"Sometimes, it's just nice to talk to someone in a place that's safe and loving and encouraging," said Dolores Reidenbach, counselor and founder of Jewel David Ministries in Elizabethtown. "It's nice to share what you're feeling with somebody else."

That's the goal of Just 2 Talk Teen Group, sponsored by Mental Health America. The group will begin meeting on Monday, Jan. 23. Meetings will be held every Monday through Feb. 27 in the training room at Community Place on Washington, 61 E. Washington St., Elizabethtown. Food and drinks will be served at 3:30 p.m., and the group will be held from 4 to 5 p.m.

"This is not group therapy," Reidenbach explained. "It's just an opportunity for teens to get together and talk. It's really a support group, but we're not using those words because sometimes that has a negative connotation."

The program will be loosely structured, with Reidenbach facilitating conversations that are healthy and solutions oriented. "It's really just kind of open," she shared. "We don't know what the teens will want to talk about. I will provide some structure - how to problem solve, how to have hard conversations, what we need to move past the problem, self-care and so on. We'll talk about the good things they are doing for others, what nice things they are hoping someone would do for them and why."

Reidenbach was approached by Mental Health America, a national nonprofit, to start the group. "We had some discussion about what this should look like. Groups like this are out there in other places. The idea is just to open the door, invite kids to stop by for a slice of pizza and talk about what's happening in their lives," she commented.

Reidenbach also hopes the group will help teens sift through what they might be seeing on social media or elsewhere online. "Overall, there's a lot of information out there that teens have access to," she said. "Without some guidance, this information may not lead them to improve their mental health. There's very little talk on mental wellness - what is the strategy for being mentally well? There are lots of conversations on physical wellness, but what about mental wellness?"

She also noted that the group will help teens with life skills, including decision making, how to self-advocate and how to have constructive conversations. It's targeted for students who live in the Elizabethtown Area School District, but it's open to anyone in high school.

Mental Health America has provided funding to continue the program after its initial six-week run if it is well received, Reidenbach said. She is optimistic that teens will get a lot out of the program. "Knowing they are not the only one struggling with something can be so helpful," she remarked. "It's amazing how we can encourage each other."

Preregistration is required for Just 2 Talk Teen Group. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/4m8zu5vm.