By Laura Finaldi, News Staff.

From the day the acceptance letter came and the deposit was mailed, it’s been four straight months of planning, picking classes, buying dorm decorations and connecting with fellow Northeastern-bound students on Facebook. Now the day is finally here. Everything is set in stone. No turning back now.

While all of the pieces may be in place, it’s not always smooth sailing going forward.

It’s inevitable that college isn’t going to be exactly what it seemed. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a struggle. University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) is aware of the issues that new and old students face and offers many solutions to them in the forms of group and individual therapy.

Stress is the biggest reason students seek help from UHCS, Madeleine Estabrook, executive director of UHCS, said.

For very basic stress relief, Estabrook recommends a healthy diet, seven to eight hours of sleep a night and 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week.

Prioritizing and knowing when enough is enough can help prevent enormous amounts of stress, Estabrook said. Maintaining a positive outlook, and not thinking everything is the end of the world can be a good way to cut back on stress levels.

“Examine your thoughts for unhelpful [or] untrue thoughts, think about why they are incorrect [or] unhelpful and substitute more correct [and] helpful ones,” she said.

Alanna Collins, a senior nursing major, said she likes to unwind after a crazy day by doing yoga, because it helps her see the big picture more clearly.

“It helps me find my inner peace,” she said. “I think it helps me put things in perspective.”

To take a yoga class, Estabrook recommends stopping by the Sacred Space in Ell Hall, where they hold both meditation and yoga classes as ways to keep the mind, body and soul healthy.

There are some issues, however, that require more than a run on the treadmill or a change in diet to be resolved. With that in mind, UHCS offers a variety of group therapy options, including an “adjusting to college” group.

Estabrook said this is great for freshmen, transfer students or anyone else who’s having a tough time adjusting. There is also a “fitting in” group, which Estabrook said is for any student who has ever felt out of place.

Other groups offered by UHCS deal with issues across the board including relationship issues, quitting smoking, grief, drug and alcohol addiction and a depression and anxiety group. All groups are led by licensed therapists, and the information discussed at each meeting is completely confidential.

“One thing that you get out of a group setting is some sense that you aren’t the only one who feels this way and that there are some coping strategies or there are some ways of dealing with newness,” Estabrook said. “There are also ways of dealing with your anxiety around change, newness, and transitions.”

Group therapy may not be for everyone, so students also have the option of participating in individual short-term therapy, which is available for students dealing with immediate issues. For students requiring long-term care, UHCS helps students find therapists in the area.

“We have wonderful partners in the community that we work with to provide ongoing long-term care.” Estabrook said. “If you have a diagnosis, perhaps you’ve been in therapy before you even came to college, and you’re used to seeing a therapist once or twice a week, or you develop a need for long-term care, then [you will be referred].”

She said students who continue to come to groups tend to make significant improvements throughout the course of the group and afterwards.

“Students express a request that we have the groups and it starts to create an affinity, a name on campus who you will know, another face that you connect with a name,” Estabrook said. “Sometimes can be the start of both friendships, acquaintances, and even a little group of a community.” she said.

A complete listing of all services offered at UHCS can be found at www.northeastern.edu/uhcs.