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Back-to-school season can bring a lot at once: excitement, possibility, uncertainty, new relationships, and stress. For LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, starting a new school year—or beginning college for the first time—may also bring questions about belonging, identity, safety, and how they will navigate am uncertain sociocultural climate. As affirming clinicians, we want to help LGBTQ+ young people prepare for challenges without inadvertently teaching them to expect the worst. One AFFIRM-informed approach is to help youth enter this new chapter with a small, personalized plan that includes coping, connection, self-compassion, and hope. The Affirming Back-to-School Checklist Before school begins, invite your client to identify: One safe person.Who is one person at school you could go to if you needed support—a friend, professor, teacher, counselor, coach, advisor, or other trusted person? One self-compassion statement. What can you say to yourself on a hard day?
“This is hard right now, and I don't have to have everything figured out.”
“I deserve to take up space and be myself here.” One coping strategy you can actually use at school. Maybe stepping outside for a few minutes, texting someone supportive, listening to a favorite song between classes, grounding, breathing, or finding a quiet place to reset. One thing you are genuinely looking forward to. A class? Seeing a friend? Joining a club? Decorating a dorm room? A new outfit for the first day? Finally studying something you care about? One reminder of who you are outside of school. School is one part of your life—not the measure of your worth, identity, or future. Starting College? Add Two More Find one place to connect. Before you arrive—or during those first few weeks—look for an LGBTQ+ student organization, campus center, affinity group, or event that sounds interesting. You don't have to attend everything or immediately find “your people.” Just knowing where connection might be available can make a new campus feel smaller. Find one place that feels good to be. Explore the campus and surrounding community for a coffee shop, bookstore, library corner, community space, park, or other LGBTQ+-affirming spot where you can study, decompress, meet a friend, or simply feel comfortable being yourself. Start building a little map of places that feel like yours. We don't need to ignore the very real stressors LGBTQ+ young people may be navigating. But preparation doesn't have to mean rehearsing everything that could go wrong. It can mean cultivating affirming experiences. While creating this plan help your clients prepare for stress and notice hopeful possibility.
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