WEST HARTFORD - A family therapist in West Hartford is pioneering a high-tech way to help new college students who are feeling overwhelmed or confused.
"Whenever we as human beings encounter something new, it can be really stressful," said Marc Lehman who has been practicing in the area for twenty years.
The start of college means new friends, new teachers and an entirely new environment for young adults at a pivotal time in their lives.
"For kids that are going to school - they’re 18 years old - they’ve never made a decision this big - not even close to something this big," said Lehman, creator of Dorm Room Counseling, a service that provides online therapy sessions to students.
Kids can participate in the privacy of their own room - using tech, a mode of communication in their comfort zone.
"Kids at school like something that’s quick and easy, so Dorm Room Counseling was developed out of that mindset of something that meets their needs, on their level," said Lehman who uses a secure video platform connected to his web site. Seeing the patient is important: "To me, it just adds another dimension to the connectiveness I have with my patients. If they look exhausted and they don’t tell me, I can ask them about that."
Students might need simple advice in handling the adjustment to communal living, self care, independence or homesickness. It often helps a young adult to talk to someone other than his parent.
Click here for more information about Dorm Room Counseling, including rates.