Life can be tough at times. Come talk with us about what's on your mind: coping with the loss of a loved one, navigating stress at school, or scary stuff in the news. Let's develop new coping strategies and find hope, together.

Flower and Andrea have been working together for two years at Morse High School, specifically, running groups together. We have found that our styles match very well in bringing groups to a place where participants gain insight and learn how to address their struggles, create a community, ask for help, and authentically live their lives.  Between us we have 56 years of experience of working with teens and families.

We have a strong belief that community is key to a healthy life and creating community is the task at hand for all people.  We believe that we can create protective factors in our lives for when we need them, as well as be helpful to our support people when they need us. Students have responded really well to this and it is the main theme of most of our groups.

Sobriety Support Group - Ages 13-19

For anyone who wants to live a sober lifestyle or cope with a loved one's substance use. Group will address the issues including but not limited to the following.

• Addiction: What is it? What does it look like for teens, adults?
• How we can tell if we have a problem, stages of use
• Effects of substances
• Family dynamics
• Genetic predisposition and the impact of trauma
• Codependency
• How to quit and how environmental changes can help
• Coping without drugs and triggers for use
• Stages of change
• Where to find and how to access help, different types of help

Young Adults Life Group - Ages 18-24

For young adults navigating life and wondering what's next. Many recent graduates who might have hoped to move into an apartment and continue to reside in this area while entering the workforce have likely had to remain living with their parents or caregivers due to the extreme inflation of housing costs in our area and lack of affordable housing. We hope to help recent graduates reduce feelings of isolation and stagnation in this difficult time.

This group will focus extra support on the transition to adulthood. Topics to be covered will include:

• Support after high school: how to access natural supports as well as professional supports
• Making new friends in the era of COVID
• Healthy friendships and romantic relationships, including setting and accepting limits
• How to be supportive to friends who have problems related to mental health or substance abuse
• Interactions with parents and caregivers after graduation
• Roommate agreements with relatives, friends, or strangers
• Physical health and wellness
• Budgeting and saving
• Developing goals for the future
• Strategies to fight depression and anxiety
• Emotional regulation strategies
• Being polite and assertive at work
• Developing healthy hobbies and interests
• Self-screening for addictive behaviors and substance use disorders

Finding Hope after Loss Group - Ages 13-19

For anyone who has lost a loved one. This group is appropriate for those who lost a loved one more than five months ago.

Topics to be addressed will include:

• Understanding Loss
• Defining our loss in relation to our lives
• Who is affected by loss
• How do we integrate loss in our lives
• Living with loss
• Imagining a future without the loved one
• Maintaining a sense of hope
• Honoring loss
• Making a grief journal