Vix Meyer loves giving back to her community.
Meyer is a personal development life coach who has been living in the North Thompson with her family for ten years now, and they have found that Clearwater is a “real fit” for them. Five years ago Meyer — a certified life coach with a diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling — helped establish the Teen Life group, something to which she is committed.
The group has received grant funding thanks to support from the District of Clearwater and Clearwater Secondary School (CSS), where teens meet weekly in what Meyer calls a “safe environment.”
”When I first started a few years ago I had coordinated a weekly men’s group, a women’s group and a teen drop-in group. Upon the suggestion from a parent of one of the teens attending the drop-in, we decided to create a free program for youth. With the assistance of Eleanor Collins and Leslie Groulx from the district of Clearwater, and spearheading the group with CSS and Principal Coates, grant funding was obtained. Now the group is completely free to attend on a drop-in basis, without requiring registration.”
The Teen Life program, which takes place once a week, is self-guided, and those attending do a lot of personal development exercises in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
“We talk about things like developing relationships, how to identify healthy relationships, what thought patterns are beneficial and what different perceptions are,” says Meyer. “We have snacks, play some games and there is always music. We figure out conflict resolution in a positive way and talk about body image and self-confidence. We also talk about how to reduce stress. This program is totally geared around teenagers.”
The program operates like a discussion group, and changes yearly depending on the students’ needs, continually evolving based on what the group wants. Discussions change according to the topics brought forward by the teens in the group.
Meyer also works in partnership with Liane Culp of the District of Clearwater, who has a background in social work, and school counsellors in the area to deliver the program. They have established goal setting, assist the teens in creating their own vision boards, and have been running the Red Cross “Beyond the Hurt” program, an anti-bullying program between the high school and the elementary school at Raft River.
“We’ve trained some high school students in the Red Cross program to buddy up with the younger students at Raft River Elementary,” says Meyer. “This type of mentoring program is really wonderful, and the younger students relate to the older students so well.
“If someone shares something emotional, we say what happens in this room stays in this room. We remind them about protecting each other also. We encourage open conversations and never call anyone out. We focus on being sensitive, empathetic, and compassionate. Our group is non-judgmental, builds trust and is a safe place to communicate.”
If you are a teen, or know a young person who might be interested in participating in the Teen Life group, the next meeting following the holidays will be on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 3:10 to 4:10 p.m. in Room 510 at Clearwater Secondary School.
All teens of all backgrounds, beliefs, and genders are welcome at the free weekly drop-ins.
