YAM in the Flathead Valley, Montana

The week of June 26-30, 2023 was very exciting for the Montana YAM Trainers as we made our way to the Flathead Valley in Northwestern Montana to complete our first training in this area. We were able to certify eighteen new YAM Facilitators. This is an area that we have wanted to be involved with…Continue readingYAM in the Flathead Valley, Montana

YAM Bam Shang-A-Lang

20 Competitors. 15 PowerPoints. 6 Instructors. 5 Days. 3 Departments. But just one goal – ultimate YAM Glory! Who will make it?? (spoiler, everyone) THIS IS YAM TRAINING 2023.  *DISCLAIMER* You will have to excuse the title of this post – there are increasingly few YAM puns available, and Chitty Chitty YAM YAM was my…Continue readingYAM Bam Shang-A-Lang

The journey of becoming a YAM Fairy

They say that the best moments in life are the ones you don’t plan for, and we didn’t think that completing the YAM Instructor Course would fall into that category. We began our journey as 16 adults from a vast array of professional backgrounds (teachers from both Public and Catholic schools, therapists, volunteer workers, social…Continue readingThe journey of becoming a YAM Fairy

We are YAMin’ – and we hope you like YAMin’ too!

We began our YAM journey as 14 quiet, yet eager individuals. Pumped full of coffee, we nervously filled the room and took our seats in the ‘U’ formation. We were a group with an array of experiences and backgrounds, from three different sectors, all with one common goal – to be YAMin’! Over the course…Continue readingWe are YAMin’ – and we hope you like YAMin’ too!

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We’re back again!

Along with many other organisations worldwide, we were forced to pause our activities due to COVID-19. The pandemic is not over yet, but with a number of protective measures we were finally able to train new YAM Instructors again! Two of our Trainers wanted to share their experiences with our YAM community. Nerves and butterflies…Continue readingWe’re back again!

UNICEF on the mental health impacts of COVID-19

A couple of months ago, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, spoke about the mental health impacts COVID-19 is having on youth around the world. We would like to share some of her words and messages with you, as they speak directly to the issues that are at the heart of YAM. “The COVID-19…Continue readingUNICEF on the mental health impacts of COVID-19

Searching for koalas and Chris Hemsworth

Written by Agatha Mossakowska, YAM Trainer and Senior Project Officer at Black Dog Institute, working in the LifeSpan Suicide Prevention Trial team With YAM constantly expanding across areas in New South Wales, Australia, it was only fitting that our next Instructor course would make its way out of the capital cities and take place in…Continue readingSearching for koalas and Chris Hemsworth

Esther Perel on getting through the pandemic

Esther Perel is a world-renowned psychotherapist and all-around awesome person. She has so much wisdom about psychology and well-being, and as people who work with youth and mental health, her work is incredibly relevant to the YAM community. Her podcasts Where Should We Begin and How’s Work are bursting with insights and fascinating topics exploring…Continue readingEsther Perel on getting through the pandemic

Who are YOU?

Participation alert! This blog post is going to invite you to engage and write back – keep reading to find out how! Even though a lot of sites couldn’t do YAM as much as they wanted to last year, our YAM community is still as large as it’s ever been – and growing! Nearly 1,000…Continue readingWho are YOU?