sltreecomms@gmail.com

Our aims​​

1. Help to prevent and reduce the harm of mental health issues

2. Help to facilitate improved quality of life, and/or recovery.

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Our Objectives

1. Raise Awareness of mental health issues

2. Facilitate understanding of mental health issues

3. Encourage and teach healthy responses to mental health issues

4. Show compassion to those affected by mental health issues

5. Signpost to reliable and effective sources of help for mental health issues

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Our Experience

• 15+ years experience in delivering PSE Education & Resources

• Care: Palliative, Early Learning, and Older People

• Support Work: Early Learning, Homelessness, ASN​

• College & University Education

• Life Experiences: Inc. Mental Ill Health, challenges, traumas, disappointments, and recovery thereafter. ​

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Our Principles

• Truth: and the pursuit of truth is the right foundation for good mental health as it facilitates informed decision making regarding physical, mental, relational, and lifestyle choices. (Lies and misinformation contribute to the problems)​

• Reason: Having the ability, or help, to productively think through and process the possible or actual truth of our situation, and then weigh up the advantages, limits, and dangers of our responses can make all the difference to the likelihood of reduced harm, improved quality of life, or recovery. (Unreasonable, reactionary choices dictated solely by feelings contribute to the problems).

• Encouragement: Courage is the mental or moral strength to attempt to overcome, persevere through, and stand against danger, fear, or difficulty. Mental Health issues can limit or steal that courage, so someone needs to step up to encourage by offering support, confidence, or hope. (Loneliness combined with harmful and discouraging messages contribute to the problems)

• Empathy: Having the ability to sense, understand & share the feelings of another by imagining what it would be like to be in their situation, generates awareness of their suffering and can produce compassion, and better informs the ways in which that compassion is expressed. (Indifference contributes to the problems)

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Our Approach and Considerations

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AGE APPROPRIATE: Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, should be sensitive to the age of the listener.

• Not all adolescents sharing the same age, share the same level of awareness of life experiences.

• There are adolescents who will share their awareness in an uninformed, and inappropriate way.

• There are adolescents who have had embarrassing, confusing, and unsettling experiences but are afraid to talk about them, and don’t know how or where to get help. 

• Caution and sensitivity should be exercised to combat the dangers of; careless, reckless, misinformed, or ill-informed ideas shared by peers, entertainment, and media platforms.

• Parents should exercise their right to see content beforehand, ask questions, and decide whether they feel the content is appropriate for their children.

  • Adjustments can be made, if Truth, Reason, Encouragement, and Empathy are not compromised.

 

HOLISTIC: Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, need to look at the whole person, the physical, emotional, relational, and lifestyle

• experiences

• responses

• consequences

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FAMILY FIRST: Talks that address values, beliefs, family, parents, friendships, romantic relationships, sexual activity, and decision making, should be sensitive to the values of the children’s parents.

• Presenting the Truth, which has been properly reasoned, in a reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic way, affirming the inherent worth of each child, and teaching the value of compassion, should put most families’ minds at ease.

• Parents are and should be the primary educators of their children, we remind the listeners of this, and encourage them to share their issues with and ask questions of their parents first.  

• If the individual expresses that their primary care givers are not truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic then we would advise talking to an appropriate adult who is, preferably someone who cares about their parents too, e.g., another family member, family friend, teacher, or youth worker.

• In instances where the individual divulges abuse, or potential danger to self or others is suspected, please see our safeguarding policy.

 

INFORMED CHOICE: Adolescents may not always be able to identify when a ‘teacher’ or ‘organisation representative’ or any adult is presenting opinion as fact, and they may feel unable to question what is being taught out of fear of judgement or punishment, from peers or the person teaching.

• We share the importance of Truth, Reason, Encouragement, and Empathy, not just for treating mental health issues, but for all decision making and relationships.

• Participants will know when we are talking about things that are known to be true, and when we are talking about things that are believed to be true, and they will know the difference.

• They will be encouraged and given the opportunity to reason for themselves, and will be presented with truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic solutions, with an awareness of opposing opinions.

• They will not be told that values are validated by the number of people who share them, or by how loudly they proclaim them, but that validation is found in how true or reasonable they are.

• Participants at the end of a talk should be able to make an informed, or better-informed choice, based on a reasonable examination of the truth.

• Only when asked, might we share an opinion, and only if we are confident that it is truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic, if opinion is shared it will be emphasised as opinion with the caveat that they should reason for themselves and discuss it with their parents, or an appropriate adult who is truthful, trustworthy, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic.

 

NON-DISCRIMANATORY: Our talks are open to all people in the relevant age groups regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, or ability.

• We reserve the right to ask a participant to leave, or block them from our social media platforms, or to withdraw ourselves in response to behaviour alone, for example, if they are disruptive, threatening, and/or demonstrably callous to ourselves or other participants.

• Time is made for opposing views to be heard, but we will do our utmost to ensure that the essence of our truthful, reasonable, encouraging, and empathetic talk, which has been requested and worked on in good faith, is effectively delivered.

 

DEBATE WELCOME: Thinking for oneself, doubt, asking questions, scepticism, and debate are all validated, while, cynicism, deplatforming, silencing, cancelling, and prejudice are challenged. 

 

HUMOUR AND CREATIVITY: Appropriate humour, creativity, and activities help to build rapport and hopefully provide a positive learning experience for all.