communication

Articles and Advice in this area:

Article
  • Quinn Sjogerman

What’s so scary about asking when someone else may say no? Rejection. Read on to dial down the fear factor and learn to accept no like a pro.

Article
  • Sam Wall

Mental illness is often a hard thing to talk about even at the best of times. There’s still so much stigma attached to it and mental healthcare, and a lot of misconceptions about what someone with a mental illness looks or acts like. It can be doubly scary and intimidating if the person dealing with that illness is your child. What can you do to create a more supportive environment for a child who may be coping with mental illness?

Article
  • Heather Corinna

Sometimes sex is amazing. Other times, it’s nice. Then there are the times it sucks. How do you deal, and what’s the hidden value in not-at-all-awesome sex?

Article
  • Andi MacDonald

How to tame those scary, growly feelings and use them for good.

Advice
  • Johanna Schorn

I am really glad to hear that you have a close relationship with your mom. That can be tricky to maintain throughout the teen years, but for many people having a close relationship with parents is important, so it is awesome that you two seem to be doing great on that front. A big part of the reason…

Advice
  • Mo Ranyart

Hi, bifabulous! Congrats on becoming more aware of your own sexuality! Sadly, you’re right: some people do harbor misconceptions and sexist notions about bisexual women. Racism and sexism added to the mix make the issue even thornier; as you said, there are a lot of harmful stereotypes about Asian…

Advice
  • Sam Wall

Having a parent walk in on us when we’re doing something sexual is one of those things that is awkward at best and awful at worst. Our families, while not the only source of messages about sex, are definitely one source that leaves a big impression. So, it’s not surprising that, even though you’ve…

Advice
  • Sam Wall

Let’s tackle those apparently “raging” hormones first. Having strong sexual desires is nothing to be ashamed of. People have a range of sex drives, from high to non-existent, and even then, that’s rarely static: in other words, it’s often less a “way people are,” than a way someone is at a given…

Advice
  • Sam Wall

Let me first say that questions like yours are really common. Sorting through fantasies can be a tricky business and it’s sound to think about whether what we fantasize about is something we actually want to try. Our sexual fantasies, just like other kinds of fantasy, often aren’t things we want to…

Advice
  • Sam Wall

Ah – long distance relationships! It seems more and more as if, at some point in life, experiencing long-distance with a romantic or sexual partner (or friend, or family member: any kind of person we care about and can be in a relationship with) is inevitable. In fact, our volunteer Joey wrote an…