Shaifali Sandhya, PhD. 

STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH

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University students psychotherapy

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We offer counseling for students around the following health concerns:

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• Anxiety and attention-related matters

• Attention-deficit disorder

• Depression

• Eating disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, body image and fat concerns)

• LGBTQ identity 

• Relationship challenges

• Stress

• Trauma and bereavement

• Self-esteem

• Sexual trauma

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​For the freshman today, stress is at its all time high. Recent research indicates growing alcoholism, drug abuse, and dropping out. A high-stress and high achievement campus culture activates preexisting vulnerabilities.

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While all students can face a turbulent freshman or sophomore year, the challenges may be pretty different or severe based on their national origin, ethnicity, foreign status, or culture. For example, information compiled by the American Psychological Association sheds light on the epidemic of silent despair that may be exacerbated by ethnicity: 

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• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Asian-Americans aged 15-34

• US-born Asian-American women have a higher lifetime rate of suicidal thoughts (15.9 percent) than that of the general U.S. population (13.5 percent)

• Among Asian-American adults, those aged 18-34 have the highest rates of suicidal thoughts (11.9 percent), intent (4.4 percent) and attempts (3.8 percent) compared to other age groups

• Asian-Americans college students are more likely than White American students to have had suicidal thoughts and to attempt suicide

 

Even the most smart and successful students can sometimes feel that they can work through their low motivation/ low moods by themselves or through the help of friends, family, or a partner. Add to that, being an international student: Imagine, arriving in the US as a foreign student on the campus with the added strain of a new language; vastly different ways friendships, learning, and how the teacher-student relationship is structured. Thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts may peak during college. However, issues of psychological health can sometimes be too complex and require the intervention of a trained professional in a confidential setting. Even when professors or department chairs might recognize struggling students, they may not have culturally-matched psychologists on staff. University Counseling Centers may be too crowded with long-wait times, offer a nominal five sessions with no psychological testing that may cause students to be concerned about conserving their visits - defeating the purpose of timely help at a time when they most need it.

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For example, in their January 2017, the Chicago Maroon describes these lapses in mental health services at The University of Chicago's Counseling Center. Long waits for mental health to the University Counseling Center with a student-clinician ratio that is 702:1,  shortage of psychiatrists, and chronic delays in seeing a counselor, leave alone a psychologist can impact a student's mental health status negatively and impact their desire to even seek therapy for necessary conditions!

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As a professor who has taught for over a decade at Universities in Chicago such as the University of Chicago and has provided short-term

and long-term counseling for students and medical residents at The University of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine - Northwestern University, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Depaul University, Loyola University, Columbia College, and University of Illinois, Arts Institute, I am familiar with the pressures they have to undergo and the continuous care they need to focus on their ambitions, hopes, and dreams.

 

We offer urgent and prompt appointments within the same week of the initial call to give your loved one the priority their health status deserves.​​

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If you are a parent, partner, or student who is concerned about a distress in your child, partner or friend, please call, email, or request an appointment online.