Becoming a teenager and going through puberty can be a difficult place to be for some young people added to this is the many multi layered complexities of gender and sexuality. Developing a sense of self in a society that is fixated on cisgender heteronormative notions of the roles of males and females can be really challenging.

We understand and respect the importance of pronouns, but we know that lots of people aren’t sure how to talk about it with other people. Conversations matter, and so in order to aid successful conversations about pronouns we have created these phrases to help.

How to look. How to act. How to dress. Who to love. In today’s 24/7 media, children and young people are flooded with messages and signals about how they should look and act and what their gender means for them. As our media landscape continually widens, new forms and sources of pressure are created enforcing negative stereotypes and labels for young people such as “girls are not as interested in STEM subjects compared to boys” or “girls make better mothers”.

Most of the time, talking about our worries or what makes us feel anxious helps us to feel better.

Have you ever stopped to consider what it might feel like if you could not wear the clothes you wanted to wear or walk hand in hand down the street with the person you love for fear of being on the receiving end of hatred and abuse for just being you? 70% of LGBTQ people in the UK avoid holding hands in public for fear of violence.

Anger is a normal emotion but one we can be very fearful of and one which is seen as a negative emotion, especially in children. 

This is not a how to deliver the periods talk, this more about thinking around why we should offer a period talk. September 2020, teaching both boys and girls about periods and menstrual wellbeing will be compulsory in all state-funded schools, primary and secondary, as part of health education. 

Body image refers to a persons perceptions and attitudes about their own body, particularly but not exclusively its appearance. It doesn’t mean that you are vain if you have a positive body image.

Self-care is an essential part of ensuring we are able to cope with the many things that are thrown at us developing your own self-care strategy is fundamentally important, it is not selfish to think of ourselves for part of the day.

Understanding and recognising privilege can be a very personal challenge, it can make us feel uncomfortable, it may bring up other emotions such as anger, guilt and confusion. It can even threaten our core beliefs.

It’s September, it’s back-to-school-time and it’s a time for new beginnings. This year, invest in your Pencil Case of New with Think2Speak.

The definition of consent is ‘if he or she agrees by choice and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice.’ To consent a person must be able to make a deliberate decision, free from manipulation, coercion, exploitation or the threat of violence.

Having real conversations helps you feel purpose in life as they allow you to build deep connections with people. Developing relationships is essential for humans to function efficiently. Feeling connected to the world is vital for your wellbeing and mental health. Yet in a world that is more connected than ever before, why is loneliness at an all-time high?

You will never know someone’s pronoun by simply looking at them. Using someone’s correct personal pronoun shows respect for their gender identity. When you refer to someone using the wrong pronoun, this can cause feelings of exclusion and distress.

What can professionals, community leaders, friends and family do to be more supportive of trans children and young people?

This week is Dying Matters Week and one of the ‘difficult’ subjects that Think2Speak counsellors, trainers and the team as a whole have to talk about with the young people and their families who access our services is helping them come to terms with a loved one coming to the end of their lives or passing away suddenly.