Success in college goes beyond being able to memorize facts about the Roman Empire, submit an essay about “Hamlet” a minute before the deadline and properly use a graphing calculator. It’s about making sure you know the end goals that you’re working toward, the steps you need to take to achieve them, and developing the skills you need to thrive both as a student and a graduate.

No one gets through life alone, especially when you’re trying to navigate the many obstacles that come from college. That’s why it’s important to know when to seek help. You should be seeking guidance not only for your success in the classroom, but also for your mental health. If you don’t take the time and effort to care for your mental and emotional well-being, your academics can be affected as well.

You’ve probably heard of an academic adviser. They are essentially a type of counselor that guides you along your academic path during college. They help you figure out what career path may fit you and plan out your schedule to meet the right requirements for your degree.

A mental health adviser refers to a mental health professional who works almost exclusively with college students. Campuses offer mental health services through licensed mental health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors or therapists within a counseling center or student health center. Their role is to help students maintain their mental health and ensure that they have the support they need to achieve success. 

Licensed mental health professionals on campus are qualified to assess, diagnose and provide therapy for mental health conditions. They offer individual or group counseling and develop treatment plans tailored to your needs. They also work to provide the right information and advocate for a student who needs mental health support.

Both academic and mental health advisers can play a role in a successful, fulfilling college career. Here are four reasons you should seek their help:

• They give you space for self-reflection — College is all about figuring out who you are, who you want to be and what you want to achieve. Those realizations don’t come easy. An academic adviser can help you figure out the career path that best suits your interests and strengths. A mental health adviser fosters a judgment-free zone to think about your internal struggles and stressors. By encouraging self-reflection, your advisers can help you increase self-awareness and pinpoint your unique wants and needs.
• They listen to your concerns — When it comes to your thoughts and feelings, being genuinely listened to can make a significant difference in improving your mindset toward difficult situations. Both types of advisers can validate your concerns and help you navigate them for the right solution. While an academic adviser wants to make sure you’re confident and successful in your academic choices, a mental health adviser wants to provide you with the best solutions that are tailored to your mental health symptoms.
• They become a source of support — The truth is that not everyone has a support system to lean on during difficult times. Not every student has a family they can depend on or friends that they feel comfortable opening up to. For some students, mental health and academic advisers are their only sources of support. Both advisers want to give you the tools you need to succeed, work to motivate you to be the best student you can and believe in you when you may not believe in yourself.
• They connect you with the right resources — Academic and mental health advisers connect you with the resources you need to reach your goals. For example, an academic adviser can point you in the right direction of clubs or programs that align with your interests. A mental health adviser can determine if you need further mental health support, such as outpatient therapy. They can also see if adjustments need to be made with your professors to take your symptoms into account during class. 

Learning about the benefits you can gain from seeing mental health and academic advisers can help you see that you don’t need to go through your challenges alone. Whether you need to make adjustments to your course load or learn where you can address your anxiety, someone is there to help.

While we know how important academics are, Lightfully is all about helping you along your mental health journey as you work toward your degree. If your mental health adviser believes you need more intensive support for your challenges or distress, Lightfully U is here to help.

Our Lightfully U program is a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP) for college students. We can help you address and reduce the mental health distress that’s impacting your academic success, such as severe anxiety and depression symptoms. You’ll learn about the root issues of your symptoms and learn coping strategies to help them.

In addition to our vIOP, we offer the following intensive levels of care if you have mental health disorder symptoms that you’re having trouble managing on your own:

• Residential Treatment Center
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Partial Hospitalization Program

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.