How to help your college student cope with loneliness, without hovering

Students also benefit from knowing others are having a hard time, too, no matter how happy they look on Instagram or strolling around campus. The trouble is nobody wants to show they’re struggling, says Philip Burns, a licensed mental health counselor at Western Washington University in Bellingham. “They think they’ll stand out, but students who can own how lonely they are end up connecting with people,” he says. “It brings you closer to people when you can admit things aren’t all good, when you can show some vulnerability.”