Exploring self-discovery in the college years

Self DiscoveryCollege is a transformative period of life where academic pursuits converge with personal growth and self-discovery. As you step onto campus, you’re embarking on a journey that goes beyond textbooks and lectures. The college experience offers a unique platform for exploring your identity, uncovering your passions, and delving deep into your sense of self.

Embracing Change and New Beginnings

Starting college is often synonymous with a fresh start. It’s a time when you’re free from the labels and expectations that may have defined you in high school. As you embark on this new chapter, you can redefine yourself, embracing the aspects of your identity that truly resonate with you.

Questioning and Reflecting

College is a time to question and reflect on the beliefs and values that have shaped you. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives, engage in intellectual discussions, and challenge your preconceived notions. This exposure can lead to a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Exploring Interests and Passions

College is a playground of opportunities waiting to be explored. Whether it’s joining a club, trying a new sport, or enrolling in an elective course that piques your interest, the array of choices allows you to explore passions you may not have had the chance to discover before.

Cultivating Relationships

College is a place where relationships flourish. From classmates to professors to mentors, the people you meet can provide insights into your strengths and areas for growth. Engaging in meaningful interactions can help you recognize qualities you admire and aspire to develop.

Navigating Adversity

College isn’t always smooth sailing. Challenges, setbacks, and difficult moments are part of the journey. Navigating these adversities can reveal your resilience, strengths, and coping mechanisms. Overcoming challenges can significantly shape your sense of identity and self-belief.

Cultural and Diversity Exposure

Colleges often host a diverse community with individuals from various backgrounds and cultures. Engaging with people who have different experiences and viewpoints can broaden your horizons, expand your understanding of the world, and deepen your appreciation for your own identity.

Personal Values and Priorities

As you engage in a multitude of experiences, you’ll likely discover what truly matters to you. You might find that certain causes, values, or beliefs resonate deeply, prompting you to become more involved or advocate for change in those areas.

Time for Self-Care

College can be demanding, but it’s also a time to prioritize self-care. Balancing academics, socializing, and personal time allows you to develop healthy habits and routines that contribute to your overall well-being. Self-care isn’t just about pampering; it’s about cultivating a strong sense of self-awareness and maintaining mental and physical health.

Fostering Independence

The transition to college often comes with newfound independence. You’re making decisions about your academic path, personal relationships, and daily routines. This autonomy provides an opportunity to develop self-reliance and decision-making skills that will serve you well beyond your college years.

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Approach your college journey with a growth mindset—an attitude that welcomes challenges, values effort, and sees setbacks as opportunities for growth. This mindset encourages you to embrace change, learn from your experiences, and continually evolve as an individual.

The college years are a time of self-discovery and personal growth that can shape the trajectory of your life. Embrace the opportunities to explore your identity, uncover your passions, and reflect on your values. Engage with diverse perspectives, navigate challenges, and nurture your well-being. Remember that self-discovery is a journey, and every experience contributes to the tapestry of who you are becoming. As you navigate your college journey, keep an open heart and an inquisitive mind, and relish the adventure of unveiling the layers of your unique identity.

Suicide Awareness

The Impact of Suicide. Your Words Matter.

Suicide is more common than we’d want to admit. Suffering is part of the human experience, and there are a lot of heavy stressors that weigh people down.

Supporting Teacher’s Well-being

CARE Counseling is thrilled to begin offering a Doctoral Internship for Counseling and Clinical Psychology doctoral students enrolled in accredited graduate programs!

6 Things to Consider in Supporting Children’s Adjustment to Change

Change can be difficult, especially for children when their need for safety and stability is uncertain. Establishing consistent and predictable routines helps children feel secure.

Because, College is Hard!

The transition to college can be exciting, but also difficult. You may be leaving the comforts of home and sharing space with others for the first time while managing stressors associated with college life.
Inc.5000 Award

INC 5000 Award

CARE Counseling makes the Inc. 5000 list for fastest growing private companies for three years in a row!

MSP Magazine News Feature

CARE Counseling was featured in an article on “Mental Health: Hurdles to Help,” by Lindsey Scharold with Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine.

Life Satisfaction: 7 Things to Nurture Emotional Well-Being

“The best predictor for adult life satisfaction is subjective well-being and emotional health during childhood” according to the World Happiness Report. Less than half (47%) of Americans report being “very satisfied” with their own lives.

CARE Counseling Announces New Doctoral Internship

CARE Counseling is thrilled to begin offering a Doctoral Internship for Counseling and Clinical Psychology doctoral students enrolled in accredited graduate programs!

Bracing Yourself for Change: Flexible Vs. Blinded Optimism

Change is stressful, and there will be going to be challenges and these will be temporary; however, this is also an opportunity to utilize your strengths and access the internal and external resources that are available.

Suicide Prevention for Co-Workers: 5 Action Steps

The death of a co-worker can come as an unexpected shock, especially when they have died by suicide. If you are aware that a colleague is struggling, you can make a significant impact in helping them get the care they need.

Clinicians Info

clinicians-info

Customized Meditations for You

What comes to mind when you hear the word meditation? Stereotypes hold some people back from mindfulness practice. That is unfortunate. It is important to dispel the myths and understand the things people get wrong about mindfulness.

Going from Good to Great When You Are Not OK

How often do you get asked, “How are you?” and the polite go-to response is “I’m fine” or “good” thank you. How are you? These phrases are common greetings in the United States but seem to lack much depth.

The Client-Therapist Relationship: Transactional or Relational?

There is a transactional element that is present in receiving therapeutic services; however, a strong therapeutic relationship is vital to the success of therapy.
Summer health tips- blue sky with hands in yoga pose

6 Summer Health Tips to Feel Amazing This Summer

Making lifestyle changes has a significant impact on mental health and well-being. When you take care of your body and engage in safe and enjoyable activities, it has a direct impact on how you think and feel about yourself.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Meditation helps one become more present, utilizing the practice of being mindful. Perhaps you already have a basic understanding of meditation

Emotional Intelligence for Families

Self-awareness is a key skill of emotional intelligence. One way to build self-awareness early within a child’s life is to build their feelings vocabulary.

CARE COUNSELING IS A 2024 TOP WORKPLACE

CARE Counseling has been recognized in the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces for the third year in a row!  In 2024, CARE was named on the National Standard Setters list.

Men’s Mental Health Month

CARE Counseling was featured in an interview on the “Stigma still surrounds mental health issues in men,” with Laker Pioneer press.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Intersectionality of PRIDE and Juneteenth

In honor of Juneteenth in the middle of PRIDE month, intersectionality is a reminder that we hold multiple identities such as our race/ ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, religion, disability, and age that create unique lived experiences for each person, resulting in different advantages and disadvantages.

Relationship Violence

Partner abuse, domestic abuse, and intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. Unfortunately, abuse and violence in relationships are all too common.

Three Reasons Why It Can Be Difficult For Men to Seek Out Therapy

Men, it is OK to reach out for help. Asking for help is not easy, especially when topics are sensitive, and you may feel vulnerable.

Support for Emergency Responders and Professionals at Risk

Did you know that approximately 70% of the world’s population has been exposed to a traumatic life event?