Your actions and words matter more than you realize; your story can make a difference. It might resonate with someone in need like no one else’s.
Some of the topics we’re very interested in hearing from you are:
- What are some things you wish your parents would know about you?
- Do you want to see a therapist? Why or why not?
- Are your parents happy or stressed? How do they affect you?
- What are you most stressed out about?
- What would you like to see “fixed” in our education or behavioral health systems?
- What do you wish you knew when you were growing up?
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Youth Voice in Youth-Centered Technology
In a world fueled by rapid technological advancements, it’s more important than ever for kids to have a say in youth-focused technology. Why? Because our voices in this space are severely limited. Just as products are designed with a specific audience in mind—like cancer treatments for those battling cancer or glasses tailored to people with…
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The Role of Community in Suicide Prevention
It’s often said that you might not fully understand a feeling until it hits close to home. That was true for me when my brother confided in me that he had attempted suicide a couple of times in the past week. I was both shocked and scared, unsure how to process the gravity of what…
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Friends and “Friends”
A few days ago, I had a dream. I dreamed I was in a school building of some sort, talking to my old friend, Cole. He said “Bianca, how come you didn’t respond to my discord messages?” I replied bitterly, “It’s because you never responded back to mine, because you never talked to me unless…
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The Hidden Crisis of Ghost Networks in Mental Health Care
Imagine desperately seeking mental health support, only to find that most listed providers are unreachable. This is the reality of “ghost networks” in U.S. healthcare. With studies showing up to 82% of listed mental health providers unavailable, patients face a frustrating maze of dead ends. How can we transform these ghost networks into genuine lifelines…
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The Circle of Control
In our Youth Ambassador orientation, fellow youth ambassadors and I created a venn diagram of what kids could and couldn’t control. As you can see, the things youth actually can control in their lives is very little. Based on what was written in the “I cannot control” circle, what do you think that says about…
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Cipher in the Snow
I grew up in a little farmhouse, outside a small midwestern town. Being the seventh of eight children, one would think that, in spite of being 10 miles/16km from town, perhaps my socialization did not suffer so much. After all, I was surrounded by seven siblings. Right? … Wrong! The eldest five were born one…
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Over Twenty Years of Struggling with Unnecessary Guilt
In July, the midnight sun of Northern Europe stretches the beauty of the city into 20 hours everyday. Enamored with such a summer, I often wander aimlessly around the city even at 11 p.m. One day during one of these leisurely walks, I received a rejection letter for a job I had previously applied for.…
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Navigating the Candy Shop of Therapy: Finding the Right Therapist in a Sea of Choices
If you’ve ever been to an ice cream shop or a candy store, you know how hard it is to pick just one treat out of the many options. For me, and probably for many of you, finding the right therapist feels just as overwhelming. In today’s digital age, the variety of therapists—from cognitive-behavioral to…
