Ravi (they/them) had struggled beneath the surface for years. During high school with the support of their parents, Gwen and Aaron, daily structure and consistent routines helped them hold it together. Now, they were anticipating going to college and the overwhelming transition ahead. Meeting their future roommate, choosing their major, and moving to a new city felt daunting. Gwen started to notice that Ravi’s ADHD, social anxiety, and depression was making it difficult for them to function. With more free time, a once light-hearted hobby, video games, quickly became an obsession taking over most of each day, obscuring time to enjoy the end of senior year.
Treatment and Life Goals
Gwen and Aaron decided a summer intensive for mental health treatment to support Ravi’s transition to college was a good idea to help them get on track. Due to personal hardships of their own, they realized they had not fully grasped the extent of Ravi’s struggles and wanted to find help. The Dorm’s skills, community-based model felt like the right fit for Ravi to gain more independence while in a supportive, affirming environment. Ravi arrived at treatment hoping to feel more equipped to navigate the college transition and improve their mental health.
At The Dorm, Ravi arrived with the goals of:
- Learn to manage anxiety and regulate emotions
- Decrease time playing video games
- Feel capable of taking care of themself
- Reconnect with their interests
Treatment Plan and Recovery Journey
Individual Therapy
Motivational Interviewing was essential for Ravi to feel capable of connecting with others, quit their video game addiction, and reconnect with their hobbies. With their therapist, they started to think about a different future for themselves with more community and fulfillment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) allowed Ravi space to reframe their anxious thoughts and challenge some of their negative assumptions about themselves. Through connecting their thoughts, feelings, and actions, they gradually changed their habits to be more in line with their goals.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) gave Ravi tangible mindfulness skills for when they felt dysregulated or impulsive. DBT and CBT together helped Ravi realize the extent they were using video games as a tool to regulate their emotions and avoid discomfort.
Group Therapy
Cognitive Remediation was a helpful group for Ravi to work on their cognitive function, such as working memory and attention, in community with other individuals. Over time, Ravi found that they had better focus and were able to remember certain daily tasks like taking their medication or sending emails.
Social Skills was useful for Ravi to navigate their social anxiety and practice engaging with their peers. Role-playing with others in the group made Ravi feel more comfortable chatting in the Clubhouse in between groups and introducing themself to new people.
In Family Systems Ravi realized how their behaviors and coping mechanisms were connected to family dynamics with Gwen and Aaron. Hearing about the patterns in their peers’ families helped Ravi gain self-awareness and inspired them to approach these relationships in a new way.
Parent Coaching and Family Therapy
In Family Therapy, Ravi and their parents unpacked their family roles and practiced setting boundaries to create a healthier dynamic. Gwen and Aaron recognized the ways they had taken their stress out on Ravi over the years and created a plan for how they would emotionally regulate themselves in future times of overwhelm.
March 2026
Community Clubhouse
The Dorm’s welcoming and affirming Clubhouse challenged Ravi’s social anxiety. As they felt more comfortable interacting with others, they met a couple of friends that they would grab boba tea with in between groups. Feeling more comfortable with themself, they also reconnected with friends they had lost touch with from earlier in high school.
Ravi Today: Outcomes
At The Dorm, as Ravi found more motivation and inspiration, they reconnected with their hobby of gardening and landscaping. They forgot how much they loved tending to their plants growing up, learning about irrigation, and weeding with Gwen and Aaron. At the end of their summer intensive before freshman year, they found that their college had a community garden any student could join! Working with their clinical coach, it seemed like a great opportunity to put their newfound interest into action when they arrived at school in the fall. Today, Ravi is an active member of their school’s garden – helping to grow veggies and flowers – and meeting new friends along the way. Getting their hands dirty in soil, joking around with peers, and beautifying the garden space has proven immensely rewarding.
Although Ravi still deals with mental health struggles from time to time, they feel well-equipped with the tools to calm themself down and explain how they are feeling to their new friends and family. It helps that Gwen, Aaron, and Ravi have never felt closer. Seeing Ravi enjoying their daily life and forming new friendships makes Gwen and Aaron feel overwhelmed with pride and hope.
