Perfectionism and academic pressure
You were the strong student in high school. Now everyone around you was too, and anything short of excellent feels like failing. The pressure shows up as all-nighters, avoidance, and a harsh inner critic.
College students · Rhode Island
Weekly online therapy for undergrads and grad students at Brown, RISD, URI, Providence College, Bryant, Salve Regina, and every other Rhode Island campus — from your dorm, apartment, or anywhere private in the state.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose
Rose Markotic, LMFT — licensed in Rhode Island. Sessions by video while you are physically in RI.
College is supposed to be the best years of your life, which can make it harder to admit when it isn’t. These are the patterns students most often want help with.
You were the strong student in high school. Now everyone around you was too, and anything short of excellent feels like failing. The pressure shows up as all-nighters, avoidance, and a harsh inner critic.
You care about the work — that’s the problem. Starting feels impossible until the deadline forces it, and the cycle repeats every week.
Racing thoughts before exams, replaying conversations from the dining hall, constant worry about grades, internships, and what comes after graduation.
Everyone else seems to have found their people. Speaking up in seminar, joining a club, or walking into a party feels much harder than it looks.
Losing interest in things you used to enjoy, sleeping too much or too little, and running on empty by midterms — especially as the days get shorter.
Figuring out who you are away from home, changing majors, relationships, and the jump from commencement to whatever comes next.
If something here sounds familiar, you don’t need to wait for it to become a crisis. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988, or contact your campus counseling center’s after-hours line.
TEAM-CBT is a structured, skills-based form of cognitive behavioral therapy. It fits student life because it’s focused, measurable, and built around tools you use between sessions.
A short mood check at the start and end of every session shows whether anxiety and low mood are actually going down — no guessing whether therapy is “working.”
Specific techniques for procrastination, test anxiety, and perfectionism that you can use the night before a paper is due, not just in session.
Perfectionism and anxiety often feel like what got you into college. We look at what they do for you before deciding what to change, so you keep your drive and lose the suffering.
Weekly sessions during the semester, adjusted around exams and breaks. Short-term, focused work is the norm — many students work on one or two clear goals.
Everything happens by secure video, scheduled around classes.
1
A quick call to talk about what’s going on and whether we’re a good fit. Parents are welcome to join a separate call if they have questions about logistics or cost.
2
An in-depth conversation about what’s bothering you, your history, and what you want to be different by the end of the semester.
3
From a private room in your dorm or apartment, a library study room, or a parked car. A stable connection and some privacy are all you need.
Yes. What matters is where you are during the session, not your home address. While you’re physically in Rhode Island, we can meet. Over breaks, we can keep meeting if you go home to California, Connecticut, Maine, or Vermont (the other states where Rose is licensed); if home is somewhere else, sessions pause until you’re back.
If you’re 18 or older, what you discuss in therapy is confidential — including from parents, even if they’re paying, and from your school. There are narrow legal exceptions related to safety, which Rose explains at the start.
Campus counseling centers are a great resource, and many focus on short-term support, crisis care, and referrals. Students who want ongoing weekly therapy often see a community therapist as well. If you’re working with your counseling center, you’re welcome to coordinate.
Better Thoughts is out-of-network. Some student health plans and many parents’ PPO plans include out-of-network mental-health benefits that reimburse part of each session after the deductible. We provide superbills on request. Sessions are $260, and the consult is free.
Yes — graduate and professional students are welcome. Research stress, imposter feelings, and long-horizon projects with no clear finish line are common reasons grad students reach out.
Rose doesn’t prescribe. If medication might help, she can coordinate with your campus health service, primary care provider, or a psychiatric prescriber.
All sessions are telehealth. If you live, work, or study in any of these states, we can work together.
Pages that go deeper on the concerns students bring most often.
A 15-minute video call with Rose. We'll talk about what's bringing you in and see if I'm the right fit. No pressure to book sessions afterward.
No credit card · 15 minutes · Talk directly with Rose