Mentoring Through Uncertainty

Advice & Resources for Supporting Youth During Social, Political & Personal Stress

April 23, 2026 – New York, NY

Girls Write Now’s Mentor Professional Development is designed to support mentors in navigating today’s complex and ever-changing landscape. Our most recent session equipped mentors with psychologically informed strategies to better support youth facing uncertainty in their social, political, and personal lives. Dr. Kristie Norwood, Clinical Psychologist and Director of Student Counseling Center at Hampton University, led the conversation.

“Healthy mentorship in difficult times isn’t about having the right answers; it’s about helping someone feel understood, regulated, and able to think.”

— Dr. Kristie Norwood

Among the resources that Dr. Kristie shared were The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce D. Perry & Oprah Winfrey, the American Psychological Association, and mindful.org.

By the end of the session, especially the breakout rooms, which was a great opportunity to get some energy flowing, I felt ten times better and more equipped with skills I hope to employ very soon. Thank you so much Kristie and to Girls Write Now for providing the opportunity!


— Girls Write Now Mentor, Spring Cycle 2026