Anxiety & burnout
Exam panic, procrastination that turns into dread, perfectionism, and running on 4 hours of sleep and caffeine.
College & Young Adult Counseling · Prairieville & Baton Rouge
College counseling for when 'I'm fine' stops being true.
College is supposed to be the best years of your life, which makes it worse when you're anxious, exhausted, homesick or quietly falling behind. I'm Melissa Shaw, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 24 years of experience, and I work with students and young adults who need somewhere off campus to think straight.
- Confidential, in person
- Off campus & private pay
- Accepting new clients
What students come in for
Common reasons students call
Depression & isolation
Homesickness, losing your people, sleeping through class, and feeling flat about things you used to like.
ADHD & getting through the work
Focus, deadlines, disorganization, and the shame spiral that follows a missed assignment.
Relationships & identity
Breakups, roommates, family expectations, drinking and partying, and deciding who you actually want to be.
How it works for students
Practical, private and on your schedule
Sessions are off campus and private. Nothing goes on a student health record, and because this is a private-pay practice, no diagnosis is submitted to an insurer, which matters to a lot of students thinking about grad school, law school or medical school.
The work is practical: tools for anxiety and panic, getting sleep back, breaking a project into pieces your brain will accept, and learning to say no without guilt. We set goals and check progress so sessions don't turn into a weekly vent.
If you're 18 or older, what we discuss is confidential from your parents, within the usual safety limits. If you'd rather involve family, we can do that too.
I also work with students who are still figuring out the transition from home to independence, including gap-year students and young adults who aren't in school at all.
I have a college student of my own, so I know both sides of that first year away.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
- Family Systems
- Strength-Based
- Christian Counseling (on request)
Practical details
Sessions, fees and location
$160Individual session
PrivateNo insurance record
15 minComplimentary consultation
I don't bill insurance, and I accept cash or check. Many families pay for a student's sessions directly. A small number of reduced-fee time slots may be available. They are limited, set at specific times, require documentation of income, and often have a waiting list, so please ask at your consultation.
Office hours
- Monday
- 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Tuesday
- 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Thursday
- 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Friday
- 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (alternating weeks)
Late-afternoon and evening times work best around class and work schedules.
Location
15655 Airline Hwy
Prairieville, LA 70769
Serving Prairieville, Gonzales, St. Amant and Baton Rouge, including the Highland Road area. All sessions are held in person, a short drive down Airline Highway.
Questions
Students and parents ask
Will my parents find out what I say?
If you are 18 or older, sessions are confidential, with the usual safety exceptions explained at the start. That holds even if a parent is paying.
Why not just use campus counseling?
Campus services are useful and often free, but they can have waitlists and session limits. Coming off campus gives you continuity, more privacy, and appointments that are not tied to the academic calendar.
Can I come home for sessions during breaks?
Yes. Students home for the summer or a semester break often use that time to do focused work.
Do you work with graduate and professional students?
Yes, along with young adults who are working rather than studying.
Do you take insurance?
No. I'm private pay and accept cash or check. Sessions are $160. A small number of reduced-fee time slots may be available with documentation of income. They are limited and may have a waiting list.
Contact
Let's talk
Reach out to request a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Students are welcome to call themselves, and parents are welcome to call too.
To protect your privacy, please don't include detailed health information in this form. We can talk about that on the phone.