Treatment for College Students and Young Adults

Children and Adolescents  |  Young Adults

The time between high school and your 30’s is a time of rapid change and transition. Decisions have to be made about career, relationships, and what kind of person you’d like to be. These decisions often come with ambivalence, anxiety, confusion, and depression. Some common problems associated with young adults:

1. Anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis among college students and more than half of all college students visit college clinics to seek treatment for anxiety.

2. Increased avoidance (procrastination, difficulty making decisions independently, social anxiety and avoidance of social activities) in academic, employment, and social functioning.

3. The difficulties encountered by all family members when young adults move back in with parents after college.

4. The need to learn skills to cope with new independence and responsibilities.

5. Difficulties with substance use and abuse.

6. Confusion associated with identity formation around sexuality, professional development, and values.

Woman looking sad
Please contact our support staff to
schedule a consultation at or intake@cognitivetherapynyc.com

The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy offers individual, family, and group sessions to help young adults and families:

  • Identify life values
  • Sort through career options
  • Improve social relationships
  • Redefine family relationships
  • Cope with the emotions associated with this time of transition

Services are tailored to your needs and goals.  You and your consulting psychologist will decide what kind of treatment makes sense for you.

AICT Staff who work with children and adolescents:

Susan Trachtenberg Paula, Ph.D., Director of Child and Adolescent Program, is a New York State licensed psychologist with extensive experience in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and cognitive-behavioral play therapy.She works primarily with clients of all ages, from very young children to adults, and with families. Dr. Paula specializes in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and emotional dysregulation in children and adults.  She also treats and specializes in mood and anxiety disorders across the life span and in helping parents develop effective skills for managing difficult behavior in their children.

Melissa D. Horowitz, PsyD, Director of Clinical Training, Director of Eating Disorders and Weight Management Program, is a New York State licensed psychologist with extensive experience in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), social problem-solving, motivational interviewing and mindfulness-based approaches. She works with adolescents, college students, adults and families. Dr. Horowitz specializes in the treatment of eating disorders (binge eating disorder, bulimia, anorexia) and body-image and weight-management issues in both men and women. She also specializes in the treatment of mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder), anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, panic disorder, phobias), and obsessive compulsive and related disorders (trichotillomania, skin-picking, body-dysmorphic disorder). Additional areas of expertise include insomnia, grief, procrastination, perfectionism, substance abuse, personality disorders and chronic health issues. Dr. Horowitz has been intensively trained in working with individuals struggling with regulating their emotions, impulsivity, poor problem-solving skills, interpersonal conflicts and self-injury.

Peggilee Wupperman, Ph.D., Clinician  is a New York State licensed psychologist who is currently associate professor at John Jay College/City University of New York, assistant clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, and director of the Mindfulness and Modification Therapy Program at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Outpatient Center. Dr. Wupperman completed her pre-doctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine, attended a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington under the direction of Marsha Linehan (founder of Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and returned to Yale School of Medicine for an advanced postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychotherapy Development Center. Dr. Wupperman has extensive experience providing mindfulness-based treatments, cognitive behavior therapy, DBT, interpersonal psychotherapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and motivation-enhancement therapies. She specializes in treating clients who struggle with anxiety and/or problem behaviors (issues with alcohol/drugs use, anger outbursts, binge eating, etc.) that interfere with living lives that fit their values. She understands that these behaviors are often used to cope with difficult emotions and may seem impossible to resist. Thus, she uses a compassionate and empirically supported approach to help clients decrease problem behaviors, address the urges and anxiety that often occur when the behaviors are decreased, and begin to live lives that feel more meaningful and fulfilling.

Please Contact us at (212) 308-2440 to set up an appointment.

The AICT
Cognitive Therapy
Podcast
Substance Abuse Miniseries by
Dr. Graham Reynolds