By Janae Roberts
“It’s more than what you see,” shared Sarah, a 12 year old participant at The Youth Center. “I might be smiling and you might mistake me for a happy teenager, but deep inside I struggle with insecurities, hurt, and fear.” For the last 2 years, The Youth Center has been working with licensed clinician, Tara Farajian, and Cal State Long Beach on developing a program that can help teens like Sarah. Starting in January of 2023 the program View U is coming to Los Alamitos, California. The program is open to all 8th graders that need extra support in overcoming emotional obstacles. Students, in small groups, will participate in group therapy, learn how to find their voice, overcome challenges, and put into practice what they learn.
In 2022, The Youth Center celebrated its 70th birthday and provided over one million service hours to the local community. The View U program is led by Tara Farajian, a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience. Mrs. Farajian and her team conducted extensive research, collected surveys and formulated the program based on the needs of today’s children. “There is something powerful in a group therapy program,” shared Lina Lumme, CEO “teens find out that they are not alone in their thoughts and feelings.”
To discover how this program can help your child, visit theyouthcenter.org/view-u. Registration is now open for 8th grade students, and will soon be available to all grades in the future. Most insurances are accepted with zero copay. Scholarships are available for families who choose to not use their insurance.