college-bound - new group offering

I am pleased to be offering a new group at my office called COLLEGE-BOUND.

Beginning in May, this group will meet weekly and is open to students beginning college in Fall 2019 (or returning to college after time away).

All potential group members must meet with me for a one-hour session prior to joining the group to assess suitability and discuss confidentiality.  

Groups will be led by Dr. Ledley with a segment dedicated to teaching valuable COLLEGE-BOUND skills and a segment reserved for group sharing and discussion.  

Topics will include:

-Dealing with roommates and making friends - with students often selecting their own roommates, kids are going into college assuming this relationship is going to be a perfect, life-long friendship -- but it often doesn't turn out that way.  We will discuss how to deal with disappointment if roommate choice does not work out; how to resolve conflicts with roommates; and how to make friends around campus.
-Academics - Students tell me that it is very hard to adjust to the academic independence of college after the hand-holding of high school.  We will discuss what to expect in college, how to manage independently, how to choose classes, how to stay organized, and how to seek help and speak to professors.
-Drinking - Many patients who I work with have made the decision to NOT drink or to drink minimally in college and have found it challenging to find like-minded friends.  We will discuss this issue, as well as how to deal with substance use problems in roommates and friends, and how substances are often used to manage emotions.  
-Managing emotions away from home & Homesickness -- Kids are very connected to their parents these days and that has its definite plusses - except when kids are texting their parents at all times of day and night because they are having difficulties managing the day to day challenges of life away from home.  We will learn valuable emotion regulation skills designed to foster independence.  
-Finding resources on your campus - Despite the time we take selecting a college, students often don't know about the resources available to them when they need them.  We will discuss how to know if you need help and where to find that help (academic, medical, emotional).  Each group member will build a list of these resources to take to school with them.
-Life skills - These days, so much time in high school is spent on school work and on building one's resume that college comes and kids don't know how to pump gas, cook eggs, or do laundry.  Not knowing how to do these basic skills can add to stress in college and maintain reliance on parents.  We will discuss and work on these skills throughout our group.
-Managing Your Anxiety Disorder - Kids are going to college with social anxiety, OCD, panic attacks and so forth.  We will discuss how these disorders can impact college life and what we can work on in advance in order to be ready for these challenges.  We will also discuss how to get ongoing help at college if needed.  

Please contact me to get involved in this valuable and fun group!  drledley@me.com