Young Adult Therapy in Virginia

College Students and Young Adult Therapy for Life Transitions, Anxiety, and Identity Development

College life and early adulthood can bring intense pressure, uncertainty, and emotional strain. At Thrive Counseling for Healing & Connection, we provide developmentally informed therapy for college students and young adults navigating anxiety, academic stress, identity exploration, self-worth, and the challenges of becoming independent while staying connected.

We offer in-person therapy in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and secure online therapy for college students across Virginia, making support accessible whether you’re living on campus, commuting, or studying from home.

The transition from adolescence into adulthood can be both exciting and overwhelming. For young adults (ages 19–25), this season brings identity shifts, academic pressure, changing relationships, and big decisions about the future—often all at once. Many of our clients are college students enrolled at universities across Virginia who are seeking support during a season of academic pressure, personal growth, and transition.

Whether you’re in college, entering the workforce, navigating family or romantic relationships, or feeling unsure of your next step, therapy offers a place to slow down, sort through the noise, and reconnect with yourself. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we provide young adult therapy in Fredericksburg and secure online therapy across Virginia, so support can meet you wherever you are.

Who College Student & Young Adult Therapy Is For

Young adult therapy at Thrive may be a good fit if you are:

  • Feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck

  • Navigating college stress, academic pressure, or identity questions

  • Struggling with family dynamics or romantic relationships

  • Adjusting to independence, adulthood, or life transitions

  • Neurodivergent and feeling misunderstood or burned out

  • Coping with cultural, generational, or family expectations

  • Carrying the impact of past experiences or trauma

  • Feeling pressure to “have it all figured out”

You don’t need to be in crisis to start therapy. Many young adults come because something feels off—and they want support finding steadiness and direction.

Specialized Support for Today’s Young Adults

At Thrive, we recognize that young adulthood is not one-size-fits-all. Our therapists offer specialized, affirming care for young adults navigating unique pressures and identities, including:

Geek-Affirming & Fandom-Based Therapy
For gamers, anime fans, sci-fi/fantasy lovers, tabletop players, and young adults who feel most themselves through shared interests. Therapy may incorporate fandoms and passions as a bridge to connection, emotional expression, and self-understanding.

Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
Support for autistic young adults, individuals with ADHD, and others navigating neurodivergence—especially within the pressures of college, work, relationships, and independence. Therapy focuses on regulation, self-compassion, identity, and navigating a world not always designed for neurodivergent minds.

College & Academic Pressure Support
Including students at HBCUs and other high-pressure academic environments. Therapy offers space to process performance pressure, imposter syndrome, racial or cultural stressors, and the emotional toll of expectations from family or community.

Young Adults Navigating Family & Romantic Relationships
Support for setting boundaries, understanding attachment patterns, navigating conflict, and building healthier, more secure relationships—both with family of origin and romantic partners.

Culturally Responsive Therapy for Hispanic Young Adults
Therapy that honors cultural identity, family values, immigration-related stress, bicultural experiences, and generational expectations, offered with cultural humility and care.

Our Approach to Young Adult Therapy

Our work with young adults is attachment-based, trauma-informed, and developmentally attuned. All Thrive therapists provide stage one trauma-informed care, focused on emotional safety, regulation, and stabilization.

Depending on your needs, therapists may integrate CBT, DBT-informed skills, EMDR, mindfulness-based approaches, and supportive therapy to help you:

  • Reduce anxiety and overwhelm

  • Build emotional awareness and confidence

  • Understand relational patterns

  • Strengthen coping skills

  • Clarify values and direction

Therapy is paced with intention and collaboration—this is about growth, not pressure.

Online Therapy for Young Adults Across Virginia

We offer secure online therapy for college students and young adults across Virginia. Virtual sessions provide flexibility for busy schedules, commuting students, and those who feel more comfortable meeting from their own space—without sacrificing depth or quality of care.

Our Young Adult Therapy Team

Young adult therapy at Thrive is provided by clinicians with specialized training and passion for this life stage:

In-person therapy in Fredericksburg or online across Virginia — we’ll meet you where you are. Ready to begin? Schedule your first session today. Still have questions? We are here to walk you through it.

“Young adult therapy office at Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection in Fredericksburg, Virginia”

Evidence-Based Practices for Young Adults

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
    EMDR is a powerful method for processing trauma and reducing the emotional intensity of past experiences. Our trained therapists use EMDR to help you feel more in control and less triggered by difficult memories. Learn more.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based approach to healing emotional wounds by exploring the different “parts” within you—such as the inner critic, the people-pleaser, or the part that holds trauma or anxiety. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, our therapists use IFS to help you develop self-awareness, reduce inner conflict, and reconnect with your core Self—the calm, compassionate inner leader we all have. IFS therapy can be especially helpful for individuals struggling with anxiety, trauma, low self-worth, or relationship patterns rooted in past experiences.

  • Trauma-Focused CBT is an evidence-based therapy designed to help children, teens, and young adults heal from traumatic experiences. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use TF-CBT to gently guide clients in understanding how trauma has impacted their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through a structured and supportive process, clients learn to reduce trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, nightmares, and emotional reactivity. This approach combines cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation skills, and safe trauma processing to promote long-term healing and resilience.

  • At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use mindfulness therapy, somatic therapy, and brain-based interventions to support holistic, trauma-informed healing. Mindfulness helps you stay grounded in the present moment and relate to your thoughts and emotions with more awareness and compassion. Somatic therapy for trauma focuses on how the body stores stress and emotional pain, using tools like breathwork, movement, and sensation to restore calm and safety. Our brain-based therapy techniques, informed by neuroscience, help regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and support lasting emotional resilience.

  • Ego State Therapy
    Ego State Therapy is a trauma-informed approach that helps you explore the different “parts” or “states” of self that form in response to life experiences—especially during times of stress or trauma. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use Ego State Therapy to support clients in understanding internal conflicts, emotional triggers, and behaviors that may feel confusing or out of sync with their goals. By working with these internal parts in a safe and supportive way, clients develop greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing from past wounds. Ego State Therapy is especially helpful for those navigating complex trauma, anxiety, and attachment wounds.