“I find Hope in the darkest of days” – Dalai Lama

Even in my darkest days, I find hope in Circle. I find it in my teen circles, in generational circles, in parent/child circles, in terminal youth cancer circles. I find hope anywhere a compassionate caring person chooses to create safe spaces for circling in their community.

Depression, anxiety, self harm and suicide are on a dramatic rise for American youth. According to The Seattle Times “the total number of youth hospitalizations nearly doubled” from 2015-2021. At a vulnerable time in personal development, our youth faced crippling societal disruption, school closures & virtual classes that robbed them of creating vital bonds with peers and social skill building opportunities. Youth need the hope of Circles.

Many teenagers have nowhere to go to socialize and confide in others what they were experiencing, which only exacerbates loneliness and disconnection. The State of Wisconsin just released results from their 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showing a staggering 52% of students say they struggled with anxiety throughout the year.  New studies are arriving that confirm what the American Psychological Association has called “a crisis”. Youth need the deep connectivity and support of Circle. 

There is a special kind of pain we experience as parents watching a child struggle with depression, seeing how alone and disconnected they feel, wrestling with overwhelming feelings of social ostracism and isolation.  Often feeling rejected by peers and society, adolescents strain to maintain a mask of strength and feelings of hope without a fully developed toolbox of psychological skills to guide them safely through the turmoil. Navigating adolescence is difficult enough, and we added the strain & stress of a pandemic and divided national political culture to that! Youth need safe and stable places to create relationships with peers. 

How do we as adults support our youth and relieve some of the burden carried by overworked & under resourced schools? How do we, adults who are also tired and may have experienced loss ourselves, help teenagers regain some of the forfeited life that they have been deprived of?  
We listen. We model vulnerability. We create opportunities for youth to come together in safe spaces to be honest, to share, to bond, to cry and laugh, and to learn how to create healthy relationships.

We empower them to support each other. We use the power of Circle to save lives. 

You are ready to help youth. Take our upcoming Late Summer In Person training or our Fall Virtual training, or donate to support others. Visit www.teentalkingcircles.org to learn more about how you can help!

Warmly,

Talina Wood, Executive Director Teen Talking Circles & Original Circle Participant