It all used to be enough: a job that paid the bills, a comfortable, safe relationship, and a cozy little apartment. These were always supposed to be “temporary placeholders” while you figured everything out. But now you desperately need more purpose and meaning. As a result, you want to look forward to your future rather than live day to day.
It seems like everyone else is happily moving into their future —graduating, getting married, buying homes, starting families, and leaving to pursue exciting careers. Meanwhile, you’re frozen in place by uncertainty and insecurity, unable to make changes and move forward in your own life.
As a result, you feel like you’re getting left behind. You’re lonely, unhappy, and frustrated with yourself. You just can’t figure out what to do with your life or how to change direction.
Furthermore, that inner struggle between wanting to move forward and the fear of taking the first step creates a lot of unhealthy anxiety and stress. It’s almost impossible to make any decisions when emotional turmoil clouds your mind.
Fortunately, at Evanston Counseling, we understand how challenging and overwhelming this phase in your life can be. We’re here to help you change course and create new paths that bring more purpose and fulfillment.
There are so many options: further your education, start a new career, take your relationship to the next level, or start your family. It’s exciting to imagine where you could be a year from now; don’t let the fear of making a mistake hold you back!
The young adult therapists at our Evanston, IL practice understand where you are right now. We’ve helped many young adults move beyond their self-doubt and indecision to actively pursue their goals and dreams. We can help guide you on that journey, too.
Seeking help finding your purpose might feel uncomfortable or even immature. You’re an adult, after all. Yet the fact you’re here shows remarkably mature insight. In fact, if you need help with your anxiety, stress, and getting unstuck, reaching out to a professional young adult therapist is a wise step in the right direction.
Through therapy, we’ve helped many young adults in your situation understand themselves more deeply and learn to trust the important decisions they make.
During our therapy sessions, we’ll help uncover the thoughts and feelings that guided your decisions in the past. This is especially important when worry and anxiety over change led to “safe” options that didn’t align with your true desires and aspirations.
For example, we may examine why you stay in a relationship that doesn’t bring you true joy and contentment or why you hang on to an unfulfilling job. Similarly, we might examine why you can’t find that special someone or why you jump from job to job.
As a result, you’ll learn to recognize negative thought patterns holding you back and gain the confidence to take the calculated risks we all need to take as adults.
When nothing in life seems to bring you happiness, it’s pretty hard to know what to change and how that change will turn out.
Together, we’ll get to the root causes of your anxiety and unhappiness. Why is understanding that so important? Because when one area of your life is deeply unsatisfying, it can cast a shadow over everything else.
Ultimately, the therapists at Evanston Counseling help identify the true source of your discontent and which changes will bring meaningful transformations in all areas.
Once you understand the emotions behind your past decisions and have identified the source of your anxiety, you’re in the best (and, ironically, safest) place to set goals for your future.
Finally, therapy for Young Adults helps you establish goals that align with what you desire most.
At Evanston Counseling, we are committed to nurturing big and meaningful change in your life. As a result, we personalize therapy to meet your specific needs and handle all life’s challenges without all the anxiety and self-doubt.
If you have questions about young adult therapy in Evanston, IL, you are not alone. In fact, most young adults come to us with a mix of uncertainty, curiosity, and a lot of questions about what therapy actually looks like for someone in their stage of life. Fortunately, you don’t have to figure it all out before reaching out. We put together answers to what we hear most often so that you can feel informed and confident before you ever pick up the phone.
What is young adult therapy and who is it for?
Young adult therapy is a type of counseling designed for people roughly between the ages of 22 and 35, during that critical time when you are deciding how to settle in and where.
Being a young adult is exciting and comes with so many opportunities. It also comes with a good deal of anxiety and so many decisions to work through: Where do I want to live? What kind of work do I actually want to do? Am I ready to settle down, partner up, or start a family? What do I value in relationships and family, and how do I want to show up for the people in my life? Am I looking for a serious relationship, or do I want to focus on myself right now? There is no single right answer to any of these, and this can feel overwhelming.
Therapy can help you sort through all of it. It helps young adults figure out where they want to go next. It is a space to help you do more of the things you want to do and less of the things you do not want to do. Whether you are working through career questions, relationships, friendships, or your sense of self, therapy gives you a place to do that, without pressure.
At Evanston Counseling, we work with young adults from recent graduates through their early 30s. You do not have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many of our clients come to us because they want more out of life and are ready to figure out how to get there.
Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy?
No. You do not need a diagnosis or a clinical reason to start therapy.
Sometimes something just feels off, and you cannot quite put your finger on it. Perhaps you just need a tune-up, a chance to step back and look at your life from an outside perspective, and a caring, professional person to think things through with.
Therapy is not only for people in crisis. You might want to understand yourself better. You might have something weighing on you. Or you might just want to figure out how you want to move forward.
At Evanston Counseling, we do not require a diagnosis to begin. Because we are a private pay therapy practice, there are no insurance requirements and no pressure to fit your experience into a clinical label. You can simply come in and focus on what is bringing you in.
What issues does therapy for young adults commonly address?
Therapy for young adults commonly addresses anxiety, depression, relationship issues, identity, career stress, family conflict, and life transitions.
At Evanston Counseling, our young adult therapists in Evanston, Illinois, work with clients on all of these issues and more. If something is on your mind, that is reason enough to reach out.
What should I expect in my first therapy session?
Your first therapy session at Evanston Counseling is a chance to get to know your therapist and start to feel comfortable. That said, a lot of people feel nervous before their first session, especially if they have never had therapy or counseling before. It can feel strange opening up to someone you have never met.
The session itself is spent getting to know you and forming a relationship with your therapist. We want you to feel comfortable sharing whatever is on your mind. We go at your pace, and we listen a lot. As we get to know you, you can expect us to become more actively involved. The feedback and guidance come as we have a fuller picture of who you are. That is why meeting with the same therapist every week matters so much.
Over time, we will get to know you very well. Therapy is a place where you can share the most personal things with someone who is there just for you. People come to therapy with very different expectations. Some want a structured session with clear goals and an active therapist, and others are not sure what they want yet. Either way, we will figure it out together. Sessions are 55 minutes, and everything you share is private.
How long will I need to be in therapy?
The length of therapy for young adults varies depending on your goals and what you want to accomplish.
Some young adults come in with a specific issue they want to target and are ready to move on after a few months. Others are working through more layered and complicated issues and choose to continue. Some people prefer a shorter experience, while others find ongoing support over a longer period of time to be a game-changer.
At Evanston Counseling, we talk with you about your goals from the very beginning so you have a realistic sense of what to expect.
What matters most is that you are getting something out of it. We check in on your progress regularly to make sure therapy keeps moving in the right direction for you.
What if I don’t connect with my therapist?
If you do not connect with your therapist, please let us know, and we will match you with a different therapist. It is important that you feel you have the right therapist on board to help you. Sometimes it just takes a few tries to find the right person.
At Evanston Counseling, we take the time to understand what you are looking for before we match you with a therapist. Do you want someone who listens more and lets you lead, or someone who is more hands-on and direct? Are you drawn to a more structured approach like CBT, or something more focused on emotions and relationships? These are the kinds of things we think about when we match you.
The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and supported. If therapy has not worked for you before, it may simply be that the fit was not right.
Can therapy help with career stress and life direction?
Yes, therapy can absolutely help with career stress and life direction. There are so many choices to make in a young adult’s career and life, and it can feel very overwhelming.
Sometimes you know what you want to do, but just do not know how to get there. Other times, you may have no idea what you want to do at all. Either way, therapy can help.
Young adulthood is about figuring out what to do with everything you have learned about yourself over the past few decades. The big question has arrived: what do you want to do when you grow up? Do you want to pour yourself into your career, your friendships, and your own growth? Or maybe you are starting to think about what you want your personal life to look like down the road. What will life bring?
A therapist is a trained professional who can help you examine what is most important to you, work through the obstacles that are getting in your way, and find a path forward. At Evanston Counseling, we help young adults do exactly that.
Can therapy help with family relationships and setting boundaries?
Yes, therapy can absolutely help with family relationships and setting boundaries. There has been a lot of talk recently, especially since COVID, about setting healthy boundaries with family.
It is a fine line between distancing yourself from people who have hurt you and maintaining relationships that are important to you, even when they are sometimes difficult. Knowing how to handle those tricky situations is not easy.
A well-trained therapist can help you sort out what is most important to you and what is best for you. At Evanston Counseling, we help young adults manage these relationships in a way that feels right for you.
How do I know if my anxiety or sadness is something therapy can help with?
Therapy can help with anxiety and sadness, but it is not always easy to know when it is time to reach out.
Sometimes sadness or anxiety is a normal response to what is going on in your life. And sometimes it is just part of life. But if it is interfering with your daily life or making things feel unmanageable or out of control, it may be time to seek professional advice. It never hurts to double-check.
At Evanston Counseling, we are happy to talk with you about what you are experiencing and help you determine whether therapy is the right next step.
Is online therapy a good option for young adults?
Yes, online therapy is a good option for young adults, especially if you have a busy schedule and cannot always make it into the office. It is hard enough to set aside time for a therapy session, much less factor in a commute on top of it. Other responsibilities can make it difficult to leave your home, and distance or transportation can be a barrier, too.
Although we are conveniently located in downtown Evanston, we understand that getting to our office is not always possible. That is why we offer online therapy as a flexible option. You might meet with your therapist virtually all the time. Or you might do a bit of both, coming in person when you can and meeting online when it works better. And on days when you are not feeling well but still want to connect with your therapist, online therapy makes that easy.
Studies show that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for most concerns. At Evanston Counseling, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to get the help you need.
Our therapists for young adults at Evanston Counseling are here to support you at these exciting crossroads. You don’t have to keep feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like everyone else has it figured out but you. We will help you uncover what’s holding you back, build confidence in your decisions, and move forward with less anxiety and fear. Learn more about young adult therapy by following the steps below:
At Evanston Counseling, we offer more than just therapy for young adults. We specialize in many different techniques to help people with specific mental health issues. Our specialties include therapy for moms, therapy for teenagers, therapy for anxiety, therapy for depression, and therapy for chronic pain. We also offer many different therapeutic approaches including hypnotherapy, pet therapy, online therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.
