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Taking Advantage of Winter Break: A Perfect Opportunity for College Students to Reset

For many college students, winter break is a much-needed pause after the rigorous demands of the fall semester. It offers time to reconnect with family, reflect on challenges, and recharge before the new academic term. For students grappling with behavioral health conditions, this downtime is also an ideal opportunity to seek treatment and set the foundation for a healthier, more balanced future.

The Challenges College Students Face

College life is often associated with newfound independence, personal growth, and exciting opportunities. However, it can also bring significant stressors, such as academic pressures, social challenges, and the struggle to establish a healthy work-life balance. For some students, these stressors contribute to or exacerbate mental health and behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and eating disorders.

Without proper support, these conditions can hinder academic performance, strain relationships, and lead to long-term consequences. Addressing these challenges during the school year can be difficult, as students juggle classes, exams, and extracurricular activities. Winter break provides a rare window of opportunity to focus solely on mental health and recovery.

Why Winter Break Is an Optimal Time for Treatment

Winter break’s extended downtime allows students to step away from their academic responsibilities and prioritize their well-being. Here are some key reasons why this period is particularly advantageous for seeking treatment:

  1. Undivided Attention: Without the constant demands of coursework and campus life, students can fully immerse themselves in therapy and recovery.
  2. Supportive Environment: Returning home often provides a familiar and nurturing environment where family members can play an active role in the healing process.
  3. Minimal Academic Disruption: Engaging in treatment during the break ensures students don’t have to miss classes or fall behind academically.
  4. Preparation for a Fresh Start: Completing a treatment program equips students with the tools and strategies needed to handle the challenges of the upcoming semester more effectively.

Treatment Options at SunCloud Health

SunCloud Health offers a range of evidence-based programs designed to meet the diverse needs of college students. These include:

  • Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP): Ideal for students who require intensive support but do not need round-the-clock care. PHP allows individuals to participate in structured therapy sessions during the day while returning home in the evenings.
  • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): A flexible option that combines rigorous therapy with the ability to maintain certain daily routines.
  • Residential Treatment: For individuals requiring a higher level of care, SunCloud Health provides residential treatment, offering 24/7 support in a safe and therapeutic environment. This option is tailored to individuals whose conditions necessitate comprehensive, round-the-clock care.

These programs are designed to address a wide array of behavioral health conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety, addiction, and trauma. Each treatment plan is customized to ensure that the specific needs of every student are met.

Involving Families in the Healing Process

At SunCloud Health, we recognize the pivotal role families play in a student’s recovery journey. Behavioral health issues often impact the entire family system, making it essential for loved ones to be involved in treatment. Family therapy and education are integral components of our programs, helping families:

  • Understand the nature of their student’s challenges.
  • Develop effective communication and support strategies.
  • Foster an environment that promotes long-term recovery and resilience.

By equipping families with the tools they need to provide constructive support, we ensure that the progress made during treatment extends into daily life.

Preparing for a Stronger Semester Ahead

Seeking treatment over winter break not only addresses immediate concerns but also lays the groundwork for a successful return to college life. Students who engage in therapy during this time often report feeling more confident, focused, and prepared to tackle academic and social challenges. They return to campus with improved coping skills, greater self-awareness, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Take the First Step Toward Healing

If you or your college-aged loved one is struggling with behavioral health challenges, don’t let this winter break pass by without taking action. SunCloud Health offers compassionate, evidence-based care tailored to the unique needs of young adults. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to providing the support and resources needed to achieve lasting recovery.

Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how we can help your student start the new semester on a stronger, healthier path.

Rachel Collins, LCSW
Site Director of Northbrook PHP and IOP

Rachel Collins, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Northbrook Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for both adolescents and adults. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to complete her master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University. She has since worked in a wide range of settings, including inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, therapeutic group homes, and private practice. Rachel specializes in treating trauma (using Cognitive Processing Therapy) and anxiety, practicing through a relational, compassionate, and client-centered lens. She is passionate about creating a therapeutic space in which clients feel safe and able to explore various parts of themselves with curiosity as opposed to judgement. In addition to her leadership and clinical work, she is passionate about creating art, and learning about the intersection between creativity and mental health.

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW
Site Director, Naperville PHP/IOP (Adolescents & Adults)

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Naperville Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adolescents and adults. She brings extensive experience working with individuals across the lifespan, including adolescents, adults, and geriatric populations, and specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, substance use, family systems, forensic populations, and individuals in crisis.

Kayla has worked in a wide range of clinical and community settings, including community-based interventions, police crisis response, correctional facilities, inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, and with vulnerable and underserved populations. In addition to her clinical and leadership work, she is passionate about providing mental health education and advocacy within the community.

Kayla earned her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from Aurora University and went on to complete her Master’s degree in Forensic Social Work, also at Aurora University. Her clinical approach is evidence-based, compassionate, trauma-informed, and integrative, emphasizing collaboration and individualized care.

Driven by a personal mission to meet individuals where they are, Kayla is committed to helping clients feel safe, supported, and understood. She strives to create a natural and empathetic healing environment while ensuring individuals from all backgrounds and identities know they are not alone and have access to meaningful resources and support.

Elizabeth E. Sita, MD
Medical Director of Adult Services
Dr. Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, is a Board Certified psychiatrist specializing in the care of patients with eating disorders. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago and graduated with Highest Honors. She then earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and was recognized with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. She subsequently completed residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, where she was elected Chief Resident and received the Resident Psychiatrist Leadership & Service Award. Upon completing her training, Dr. Sita came to Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, where she served as Assistant Medical Director of the Center for Eating Disorders and Director of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services before transitioning to lead the new inpatient eating disorder unit as Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago. In these roles, she has cared for a multitude of adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders as well as severe, cooccurring mood, trauma, personality, and substance use disorders. Dr. Sita has been recognized throughout her training and practice for a commitment to excellence in patient care and for her ability to engage patients in their most challenging moments. Her passions include the care of treatment-resistant eating and mood disorders as well as questions of medical capacity and end-of-life decision making. She believes that, first and foremost, human connection is key to mental health and well-being and strives to share this philosophy in each and every patient encounter. She is excited to bring her expertise to SunCloud Health as the Medical Director of Adult Services!   VIDEO: Meet Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, Medical Director of Adult Services  
Lacey Lemke, PsyD
Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Lacey Lemke (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized expertise in the treatment of eating disorders and the practice of medical and health psychology. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology with a Primary Care emphasis at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lemke went on to complete both her predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship through Ascension Health, where she gained advanced training working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors, as well as within pediatric subspecialty settings including endocrinology, neurology, and adolescent medicine.

Dr. Lemke is deeply committed to providing evidence-based, compassionate care and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive treatment. Her professional mission is to support patients in achieving their fullest potential by guiding them to the most appropriate level of care and empowering them to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward improved health and well-being.

VIDEO: 2. Meet Lacey Lemke, PsyD.