Learning Points: Pride is such an important word to teach our children

"Over the years it has been very difficult to sit with a beautiful young adult who hates themselves because of who they love. Those conversations always stay with me."

Different LGBTQ flags hold by people on a protest

Working clinically with teenagers is such an enlightening experience. Of course, we have all been teenagers and experienced that world but it is easy to forget the pressure and insecurities you feel as a young adult. That important stage of human development can be tricky. 

The fear of standing out, feeling awkward in yourself as your body changes and not knowing how to relate to the adult world you are hurtling towards. It’s a time of discovery and loss. Innocence is lost and you discover things about yourself you didn’t know as a child. Sometimes those things you discover can be startling and frightening. And for too long teenagers felt alone about those discoveries, and that dramatically impacted teenage mental health.