Halfway through the semester, Yan began to struggle to meet the expectations of their undergraduate degree while coping with a destabilizing personal loss. With flexible treatment support that accommodated their class schedule, they were able to better navigate the semester’s hurdles and complete their finals.
Presenting Problems
Upon admission, Yan felt they could “no longer cope with going to class or studying for finals” during their sophomore year. Diagnosed with prolonged grief disorder and mild depression, they required supplemental intensive outpatient programming support three days a week to stay on track with their courseload and to navigate finals.
Treatment and Life Goals
While undergoing treatment at The Dorm, Yan strived to:
- Process their grief and increase adaptive coping skills
- Improve their ability to balance the demands of college and their personal life
- Finish up the semester, complete coursework deadlines and finals
Treatment Plan and Recovery Journey
Individual Therapy
In their individual therapy sessions, Yan’s clinical team employed a variety of modalities to support their treatment goals, including:
- Grief therapy, to help them process their loved one’s passing.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy, to assist with their distress tolerance around grief and loss, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
- Motivational Interviewing, to maintain their engagement and motivation to continue in treatment while pursuing their academic goals.
Clinical Coaching
Yan also took part in clinical coaching sessions, which enabled them to apply skills learned in therapy to real-world situations.
- Regular text message support from Yan’s clinical coach supported them in integrating coping skills to manage their grief and some maladaptive behaviors.
- Executive functioning support helped Yan develop a routine in their daily life and keep their academic tasks organized, helping them complete coursework on time and prepare to study for their finals.
Group Therapy
Though Yan preferred individual work, they still participated in, gained skills from, and built relationships with their peers through attending many groups, such as:
- DBT Group, providing them with feedback from peers on how to incorporate coping skills daily.
- Grief and Loss Group. Yan benefited from exploring the impact of their grief on their relationships and mental health with peers navigating similar experiences. It was a safe space to share feelings, memories, and explore new coping strategies.
- Trans/Non-binary Process (TGNB). Yan greatly benefited from being part of a group that serves and supports nonbinary identities, gender diversity, and gender neutrality. With a focus on issues like relationships, sex, health, body image, and self-worth, Yan found the group to be a uniquely affirming and embracing space.
Community Clubhouse
Yan was actively involved in various Clubhouse activities, including art club and music club. The relationships they built during treatment gave them a strong sense of community that extended beyond their collegiate campus, helping them feel less alone in the face of their grief and mental health challenges.
Yan Today: Outcomes
Though their feelings of loss will never disappear, with the support of The Dorm, Yan is now able to put coping skills and emotional regulation skills into practice. After just a few months of IOP treatment, Yan was successfully able to submit several coursework projects on-time and complete their finals. Most importantly, they discharged feeling more confident in their abilities to face difficult situations in the future with the full support of The Dorm community behind them.
