The Phoenix Newsletters
The Phoenix – ISSUE 13 – July 2026
In this issue we offer you insights into the safety risks associated with low self-worth and tools to help you overcome it. If you have participated in our classes, you know that developing healthy self-worth is a cornerstone to our self-defence education and the foundation for our programs. To know you are worth protecting at any age and stage helps to create a healthy mindset and self-trust that you can and will “be there” for yourself when needed, no matter the situation. Unfortunately, for many this concept feels foreign and uncomfortable.
Knowing you are worth protecting allows you to set, hold and enforce your personal boundaries with a power and grace that needs no explanation. Your ‘Worth’ is non-negotiable.
– Yvette André, Sixth Sense Self Defence
NEWS & VIEWS
Elder Abuse Awareness – Since Covid, our lives have changed and abuse cases have been on the rise where so many communities and individuals have suffered in fear and silence. June 15th marked the globally recognized Elder Abuse Awareness Day and the growing challenges our elders face in this changing world. Read more
B.C. seniors advocate sounding alarm about increase in elder abuse – CTV News
DEAR PARENTS
Children and Self-Worth in the World – Our understanding and concept of Self begins to develop around the age of 7, where the ego and self-image begin to emerge. This critical time of development is both resilient and vulnerable to the often devastating effects of criticism, bullying and pressure. The need for external validation and behavioural praise can become all consuming on social media and from the growing world around us. This need becomes amplified through puberty and well into our adult lives, if our foundation of self-worth is rocky. Please keep in mind, you need nothing from outside of yourself to validate your worth. That searching and need can leave you emotionally bankrupt and may allow others to take advantage of you throughout your life. Read more
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
Helping Tweens & Teens Know Their Worth – Childhood is most often associated with physical milestones of growth and independence with eating, hygiene, habits and developing behavioural adaptations to our social environment. The Tween/Teen years is a time of mental and emotional development and transformation, where our feelings and self-image are in full development and on display through puberty beyond. The experiences we have during this time can leave life long positive or negative effects on our self-image and worth going forward, and greatly challenge how we view ourselves and the world around us. Read more
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
Develop your self-esteem to help lift you from years of depression and self-sabotage. – In the western world we are not even 100 years into our sovereignty as women. In 1929, my grandmother was finally regarded as a person, not property. She was Caucasian and tragically this right would come much later for Indigenous women and women of colour. Fast forward to 2026, where in a growing and diverse world, women’s rights, spaces and how we are viewed in society are being challenged in ways that we couldn’t have fathomed a decade ago, yet here we are. Now is the time when our own self-image and self-worth matters more than ever, so we do not lose what we have gained. Read more
Resources
Office of the Seniors Advocate BC
Increasing Self-Esteem Workshop Guide
Why Your Low Self-Esteem May Cause You to Be Treated Poorly
Understanding Why Children with Behavioural Problems Often Have Low Self-Esteem
Effects of parenting styles on children’s self-esteem & mental health
How Parents Unintentionally Damage Their Child’s Self-Esteem
Why Confidence About Puberty Matters for Teens
Navigating Self-Esteem Issues in Adolescents: A Guide for Parents, Teens, and Educators
Low Self-Esteem: The Silent Epidemic
How self-worth affects our vulnerability to depression
GOOD NEWS
Bailey’s Law, on intimate partner violence, passes third reading in Senate
The Phoenix – ISSUE 12 – May 2026
Mutual emotional responsiveness is the single most essential ingredient of human relationships.
– Lindsay C. Gibson
NEWS & VIEWS
Resilience in a Changing World: Thriving Amid Global Challenges – Dr. Heather Dyson Psychology
DEAR PARENTS
How to Become an Emotionally Aware Parent and Why It Matters – Parent Child Connection
The Importance of Emotional Resilience – Foundations for Emotional Wellness
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
How to Help Kids Who Are Too Hard on Themselves – Child Mind Institute
Artificial Intelligence Gives Advice, But It Doesn’t Care About the Outcome Of That Advice – The White Hatter
Fostering Resilience and Grit: How to Stop Rescuing Your Kids – Parenting Teens & Tweens
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
A Guide for Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents – The Attachment Project
Understanding Emotional Resilience and How to Build It – Abundance Therapy Center
How To Stop People-Pleasing At Work And Set Boundaries – Forbes
Resources
Types of relationship boundaries and how to set them
12 Tips for Raising Confident Kids
50+ Fun Ideas for a Grade 12 “Bucket List”!
“The scariest part of raising teenagers is remembering all the stupid things you did as a teenager”
– Whitney Fleming | Playdates on Fridays
Book Recommendation: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
Victoria Sexual Assault Centre
Victoria Women’s Transition House
Family Violence Resources in Your Area
JDoe – Anonymous platform for reporting sexual misconduct
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
The Phoenix – ISSUE 11 – January 2026
Feeling confident in your ability to protect yourself empowers you to live with less fear and more FREEDOM.
– Nicole Sundine
NEWS & VIEWS
AI chatbots and digital companions are reshaping emotional connection – American Psychological Association
DEAR PARENTS
Anxiety Anyone? Parenting Your Child Through Puberty – Yvette Andre
The Importance of Self-Care for Parents of Teenagers – Soul Soothe Counselling and Wellness
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
When AI Moves Faster Than Truth – Youth & Teen Online Survival Skills for 2026 – The White Hatter
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
‘Too True Crime’ podcast shines light on Canada’s femicide crisis – Peninsula News Review
Resources
In the U.S., roughly 3 in every 10 teenagers said they used AI chatbots “almost constantly” last year.
How to help your child during grade 9
Divorce? Learn How A Child’s Age and Stage of Development Impacts Their Experience
Blocking a Browser Does Not Always Block the Internet
How to Protect Your Teen’s Self Esteem from Social Media Threats
What is a ‘femicide’ and why do some advocates and police want it in the Criminal Code?
Ending Sexual Violence – Association of Canada: endingviolencecanada.org
The Phoenix – ISSUE 10 – November 2025
Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do.
– Brene Brown
NEWS & VIEWS
Grounding and Sensory Techniques
Healing Through Creative Expression: Art as a Tool for Survivors – SAFE Stop Abuse for Everyone
DEAR PARENTS
How Can We Help Kids With Self-Regulation? – Child Mind Institute
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
How to Get Teens Moving and Improving their Mental Health – Parenting Teens & Tweens
Help Her Take Her Power Back! How to Talk to Adolescent Girls About Unwanted Sexual Attention – Parenting Teens & Tweens
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
Why So Many Women Don’t Report Sexual Harassment and Assault – PsychCentral
Sexual harassment and assault affects women’s psychological and physical health later in life – ABC News
Resources
Sixth Sense Self Defence programs offer a form of Somatic Therapy
What is art therapy and how can it help?
Art therapy for kids: Activities & Ideas
10 effective therapy activities for teens and adolescents
As our tween’s social awareness increases, their social anxiety increases...
Understanding the Social and Emotional Development of Tween-Agers
Taking your power back through creative healing and expression
Use creativity to heal your inner child
Treatment centre for anxiety, addiction and trauma: Homewood Ravensview
The Phoenix – ISSUE 9 – July 2025
Discernment is having the eyes to see, and the ears to hear – and the ability to feel the emotional energy that is Truth.
– Robert Burney
NEWS & VIEWS
Shining a light on the dark forces manipulating our teenagers – eSafety Commissioner
DEAR PARENTS
Are You Teaching Children Discernment? – Teaching Self-Government.com
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
Developing Critical Thinking In Teens – reboot elevated critical thinking.com
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
Discernment for Women – Yvette Andre
Find family violence resources and services in your area – Government of Canada
Recognizing emotional abuse – Canadian Women’s Foundation
Resources
How tech experts keep their children safe online
Resilience guide for parents and teachers
Defense vs. Discernment: A Tool for Reflecting on Your Response Style
What to do if your teen/ tween is gullible, naive, easily influenced by Peers/ Online Influencers
Identifying Manipulative Behavior in Your Teen
Discernment is the ability to see things for what they REALLY are and not what we WANT them to be.
– Unknown
Self-Defense and Discernment: Knowing What’s Worth Fighting For
The Phoenix – ISSUE 8 – April 2025
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
– Nelson Mandela
NEWS & VIEWS
Child luring and exploitation are on the rise. Here’s how you can protect yourself or your family – CTV News
DEAR PARENTS
Should You Try Family Therapy? Here’s What Parents Need To Know – Today’s Parent
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
Talking with Teens and Preteens About Pornography – Common Sense Media
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
Victoria woman offers a new path for sexual assault survivors – Peninsula News Review
Don’t be afraid.
Be focused. Be determined.
Be hopeful. Be empowered.
– Michelle Obama
Resources
How tech experts keep their kids safe online
Why family therapy… because it deals with family pain.
– Virginia Satir
Culture Reframed Parents Program – Building young people’s resilience and resistance to hypersexualized media and porn
VIDEOS
The Phoenix – ISSUE 7 – January 2025
Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.
– Oprah Winfrey
NEWS & VIEWS
Sexting is Becoming An Epidemic of Young People 13+ – Kids Health
DEAR PARENTS
The Connection Between Bullying and Mental Health Disorders: Understanding the Risks – BullyingCanada
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
Is your teen lying to you? 5 Things Parents Unintentionally Do That Cause Our Teens to Lie – Carol Moore
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
Trusting Your Intuition To Evaluate a Relationship – Kristen Hick
Ask Yourself: Am I trying to make this relationship fit because I’m lonely?
Developing a women’s cyber self-defence toolkit – UNBC – Dr. Luna K C
Resources
Sexting: What Parents Need to Know
Bullying Canada: Mental Health Resource for Bullied Youth
I realized that bullying never has to do with you. It’s the bully who’s insecure.
– Shay Mitchell
2025 Teen Slang Parents Need to Know
When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.
– Nora Ephron
Happily ever after is not a fairy tale. It’s a choice.
– Fawn Weaver
The Phoenix – ISSUE 6 – October 2024
Resources
It is not about being the ‘first’ or the ‘only’… it’s about creating a pathway for the girls coming up.
– Justine Siegal, the first female coach of a professional American men’s baseball team.
Little Girls with dreams become Women of vision.
– Scarlett Curtis
8 Ways to Teach Your Child to be Responsible
If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach them to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.
– Carol Dweck
6 Tips That Will Help You Deal With Teenage Disrespect
Results happen overtime, not overnight. Work hard, stay consistent and be patient.
– Unknown
I know my worth. I embrace my power. I say if I’m beautiful. I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will.
– Amy Schumer
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
– Mahatma Gandhi
NEWS & VIEWS
Amid the Nation’s Ongoing Youth Mental Health Crisis, New Research Shows the Critical Role Sports Can Play in Promoting Girls’ Mental Health – Women’s Sports Foundation
DEAR PARENTS
Encouraging your child’s personal responsibility
Children’s independence expands as they age and their own personal responsibility is what gives them insight into being more aware when they’re on their own, like walking to school, or meeting a friend. We need to teach our children that we are our own first responders to a situation when no one else is there to help us. And with that mindset, they need to feel capable of handling the situations that come their way.
Preparing your child for when they are on their own, such as knowing a parent’s phone number or how to respond to strangers, is critical to their personal responsibility development. Start small when children are small and increase the education and expectation for their growing responsibilities as they age. Doing chores, checking in, doing what they say will do, are things tweens can begin. As they grow, continue to make the increase in personal responsibility a positive and consistent experience for them. Their participation and feelings of enthusiasm around their independence and autonomy builds self-trust and self-confidence, which are critical when they are out in the world, need to set boundaries, and make safe decisions. – Yvette
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
Six Boundaries for Teens They’ll Thank You For Later – Whitney Fleming
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
B.C. woman fights off attacker, credits her self-defence classes – Amy Judd & Kylie Stanton
The Phoenix – ISSUE 5 – July 2024
Self-defence is not just a set of techniques; it’s a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that you are worth defending.
– Rorian Gracie
NEWS & VIEWS
The Impact of Influencers on Young Adults and Teens – Heather Hayes
DEAR PARENTS
Boredom: Why It’s Good for Your Child – Dr. Laura Markham, Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids
TWEEN | TEEN POWER SCENE
What Happened When a Stranger Messaged My Tween’s Phone – Karen Johnson
WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW
25 Key Emotional Boundaries Set By Women In The Healthiest Relationships – Lorna & Matthew Walters
Resources
Studies have shown that consuming influencer content directly affects the way teenagers behave.
About one in five teenagers report using YouTube and TikTok almost constantly.
Your Age-by-Age Guide to Screen-Free Activities Your Child Can Do With Minimal Supervision
I love when my kids tell me they’re bored.
As if the lady standing in front of a full sink of dirty dishes is where you go to get ideas about how to have a good time.
– Anonymous
Healthy boundaries are not walls. They are gates and fences that allow you to enjoy the beauty of your garden.
– Lydia H. Hall