore how you’ve handled transitions in the past to shed light on how you can navigate the present. We can brainstorm whether or not you would benefit from new coping skills in your life—whether they relate to art, exercise, or spending time in nature.

Additionally, we will help you uncover the values that define your way of life and use them to live more thoughtfully and intentionally in the years ahead. We want to help you identify what it means to be you—what makes you unique, what gives you confidence, and what provides relief when you’re feeling down. Our central approach is Motivational Interviewing, which acknowledges that you’re the expert on your own life. Our job is not to give you the answers, but to give you the strength and confidence to find the answers that already lie within you. 

We also like to take a narrative approach to therapy. The goal of this approach is to help you reflect on the story you tell yourself about your life and evaluate whether or not it is accurate. Narrative therapy can empower you to develop greater self-compassion by deconstructing negative storylines and rethinking the way you see yourself.

Lastly, our practice also draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At its core, CBT aims to understand how your thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected. For instance, if you constantly feel sad or unworthy, we will explore the unconscious thought processes that are driving your sadness or low self-worth. By reversing harmful thought patterns, you can make positive changes to your everyday behavior and experience peace wherever you are in life.

Being a young adult is all about learning to become who you are. There may be bumps in the road, but none of them have to mean anything final. There is always time to bounce back. With our help and support, we are confident that we can help you navigate this time of transition and transform those bumps in the road into opportunities for growth.

You may have some questions and concerns about young adult counseling…

Are my parents going to find out what we talk about?  

All young adult counseling sessions are private. Having a confidential space to share your feelings is integral to the healing process—no one else has to know what you talk about. 

I’m worried I’ll have to keep coming back to therapy forever.

happy and smiling group of young adults

Therapy is like a messy room. You have everything you need, but you have to figure out how to organize it. And even when you have it all organized, buying new things means you have to organize it all over again. In the same way, because life is a constant process of growth and change, returning to therapy is often advisable. It does not mean you are weak or broken—it means you are being proactive about reorganizing your life. 

I feel like I’ll never be good enough or that there is something wrong with me. 

Dealing with uncertainty and low self-esteem is normal for any young adult. Besides, having your life together at a young age is virtually impossible. And even if you did have it all together, who’s to say you wouldn’t want to change your life again years from now? Instead of defining success as having your whole life in order, we want to help you look at success in a way that is unique to you and suits your individual needs and goals. 

Let Us Help You Organize Your Life And Navigate This Time Of Transition

If you’re an 18 to 25-year-old and you feel like you’re in uncharted waters, counseling for young adults can help you find peace in the midst of anxiety, depression, and uncertainty. Please contact us and specify your interest in young adult counseling for your free, 15-minute consultation or to set up your first young adult counseling session. Both in person and video appointments are available.

Our practice has locations in Roseville, El Dorado Hills and online throughout CA.