Creating Space for Honest Conversations at the ARISE Centre
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
Supporting young people means looking beyond education and skills development. It also means creating safe spaces where they feel heard, supported and able to talk openly about the challenges they face.
With this in mind, Powering Dreams recently facilitated a Counselling and Focus Group Engagement at the PFP ARISE Centre. The session brought students together to explore topics including mental well-being, relationships, financial pressures, and academic resilience in a safe and confidential environment.
Using a blended approach, the engagement combined small-group discussions with individual counselling support for students who wanted additional guidance. Throughout the session, facilitators encouraged honest conversation, reflection and peer learning, creating an atmosphere where students could participate in a way that felt comfortable for them.
The discussions highlighted just how closely emotional well-being can be connected to the everyday realities young people face. Relationships and financial pressures emerged as recurring themes, reinforcing the importance of providing young people with opportunities to build confidence, strengthen their decision-making and develop healthy coping strategies. While some students spoke openly, others found it more difficult to put their experiences into words, reminding us that simply having a safe space where these conversations can begin is valuable in itself.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of ongoing support. Based on the sessions, Powering Dreams emphasised the need to strengthen counselling, mentorship and life-skills education, while continuing to invest in economic empowerment and safe, non-judgemental spaces where young people feel heard and supported.
For us at PFP, this session was a reminder that supporting young people is about more than responding when challenges arise. It is about creating environments where they feel valued, respected and able to seek support without fear of judgement.
We are grateful to the team at Powering Dreams for facilitating this engagement and for helping create a space where meaningful conversations could take place. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Powering Dreams to ensure that every young person at the ARISE Centre has the support they need to build resilience, make informed decisions and thrive.
