Practice

Talks are delivered with the purpose of:

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• telling the truth and providing a reasonable understanding of challenging experiences and mental health issues, including, informing on the causes and effects, as well as the positive and negative consequences of various responses.

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• facilitating participants to practice or learn about the process of reasoning responses that would most likely lead to reduced harm, improved quality of life, and/or recovery,

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• encouraging participants, by affirming their inherent value, and sharing stories that support the belief that reduced harm, improved quality of life, and/or recovery are possible, and encouraging the sharing of that belief,

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• enabling participants to better understand the challenging experiences and mental health issues of others, and suggesting reasonable ways in which they themselves might safely, practically and effectively express compassion.

Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, should be sensitive to the age of the listener.

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It is a mistake to assume that adolescents sharing the same age, will share the same level of awareness of life experiences.

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However, it is likely that there will be adolescents who have and will share their awareness in an uninformed, and inappropriate way.

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It is also likely that there will be adolescents who have had embarrassing, confusing, and unsettling experiences already but are afraid to talk about them, and don’t know how or where to get help. 

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Caution and sensitivity should be exercised with Truth, Reason, Encouragement, and Empathy as the foundation to combat the dangers of careless, reckless, misinformed, or agenda driven information shared by peers, films, songs, tv shows, websites, and social media platforms.

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Parents (primary care givers) should exercise their right to see content beforehand, ask questions, and decide whether they feel the content is appropriate for their children. Certain adjustments can be made, if Truth, Reason, Encouragement, and Empathy are not compromised.

Talks address physical, emotional, relational, and lifestyle;

experiences

causes

consequences

and healthy behaviours, activities, and responses that can reduce harm, improve quality of life, and lead to recovery,

in other words nurture good physical, emotional, relational, and lifestyle health.

Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, should be sensitive to the values of the children’s parents (primary caregivers).

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We believe that presenting the Truth, which has been properly reasoned, in a reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic way, affirming the inherent worth of each child, and teaching the value of compassion, should put most families’ minds at ease.

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We affirm that parents (primary care givers) are and should be the primary educators of their children, we remind the listeners of this, and encourage them to share their issues with and ask questions of their parents (primary care givers) first.  

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If the individual expresses that their primary care givers are not truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic then we would advise talking to an appropriate adult who is, preferably someone who cares about their parents too, e.g., another family member, family friend, teacher, or youth worker.

In instances where the individual divulges abuse, or potential danger to self or others is suspected, please see our safeguarding policy.

Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, should be sensitive to the values of the adolescents parents (primary caregivers).

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We recognise that adolescents may not be able to identify when a ‘teacher’ or ‘organisation representative’ is presenting opinion or ideology as fact or they may feel unable to question what is being taught out of fear of judgement or punishment, from peers or the person teaching.

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We are upfront with our ideology/agenda from the beginning, and that is to share the importance of Truth, Reason, Encouragement, and Empathy, not just for treating mental health issues, but for all decision making and relationships.

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Participants will know when we are talking about things that are known to be true, and when we are talking about things that are believed to be true, and they will know the difference.

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They will be encouraged and given the opportunity to reason for themselves, and will be presented with truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic solutions, with an awareness of opposing opinions.

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They will not be told that values are validated by the number of people who share them, or by how loudly they proclaim them, but that validation is found in how true or reasonable they are.

Participants at the end of a talk should be able to make an informed, or better-informed choice, based on a reasonable examination of the truth.

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Only when asked, might we share an opinion, and only if we are confident that it is truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic, if opinion is shared it will be emphasised as opinion with the caveat that they should reason for themselves and discuss it with their parents (primary caregivers), or an appropriate adult who is truthful, trustworthy, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic.

Our talks are open to all people in the relevant age groups regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, or ability.

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We withhold the right to ask a participant to leave, or to leave ourselves in response to behaviour alone, for example, if they are disruptive, threatening, and/or demonstrably callous to ourselves or other participants.

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Time is made for opposing views to be heard, but we will do our utmost to ensure that the essence of our truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic talk, which has been paid for and worked on in good faith, is effectively delivered.

Thinking for oneself, doubt, asking questions, scepticism, and debate are all validated, while, cynicism, deplatforming, silencing, cancelling, and prejudice are challenged. 

Appropriate humour, creativity, and activities help to build rapport and hopefully provide a positive learning experience for all.