Part of the mission of Conversations on the Fringe is to help vulnerable and marginalized young people live life as wholehearted individuals. In order to do that, we offer training to caregivers and youth workers in pastoral counseling, life coaching, spiritual direction, and mentoring of adolescents. Whether they’re struggling with addiction, relationship difficulties, need help in achieving wellness goals, or a young person needs a supportive adult relationship, Conversations on the Fringe is here to help equip the helpers in a young person’s life.

Take a look at our services to find one that is right for you:

Pastoral Counseling

Often life, circumstances, and personal choices wound deeply. Sometimes those situations lead to dark places and they need someone trained to lead them out of the darkness. If you know a student(s) that struggles with anger, anxiety, depression, or substance abuse you might benefit from meeting with one of our trained pastoral counselors to increase your capacity to walk alongside this hurting young person.

Life Coach

Do you have students trying to lose weight? Are they attempting to quit smoking or swearing? Do they have educational or career goals they’d like to pursue and are just having a difficult time knowing where to start? A Life Coach might be the right mix of encouragement and accountability to help kick start a student’s new habit or be a catalyst towards achieving their goals.

Spiritual Direction

Students often long for a deeper spiritual life then you might think and would benefit from engaging in Spiritual Direction. Spiritual Direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal faith. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing spiritual issues. The director listens and asks questions to assist the student in his or her process of reflection and spiritual growth. This requires training that is not common in most youth worker training venues.

Mentoring

Have you considered starting a youth mentoring program? Youth mentoring is the process of matching mentors with young people who need or want a caring, responsible adult in their lives. Adult mentors are usually unrelated to the child or teen and work as volunteers through a community, school, or church-based program. The goal of youth mentoring programs is to improve the well-being of the child by providing a role model that can support the child academically, socially and/or personally. If your church/ministry is looking to start a mentoring program Conversations on the Fringe can work with you to set a vision, work out the details, and assist in the execution of a new mentoring program.

Click here for information on our Certified Suicide Prevention Training.

If you are interested in further exploring any of these opportunities, contact us today at chris.schaffner72@gmail.com.