Fears about fitting in at a new school. Concern over parents apparently heading for divorce. Questions and doubts about relationships and emerging sexuality.

Since 1998, these issues and many more have been raised with the team at TeenCentral.com, the web-based therapeutic support service powered by KidsPeace.

Now, with the onset of the coronavirus crisis, KidsPeace is devoting more resources to TeenCentral.com to provide support for young people as they deal with the unprecedented pressure and stress caused by the global pandemic.

“TeenCentral.com is a service we’ve provided for more than two decades, but now may be the time when it’s the most needed,” said Michael Slack, KidsPeace president and CEO. “So many of our kids don’t have their friends or social supports available to them, with social distancing and school closures as a result of COVID-19. We want these young people to know there’s a place with people who want to help them with the stress and emotions they’re feeling as they work on getting through this crisis.”

TeenCentral.com offers teens and young people a “safe space” to investigate and ask questions about mental health and coping strategies. Visitors to the site can submit a question or describe an issue in their lives, and get a “handcrafted” answer from a trained clinical professional posted to the site within 24 hours. All stories and therapeutic responses submitted over the past several months can be viewed on the site.

TeenCentral.com also offers information on a range of subjects - from anxiety to depression to relationships to spirituality - and a collection of self-help resources and tools to help visitors practice good mental and emotional health.

The site is free, anonymous and confidential.