Teen Matters: High School Support Group for Girls

Hello, Parents!

Being a teenager today can be tough!  Many teenagers today get overwhelmed easily, struggle to cope with life changes, and need much guidance in healthy relationship building.

Teen Matters currently being made available to high school girls in the Fairfax County area in the Spring of 2020.  This 8-week life skill program is provided by HopeSpring Child & Family, LLC and is designed to help teenage girls succeed at handling relevant life issues related to family, school, stress, and the ups & downs during this impressionable time of life. This program has been established to help teenage girls work with, not against, the people and a variety resources available to them.

Teen Matters will begin on March 11^th and will run for 8 weeks (3/11; 3/18; 3/25; 4/1; 4/5; 4/22; 4/29; 5/6 – Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm).  Registration deadline is 2/28 and fee for the 8-week session is $400.  Program will be facilitated by Sunny Seo (George Mason University, Clinical Mental Health Counseling).  Take advantage of this opportunity to allow your child to participate in this innovative approach that focuses on self-direction, personal responsibility, and empowerment.

What is Teen Matters?

Teen Matters is an 8-week support group that’s designed specifically to help high school girls acquire many important life skills.  It offers a confidential, safe space for students to gain self-awareness and healthy awareness of others.  This experience will often reduce loneliness, promote change in meaningful ways, and help process new skills.  Participants will learn about various topics such as stress management, resilience, resources, strengths, ups and downs, relationships, etc.   Members will discover optimal ways to communicate with peers and adults; learn from modeling provided by the facilitator; learn to accept others; and discover that they are not alone/unique in their concerns. Learning about different ways of coping with similar problems will help participants create new ways of managing their lives in the long run.

Each session is carefully crafted for optimal growth & learning experience, and will last 90 minutes.  Teen Matters will be most beneficial for high school girls who can function relatively well in a group setting.  The sessions rely on group norms and expectations fostering peer support and trust in the group facilitator.  Healthy solutions are discussed and support for better outcomes will delivered in a safe & structured environment.

Participants will enjoy a sense of belonging, a network of support, gain new perspectives, learn helpful coping strategies, and benefit from valuable feedback.  If you are interested in registering your child, please contact Sunny Seo, M.A. (sunny@hopespringchildandfamily.com) (571-445-0561) to schedule a screening.  This initial consultation will help determine if Teen Matters will be a right fit for your child.  You will be notified via email/phone call if your child is selected.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of screening & examples of selection criteria

• To prevent potential harm to the individual client and to avoid draining the group’s energy disproportionately
• To determine whether the candidate is able to function with a degree of normalcy
• To determine whether candidate’s personal needs and goals are compatible with the overall goals of the support group
• To rule out any indications that support group is contraindicated for this candidate at this time
• To determine if candidate is motivated to change
• To determine candidate’s personal desire to …
  • work on how she relates to others
  • experience telling her story to those who will offer healthy support
• In making decisions about selecting members for this group, the facilitator will think of what is best for all the members, not just what one member may want

Examples of Inappropriate Candidate for Teen Matters:

• Individuals who will impede the group process / those who are exhibiting symptoms of ..
  • eating disorders, severe depression, cutting or other self-injurious behaviors
  • unusual levels of hostility & aggressiveness
  • extreme self-centeredness
• Perpetrators and/or bullies (verbal and physical)
• Individuals facing extreme crises, or those who are highly paranoid
• Individuals who are suicidal, extremely fragmented, acutely psychotic, sociopathic, or who suffer from severe social phobia

Additional Things to Consider:

• Not every individual will benefit from group settings, especially if they have unresolved issues that were left untreated for years.
• If you desire to connect with others going through similar experiences, group sessions may be beneficial. However, if you’re dealing with persistent or severe mental illness, one-on-one therapy with a counselor might be the best option for you.
• It’s natural to feel some anxiety about participating in a group for the first time. However, with time, most participants find that they become very comfortable with the group process and with other group members.
  • Participants will have to speak in front of others about personal struggles
  • There is a limited one-on-one time with the facilitator
  • Be mindful of time constraints for storytelling and advice
• Group settings offer wonderful opportunities to work on your social & relationship skills.
• Group settings help you work on active listening skills and teach how to connect well with others.
• Groups provide a sounding board and can propel you forward in a positive direction
• Hearing other people’s stories can help you see your life differently. Group sessions often help you pick up on patterns in your behavior that you haven’t noticed before.