Imagine feeling constant shame…knowing you do not fit into the boxes of society…not feeling safe to truly be yourself…knowing you are a good person but are told by peers and adults you are somehow wrong for being the way you naturally are? Sadly, these experiences are typical for an LGBTQ+ adolescent. It’s no wonder these young adults are at higher risk for mental health concerns due to elevated triggers causing major issues like self loathing and social anxiety.

Let’s face it, life can be truly unfair at times. But what matters is how we react to adversity. Do we spiral, or get proactive? Do we blame others, or take accountability for what we can and learn from it? Resisting the victim mentality is so important for adolescents who are extremely impressionable and - by nature of their underdeveloped brain - tend to take the easy way out of situations.

When I was thinking about topics for our blog, I paused to think, “What does everyone NEED right now?” My mind wandered to this new chapter of the pandemic, and school fast approaching. And I realized what we need most is to find a way to STAY POSITIVE! So here is some helpful information about the power of positive thinking, as well as strategies to help you and your kiddo promote positivity in your lives when you need it most.

Today life is moving faster than ever. There is so much pressure to perform in school, in sports, on social media and at home. It’s no wonder anxiety is on the rise. Add to that the Standard American Diet (SAM) coupled with teens developing brains and they don’t have much of a chance to feed the brain the nutrients it needs to perform optimally.

I’m sure it wasn’t too long ago that you helped your child in a panic the night before a big project was due. In elementary school, this is not a huge deal. But when procrastination rears its ugly head for teens and twenty-somethings, it can have some broader impacts on their life. Today we’ll cover some reasons why this happens, and how you can assist your young adult with avoiding procrastination pitfalls.

“Values” as a word often gets thrown around, but many of us rarely stop to ask what this means to us and how it might impact our lives. Values are the things that we believe matter most in life. Parents, you too may have passed along values to your children and it is important to continue to help your child determine the things that matter to them from their personal experiences.

By providing perspective on the difference between life coaching and therapy - as well as the purpose and benefits of both - this post will help you make informed decisions about getting your child the resources they need to be mentally healthy and survive life after leaving your home.

One of the fathers whose son recently attempted suicide said, “our kids have lost their resilience.” As a Youth Mentor and Resilience Coach, my goal is to help teens learn life skills and coping techniques to think critically when life gets hard. I believe every young person has what it takes to survive and thrive in this fast-paced world.

Self compassion allows for a greater understanding of yourself, and therefore provides you with knowledge. And we all know that knowledge - especially self knowledge, or awareness - is power! So, how can you shift the focus from self-esteem to self compassion? There are many fun techniques out there, but we’ve captured some of our favorites.

Recently, I read about the HAPPE Method of journaling for adults and thought this would be awesome to teach teens and young adults. The basis is being the hero in your own life and to write about the life you want to have. Find your journaling voice with The HAPPE Method.