You may feel anxious, overwhelmed, confused, isolated or unsure about what you’re doing with your life. Perhaps you don’t feel like yourself, you’re struggling with relationships, or you’re finding it difficult to cope with emotions that you don’t fully understand.

At Nightingale Counselling, we provide young adult counselling in Glasgow and online for people aged 16–25.

Our therapists understand that counselling with a young adult can require a different approach from traditional adult therapy. Building trust, creating a safe space and allowing you to have a voice in the counselling process are central to our work.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before asking for help.

Get in touch with the Nightingale team. You can either call us on 0141 353 9373 or info@nightingalecounsellingconsultancy.co.uk or use the Contact Page.

Counselling for Young Adults Aged 16–25

The transition from adolescence into adulthood can involve some significant changes.

You may be:

• Leaving school and deciding what to do next
• Starting university or college
• Beginning your first job
• Moving away from home
• Adjusting to living independently
• Developing new friendships and relationships
• Experiencing changes within your family
• Trying to understand your identity
• Feeling pressure about your future
• Struggling to manage increased responsibilities

Sometimes these changes feel exciting.

At other times, they can feel overwhelming.

You may feel as though everyone else knows what they’re doing while you’re struggling to work out your own direction.

Counselling can give you somewhere to step back from all of this, make sense of what you’re experiencing and work out what you need.

How Can Young Adult Counselling Help?

Young adult counselling provides a confidential space where you can talk about what’s happening in your life without having to worry about being judged.

Your counsellor can help you:

• Understand your thoughts and emotions
• Manage anxiety and stress
• Improve your confidence and self-esteem
• Develop healthier coping strategies
• Understand and manage difficult emotions
• Work through relationship difficulties
• Cope with changes and transitions
• Explore questions about identity and sexuality
• Process difficult or traumatic experiences
• Manage low mood and depression
• Improve communication and assertiveness
• Understand patterns in your behaviour
• Build resilience
• Feel more in control of your life

You don’t need to arrive with a clear diagnosis or a specific problem.

Sometimes you simply know that things aren’t feeling right.

That’s enough reason to ask for support.

What Issues Can Young Adult Counselling Help With?

Our young adult counsellors support people experiencing a wide range of difficulties.

Anxiety and Stress

You may feel constantly worried, overwhelmed or under pressure. Anxiety can affect university, work, relationships, sleep and your ability to enjoy everyday life.

Low Mood and Depression

Low mood can make it difficult to find motivation, enjoy things you previously liked or see a positive future.

Counselling can provide space to understand what you’re experiencing and explore ways of moving forward.

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Young adulthood can bring significant pressure to compare yourself with other people.

You may struggle with confidence, body image, self-worth or feeling that you’re not good enough.

Counselling can help you understand where these beliefs come from and develop a healthier relationship with yourself.

Relationships

Friendships, family relationships and romantic relationships can all change during young adulthood.

You may be experiencing conflict, difficulty communicating, uncertainty about a relationship or challenges around boundaries.

Counselling can help you understand relationship patterns and develop healthier ways of communicating.

Identity and Sexuality

Young adulthood can be a time of exploring who you are and what matters to you.

You may have questions about your identity, sexuality, relationships or your place within your family and wider world.

Counselling provides a confidential space to explore these questions without judgement.

Bereavement and Loss

Losing someone important can be particularly difficult while you’re also navigating other changes in your life.

Counselling can provide support while you process grief and adjust to life after a loss.

Family Difficulties

Relationships with parents and family can change significantly as you become more independent.

You may be experiencing conflict, feeling misunderstood or struggling to communicate with your family.

Counselling can help you explore these relationships and decide what you need from them.

Trauma and Abuse

Some young adults are affected by difficult or traumatic experiences from childhood or more recent events.

If past experiences are affecting your emotions, relationships, confidence or sense of safety, trauma-focused counselling may be helpful.

Sleep Problems

Stress, anxiety, low mood and changes in routine can all affect sleep.

If you’re struggling with sleep alongside other emotional difficulties, counselling can help explore some of the factors contributing to the problem.

Anger and Emotional Regulation

You may find that your emotions feel difficult to control or that you react more strongly than you would like.

Counselling can help you understand what is behind these reactions and develop healthier ways of managing difficult emotions.

When Should a Young Adult Consider Counselling?

You don’t have to wait until things become overwhelming before seeking support.

Counselling may be worth considering if:

• You feel persistently anxious or low
• You’re struggling to cope with everyday responsibilities
• Your relationships are becoming difficult
• You’re withdrawing from friends or family
• You’re struggling with confidence or self-esteem
• You’re having difficulty managing your emotions
• You’re finding university or work difficult to manage
• You’re struggling after leaving home
• You’re experiencing intrusive or distressing thoughts
• You’re using alcohol or other substances to cope
• Something from your past continues to affect you
• You feel stuck but don’t know why
• You simply feel that you need someone to talk to

You don’t need to know exactly what is wrong before making an appointment.

An initial assessment can help you and your counsellor understand what you’re experiencing and what type of support might be most appropriate.

What Makes Young Adult Counselling Different?

Counselling for a young adult isn’t necessarily the same as counselling for an older adult.

At 16–25, you may be developing greater independence while still navigating relationships with parents and family. You may also be making major decisions about education, work, relationships and your future.

Our young adult counsellors understand these particular challenges.

Building trust is especially important. You need to feel that your counsellor understands your world and that you have control over what you discuss.

At Nightingale, our young adult therapists use a range of counselling approaches depending on your needs, rather than expecting everyone to follow exactly the same treatment.

What Happens in Young Adult Counselling?

Your first session is an opportunity to get to know your counsellor and talk about what has brought you to counselling.

You might discuss:

• What’s happening in your life
• How you’ve been feeling
• What you’re finding difficult
• Your relationships
• Family circumstances
• Education or work
• Previous experiences of counselling
• What you would like to change

You don’t have to know exactly what you want to talk about.

Your counsellor can help you explore what’s going on and decide together what would be useful to work on.

Over time, counselling may help you develop greater self-awareness, understand your emotions and find new ways of coping with challenges.

What If I Don’t Know What to Say?

That’s completely okay.

Many young adults worry that they’ll sit down in their first session and have no idea what to talk about.

You don’t need to prepare a speech or have everything worked out beforehand.

Your counsellor will help guide the conversation and give you space to explain what’s been happening in your own words.

You are also allowed to take your time.

Confidentiality and Young Adult Counselling

Confidentiality is an important part of counselling.

You need to feel able to talk honestly about your experiences and know that your conversations are treated respectfully and confidentially, within the normal professional and safeguarding boundaries that apply to counselling.

This is particularly important for young adults who may worry about what their parents, family members, university or other people will be told.

Before counselling begins, your therapist can explain how confidentiality works and answer any questions you have.

If You’re a Parent Looking for Counselling for Your Young Adult

If you’re a parent, watching your child struggle as they become an adult can be difficult.

You may be worried about their mental health, relationships, education, behaviour or future, while also feeling unsure about how much to get involved.

Sometimes your attempts to help can feel as though they are making things worse.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing anything wrong. Becoming more independent is an important part of young adulthood, and the relationship between a parent and young adult can change considerably during this period.

At Nightingale, we recognise the importance of considering the wider family context while also giving the young adult their own confidential therapeutic space.

Where appropriate, our young adult counselling process may involve sessions with parents before the young adult begins counselling. This can help the therapist understand family history and dynamics and give parents an opportunity to discuss their concerns.

The exact approach will depend on the young person’s age, circumstances and needs.

Young Adult Counselling in Glasgow and Online

Nightingale Counselling provides young adult counselling in Glasgow as well as online counselling.

Our Glasgow-based consulting rooms provide a confidential and comfortable environment for face-to-face therapy.

Online counselling can also be a useful option if you are studying away from home, have moved to another part of the UK or simply feel more comfortable attending sessions from home.

Why Choose Nightingale for Young Adult Counselling?

Specialist experience with young adults

Our young adult service is specifically designed for people aged 16–25 rather than simply treating young adults as younger versions of adult clients.

A therapist who understands your stage of life

Starting university, entering employment, leaving home and developing independence can all bring unique challenges.

A confidential, non-judgemental space

You can talk about what’s happening in your life without worrying that your counsellor will judge you.

Individualised counselling

Our therapists use different counselling approaches and techniques depending on your individual needs and circumstances.

Support for a wide range of difficulties

From anxiety and low mood to relationships, confidence, family difficulties, bereavement, trauma and identity, counselling can provide support for many of the challenges young adults experience.

Glasgow and online appointments

We offer face-to-face counselling in Glasgow alongside online sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Young Adult Counselling

What age is young adult counselling for?

Nightingale’s specialist young adult counselling service is for people aged 16–25.

What can young adult counselling help with?

Young adult counselling can help with a wide range of difficulties, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationships, family problems, bereavement, trauma, stress, identity, sexuality and difficulties adjusting to major life changes.

Is counselling confidential for young adults?

Confidentiality is an important part of counselling. Your therapist will explain confidentiality and its limits during the counselling process, including any safeguarding responsibilities that apply.

Can my parents attend counselling with me?

Nightingale’s young adult service may involve parents in the early stages where appropriate, particularly to understand family history and dynamics. The exact arrangements will depend on your individual circumstances.

What if my parent wants me to have counselling but I don’t?

It is important that young adults feel involved in their own counselling process. Your therapist can discuss your concerns and help you understand what counselling involves rather than simply expecting you to talk because somebody else has asked you to.

Can counselling help with university stress?

Yes. University can involve academic pressure, changes in relationships, financial concerns, loneliness, moving away from home and uncertainty about the future. Counselling can provide a space to explore these difficulties and develop healthier ways of coping.

Can young adult counselling help with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety is one of the difficulties that young adults may bring to counselling. Therapy can help you understand anxiety, identify patterns that may be maintaining it and develop strategies for managing it.

Can I have young adult counselling online?

Yes. Nightingale offers online counselling as well as face-to-face appointments in Glasgow.

How long does young adult counselling take?

There is no standard number of sessions. The length of counselling depends on your individual circumstances, goals and the difficulties you’re experiencing.

You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out

Being a young adult can sometimes feel as though you’re expected to know who you are, what you want and where you’re going.

The reality is that working these things out can take time.

If you’re struggling with anxiety, relationships, confidence, family difficulties, low mood or simply feeling lost, counselling can give you somewhere to pause and work out what you need.

At Nightingale Counselling, our young adult therapists provide a confidential, supportive space where you can talk openly, make sense of what’s happening and develop new ways of coping.

Find out more about our counsellors 

Get in touch with the Nightingale team. You can either call us on 0141 353 9373 or info@nightingalecounsellingconsultancy.co.uk or use the Contact Page.

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