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Academic Coaching | When School is Too Much

Classes, friends, and all the extracurriculars that it takes to ‘get ahead’ in life can leave you wondering how you are supposed to do it all. Without balance in your life, it can feel impossible. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Academic coaching can help.

Teachers, tutors, counselors, coaches. Soo many adults, so little time – and how do you know who to turn to for help? Teachers, teach you the material. They are a great first stop when you start struggling in school. They can help re-teach a concept or help you catch up with missing assignments. Tutors can help you when the subject is just too hard to figure out in the classroom. A tutor can help you re-learn tough concepts, work through homework, or study for a test.

Counselors, whether school counselors or those out in private practice, can help you with your mental health. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, they are a great person to have on your team. Speaking of teams, we usually think of athletic coaches but there are also academic coaches. Academic coaches, like athletic ones, are there to help you reach your goals. An academic coach will help you identify what is and isn’t working with your school life. You will create goals and actionable steps to reach those goals. If your academic coach is also a counselor, then you get the best of both worlds. You get targeted strategies to meet your academic goals with the expertise to tend to your mental health along the way.

Why is Academic Coaching Beneficial?

With academic coaching at The Well House, we utilize a solution-oriented approach. We focus on the realistic goals that you set for yourself to create a path for success. When tackling a load of classwork, social pressures, and extracurriculars; it can feel like you are climbing a growing wall. As you are tackling one task, it seems like three more are coming your way including grades, parental expectations, and the demands of higher education.

Academic coaching is going to teach you how to not only climb that wall you are facing but prepare you to leap over it. Sometimes all you need is for someone to show you a better way to prioritize and organize the tasks in front of you. Academic coaches are partnering with you to create a plan that works for you. That is going to look a bit different for everyone. Some people are paralyzed by the stress of school. Working past that to a place where the workload in front of you is manageable and expectations are able to be met with vigor is a key strategy for these kinds of students. Just like we all learn a bit differently, coaches help you to find your strategy for facing the challenges ahead.

Once you have mastered the academic portion, you can also move beyond to tackle some of the harder issues that are holding you back from living your best life. It is often found that underneath the academic issues, there are real-life issues as well. Whether you are dealing with past trauma, current trauma, or just want to feel more in control, our counselors can help you to gain the confidence and resources to face it all. These are all things that someone qualified to teach or tutor may not have the resources to handle. Academic coaching addresses the whole person rather than just the school-centered mind.

Reasons You May Need Academic Coaching

It is a struggle to keep up with the classwork

Classwork can become overwhelming quickly. Unfortunately, when we are overwhelmed, it is easy to procrastinate while panicking. This snowballs to create an even bigger stressor every time you think about it. The good news is, that stress is manageable when you are working with a counselor. They are there to teach you ways to manage your academic-related stressors.

We can help you to come up with a plan to tackle that snowball one piece at a time. Helping you to break it down into bite-sized pieces allows the pressure to become more manageable. Maybe you’ve gotten behind a bit because of an illness or your extracurriculars are making it difficult to find a balance. Balance is the key to living a life this is fulfilled. Counselors are there to help you achieve the life you desire, and move beyond YouTube breathing techniques.

You are feeling a rise in anxiety surrounding classwork

That being said, anxiety creates a physical response in the body that can be hard to overcome without some techniques. You feel your heart start to race, your breathing quickens, and your muscles are tightening in preparation for your response to stress. The human body has a hard time differentiating between a physical threat to you and a mental stressor. Your body is telling you to either run, freeze, or fight. How does that translate into your work in school? This lends itself to procrastination, avoidance, and poor performance.

Recognizing when you are starting to become anxious is the first step to overcoming those physical responses. A therapist can work with you to help reframe those stress triggers in a way that you can de-escalate those physical responses in a way that is manageable. When you are able to take back control over your body, it is that much easier to tackle the classwork that is coming your way.

You are capable of doing well in school with all the right tools.

You are looking for direction when it comes to higher education

Searching for the right university or college program for you is extraordinarily overwhelming. It can feel like your entire life is going to be determined with this one single decision. It can also feel like the program that you choose is a definition of who you are for the rest of your days. If you want to know a secret, most people have no clue who they are and what they want to be when they grow up even after they’ve been working in the ‘real world’ for years. Self-discovery is a constant journey.

Choosing your college takes a heavy bit of introspection. Small or large; private or public; arts or science? Working with a counselor can help you to answer the necessary questions involved in this decision for yourself. We can’t tell you what to do with your life, but we can help guide you down the right path for you. Academic coaching can help you ask the right questions rather than all the generic questions that are coming your way.

You are overwhelmed and losing interest in school

When you feel buried by all the work and information that school flings your way, it is easy to lose interest entirely and want to give up. Giving up may seem easy at the time, but it makes for hardships later on. This is the time to reach out to people you trust to let them know how you are feeling. It can make it even worse to feel alone and discouraged. Reaching out to those people doesn’t make you weak or dumb. It means you are taking back control of your life and the way you feel.

Taking with a counselor during academic coaching will help you to understand why you are feeling the way you are. Through targeted questioning, we can guide you to finding solutions to the problems that seem too hard for you at the moment right now. It’s about small steps every day to create a life that is better for you. Not only can you be doing better in school, but you can also find fulfillment in it as well. There are no guarantees that we can make school as interesting as those other hobbies you love, but we can help you reframe it to make it less annoying and tedious.

Parents, how you may be contributing to your child’s stress

As much as we love our kids, it is hard not to put undue pressure on their academic performance and life choices. You obviously want the best for their life and their future, but have you taken a step back to wonder if the way that you are approaching that is stressing them out more than necessary? Every child dreads feeling like a failure in the eyes of the people they love the most.

So, that then begs the question: as a parent, how can you help your child when they are struggling with their academic performance and overall satisfaction with their education? One step would be to put them in the best position possible to heal themselves. Take some of the pressure off from your side by letting them know that you will be there for them even when things are not going the way we planned. Listen actively to how they are feeling about school and watch for signs of stress in your child. Make sure you are leaving them time to have a social life. Developing those skills will help them to cope now and create a healthy future in their relationships.

Bringing them into a counseling practice for academic coaching can also let them know that there are more resources out there than just extra tutoring time. Grades are often a reflection of a child’s mental state as well as their learning journey. When they do come to you with a report that contains less than ideal scores, ask them how they are doing. Stress and anxiety can cause major deviations in performance. Communicating to your child that their mental state is an important part of who they are means that they are more likely to check in with themselves as well rather than just letting it go unattended.

Communication with your child

Be truly empathetic and non-confrontational

When commuting with your child when it comes to grades, you are often addressing them in a moment of personal crisis. Here are some tips to let you better communicate. First and foremost, it is better to approach them in an empathetic and non-confrontational manner. They are likely to think that you are only going to be disappointed by their underperformance. When you come to them from a place of understanding, they are more likely to really and truly connect honestly with you.

Oftentimes, this will allow you to work your way to the root of the issue rather than addressing surface-level issues. You can go from “I never get any sleep” to “I’m so stressed out about graduating and facing adult life that I am unable to shut down at night.” These are two related issues, but you can see how the first has an obvious answer (go to bed earlier) and the second means that your teen could use the help of a counselor.

Find things to praise your child for

Another way to keep the conversation constructive is to find moments to praise your child. Maybe they are struggling with their academic performance, but they are over performing in other ways. Finding those little moments for them to feel valued and appreciated can help to facilitate their openness to a way to address larger issues. At the same time, allow there to be pauses in the conversation for your child to really think about their responses. Forcing them to solve their own issues right away may not be realistic since they themselves may not even really know why they are having a hard time.

Seek a third party to help them open up

If your child is unable to communicate those frustrations and issues with you as a parent, academic counseling is a great place for them to explore the issue for themselves. Working through it on their own can be less embarrassing sometimes than talking through it with you when they are feeling the pressure of underperformance. Either way, it may be beneficial for you as a parent to seek out some support of your own. Parent coaching, like academic coaching, is a great place to find resources on how to handle the stress that comes with being a parent to all ages of children.

How The Well House Group can help you

Here in Southlake, TX we have all the resources you can need to get back on your feet. Whether we can help you with stress management strategies, create a better balance in your life, and give you help when deciding the direction for higher education. What’s best about our academic coaching is that we are your partner. As counselors, we are able to address any higher issues that present themselves during our time together. For parents, we also offer parent coaching to help you be the best equipped to help your child.

Our counseling practice is also able to provide you with in-person academic coaching as well with our HIPAA secure telehealth connection. For those students with schedules that are harder to manage between academics, extracurriculars, and sports; online counseling means it is that much easier for you to seek out help.

Schedule a consultation with us today so that we can get started on making your academic life more manageable. You can schedule with us via text, phone call, or email. School doesn’t have to be miserable. Let us help you experience success again.

Young Adult Therapy | When it gets real, get real help.

As a young adult, counseling in Southlake, TX may be the last thing on your mind. You step out into the world feeling like everything is new and fresh and also overwhelming. There are new friends, new jobs, maybe moving out on your own, and all kinds of other new experiences. All of these challenges can be exhilarating at their best and exhausting at their worst. We turn to friends for comfort and support but they do not always have the answers that we need. That is where young adult therapy can help!

An online therapist in Southlake, TX can be like a best friend – except they are confidential, knowledgeable, and have been there before. They are kind, honest, and will turn the mirror back on you to help you grow and change. A counselor is never afraid to bring up the hard stuff. Unlike a best friend, when you are working with a counselor the focus is always on you and your needs. Whatever your struggle, counselors are impartial and capable of handling whatever you are going through. Even if you aren’t actively struggling with trauma, anxiety, or depression; a counselor can help. When you are looking to grow and learn about yourself, young adult therapy is the perfect place to do so.

Fresh out in the world

It seems like there is a massive push for everyone to grow up and become an “adult”. Maybe you are finally on your own and it hits you, “I am so not equipped to be here.” Whether you are doing your taxes for the first time or realizing how uncomfortable it is to be on your own, there is no escaping the transition from teenager to adult. The good news is that it does get easier as time goes on. The first time you go to an interview or figure out your finances is always the hardest. There is just soo much you don’t know… yet! It’s downright overwhelming when you are going through all these transitions at the same time. If you are also navigating tough emotions or mental health challenges, then it can even feel more challenging. While time can help with the newness, a counselor can make the transition easier. You don’t have to navigate these times alone – especially if your mental health is suffering – find a counselor you connect with. We can help.

Brand New Jobs

How many times has someone asked you “what do you want to do when you grow up?” Probably a lot. Everyone, including you, is wondering where you’re heading and what you plan to do. Even though it is the natural progression of things, it doesn’t make it any less daunting. Sooner or later you will end up working your first job, and you may find yourself wondering – “Is this IT?” While you may have worked in high school or through college, this job feels different. It’s a real job.. Like a career job. Talk about daunting. There is so much to consider and figure out about life. So much time was spent on getting to this point, and if you are feeling underwhelmed, overwhelmed, or less than satisfied; a counselor in Southlake, TX can help. You don’t have to have all the answers. In fact, you don’t even have to know all the questions. If you know how you are feeling, a therapist can help you sort out the rest. Young adult therapy can help to reconcile how you are coping with your career goals and your own life.

Brand New Friends

Sometimes change comes easily, and sometimes it’s hard. As you grow and find your way in the world, your friendships will follow suit. You will be meeting new people and interacting in new ways. It’s a little intimidating and awkward to figure out how to make friends in a new place. Old relationships may not work in the context of your new life, and it can be difficult when these relationships fade. How do you know when a relationship has run its course? And how do you connect with new people as an adult?

Counseling is a place to work through your relationships, both new and old. Relating to others as an adult can mean stepping out of your comfort zone to meet new people. Counselors at the Well House Group can help you navigate relationships and live a fuller life.

Brand New Places

When leaving college or home, you may find yourself in a new place. Whether you are living an hour or two away from your childhood home or you’ve moved across the country, it’s common to feel isolated in a new place. Finding a way to plug into your community can seem like an impossible task all on your own. A therapist in Southlake, TX can provide comfort and support during these transitional times. Together, you will explore ways to connect and meet people in your new community.

Even if you are moving to a new place with your partner, you will want to make new connections with others outside the relationship. Your partner cannot meet all of your social needs, and you will both benefit from diverse experiences outside of the relationship – much like you did before the move. Ease the transition by talking with a counselor on strategies for engagement and how to learn to love the new place that you will call home.

Feelings of failure

Young adulthood includes college students too. Whether you are working your first adult job or you are in college, burnout and fatigue are common. Society has expectations, parents provide pressure, and your peers always seem to be doing something better or farther along. Pressure comes from all angles, and it’s exhausting to try and keep up. If you are struggling with fear of failure, a counselor can help you keep things in perspective. Don’t wait until you burn out or break. It’s possible to move forward in life without stress and anxiety. A counselor can help you learn to listen to your own intuition or inner knowing. When you find this inner voice, it will be easier to tune out anything else that doesn’t align.

The trajectory of your life is going to look very different from the people around you – and it should! You are uniquely you, and all your successes and failures are gearing you up for something great!

Learning to cope with that failure and finding peace in who you are is important in becoming an adult.

Discovering where you fit

This is where it gets juicy. Everything always comes down to you – who you are and what you want. In fact, this journey of self-discovery isn’t always smooth, but a therapist in Southlake, TX can help buffer along the way. You may not know it now, but you were made to do something awesome. That definition of awesome is entirely up to you. When you were a kid, your parents defined what you did and how you did it. Now, it’s your turn to decide. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or any other mental health challenge, this can seem entirely overwhelming. Your mental health struggles don’t have to postpone your journey. Also, your mental health is a part of your story, and the skills and strengths you develop during these tough times will be a testament to your strength and ability to overcome. Whatever your story, make it yours.

Finding your place isn’t always easy or intuitive. A young adult counselor can help you on that journey. Counseling is a place to share your deepest worries and your greatest triumphs. Your counselor will provide empathy and expertise as you find yourself.

Young Adult Therapy Can Help You Build Stronger Relationships

Are all your friends getting married or pairing up in committed relationships? Tis the season! But it’s not so merry for some. Finding the right partner isn’t easy. Especially if you are struggling with anxiety or depression, it’s hard to think about something so long-term. It is perfectly fine if you are not ready. For those who are still wondering or not so sure, these years are a great time to explore your interests. Do things you enjoy doing. Explore and live a life entirely on your terms. Get to know yourself. Whether or not you meet someone in the process isn’t the point. Having fun and getting to know what you like and don’t like is.

Maybe you already know this; but in case you don’t, relationships are never, ever going to be perfect. Whether you are cultivating deeper friendships or striving to build a future with a committed partner, all relationships provide us the opportunity to work on ourselves. This may be the first time you are exploring your stuff and realizing how the past has affected you. A counselor in Southlake, TX can help you sort through the challenges and find healthy ways to relate to the important people in your life.

Parental relationships change during this time as well

Even as you grow and become more independent, you will always be your parents’ child. The relationship with your parents has been shifting and changing for a while now. It’s normal and totally okay if you are having a tough time navigating these changes – or maybe it’s your parents who are having the tough time! However things are going for you, you will need to learn new ways to communicate with your parents.

It’s easy to revert back to childish ways when talking with parents, but these old ways of communicating aren’t going to be effective. As you learn new ways to communicate your needs and feelings, it may be helpful to get clear on what you want before having the conversation. A therapist can help you get clear on your needs and find the right words when talking with your parents.

How can we help you in young adult therapy in Southlake, TX?

There are so many things going on in your life right now, and you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. These years are special and full of opportunity, but they aren’t without struggle. The counselors at the Well House are trained to help you achieve your goals. Let us help you with your journey of self-discovery, relationship management, and communication skills.

Alongside our young adult therapy, we also offer career coaching for young adults. Finding a job that you like and enjoy doesn’t come naturally for most people. Balance and fulfillment are possible, and a counselor can help you find your way.

Other services you may be interested in include:

Parent coaching, therapy for moms, EMDR therapy, EMDR for peak performance, postpartum support, marriage counseling, and couples therapy, and teen therapy. Alongside our regular office, preparing for the rest of your life has never been easier and more accessible than ever – The Well House offers sessions both in-person and online therapy in Texas. Our HIPAA-approved connection means that you and everything that you share is safe within each session. We are excited to help you find balance, purpose, and joy in life as you ultimately, reconnect with yourself and find freedom. Call now!

Career Coaching for Young Adults

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Well, get ready for a huge sigh of relief, because most of us are still trying to answer that same question. Some people get lucky. They know what they love, it makes them tons of money, and life appears to be pretty great. The other 99.9% of us are left wondering why we can’t be the same. Of course, social media glamour plays a huge role in making us doubt our choices, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. If you are totally lost, unfulfilled, or struggling with the changes happening in your life, career coaching can help.

Adulting is more than just making sure that you are paying your bills and doing the laundry. It’s about finding where you fit in the world and how you can create a life that is fulfilling and tailored to your needs. This can and likely will change as you grow older. The dreams you had as a child and a teen may not match up with the realities of your life as an adult now. Reconciling the two can be a difficult and complicated process.

What is Career Coaching for Young Adults?

A lot of college students end up in the corporate world after graduation. This path seems inevitable as they begin to pay bills, student debt, or live on their own. Some thrive while others struggle in this kind of environment. Career coaching can help you to determine which camp you fall into and why. It can help you to relate to coworkers in a way that you may have never had to do before. Coaching can guide you to reach your potential. Coaching can also give you the confidence to branch out and become self-employed.

Whatever your aspirations are after you enter the workforce, career counselors are there to suss out what exactly you need to get farther in your career.

Unfulfillment in the workplace is rampant, and first jobs are no exception. Granted, pushing paperwork is not exactly some people’s dream; but there are ways to make this job feel valuable and important in the grander view of things. Career coaching can help to reframe some of your other preconceived notions on what it means to be an employee and to be part of the team.

Career coaching can even be the place where you find your wings to fly out on your own. It can feel a lot like leaping off the edge of a building. With the proper tools, planning, support, and mindset; however, you can achieve whatever you set out to do. Counselors can help to ensure that you are ready to take the emotional step of finding that footing alone.

Pre-grad Counseling

When you are in your final years of college, every other question is what you are going to do with your degree. When you have a vision of what your future can hold, it is so much easier to get through those last few months. Not only is it mentally fatiguing, but having a plan can help you get in those last few classes necessary to graduate with the experience necessary to stand out from the person sitting next to you in the interview.

Speaking of which, talking through your fears of interviewing with a career coach can help to answer the most awkward interview questions. Do you know your true strengths and weaknesses in a way that will make you a top candidate? It’s definitely one thing to know these things as a new person in the workforce, but talking about them with prospective employers is quite different. For example: saying that your biggest weakness is that you are an overachiever (even if it’s true) may not be the best way to present yourself in an interview. Let us help you to discover a more nuanced version of yourself and take a look at the weaknesses you do possess. You may even be able to overcome those weaknesses when working with a career coach.

Don’t allow those final moments outside of the adult world to go to waste. Take the time to really figure out who you are. Most adults cannot answer those questions. Get a step above the pack with your ability to talk about yourself the right way.

Entering the workforce

Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to have your dream job lined up right out of college. Good for you! For the rest of the people still searching, having a career coach can help to narrow down the immense world of job searching. It can be a long and discouraging process. Putting yourself out there to get rejected or ghosted over and over again is hard on the best of days. A career coach is there to help soften the blow and let you vent when it becomes too much.

They are also there to help you narrow down the businesses you are putting yourself out there for. Is small business the way to go or are you fine with being one part of a larger picture? These are questions that a career coach can help you to determine where you might thrive the most. Without this guidance, you may end up skipping around for years trying to figure out the best place for your personality and work-life balance. Every company is going to tout their version of work-life balance, but knowing what works best for you is an important first step.

Changing careers or starting a business

Changing careers, even if you’ve only been in the workforce for a little while, is a scary step. You’ve taken the hard step of determining where you are at is not right for you. Now comes the even harder part of either going back into a new job and starting from scratch or beginning a new business. Having someone impartial to have your back and guide you through it all is so important.

Your spouse or family can be a great support in this time, and a career coach can only add to the tools in your belt for success. That’s all you can do in life. Prepare and learn and grow. Being a successful and happy human means discovering new things every day and taking the time to invest in yourself. In this case, you are investing in your future career happiness.

Starting a business is especially tricky. Not everyone is going to be on board, and the stress of wondering “Will this work?” is constantly lurking in the back of your mind. A career coach can help you to overcome some of the self-doubts that come with the surge of passion in starting a new venture. There is no miracle formula for success, but preparing your mindset for it makes the difference between persevering through it all and giving up before you’ve even started. A career counselor is impartial, but they are also empathetic to whatever you may be feeling.

Okay, but how is a counselor different than a mentor?

A mentor is someone that has been there before, made mistakes, and lived to tell the tale. Battle-worn and ready to swap horror stories down the road, these people are often ill-equipped to handle the emotional component of changing careers and managing one in the context of your own experiences. You are the only one living and experiencing your life. Mentors are generally limited in the advice that they can give based on personal experience. That has its own kind of value, absolutely. But finding fulfillment in what you are doing for a living or handling the stress of changing careers is the stuff that therapists handle all day long. It is their job to help you to live the best life possible because:

Career coaches are impartial

Their training means that they are only interested in helping you to achieve YOUR goals. Counselors are experienced at digging deeper than the average person to get the core of what you need. Perhaps, you have an idea of what you think you need when really the root of your issues are a little deeper than you expected.

Having someone impartial on your side means that you are able to discover what you need without worrying about the expectations of others. Parents, partners, friends, and coworkers all have an implicit bias even if they are there to support you. Talking with a career coach can allow you to let your guard down in a real and powerful way.

Career coaches are a professional at handling stress

Jobs are stressful. Period. Even if it is something that you absolutely love, there is always some kind of stress coming at you. Deadlines, coworkers, bosses; you name it! Our team is there to help teach you how to manage all of that anxiety. Anxiety can be a huge roadblock to achieving your best life. For a lot of people, it is extremely difficult to separate the stress of the office from your everyday life. Young adults are struggling more and more with leaving their work and balancing out living. When work takes over your life, it can become a vicious cycle of stress.

Career coaches are equipped to handle emotional roadblocks

Teaching others how to overcome all of those challenges is a large part of career coaching. This can also help you in other aspects of your life. It’s hard to contain your life in just one or two boxes. Our emotions and issues tend to bleed a bit into every part of our lives in one way or another. Things like family issues and relationships are all affected by our mental state. If your career is blocking you from being the kind of person that you want to be, career coaching can help to level out the rough edges.

Trauma in your past could be the thing holding you back from the life you deserve. Counselors can help you to uncover all kinds of things in your way that you never even considered. If there is one thing that you can point to blocking your path to success, maybe EMDR treatment is the thing for you. It can also be used to remove those mental blocks in an innovative way that moves beyond talk therapy.

How EMDR can supplement Career Coaching

Young adults can carry their share of trauma. Whether you are dealing with something heavier or you want to work past the things that are blocking your focus; EMDR can help you get there. We work with you using a specialized technique to target negative emotions associated with a particular triggering event to reframe those responses to something more positive. Working with our counselors can move you to speak better in public, take risks at work to get ahead, and unlock all of your potential. You can read all about it in our EMDR therapy blog if you feel like this would be a good option for you and your situation.

Career Coaching here at The Well House Group

We are here to help you unlock all of your potential as well as help you through the hard times. Our trained staff is here to keep you performing your best and create the life you’ve always dreamed of having. Fulfillment and joy are just a few sessions away. Career coaching here at the Well House Group in Southlake, TX fills your toolbelt up with all the necessary and essential tools for success.

Our experts create an environment for you to develop the life you’ve always dreamed of. There is no reason to keep yourself from as much success as possible, and that comes from knowing yourself better than you ever have before. The life of hard knocks does not have to be your story.

You can schedule today by reaching out via text, phone, or email. Learn more about us and the services we offer here at The Well House Group. Stop your career from taking over your life. Let us help you to live the life you have always wanted.