College Psychotherapy and the Development of a Capacity for Solitude

While a great deal of attention has been paid in the college counseling literature to the student's development of a capacity for social relationships, almost no mention has been made regarding the importance of the development of a capacity for solitude. Yet it is clear that a capacity for solitude is crucial for many which this capacity is crystallized out of the personality strenghts developed in childhood. This article examines the development and functioning of the capacity for solitude in a number of college students, focusing on the one hand upon common elements in their experience, and on the other upon the ways in which their experiences of solitude differ. In particular, three styles of experiencing solitude, the depressive, the narcissistic and the paranoid, each with its own developmental trajectory, are discussed and illustrated with case material. The implications for the process of psychotherapy with college students are highlighted.