Therapy for college students and young adults in Boulder
For students on the way into college, and for young adults on the way out of it. In person at my Boulder office, or online for people located in Colorado or California.
I'm Lori Beth Goldman, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Boulder, Colorado. I work with college students and young adults, from first-year students at CU Boulder to recent graduates working out what comes next. We meet weekly or every other week, in person at my office on Iris Avenue or online, and we start with a free 15-minute call.
Why can the college years feel so hard?
Over the years, working with young adults moving into college, or out of it into the "real world," I have come to see how underserved this age often is during one of the most changing times of life. For many, this is the first time in their lives without any solid infrastructure.
Some students arrive excited and ready. Others arrive anxious, timid or withdrawn. Either way, everyone meets the ups and downs of a very big change.
Common struggles on the way into college and through it
Stress from a heavy academic load
Homesickness
Living in close quarters with other people
Social anxiety and peer pressure
Alcohol and drug use
A troubled relationship with food or your body
Separating from your parents and finding your own way
Sexual pressure
And on the way out, into work and adult life
Confusion about career and direction
Money worries
Loneliness and isolation
Looking for work, or being stuck in work that feels menial
Building a social life without a campus around you
How do I work with young adults?
I work candidly and directly with young adults. We make room for the excitement of new freedom and for the fear and uncertainty about the future, because both are usually there.
I am not a one-size-fits-all therapist. My approach is relational and collaborative, grounded in training in attachment and trauma, with some solution-focused work when that is what helps. I like working with this age because it is a time when I can make a difference for someone: helping them be more of who they are and find the path that is right for them, rather than living in perfectionism and the conditioning of who they think they are supposed to be.
Paying attention to the body is part of it too. We talk, and we also notice what your body is doing as you talk: the tight chest before an exam, the shutdown after a call home. That is often where an old pattern shows itself first.
With your permission, I can also work alongside your college counseling center, your parents, or other providers such as a psychiatrist, physician or nutritionist.
Can college students get therapy at CU Boulder?
Yes. CU Boulder has its own counseling service, Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), for enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. It runs a 24/7 support line and helps students find therapists in the community. For many students it is the right first stop, and CAPS can tell you what, if anything, it costs.
A private therapist can be a good fit when you want to keep seeing the same person over breaks and after you graduate (online, while you are in Colorado or California), when you want an approach that looks at the whole person, or when a parent wants support too, through parent coaching in Boulder.
How do you find a therapist as a college student?
Start with three questions: what you want help with, whether you want to meet in person or online, and whether you will use insurance. Then have a short conversation with the therapist before you begin. You learn more from how a conversation feels than from any profile.
On a free consultation with me, you tell me what is happening and I listen and reflect. I explain how I work, ask what has and has not helped if you have seen a therapist before, and I am clear about whether I think we are a good fit.
What does therapy cost, and do you take insurance?
I am private pay and not on insurance panels. I can give you a superbill, which you can send to a PPO plan for possible out-of-network reimbursement. We talk about fees on the free consultation call, and you can ask me for a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.
Questions people ask
Do you work with young adults who are not in college?
Yes. I work with young adults entering college, leaving it, or finding a different route altogether.
Can I keep seeing you when I go home for a break?
Online, yes, if home is in Colorado or California. My licenses cover where you are at the time of each session, so if you are in another state we pause until you are back.
Will you talk to my parents?
You are an adult, so what we talk about stays between us unless you give written permission. Some students want a session with a parent, and we can decide that together.
Do you also see high school students?
Yes. For students still in middle or high school, see my page for a teen therapist in Boulder.
Is this crisis support?
No. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. CU Boulder students can also call the CAPS 24/7 line at 303-492-2277.