Let's set the scene: You're making the grades. You're showing up to class. You're meeting all the deadlines. But yet, everything feels so much harder for you than it seems to be for others... You're the friend who always gets things done, the student professors describe as "motivated", or the person everyone turns to. From the outside, you might be seen as the woman who has it all figured out, is organized, and on top of everything. But on the inside, that's a way different story. You're battling a million thoughts an hour, fighting to stay focused and motivated, experiencing panic when you procrastinate too long, and feeling exhaustion from constantly going and trying to keep up.  It's common for women to have these symptoms, but never question if ADHD might be present for them. This is mainly due to the stereotyped idea of it being hyperactive children who can't sit still in class, but for ADHD in women it looks very different. For women,...

The idea of what college is has been heavily influenced by what is portrayed in movies, tv shows, and social media, and because of that, a lot of people go into it with expectations of having similar experiences. Some of the most common things are making lifelong friends, joining clubs or organizations, feeling like you're finally becoming yourself, and living independently.  But, the reality is that this isn't always the experience for students because of very real factors and circumstances. Maybe you're a commuter and don't live on campus. Maybe you haven't made close friends or "found your people". Maybe you're struggling academically. Maybe you have to work while going to school and can't participate in campus events like you hoped. These things aren't part of the "pretty picture" that college is advertised as, and that can have an impact on someone. Differing circumstances can change your college journey and can lead to grieving ...

  We get asked all the time "how are you doing" but how often do we actually reflect on this question before just answering automatically?  We're talking about actually taking a real pause to ask: What do I need right now? What do I have the capacity for? Am I taking care of myself - or just getting through the day? This blog post is going to feel different, because the goal is to create something that you don't just read, but rather experience and can come back to consistently.  *At this time, we are going to ask that you pause and see if you have the time and capacity to participate in this check-in activity, and if not, come back at a time that you do.* ___________________________________________________________________________________ Before we dive into this activity, we need to take some moments to reorient and ground ourselves to the present moment. So take a slow breath in for four seconds...and out for four seconds...and repeat a few times. Unclench your jaw....

If you’ve ever opened your phone to “quickly check one thing” and looked up 45 minutes later… you’re not alone. As a college student, your brain is constantly toggling between Canvas notifications, group chats, TikTok, emails, lectures, and late-night scrolling. And while being connected has benefits, many students are quietly noticing it being harder to focus on readings, studying feels mentally exhausting, their unable watch a full lecture without grabbing your phone, and silence feels uncomfortable. This isn’t because you’re lazy or undisciplined. It’s because your brain has adapted to constant stimulation. Your brain runs on dopamine — a chemical tied to motivation and reward. Social media apps are intentionally designed to give you quick hits of novelty: new posts, new likes, new messages, new videos. Every scroll is a mini reward and over time your brain starts to prefer short bursts of stimulation, fast content, and immediate feedback. The impact of this, though, is that you...

In theory, casual dating is supposed to be something that feels light, fun, and commitment-free. Normalized parts of dating now include: swipe culture, "situationships", and low-pressure connections.  But emotionally? It's not so casual for everyone.  If you look at this from the mental health perspective, you will see that the gap between what we tell ourselves and  how it actually feels can create a lot of confusion, shame, and self-doubt. Maybe you yourself have experienced this where you thought you might be okay with casual dating, but once you get to know another person you start developing stronger emotional feelings for them OR you might be wanting something only casual but the other person starts feeling like they want something more serious. This happens a lot more than people think, but why exactly is that? Well, let's start with looking at it from your nervous system's perspective. Although you might intellectually agree to something being casual, that...

Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced a rejection. *raises both hands* Rejection is impressively versatile. It can show up in your inbox, on a waitlist, in a breakup text that starts with “you didn’t do anything wrong,” or in the form of being ghosted.  Unfortunately, it is an unavoidable part of life and something we will all experience at various times. And when it happens repeatedly or in a stressful time, it can start to feel personal, overwhelming, and even identity-shaping (and not in a good way). People love to offer “comfort” in the form of telling us “don’t take it personally” but our brains tend to immediately respond with what ifs that make us doubt ourselves, our abilities, and our worth. Before you spiral, rewrite your life narrative, or decide this one rejection confirms all your worst fears—let’s talk about how to handle rejection in a way that protects your mental health. No toxic positivity. No pretending it doesn’t hurt. Just real tools for not letting on...

  How many times have you said or thought: “I feel guilty when I’m not doing something.” This is a very common thought for college students, especially high-achieving ones. Many high-achieving students are taught—explicitly or implicitly—that rest is something you earn after you’ve pushed yourself to exhaustion and burnout. Somewhere along the way, downtime starts to feel lazy, unproductive, or even irresponsible. But here’s the reframe we want you to sit with:  Rest is not the opposite of productivity. It’s a requirement for it. If you’re someone who is driven, disciplined, and goal-oriented, rest can feel deeply uncomfortable and here’s why: Your worth may feel tied to output: Grades, internships, leadership roles, and achievements become measures of value You’re used to functioning in “go mode”: Slowing down can bring up anxiety, restlessness, or guilt There’s constant comparison: Social media and campus culture often reward being busy and overextended You’ve learned to ov...

  You wake up knowing exactly what needs to get done — that assignment, that email, the laundry piling up — but somehow, you just… can’t start. You scroll through your phone, stare at your to-do list, and feel the weight of everything you “should” be doing, yet you just can’t get yourself to do it. Sound familiar? Losing motivation is something we all experience from time to time and is very common for college students. But when it becomes a pattern — when the energy, focus, and drive you used to have seem to vanish — it can be discouraging and confusing. It’s easy to think you’re being lazy or unproductive, but in reality, what’s often happening has much more to do with mental health and executive dysfunction than with willpower. Motivation isn’t just about “trying harder.” It’s a complex process that involves the brain’s reward system, emotions, and energy regulation. When your mental or physical resources are low, that system can easily short-circuit. Common reasons motivation m...

  “You’re not smart enough to be here.” “You made a mistake? Unacceptable. You should have done better.” “Everyone else gets this faster than you.” “If you don’t get straight A’s, you’re a disappointment." Sound familiar? Many of us carry around this negative “inner critic” that consistently tells us we aren’t “enough”. The inner critic is the internal voice that criticizes, judges, and pressures you - often more harshly than anyone else would. This is why the common phrase is “you are your own worst critic”.  This voice might feel like it’s “motivating” you, but the reality is that our inner critic most often makes you feel ashamed, guilty, and unworthy, rather than encouraging growth. We see this a lot in college, as this is the breeding ground for self-criticism. With balancing academics, social life, finances, and figuring out who you are as a person, it makes sense that the “inner critic's” voice shouts louder and louder. Some common ways we see this is: Academic Pressure...

Let's be real: Starting therapy can be...weird, awkward, and anxiety producing (trust us, we get it!).  Not only are you trying to navigate your own emotions, thoughts, and mental turmoil, but then you find yourself sitting in a room with someone you've never met before, trying to talk about things that maybe you've never really shared with another person.  We want to validate that feeling nervous, apprehensive, unsure, or even silly at the beginning, is perfectly normal!  Starting therapy is a big step for many people, especially those that are not used to talking about their thoughts, emotions, feelings, etc., and we deserve to give credit to ourselves for seeking mental health support, despite the awkward feelings it initially can bring up. All this to say, we want to validate the normalcy of these feelings and thoughts when starting therapy, but we also want to explain a little bit as to why the initial awkwardness is completely okay.  1. As we highlighted in th...

  The aspect of "healing" tends to be something that a lot of people struggle to understand. There are numerous misconceptions, but the most impactful one seems to be focused on healing following a linear trajectory.  Healing is rarely a straight road. In fact, it's more of a winding path with numerous detours, setbacks, and moments that feel like you're going in circles. The harm that comes with the expectation of a linear path to healing is that it counteracts the sense of progress that is made when we revisit "old wounds", which tends to be a vital part of actual healing. Each time we experience a twist and turn on the winding path, we grow in awareness, insight, and tools that help us navigate the "wounds". With this understanding and awareness on the complexities and uniqueness of healing for every individual, it's important to remember that the struggles and difficult moments in our healing journey serve as turning points. They allow us t...

  From the moment we are born, we are wired to connect. As infants, we rely on caregivers for warmth, safety, and emotional support, forming deep bonds that shape the way we experience relationships for the rest of our lives.  This process, known as attachment, is a fundamental human instinct—one that influences how we seek closeness, handle conflict, and navigate love and friendship. Whether we realize it or not, our earliest attachments create a blueprint for how we relate to others, affecting everything from our trust in relationships to our ability to feel secure within ourselves.  Attachment styles develop in early childhood based on how caregivers responded to our needs. When caregivers provide consistent love, support, and emotional availability, children develop secure attachments. However, if caregivers are inconsistent, neglectful, or overly intrusive, insecure attachment styles may form. These early experiences create internal working models of relationships th...