Starting graduate school can be exciting, isolating, and unexpectedly overwhelming. Here’s how to navigate anxiety, comparison, loneliness, and the pressure to prove that you belong during your first semester at Duke.

What makes therapy work? It is not only the technique your therapist uses. Successful therapy begins with a strong therapeutic relationship—and a willingness to show up, build trust, and risk being known.

“Let’s make space for that” sounds like classic therapy speak—but what does it actually mean? Here’s why therapists encourage you to notice difficult emotions instead of immediately trying to escape them.