Get help with your school project

We’re really happy that you’re interested in headspace’s work — and that you’d like to include us in your project! We receive a lot of requests about school and study projects, but as a busy organisation, we unfortunately don’t have the capacity to respond to all individual questions. That’s why we’ve created this page — so you can find some of the answers and information you need for your project.

Top 10 Topics of Conversation at headspace

RELATIONS TO THE FAMILY

Family relationships are among the most common issues young people bring up at headspace. The conversations often focus on problems with parents or difficulties within the family. Many young people describe challenges such as parental conflicts, divorce, worries about siblings or parents, feelings of being treated differently, or a lack of understanding. Some feel overlooked, misunderstood, or like a burden. They may experience issues such as parents wanting to control their phone use, conflicts like sibling arguments, or challenges related to a sibling with a diagnosis that affects family dynamics. For transgender young people, communicating a new identity to their family can be especially difficult, and family acceptance plays a major role. The conversations can also involve problems in relationships with other family members, such as stepparents or new adults in the home.

headspace Family: https://headspace.dk/headspace-family/

DEALING WITH DAILY LIFE

Managing everyday life covers everything from practical challenges to day-to-day struggles and concrete support — such as learning to take the bus, managing routines, maintaining structure, hygiene, and daily activities. Some young people find it difficult to keep up with ordinary tasks, like doing the dishes or vacuuming. It may involve young people who don’t want to go to school, who feel they never see their friends after class, who have lost interest in their hobbies, or who don’t know which activities they might enjoy. Others feel overwhelmed by a packed schedule filled with school, work, homework, and responsibilities. Conversations can also revolve around general choices and everyday doubts — such as keeping commitments, finding joy in activities, prioritising a healthy routine, or managing sleep problems through better planning. In some cases, it’s about coping with mental or physical challenges, feeling lonely, or dealing with an overfilled or empty everyday life, for example during a gap year. It can also involve self-critical young people who experience frequent conflicts or face challenges that don’t fit neatly into any single category.

RELATIONS TO FRIENDS/PARTNER

This category covers challenges related to relationships. It can involve friendship groups, group dynamics, conflicts at school, or relationships with individual people. Romantic relationship issues are rarely mentioned directly. Young people often bring up challenges such as betrayal, bullying, harassment, violence, falling out with friends, social media, identity, and social interaction within groups — for example: “The other girls talk about everyone behind their backs,” “No one in my class listens to me,” or “I never say anything in a big group because someone always interrupts.” Relationships with friends can involve many different dilemmas

Grouping in the school.
The young person feels talked about or excluded.
They experience not being part of a group.
Their best friend — or close friends — suddenly find others more interesting.
They’re afraid to speak up or of FOMO (fear of missing out) within their friend group.
They may have several short-term relationships in a short period of time.
They feel unsure about what others think or say about them.

WORRY / INSECURITY / ANXIETY

Worries, insecurity, and anxiety can appear in many different ways during conversations. Symptoms of anxiety may include fear of crowds, loud noises, performance situations, attention, or going to school. It can also be fear of not being good enough, making the wrong choice, having something seriously wrong, or being left out — as well as physical symptoms such as stomach pain, racing thoughts, or chest tightness. “I often stay home from school because of low mood, negative thoughts, and panic attacks. At school, I worry about what others think of me and whether they like me.” Anxiety can also stem from trauma or concern for parents or friends who are under pressure. Some young people feel unsafe because of their parents’ health, war, the global situation, or social settings like gatherings, shopping, or public transport. Others worry about instability at home, the future, school choices, or health anxiety — both for themselves and for their loved ones. When we see that headspace support isn’t enough for a young person, we help build a bridge to other services — for example, their GP or other community-based support.

IDENTITY AND SELF-ESTEEM: WHO AM I, AND WHAT CAN I DO?

Issues around identity and self-esteem come up in many conversations — sometimes brought up directly by the young person, other times emerging gradually along the way. Some young people struggle with a deep sense of doubt about whether they are good enough, whether they fit in, and what others think of them. This can lead to conversations about what makes them happy and how self-esteem can be built over time through small experiences. Some young people feel they adapt so much to others that they begin to doubt their own value and identity, asking themselves, “Who am I?” or “Where do I belong?” For transgender young people, this can also be about finding their place — among boys, girls, or somewhere in between. Such doubts can be closely connected to relationship challenges and may also include insecurity about one’s abilities, gender identity, sexual orientation, or the feeling of not being good enough or of being different because of a diagnosis or dyslexia.

EDUCATION / WORK

This theme touches on reflections and decisions about what path to choose — often bringing uncertainty and challenges, both at work and in education. It can be difficult to understand how group or community dynamics work, and how to navigate them successfully. Questions often arise such as: What direction should a young person take after 9th–10th grade or high school? How do they find a part-time job? How do they choose an education path — and on what basis? Is the decision guided by their own wishes, their parents’ expectations, or the influence of others? Challenges can appear in both education and the workplace and may include issues such as bullying, conflicts with classmates, colleagues, or managers. Some young people feel stuck or unsure whether they are on the right track in their working life.

STORIES ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE, ECT.

Sometimes, young people come in and talk about positive things that have happened in their lives — both in the short and long term. We try to help them recognise the value of these positive changes when they can’t always see it themselves. For some, it might be that they’ve finally managed to say something difficult at home after building up the courage for a long time. For others, it may be about improved school attendance, greater trust in friends, or forming new relationships — for example, after starting at a new school. Many also gain better control over racing thoughts, which gives them more energy, balance, and self-confidence. For some, this means breaking free from unhealthy relationships, leading to positive change in their lives. Others feel better equipped to handle everyday challenges, such as relationships with partners, friends, or family. Some begin a bridging programme that provides extra support to help them manage their specific difficulties. In a few cases, an official report (underretning) gives young people access to additional help, benefiting both them and their families.

LONELINESS

Some young people talk about feeling lonely. This can come up in conversations about a lack of friendships, isolation, family, or school — and it’s a feeling that varies greatly from person to person. Their thoughts might sound like: ”JI miss having a partner and don’t have any real friends,”, "I’m afraid, I’ll never find someone or have a family”. The young person may feel isolated and experience that there’s no one they’re truly close to, no one they can trust or who’s really there for them. Some have no one, or only a few people, to spend time with. Even within a group, they might feel different or unseen, which can lead to feelings of loneliness — even when they technically have friends. For others, loneliness can stem from a desire to change themselves just to fit in.

A 2023 study showed that 51 percent of young people at headspace experience loneliness. The feeling is more common among girls/women and young people with a gender identity other than boys/men.
Half of the young people experience a reduction in feelings of loneliness during their time at headspace.
65 percent of the young people who felt "very lonely” at the beginning, report a decrease in loneliness throughout their course of support at headspace.

SADNESS / MOODY / DEPRESSIVE THOUGHTS

Some young people face challenges that require more support than we can offer on our own. Some feel worthless and without joy, struggling with dark thoughts about whether they want to go on — especially in the evenings. Others battle sadness and depressive thoughts, often linked to loneliness, low self-esteem, or missing contact with their parents. Several describe a sense of hopelessness — where everything feels meaningless, and they lack the energy or happiness to enjoy the things they once loved.

35 percent of young people at headspace have such low wellbeing that they are at risk of developing depression.

From previous national analyses of young people at headspace, we know that after a counselling process, 16 percent are no longer at risk of developing depression.

PARTNER ISSUES / THEMATICS

Some young people talk about relationship challenges such as arguments, jealousy, mistrust, and conflict — including disagreements about communication or disappointment at not feeling seen or valued. Some feel like they’re constantly working to be “good enough” in the relationship and are often affected by a fear of being abandoned. It can also involve worries about a partner’s behaviour or difficulties understanding each other’s perspectives, which can create further tension. Breakups and thoughts about ending a relationship are also common topics.