Student life brings many new challenges: gruelling teenage years in school, the transition from school to college, moving away from home, forming new relationships, dealing with deadlines and new responsibilities.
What does support for student life look like?
New phases of life always bring challenges that people handle in different ways. Newfound independence or the newfound need for it can cause different methods of coping, some of which might be maladaptive - causing anxiety, stress, or unhealthy patterns of sleep and inattention. Interpersonal issues may be the result of new relationships and transitions in previously maintained ones. The safe environment and professional expertise of therapy can aid with these daily life stressors.
Though many students and young adults hesitate to reach out for professional help, whatever may be the reason- cost, accessibility, stigma, or simply a lack of understanding and mental health education- it is still important to understand that there are many free and low-cost options for mental health assistance. Some of these might include the college counsellor, Tele MANAS, and iCall.
For long-term support, there are also sliding scale, pro bono, and low-cost options for therapy. Though therapy can be used to discuss possible symptoms that might be bothering you, get an official diagnosis, or get help with a preexisting diagnosis, you do not need to have a diagnosis or think you have one in order to go to therapy. There is no criteria that needs to be met for therapy. It is an option that is always available.
How Can We Help?
At Amise, we offer a sliding scale option for students and non-working individuals as we prioritise accessibility and affordability for all. A sliding scale is a pay-what-you-can system wherein we define a lower limit and an upper limit on the cost per session, and you get to decide how much you want to or can pay. It doesn't even need to be the same amount or therapist for every session. We understand that circumstances can change, and we are always willing to accommodate that. You decide how much you are able to pay, and you decide when you want to have a session.
If you have questions about how therapy works, or how we work at Amise, or are simply unsure about how to choose a therapist or which therapist to choose, you can always hop on a 30 min call with us; we are here to help! We also understand that stigma and perception can influence one's decision to want to come to therapy. And that's why at Amise we take confidentiality and protection of your information very seriously. Nobody that you wouldn't like knowing needs to know. As long as you are 18 years of age and above, we do not need anybody else’s consent or participation but yours. If being secretive makes you feel safer and makes you feel better about getting you to get the help you need then it is not wrong or something to feel guilty about and we will always protect and abide by that. You choose who gets to know.
There are always options at your disposal; nothing is ever too small or too big; the size of your distress matters more than the size of your problem. Even if it's just one call to a helpline once, or the decision to start consistent therapy or anything in between, know that if you think it might help you, it is always worth it.