Quarterlife Center - Counseling for Young Adults

  Are you a parent, grandparent, friend, or loved one of an adult quarterlifer? Quarterlifers are individuals who are in their twenties or thirties. They’re the millennials or Gen Zers in your life who you may notice are struggling right now. Whether they’re back home living with you, suffering from unemployment, generally lacking motivation, sleeping a lot, socially isolating themselves, or just not opening up to you about it, then you may wonder… What can I do to help? If you think someone you know is having a quarterlife crisis, you can help. Here’s what we suggest. What should I do if I think my loved one is having a quarterlife crisis? If you know a quarterlifer who is struggling, you’re not alone. We often hear from family members or other loved ones who believe that their child or friend is suffering. This is what you can do. 1. Recognize the symptoms Symptoms of a quarterlife crisis include: Lack of motivation Irritability Tearfulness Anxiety about the future Difficulty mak...

  If you’re a parent of a quarterlifer, you may be looking at your son or daughter in distress. These 20- or 30-something Millennials and Gen Z-ers are at a pivotal point in their lives, and along with everything else going on, the last couple of years haven’t been easy on them. Yet, as much as you want to help, sometimes your actions may be making the situation worse (doesn’t every parent love to hear that!). In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 3 mistakes that parents of quarterlifers make and how you can redirect your energy and actions to actually improve their situation. 1. You offer too much help We all know these types of parents — and you might be one of them. Those that are overbearing and micromanaging. Of course, they mean well and want to help their child. It’s difficult to see your child struggling, and as a parent, you want to do anything you can to help them. However, now that your children are emerging adults, they’re developing independence and autonomy. This is the...

  Caitlin is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Career Coach who specializes in working with people in their 20’s & 30’s. Caitlin provides career groups and retreats at QLC. She believes that being in community can help  quarterlifers   build connection, inspire vision, and instill hope as people move towards their goals together. The unique thing about Caitlin’s work is that she has training both as a therapist and a career coach, and she integrates mental health counseling with career, relationships, and the rest of life to help clients take steps toward feeling better. Through talk therapy and career coaching, clients gain new insight into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which leads to more confidence. When Caitlin’s not working, she enjoys taking zumba classes, being outside in the sun, and spending time with family and friends. Education: BA Corporate Communications, Elon University MS Mental Health Counseling, Johns Hopkins Univers...

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index increased by 8.6% from May 2021 to May 2022. This was the largest 12-month increase since the period ending in December 1981. Most people are keenly aware of just how high the cost of living is. It costs more than it ever did to fill up your gas tank, put food on your table, pay your student loans and rent, and make ends meet. Forget vacation or savings! Now more than ever, quarterlifers are stressed about having a job that they enjoy, that pays enough, and that will help them through this rocky time in the U.S. economy. If you’re feeling pinched by recent inflation, here are some tips that can help. 1. Prioritize what you can control You may feel a punch to the gut every single time you go to the pump or check out at the grocery store. Prices are higher than they’ve ever been, but this isn’t something you can control. You need both gas and food — they are necessities. However, if you’re feeling like your money just ...

An interpersonal skills group to support those who want to improve their relationships. When you are in your twenties and thirties, there is a lot that life can throw at you. And here at QLC, we aim to give quarterlifers the skills to deal with those challenges. There are plenty of ups and downs in relationships, whether it’s relationships with your partner, your parents, your friends, or coworkers. One way to improve your relationships and cope with stress is to learn how to observe your experiences, regulate intense emotions, tolerate distress and develop effective interpersonal skills in a DBT interpersonal skills to foster relational satisfaction in a group therapy setting. In this group, you’ll get to learn new skills AND practice them with one another all with the guidance of an experienced DBT therapist. Let’s Dive into DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1970’s. While it has initially used for those with borderline personality disorder, or su...

  Are you thinking about starting therapy? Not sure how to choose the right therapist? You may have questions about what it’s all about. People often want to know what therapy is really like and what to expect. In this post, we share 12 common questions that we receive at QLC. The following information will simplify the process of finding the right therapist for you. If you have additional questions, please contact us at QLC . 1. Why go to therapy when I can just get advice from friends and family? Leaning on friends and family certainly can be helpful. That said, therapists are professionally trained to help you explore and discuss your difficulties and develop solutions to your particular problems. They have expertise in helping you express and evaluate your feelings, focusing entirely on you without bringing their own needs into the mix. Psychotherapy is a treatment process that is often very useful in helping people cope with their problems. Meeting with a therapist provides ...

If you’re a parent of a quarterlifer, you may be looking at your son or daughter in distress. These 20- or 30-something Millennials and Gen Z-ers are at a pivotal point in their lives, and along with everything else going on, the last couple of years haven’t been easy on them. Yet, as much as you want to help, sometimes your actions may be making the situation worse (doesn’t every parent love to hear that!). In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 3 mistakes that parents of quarterlifers make and how you can redirect your energy and actions to actually improve their situation. 1. You offer too much help We all know these types of parents — and you might be one of them. Those that are overbearing and micromanaging. Of course, they mean well and want to help their child. It’s difficult to see your child struggling, and as a parent, you want to do anything you can to help them. However, now that your children are emerging adults, they’re developing independence and autonomy. This is the time ...

  Are you in your twenties or thirties and grieving the death of a loved one? If you are, you already know that this is a particularly difficult time of life to grieve the loss of someone you love. Grieving a loss as a young adult is challenging for several reasons: 1) Experiencing grief during the quarterlife phase of life is an “off-time” life event, meaning that it is not expected to occur during that phase of life. We do not expect that young adults will have to experience the death of a friend or sibling, so it’s a non-normative event. It is expected, however, that a quarterlifer would experience the death of a grandparent, and this expected event is called an “on-time” or normative event. Off-time events have been found to be harder to cope with because they often feel unjust and unexpected. Because grief during the quarterlife stage of life is non-normative, quarterlifers who are mourning are likely to feel alone because peers don’t share and understand their experience. 2) ...

  When you graduated from college, moved out of your parents’ house, or took that other next big step into adulthood, you likely heard the following from someone in your life: “This is the most exciting time in your life! Make the most of it. Live every day to the fullest. I wish I could go back and do it all over again.” And yet, maybe it didn’t feel as exciting as it should have. In fact, your 20s and 30s, despite being the rumored “most exciting time of your life” can often be the most disorienting. It involves so many big decisions and new experiences that you’ll find yourself wondering, “What am I doing with my life?” or “Am I doing this right?” more often than you’d probably like. As you go through these transitions, you may experience a quarterlife crisis. This phenomenon is incredibly common for quarterlifers. Keep reading to learn the signs and symptoms below. What is a quarterlife crisis? A quarterlife crisis is a period when someone in their 20s or 30s experiences overwh...

  An interpersonal skills group to support those who want to improve their relationships. When you are in your twenties and thirties, there is a lot that life can throw at you. And here at QLC, we aim to give quarterlifers the skills to deal with those challenges. There are plenty of ups and downs in relationships, whether it’s relationships with your partner, your parents, your friends, or coworkers. One way to improve your relationships and cope with stress is to learn how to observe your experiences, regulate intense emotions, tolerate distress and develop effective interpersonal skills in a DBT interpersonal skills to foster relational satisfaction in a group therapy setting. In this group, you’ll get to learn new skills AND practice them with one another all with the guidance of an experienced DBT therapist. Let’s Dive into DBT Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by Marsha Linehan in the 1970’s. While it has initially used for those with borderline personality disorder,...

  Lifelong learning is critical for personal and professional growth, but outside the demands of life and career, it may be challenging to carve out time in order to pursue learning opportunities. If you are committed to moving forward and designing a context that is meaningful to you, you want to integrate learning into your day. One relatively easy way to do so is to listen to podcasts, which can help you gain insights about your career, strengthen your commitment to a decision you have made, or inspire you to pursue a direction you hadn’t even considered. No matter how busy you are, if you commute to and from school or work, run errands, walk your dog, exercise, clean or prepare meals, you can make these activities more exciting – and educational – by listening to podcasts. With a variety of existing platforms and no shortage of content, there really is no excuse not to try. Even as I compiled this list, over thirty podcasts came to mind. Ultimately, I decided to focus on eight ...