Being a teenager can be a confusing and even scary experience. Safeplace of Northwest Alabama is setting out to give teens an open forum for discussion of all types of situations they might face, in a safe environment.

Russellville Public Library will be the site for Out of the Box Teen Talks in Franklin County. Sessions will be open to children age 13-18 each Friday through July 22, facilitated by Safeplace prevention program manager Jerri Ragland.

“My goal is to be able to provide a healthy outlet for teenagers during the summer to sit and meet and discuss healthy relationships, effects of domestic violence on children and to give them an understanding of a what a healthy lifestyle is supposed to be like,” Ragland said.

The “Teen Summit”-esque discussions will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon Fridays in July. Ragland said the chats will be informal interactions designed to allow teens to share and process feelings and situations with input from professionals who can help them problem solve in a healthy way.

Parents are also welcome to attend, if they would like. Ragland said parents might gain insight into what their children are going through and learn how to problem solve them, and might also be able to better understand the impact they have on their children.