Youth Exploring

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Youth Exploring Transition is a 10-week educational group designed for transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse youth between the ages of 13-18 who are interested in better understanding their gender and/or gender transition.

The YET group will explore topics such as understanding gender, coming out, navigating transition, and coping with challenges. This program draws on content from other programming for gender diverse youth including Families in TRANSition (FIT) and Gender Journeys. This group is not psychotherapy; it is educational and not meant to treat any mental health issues. We ask that participants commit to coming to all the sessions.

Our Youth Exploring Transition (YET) Program is a 10-week group that meets once per week.

Sessions take place in-person at 480 Charles St E, Kitchener, ON N2G 4K5 (Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health building).

Download last session’s flyer here

About Families in TRANSition

The Families in TRANSition program was started by Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) to align with what research was showing us: that strong parental support can make an immeasurably positive impact on the health and mental health of youth.

From deep thoughtful and emergent clinical modalities, grounded community knowledge, and dedicated resource development, came the Families in TRANSition program. With its unique blend of trauma-informed, relational, and gender-affirming principles, FIT has supported hundreds of families to strengthen and bolster relationships between youth and the significant adults around them, particularly in times of identity exploration and gender transition.

FIT has been a funded program of PHAC’s Mental Health Promotion and Innovation Fund, and in 2022, CTYS received Phase 2 funding to scale up the program through partnering with agencies across the country.  The hope is that this work with families will continue to support increased positive mental health outcomes for a wide range of youth, and also be part of larger progressive, social and political changes over time.

OK2BME is one of the agencies to be providing its own Families in TRANSition program.

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Here are what some of the group participants of the Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) Families in TRANSition program had to say…

“As the group progressed I just felt a little more on solid ground. The more we learned…and opened up new perspectives, I felt a bit more confident and that helped when I was talking to my son. So when I’m face-to-face with him, I feel better about asking him what’s happening because I’m gaining confidence and feel perhaps I can be of assistance.”

“Over the course of the group I noticed changes in my behaviour and my language… But I noticed changes in my kid as well. They are telling me a bit more…and we have moved through some of the [social transition] steps together. I think me coming to the group helped them feel more confident to come out.”

“I feel like I’m more of an advocate for my child whereas before I didn’t know where it was appropriate to step in and [where it] was appropriate to be respectful, allowing my child to take the lead. But this whole process has opened up communication between us.”

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