Writing to Heal

Part of our mission at Together We Thrive is to walk with at risk youth and help them rewrite their future. Many of these youth have experienced trauma that can hinder their ability to transition successfully into adulthood. Experiencing trauma alone doesn’t cause a youth to be considered at risk. Oftentimes, it is youth who experience traumatic events who also lack a consistent, safe, positive influence in their lives to help them navigate life, process emotions in a healthy manner and take appropriate steps to reach a place of sustainability and independence as a young adult. That’s where our Life Coaches and Community Coaches step in to stand in the gap and be the difference for these youth. We believe these youth are not defined by their circumstances, that they are strong and resilient and that they can do great things with the right support systems in place.

Each week, our Life Coaches step into schools and programs across North Texas to meet youth right where they are and coach them to reaching their goals in the future. An important tool that these coaches use is writing. Youth journal about goals and tasks, where they want to go and how to accomplish those dreams. Writing also provides a safe way to share about challenges, trauma and pain in their lives. Through poetry and prose, our youth process emotions turned to thought. Last week, one of our youth shared a heartfelt poem about her unborn son: