YOUTH WELL-BEING Resources

STRESS & TRAUMA

From everyday stress all the way up to experiencing traumatic events, our youth can be impacted in so many ways during their childhood.  Learning more about what stress & trauma does to the developing brain & body, how to recognize signs of stress and having a set of tools to support children who are struggling is what this section hopes to provide.

InnerWorldWork

This website is a collection of creative works in different formats to support parents and professionals working with children who’ve experienced trauma.

Living with and loving a child who carries trauma pain through their daily life is a humbling and exhausting experience.

They are brave warriors whose strength and ability to keep going, even when the world feels dangerous and frightening is incredible to be part of.  It also means day to day life is demanding, unusual, chaotic, scary, rewarding and at times bizarrely funny.

One of my favorite resources from this website: CLICK HERE

Child Trauma Academy

The ChildTrauma Academy (CTA) is a Community of Practice working to improve the lives of high-risk children through education, research and the dissemination of innovation.

A major activity of the CTA is to translate emerging findings about the human brain and child development into practical implications for the ways we nurture, protect, enrich, educate and heal children. The “translational neuroscience” work of the CTA has resulted in a range of innovative programs in therapeutic, child protection and educational systems.

The founder is Dr. Bruce Perry, the world’s leader in the effects of trauma on the developing brain.

Lives In The Balance

Looking for Ideas about how behaviorally challenging kids should be understood and about how to treat them in ways that are more compassionate and effective? What about ideas about treating all kids in ways that are non-punitive, non-adversarial, and collaborative, and that teach them skills on the better side of human nature? And need ideas about how to advocate to change things for the better? Check them out!

Founder Dr. Ross Greene is the expert when it comes to understanding what challenging kids need to succeed.

Favorite Videos

How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime

Childhood Trauma and the Brain

Stress Management Tips for Kids & Teems

Favorite Tools & Techniques

Stress Catcher

WORRY & ANXIETY

Everyone experiences worry, even children. And there are plenty of situations that make kids feel nervous and uncomfortable. But how can we tell when a child is suffering from anxiety that might require additional support? And what would that support look like? Here’s help on identifying and supporting children and their everyday worries in addition to helping those with more severe anxiety conditions.

Child Mind Institute

Here you’ll find resources, articles and information about the most common anxiety disorders in children, practical advice for parenting children experiencing anxiety, and the best treatments—both behavioral therapy and medication—for anxiety.

Go Zen

GoZen! Is my Go To for all things related to managing childhood emotions. Their online social and emotional learning programs are loved by kids ages 5-15, parents, professionals, and schools. Their mission is to reach 1 million kids with skills to transform stress, anxiety, worry, anger, perfectionism, negativity, and social worry into POWER in the year 2021! They don’t just help kids manage challenging feelings, we help them transform them into confidence, courage, and resilience! We’re basically emotional alchemists. 

Favorite Videos About Childhood Anxiety

Childhood Anxiety

Anxiety in Children: How to Know When to Seek Treatment or Medication

How to Raise Kids Who Can Overcome Anxiety

RESILIENCE & GRIT

GritX

TRANSITIONAL YOUTH (AGES 16-28)

From early teens up until around age 30, rational thinking and the ability to regulate emotions and impulses are still developing. The biological risk factors coupled with the inevitable challenges of becoming an adult, make this age group more vulnerable to experiencing anxiety and mental health challenges regardless of previous mental health history.

Independent of college, statistics reveal a spike in suicidality between the ages of 15 and 25.

ULifeLine – Provides information to help individuals determine if they may be experiencing a mental health difficulty (ie depression, anxiety, etc) what it looks like. It gives a text and phone suicide help line. Also, if you say which college you attend it will tell you the mental health resources available there.

Affordable Colleges Online – Provides mindfulness/meditation tips for a busy college student to help decrease stress/anxiety. What to do in between classes, before a test, etc.  

Calm – focuses on meditation, breathing, sleep and relaxation. 

Headspace – mindfulness and meditation sessions reducing daily stress and improve focus and attention. 

Moodpath – Helps to daily better understand/track your thoughts/feelings. There are lots of in app purchases to enhance the experience you receive with Moodpath. 

Sanvello – for anxiety and stress. Connects to a community of like minded individuals. Helps break unhelpful thought cycles using CBT, mindfulness, meditation, mood tracking, and relaxation. 

SuperBetter – Website or APP. It’s a way to focus on increasing resilience, optimism, and motivation during challenging times in life through the use of a game. 

7cups – free connection to trained listeners and licensed therapists. You can search based on their experiences/specialties. 

Happify – App or website. Provides proven techniques and evidence-based interventions in fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and CBT. 

Talkspace – counseling and therapy app – free consultation in helping to match therapists with your needs. 

Data on teen & college age suicides

Vibrant’s Safe Space – seeks to provide evidence-based self-help tools, education, and resources to people looking for support alongside crisis services such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as well as people in emotional distress who may not be inclined to use a crisis service. The development of the Safe Space was done in collaboration with the three national advisory committees of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is funded by SAMHSA and administered by Vibrant.