Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, will begin free online support groups, starting next week for three weeks, for students feeling stressed about the Leaving Cert. The charity first launched Leaving Cert support groups for students in 2022 which was welcomed by teenagers and parents alike.
Turn2me was founded in 2009 stems from the personal experiences of Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard, who lost their brother, Cormac, to suicide in 2003. In 2013, Turn2me gained the support of the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention to deliver counselling online. In 2019, it joined forces with ReachOut Ireland to create a space for young people to find information to support their mental health online. It offers adult counselling and peer support services to adults living in Ireland.
The free online support groups for Leaving Certs will run on Thursdays for three weeks, on the 16th, 23rd and 30th May, at 6pm. It will be online, and students can sign up on Turn2Me.ie.
Turn2Me say the Leaving Cert can be an extremely stressful time for young people and their families, and the support groups will be a space where young people can share their struggles anonymously and receive tips on how to deal with stress, panic attacks, anxiety, and other issues from a mental health professional.
Students preparing for the Leaving Cert can sign up now on Turn2Me.ie. There is no waiting list, students just need to register as a user on Turn2Me.ie, and then register for the group in advance.
Once students are logged into their account, the group will open up at 6pm.
