Assisting families with young adult children who are "failing to launch" is a rapidly growing part of our consulting and coaching practice.

This generation of young adult children is presenting issues that leave many parents feeling perplexed and frustrated. In addition to substance abuse issues, anxiety and depression, many young adults struggle with motivation, financial awareness, emotional maturation, failure to manage basic daily commitments, and difficulty finding purpose in their lives. On one hand these young adult children seem content to let others manage their lives when it suits them, yet they also want a tremendous amount of trust and freedom that they tend to have difficulty managing.

For those that do go to college, many experience tremendous difficulty with the transition. Some have difficulty managing the increased freedom, the social expectations, and the availability of drugs and alcohol. Others struggle to manage the increased academic pressure and the realization that things don’t come as easily to them as they did in high school. Many students struggle with time management, financial management and motivation. Several students lack the appropriate social skills to develop a support system, and often spend inordinate amounts of time on the computer. Many of them give up and drop out. Others don’t even attempt college or vocational school.

Many of these young adults are struggling with unresolved issues that have resulted in poor coping patterns and problem solving abilities. We often find that many of these students have experienced a traumatic event that has gone untreated. There may be pain, grief or shame that needs to be addressed before these students can set healthy long term goals.

How We Can Help

We assist families seeking appropriate treatment settings that specialize in helping young adults get back on track toward a healthy and productive future. We aim to engage these young adults as a valuable part of the treatment team. When they are at a point where they are ready to be a part of the process, we enlist them as a primary resource in helping us determine an appropriate environment where they can thrive.

We are here to assist parents in determining healthy and realistic expectations, set clear and reasonable boundaries and assist in "launching" this generation of young adults who show tremendous potential but need some extra assistance finding their way.