TEEN SAFETY

This workshop is about listening to our intuition and setting boundaries.  Every person who drives a car is good at listening to intuition.  We unconsciously read all the tiny signals that other drivers give, and predict their behavior with amazing accuracy.  It is this same intuition that we can use in all areas of life to read the tiny signals around us.  All we need to do is learn to trust our inner voice.  We need to teach our youth how to trust their inner voice.  Society often teaches children to ignore their instincts.  How often has a parent insisted a child kiss a relative, when the child is adamantly opposed to doing so?  Why don’t we trust that the child may have a reason for being so uncomfortable?  Are we more concerned with “good manners” than safety? 

We also need to respect the intuition of others, to be judgement free, in order to hear what is unspoken.

The root of the word intuition means “insight”.  How often after an incident have we said “I knew I shouldn’t have done that.”?

We tend to disregard our intuition unless the feeling can be explained logically.  But our logic and thinking process is so much slower than our intuition that it is often too late to protect us.

Teen Safety teaches how to respect our intuition, creating physical and emotional safety.  It teaches how to separate unreasonable fear from justified fear.  It also teaches how to set reasonable boundaries, and how to understand when someone is trying to cross those boundaries.  Young people need to learn how to deal with people who try to cross their boundaries and how to enforce them in a practical way.

Teen Safety helps teens connect self confidence, self respect and self esteem by trusting their instincts, gaining heightened intuition and using boundaries to protect themselves.

Beiseker Community School

April 7, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

Ms. Betty Connelly was at our school yesterday to address all of our female students in the high school.

She spoke to the girls about ways that they could protect themselves and set clearer boundaries in everyday life.  She shared many wonderful stories that helped bring to light what she was saying.  Betty spoke with clarity and compassion.  Her commitment to helping the next generation of young women walk through life with confidence and important necessary skills was evident.

The girls shared with me that they appreciated Betty's humour and her willingness to share parts of her own llife story.  It is difficult sometimes to reach teenagers, however, Betty is one of those people who can touch the hearts of young people.

I highly recommend Betty to speak to others and look forward to when she can come to our school again.

Thank you Betty

Sincerely Yours,

Joan McMahon
Guidance Counsellor