Dana Gilbert

You were accepted to your “dream” college, but honestly it feels more like a nightmare. You’re homesick and having a lot of trouble getting used to college life, the intense academic expectations, and the complicated social dynamics. You had a great group of friends in high school, but now you feel lonely and disconnected. Everyone else is having a great time in college (or at least that’s what it looks like on their posts) and you wonder why things are so hard for you. You are spending lots of time in your dorm room, alone, and have started to fall behind on your work and have already missed several classes. You have no idea how you’re going to catch up. Assignments are coming due and exams are scheduled. You have no idea how to get back on track and are beginning to feel it’s a hopeless mess.

Everywhere you look, the campus is buzzing, students are laughing and walking together on campus, eating in groups in the dining hall… yet, you feel incredibly alone. You did not truly appreciate your friends from home until now. The last time you had to put yourself out there and make new friends was in middle school. You find yourself longing for the time when hanging out with friends was fun and easy. For whatever reason, you are really struggling to connect with other students at your school. You find interactions with your roommate awkward and are considering asking for a transfer to a different room, but you’re worried that may make things worse (plus, you’ve heard there really are not other options because the college is over-enrolled). This semester has made you second guess yourself and your ability to be happy at your school.

Overwhelmed by the pressures of college, you freeze. Your tried-and-true coping skills are no longer working. You are able to identify how you feel, but you are unable to act. You decline invitations until they stop coming. You stop eating in dining hall. You stop attending class. You chose to spend most days in bed wondering how long it will take for your roommate to say something. You lie in bed scrolling through social media for hours asking yourself, “can they really be that happy?” You, on the other hand, are miserable.

The idea of disappointing your parents after all they’ve sacrificed to send you to college is too much to bear. You’ve made it seem like you’re doing OK, but the truth is, it’s not going well and you’re realizing that you need some help to figure this out. You know your parents will support you, but it’s just so hard to have the conversation and to admit to them (and yourself) that you may need to take a break from school or to at least come up with a different way of getting through college. You know you need help figuring out how to pivot from here.

If you are ready to stop feeling anxious, depressed, and insecure and start feeling confident, successful, and excited about college life

I CAN HELP.

I am a Master’s Level Social Worker (LMSW) with a passion for serving college students as they navigate the unique challenges of this exciting and often stressful time in their lives. With a strong understanding of the stressors faced by college students, I am dedicated to providing compassionate and effective support to help students thrive in their academic and personal lives. My experience includes a wide range of experiences supporting college students who are struggling with: stress, anxiety, depression, relationship conflicts, low self-esteem, exploration of sexual identification, and academic performance concerns.

I approach each client with warmth, compassion, and a non-judgmental attitude. This creates a safe and supportive environment where college students can explore their thoughts and feelings. Within my therapeutic practice, I use a variety of evidence-based techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and solution-focused therapy, to help students develop coping skills, build resilience, and thrive all areas of their lives.