A Unique Developmental Phase

How can therapy help me as a Young Adult?

Young adults (or emerging adults) can benefit from a supportive space to explore their goals, values, and identities. This can include reflecting on childhood, fostering self-awareness, and strengthening coping strategies to create a clearer vision of the future.

About Young Adulthood

What is young adulthood?

Young adulthood (or emerging adulthood) is a unique developmental phase, typically spanning between the ages of 18 to 29, characterized by exploration, growth, and significant life transitions.

During this time, many individuals navigate their identity, explore career paths, build social and romantic relationships, and embrace independence. It is also a period of reflection, as young adults begin to consider how their family and upbringing influenced their current well-being and functioning.

With so many transitions to manage, this phase can be stressful, filled with uncertainties and emotional struggles, as individuals work to establish their place in the world.

Mental Health Challenges: Approximately 32% of young adults report experiencing anxiety disorders, and about 22% report major depressive episodes, making mental health a significant concern during this phase (NIMH, 2023).

Workforce Challenges: Young adults often face underemployment, with approximately 10% of those aged 20–24 unemployed, a rate higher than older adults, and, understandably, a major cause of uncertainty for this population.

Independence Challenges: Approximately 50% of young adults between the ages of 18–24 live with their parents, partly due to financial pressure, delaying independence and autonomy.

Why am I struggling as a young adult?

At Goodfriend MHC, I provide a supportive space to help you explore your goals, values, and identities.

Whether it’s addressing anxiety about the future, managing transitions, building healthier relationships, or examining past family dynamics to understand how they have shaped your current functioning, my goal is to help you develop the skills and resilience needed to thrive during this formative stage of life.

Together, we’ll work on reflecting on your childhood, fostering self-awareness, and strengthening coping strategies to create a clearer vision for the next steps on your journey.

How do you approach therapy for young adults?

Yes, I see neurodivergent clients of all ages. Living with ADHD or autism brings both strengths and challenges, which can greatly inform the young-adult life stage and the search for sustainable independence that can come with it.

Whether you struggle with transitions, navigating complex medical and educational systems, or defining clear goals, together we can work to expand your sense of agency to help you build into a life aligned with your values.

From ensuring access to appropriate services to helping you foster self-acceptance, manage sensory overload, and build enhanced social awareness, I meet you at every step.

Do you see neurodivergent young adults?

When exploring career direction, I incorporate career assessments to support thoughtful, values-aligned decision making.

Therapy in the young-adult life stage can be a powerful catalyst for change, as early coping strategies are still flexible and the motivation for growth is strong.

Together we can work to harness the power of this life stage to locate the meaning behind your motivations and effect the growth you want to see.

How do you help young adults explore a career path?

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

- Carl Gustav Jung

Frequently Asked Questions