High school and college can be a uniquely challenging time especially for girls and young women. The internal struggle and desire to be liked by peers and/or by a romantic interest, can often make it challenging for girls to know and understand who they are and what feels right and good for them and their wellbeing. 
High and college school girls are often be confronted with self-esteem issues, body image issues, dating and relationship experiences, parties, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, academic pressures, SATs, college or grad school applications, school work, hormones, family changes, the list goes on and on. Just add on some social media and SnapChat and it’s easy to see how easy it is to become anxious, insecure, and potentially engage in unhealthy coping skills and/or risky behaviors to manage their emotions, feelings and desires.
Often with this age group it is understandable and developmentally appropriate that adolescent and young adult girls are trying to establish some boundaries and independence from their parents, but because of their age, they do not have all the tools they need to navigate the life challenges ahead. And many times they do not want to share what they are experiencing with their parents and do not want to listen to their parents advice. And then what happens is that they go to their friends for advice, who for better or worse, also don’t have the lived experience to give the advice they truly need to navigate the developmental and individual challenges they are experiencing.
This is exactly where I step in. As a young girl, I struggled with anxiety, depression, self-esteem and friendships. When I was 13 years old, I made a decision and dedicated my life to becoming the emotional support and confidant I needed at that time so no young girl had to feel alone in their struggle even when they had loving parents around.
I help you as her parents to bridge the gap between the love and emotional support you have for your daughter and where your daughter may be developmentally and emotionally so that she has an adult confidant she can trust to provide her with the skills and tools to navigate the self-esteem, anxiety, friendships and relationship challenges she faces.
As with any therapy but especially with high school and college age girls, the therapeutic relationship is key to their healing and growth. I strive to create a safe, fun, confidential, nonjudgmental environment for them to explore their individual challenges and concerns to create a foundation to find inner joy, self-worth and fulfillment rather than rely the external and often temperamental social media, friendships and romantic relationship validation. Additionally my high school and college clients are typically very interested in learning and exploring the unique meditation and breathing techniques I teach to help them alleviate and effectively manage their anxiety and emotional distress.
As a fun bonus I usually have my two small, adorable, sweet hypo-allergenic Shih-Tzus that Jon me in my office that provide additional support and cuddles during our sessions.
If you are interested in learning more about how I may be able to support your high school or college age daughter, please contact me at ashley@ashleyewatson.com
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