Safe Connections
Teen Counseling Program
The Teen Counseling Program at Safe Connections provides Individual Therapy and Group Therapy for youth ages 12-19 of all genders who are impacted by rape and sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse, domestic abuse, teen dating violence, sex trafficking, and bullying targeting their gender identity or sexual orientation. The Teen Counseling Program supports youth in their healing from trauma due to physical, emotional, and sexual violence and unhealthy relationships. Therapists work with clients to build stability, improve mental and physical health, effectively plan for safety, and pursue violence-free futures. Clients learn to identify, manage, and appropriately express emotions; reduce emotional and behavioral symptoms; improve their level of functioning; and strengthen coping and resiliency skills. Group Therapy also works to alleviate the isolation often experienced by young survivors of trauma.
Violence Prevention Education Programs
Safe Connections works to educate St. Louis County youth through Violence Prevention Education Programs, stopping relationship, sexual, and teen dating violence before it starts.
Project HART (Healthy Alternatives for Relationships among Teens) is a multi-session, classroom-based relationship, sexual, and teen dating violence prevention program giving youth the knowledge and skills to develop healthy relationships.
Prevention Education Groups include Girls Group and Guys Groups: small groups held over a 10-14 week period in safe, private settings, where teens explore ideas about healthy and unhealthy relationships, gender stereotypes, communication, and bystander intervention.
Safe Zone Professional Trainings educate adults working with youth about the relationship, sexual, and teen dating violence and bullying faced by LGBTQIA+ youth, ways to address it, and how to advocate for safer, more inclusive communities.