The situation with our youth has never been worse – you know it and I know it.

According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO):

• 50% of Ontario parents report having concerns about their child’s level of anxiety, at one point or another and 33.3% allow their child to miss school due to anxiety
• Canada’s youth suicide rate is the third highest in the industrialized world
• 76% of families surveyed indicated it was very or extremely difficult to know where to find help
• As many as 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario will experience some form of mental health problem and 5 out of 6 of those kids will not receive the treatment they will need

There are far more statistics offered at www.cmho.org and in numerous places online. The situation facing our community, region, province, country and world is literally heartbreaking.

I have anticipated some of the questions you might ask me regarding my plans to help our youth:

1. Which youth will benefit from attending this healing clinic?

Any youth, who has thoughts interfering with their health or happiness is welcome. This includes but is not limited to youth experiencing:

• Confusion
• Sadness
• Guilt/shame
• Grief
• General unhappiness
• Low self-esteem
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Self-harm
• Bullying
• Suicidal thoughts
• Sexual identity challenges
• Learning disability challenges
• Equity issues due to race, income, LGBTQ

I did not specify an age because you will know if your child is mature enough to understand the concepts I plan to discuss (please read on).

2. What is your intent for this healing clinic?

My goal is to help our youth gain the perspective they need to overcome their challenges in a simplistic, loving and safe manner. You see, it is always our perspective that heals us. I plan to help them solve their challenges and show them how to eventually solve challenges for themselves. I also will inspire them to think positively and see the beauty, the wonder and the magic in this world, as I do.

3. Please give me 10 examples of concepts you plan to explain to the youth.

(Remember these concepts will be explained in even more simplified language to the youth)

1. It is crucial that we HONOUR our negative feelings, FEEL them and EXPRESS them – I will provide examples of healthy ways to express our emotions and how to know what it feels like when we express our feelings to the right person for us.
2. We can learn how to witness our emotions, thoughts and moods without allowing them to overtake us. We are not our emotions, thoughts or moods.
3. Any belief that contradicts our innate greatness needs to be addressed if we want to meet our needs. It is vital that we identify our incorrect beliefs and change them – I will teach this.
4. All personal stories and mistakes must be reframed as LESSONS because that’s what they are meant to be.
5. We need to know what forgiveness is, forgive ourselves and others and know when we have accomplished this task.
6. There are multiple ways to strengthen our relationships by changing OUR approach with others and OUR responses.
7. Each of us has a higher purpose and it is up to us to discover it. We begin by finding our talents and learning what fills us up inside.
8. There are actual STEPS to follow so that we come to love ourselves (including seeing the good in the parts of ourselves we don’t like). I will teach these and explain how to know when we are making progress!
9. We cannot achieve our highest potential, unless we eat and drink to nourish ourselves. There are many ways to accomplish this.      
10. We are not alone here. There is a higher power. I will share proof of the existence of angels, imaginary friends, and guides whose job it is to help us accomplish our mission on Earth. In addition, I will teach how to interpret the signs we are sent by the universe (all discussions will be around “the Universe”, as opposed to God, Allah and other names specific to religion). 

4. What will the format look like (approximately) for each of these one-hour sessions with the youth?

My hope is that the youth arrive and seat themselves in the Bistro (seating area in the north end of Nature’s Emporium in Newmarket) prior to 7 pm, so that I can begin speaking on time. I ask that if you drive them there, you remain in the store and wait for them at the door to the Bistro at 8 pm. We will not be taking attendance or collecting cell numbers.

The first 20 minutes: I will always begin by explaining that this is a safe space. No one will be sharing their names or anything they don’t want to. I will explain that we are here to help one another, so that each of us can be the happiest and healthiest possible.

The next 30 minutes: The kids can bring up their individual challenges (they will not be ASKED to speak) and I will use the concepts I have shared with you, along with powerful coaching questions, to help them arrive at the solution that feels right to them. The others will also learn from the scenarios we discuss.

The final 10 minutes: We will end with a group meditation helping the youth connect to their inner selves and visualize making the right decisions for them. We will set the positive intentions for the week. I will also ensure I explain my belief in them.  

I work very quickly – I don’t waste words and will cover a lot of concepts in each session. I will discuss different concepts at each session but no one will be lost if they miss sessions.

5. How do I find more information on your philosophies, including your success stories of working with youth?

I would recommend reading my blog at www.theresourcefulmother.com – I have been writing it for nine years now. If you want even more details, you can read any of my books, which are sold on my website, Nature’s Emporium and Amazon. They are The Resourceful Mother’s Secrets to Healthy Kids, The Resourceful Mother’s Secrets to Emotional Health, The Resourceful Mother’s Secrets to Spiritual Vitality. Ten stories of how I helped youth on an individual basis can be found in Chapter Six of my third book, The Resourceful Mother’s Secrets to Spiritual Vitality.  

And I can assure you, I would not embark on this monumental project if I hadn’t been as successful as I have been in helping so many youth for the past 18 years.

If you read my blog and books or talk to others who know me (I have lived in Aurora for twenty-five years now) and you still don’t feel comfortable bringing your son or daughter to the healing clinic, then it is not meant for them. They will be guided in other ways.  

6. Can my son or daughter talk to you after a session? Can I, the parent, speak to you after a session?

Yes, all youth can talk to me on an individualized basis for up to 5 minutes after each session. I will stay for as long as I am needed. No, I won’t be speaking to any of the parents. This clinic is solely for the youth; I trust they will tell me what I need to know or ask me for what they need. 

7. What inspires you to offer this healing clinic?

So many youth are suffering…I need to reach more of them than I am able to with individualized sessions. I know I can help each of them see their greatness. It is what I am here to do. My hope is that your son or daughter gets the help they need by attending as many of these sessions as they can. Once they have received the help they need, I hope they will tell their friends or family members, so they, too, will obtain the help they need. I will only stop offering this walk-in healing clinic when I find a way to reach even more youth.           

For almost two decades, The Resourceful Mother has been dedicated to connecting children to health and happiness. She is a mother of two young women, who are now at university. She is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN), a Certified Life Coach (ACC), and has a BA in Sociology. Meredith has taught Pediatric Nutrition, Body-Mind-Spirit and other subjects at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition for ten years. She has been a speaker for thirty years, beginning in the corporate world where she was for ten years, and is a published author. Last year, she won the Lifetime Achievement Award in Nutrition across Canada. Meredith is specifically trained in coaching families, in particular, the youth, and holds the only globally recognized life coaching designation through the International Coach Federation. She has written a trilogy helping parents heal themselves and their children physically, emotionally and spiritually. Her blog is read in 170 countries and 6,100 cities. You can learn more about her work at www.theresourcefulmother.com.