Counseling for College Students in Maryland

There is no single reason students come to therapy. What they share is that something is making it hard to show up for their life the way they want to. Some of the most common concerns we work with include:

• Anxiety about academics, performance, and the future

• Depression, low motivation, and difficulty finding meaning

• Social isolation, loneliness, and difficulty forming connections

• Identity questions — including questions about values, sexuality, gender, culture, and belonging

• Relationship difficulties, including navigating conflict, breakups, or family tension from a distance

• Eating concerns and body image struggles

• Trauma — including experiences that happened before college and ones that have occurred since

• Burnout from overcommitment or chronic stress

• Difficulty with transitions — starting college, changing majors, transferring, preparing to graduate

• Grief and loss — including loss of people, relationships, or the life they expected to have

If something is affecting your ability to function, sleep, connect with others, or feel okay about yourself, it is worth talking to someone. You do not need to be at a crisis point to benefit from counseling.

The Limits of Campus Counseling Centers

Many college counseling centers work to support students while navigating significant resource and capacity constraints. Waitlists can be weeks or months long. Session limits mean that ongoing, in-depth work is often not possible. Counselors are generalists who may not have specialized training in the issues you are dealing with. And for students who are managing something complex — an eating disorder, trauma, a significant depressive episode — a campus counseling center may not be equipped to provide the level of care needed.

Working with a private practice therapist like those at The Smith Counseling Group means access to ongoing sessions without artificial caps, therapists with specialized training in the issues common to young adults, and a consistent therapeutic relationship that can develop over time. For students who need a higher level of care than campus resources provide, or who simply prefer the privacy and continuity of working outside the university system, we are here.

Anxiety and Academic Pressure

Anxiety is among the most commonly reported mental health concerns among college students. The academic demands of college — the volume of work, the evaluative pressure, the stakes attached to grades and future opportunities — can push anxiety that was previously manageable into something that interferes with studying, test-taking, and daily life.

Our anxiety treatment services are well-suited to college students dealing with performance anxiety, perfectionism, procrastination driven by fear of failure, and the particular dread of not knowing what comes next. Cognitive behavioral approaches help students identify and change the thought patterns that amplify anxiety and develop practical strategies for managing it in the moment.

Eating Concerns in College

The college environment — new food systems, social eating, body comparison, stress, and the loss of home routines — creates conditions where eating concerns often emerge or intensify. For students who are already struggling with their relationship with food and their body, the transition to college can be a particularly vulnerable time.

The Smith Counseling Group has specialized expertise in eating disorder treatment. Our evidence-based eating disorder treatment is available to college-age adults, and we approach eating concerns with the clinical depth they require. If you are struggling with restriction, bingeing, purging, or a pervasive preoccupation with food and weight that is affecting your life, please reach out. Early intervention can make a meaningful difference by providing support before concerns have more time to affect daily life. 

Trauma and College Students

Many students arrive at college carrying experiences they have not fully processed — childhood trauma, sexual assault, accidents, or the accumulated weight of difficult family dynamics. The relative independence of college, combined with its stressors, can bring those experiences to the surface. Some students experience trauma for the first time during college itself.

Our trauma therapy services provide specialized, evidence-based treatment for trauma and complex trauma. Working with a therapist trained in trauma allows you to process what happened at a pace that feels safe, rather than either avoiding it indefinitely or feeling flooded by it.

Identity, Belonging, and the College Years

College is a time when many people are actively constructing who they are — their values, their relationships to family and culture, their sense of what they believe and what kind of life they want. This process is meaningful, but it is also disorienting. Questions about identity — including racial and cultural identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and the tension between who you were raised to be and who you are becoming — are common reasons students seek counseling.

Our therapists provide a non-judgmental space for these conversations. You do not need to have your identity figured out before you come in — the figuring out is often the work.

Telehealth for College Students

We offer telehealth sessions for college students, which makes it significantly easier to fit counseling into a schedule that includes classes, work, and extracurriculars. Telehealth also makes it possible to continue working with your therapist over breaks or if you are studying away from your home campus. We provide telehealth services to students in Maryland and surrounding areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use private counseling alongside my campus counseling center?

Yes. Some students work with a campus counselor for short-term support and a private therapist for more ongoing work. Others use private counseling exclusively. The right arrangement depends on your needs and what each option offers in terms of availability and fit.

How do I pay for counseling as a college student?

Check whether your student health insurance covers mental health services from out-of-network providers — many do, with reimbursement available after you pay out of pocket. You can also reach out to our service fees page or contact us directly to discuss what your options are.

I am not sure if what I am going through is "bad enough" for therapy.

Therapy is not a last resort for people in crisis. It is useful any time something is getting in the way of the life you want to be living. If you are struggling — even if you can point to people who seem to have it harder — that is a valid reason to seek support. You do not need to earn the right to help.

Will you contact my parents or my school?

Therapy is confidential. Your parents and your school do not have access to your sessions or your records without your consent, with narrow exceptions required by law (such as situations involving imminent risk of harm). For most college students, what you share with your therapist stays between you and your therapist.

What if I am home for the summer or on break?

Telehealth makes it possible to continue working with your therapist regardless of where you are, as long as you are in a state where we are licensed. Reach out to discuss continuity of care over breaks and transitions.

How do I get started?

Contact us through our contact page. Let us know a bit about what is bringing you in and what your scheduling needs are as a student. We will connect you with a therapist who is the right fit.

You deserve support that actually fits your life.

The Smith Counseling Group provides counseling for college students in Maryland, Washington DC, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County. Telehealth available.

Reach Out to Get Started