ABOUT US

Our founder Teah Hughes knows firsthand how a divorce can emotionally impact a child and their family. Oftentimes, a child's voice is never heard over the noise between two contentious parents. This can lead to emotional scarring and if left untreated, can manifest into more serious mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and even thoughts of suicide. In 2015, Teah decided she wanted to help other youths and young adults receive the support and resources needed to cope with their parents' separation or divorce. Stuck In The Middle was formed with the mission to empower, strengthen and improve the mental health of children by providing professional, educational, and other resources to their families while navigating through the process of divorce or loss of a parent. By 2018, SITM held its first self-care workshop and continues to provide educational resources and support to children and their families in the Southern New Jersey area.

What We DO

Furthering our cause is the most important goal of our organization. We seek to support, empower, and provide high quality resources to our community in a safe and secure environment. Our success isn’t measured in terms of wealth or profit margin, but by the value we provide to those we serve. .

Educational Workshops

Our educational workshops and classes are designed to inform, educate and empower parents to use practical skills, positive techniques, and strategies to engage in healthier relationships with themselves and others during and after a separation or divorce. These workshops are not just limited to these life events but also include events such as the loss or incarceration of a parent. Subject matters and topics such as grief, self-care, trauma, high conflict co-parenting and many more mental health topics are facilitated and led by knowledgeable and experienced mental health professionals which are also open to all that feel compelled to attend. The goal of these workshops and classes is to encourage families to recognize, obtain the necessary resources and support they'll need when navigating through life challenges.

Art/ Music Therapy

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” —Pablo Picasso

Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” Kahlil Gibran

Music Therapy is the clinical & evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. Music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare & educational goals:

Promote Wellness
Manage Stress
Alleviate Pain
Express Feelings
Enhance Memory
Improve Communication
Promote Physical Rehabilitation
and more!

Mind and Body Wellness

Yoga and meditation has become one of the most popular exercise routines recommended for self-care even for children. It helps to reduce stress, builds resilience against adverse childhood experiences, improves focus, memory, self-esteem, social-emotional learning (SEL), academic performance, classroom behavior, and more.

Youth Empowermenrt

Sounds like a cliche, but it's true. Youth are our future leaders. Despite their challenging circumstances, we want to help youth develop life coping skills, critical awareness, communication and conflict and resolution skills. Our youth empowerment goal is to encourage them to become resilient, self-sufficient and to use their own talents and skills to lead, teach and advocate not just for themselves but for others as well. We believe by promoting positive youth development and healthy relationships with others, we are helping to develop our future successful leaders.

Peer-to-Peer Support

This program doesn't require any special training, formal education or accreditations. It is an opportunity for parents to encourage, support, and exchange with other parents:

Emotional support
Knowledge
Experiences
Resources
Other supports

Scholarships/Financial Assistance

Our goal is to help others as others have helped us. Whether it's providing a *scholarships to high school seniors or financially supporting a child or family in therapy via our *Day One program. We want to help provide those resources needed to move youth forward and beyond their trauma.

Individual/Family Counseling

This program is currently under development. Please be patient with us while we continue to build our networks.

Partnerships/Community Outreach

Coretta Scott King said, "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."

We are committed and will be engaged to partner with businesses, schools, agencies and other community organizations to help meet the needs of our local, state and national initiatives.