WHAT IS RADICAL YOUTH WORK?

Radical Youth Work is a powerful, relationship-based approach to helping young people who feel disconnected, misunderstood, or stuck.

Originally developed by Dr. Hans Skott-Myhre and Michelle Gretzinger, and practiced by Dr. Wes Robins, this method goes beyond traditional therapy or surface-level mentoring. It’s about meeting teens and young adults exactly where they are — emotionally, mentally, and spiritually — and building real trust through honesty, consistency, and deep listening.

Instead of focusing on diagnoses, labels, or “fixing” behavior, Radical Youth Work focuses on connection. It sees the person behind the pain. It values lived experience over credentials. And it believes that healing happens through authentic relationships, not clinical checklists.

This is the heart of how I work at Bounce Back Mentors. It’s not about talking at young people — it’s about being with them in the struggle and helping them find their own way forward, with support, not judgment.

Radical Youth Work reminds us that every young person is worthy of being heard, believed in, and empowered to grow — no matter where they’re starting from.