Candle Light Confessions

Candle Light Confessions: Stories of Youth Outshining Stigma

The professional growth opportunity I participated in was Candle Light Confessions:

Stories of Youth Outshining Stigma presented by Urban Beats.  The event was held on March 2^nd at the Malcolm X Library.  As explained on their website, Urban Beats is an innovative program for Transition Age Youth (TAY) aimed to empower and enhance the wellness of youth and adults through artistic expression by utilizing arts and social media.  Urban Beats provides a number of benefits for participating TAY, of which include: a safe space for youth where they can learn to de-stigmatize mental illness, express themselves without judgment, enhance their self-sufficiency, providing access to social media experts as well as working artists to support and help nurture potential careers paths, and help youth to develop transferable skills to the professional arena.

I was interested in this event because I have witnessed to the toll mental illness and stigma has had on my family.  The negative stigma of mental illness alone can keep one in a downward spiral making recovery efforts strained and problematic, especially for vulnerable and at-risk teens.  One of the talents/performances that spoke to me was Bri’s role-play and song.  I was moved to see how Bri’s role-play set up the context for her song which was dedicated to her mother of whom was not there for her, emotionally or physically during her times of need. 

Of the counseling techniques and counseling interventions I had seen that night, rapport building and providing a safe counseling space were at the heart and soul of this event.  I could also see some elements of Narrative Therapy at work in the form of searching for meaning, i.e. understanding the motivations and significance behind their choices of artistic expression for these youth.

To learn more about Urban Beats San Diego, visit http://www.sdurbanbeats.org/.