We all have an idea of how our life story might play out. But what do you do when life throws in something you never wanted to be part of the script? How do you manage unexpected challenges like bereavement, illness - or global pandemic?! What are the stages of working through tough stuff - and how can we help ourselves or those we’re supporting to process things that have happened and journey through?

We all like to be in control - and one of the challenges of recent months has been the way life has changed due to things which are completely OUT of our control. Issues with control are related to many emotional problems, so why is this such a big issue - and how can understanding our inbuilt instinct for control help us to feel better in life’s more chaotic times?

Who ARE you? One of the big challenges for the adolescent brain is to figure out the answer to this question and start to form that adult concept and understanding of identity. Knowing who you are shapes so many things: how you interact with the world, your relationships, your confidence and ability to step into new spaces and out of your comfort zone. But in a world with so much to say about who you SHOULD be, how do you deal with challenges to your identity? What does healthy identity look like - and how can we help young people exploring this in today’s social media obsessed world where you can choose who you want to tell the world you are?

It’s the F word we least like to talk about - but we all have flaws and moments where we mess up. How do we learn to fail well and fight the fear of failure that can hold us back from trying new things? How do we manage difficulties so often linked to feeling like we’ve failed like perfectionism and guilt? And how do you pick yourself up when you’ve fallen and failed REALLY badly?