By Jeremy Gregory, MSW, ASW
College Students. What’s up with online therapy? Is it like coaching? Is it like venting to someone? Are you going to make me cry? How would I even know if I need a therapist? Maybe I’m just stressed because college is stressful?
Despite it being 2021, there are plenty of reminders around us of 2020 still being here. One of those unfortunately is the global pandemic that continues to impact our communities in all sorts of ways. One that hits home for me is with the student population, specifically in college. The lack of experience a student receives at this time in regards to the “college experience” must be one that could lack social interaction with others. As a result of this, someone who might already either suffer from depression or might have a predisposition to depression might be more likely to experience those symptoms. Due to this, performance drops, whether it be in academics, athletics, or in being able to interact with someone with a sense of normalcy.
Online therapy can work in a way to normalize the feelings of helplessness someone might be feeling and work towards assisting the person in decreasing that sense of helplessness. Talking with someone who has been in your shoes as a college student, but who is also on the other side of things and who has experience and education in helping people identify patterns, change thought processes, and build tools for getting out of a rut of depression or anxiety can be a huge boost to overall life functions and the college experience. One thing that I am hopeful about is that there is an increasing number of providers and platforms that not only normalize the process of accessing therapy but are also open to having the discussion around providing context into why someone might be suffering from depression.
In that way, I hope that whoever is looking to access services they are able to identify that context matters and that they can get help wherever they might be in their life, free of judgement.
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by Jeremy Gregory, MS, ASW #96513 Jeremy is a registered associate social worker who works under the clinical supervision of Jessica Wilkerson, LMFT #104464. Jeremy, originally from Southern California, attended graduate school at CSU Chico. He’s married with two young sons and as a former high school football player, he currently spends time on the golf course or with a fishing pole in the water. Jeremy is always looking for ways to make life better for others and to find enjoyment for his own life and the lives of his wife and children. |
