Angry teenage girl. Adolescence, strength, independence. Girl power.

Growing Girls

Arnica Foundation invests in adolescent girls and young women to help them grow into emotionally strong and powerful women.

Upcoming Arnica Events

Two Day Clinical Workshop – April 20 and 21, 2026

Neuroscience Unlocked: A Transformative Comprehensive Clinical Framework for Trauma 

IN this two day in-person workshop by Ruth Lanius, M.D., Ph.D., Participants will learn how trauma disrupts orienting, attachment, and bodily safety systems, and how clinicians can restore regulation and connection through sensory pathways to healing. Clinically practical strategies, including the Finding Solid Ground program and parts-informed approaches, will guide participants in helping clients establish physical and internal safety, enhance presence, and build coherence. Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) will be introduced as a method to resolve traumatic shock at its neurophysiological roots, used only after stability is established, and contrasted with EMDR to clarify its unique approach.

Growing Resilient Teens – January 29 2026

This session is facilitated by a therapist from Juno House who has years of both clinical and facilitating experience. Juno House was founded in 2008 as a Centre of Excellence for adolescent girls and young women who are experiencing anxiety-based mental health issues of self harm, obsessive compulsive disorders, depression and eating disorders.

Woman comforting an emotional young teenage girl sitting with her legs crossed on a sofa and crying
Woman comforting an emotional young teenage girl sitting with her legs crossed on a sofa and crying

Arnica Foundation was established to address the serious mental health issues unique to adolescent girls and young women. Anxiety is a contributing factor in their mental health, and can result in depression, self-harm, obsessive compulsive disorders, and disordered eating – issues that require access to specialized therapeutic treatment.

In 2020, the Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that nearly one in four hospitalizations for children and youth age 5 to 24 were for mental health conditions, and girls age 15 to 17 were two times more likely to be admitted than boys. Additionally, Statistics Canada reports that eating disorders typically begin in adolescence or young adulthood, and affect women ten times more than men.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America also reports that:

  • Over two – thirds of antidepressants are prescribed to teenage girls.
  • Self – poisoning victims are about five times as likely to be girls.
  • Girls make up over 90% of children admitted to hospital for eating disorders
yellow arnica flower
yellow arnica flower
yellow arnica flower
A group of four multi-ethnic teenage girls, 18 years old, standing in front of a school building carrying book bags and notebooks. They are high school seniors or freshmen in college.

We’re Growing

Growing girls depends on your donations to build emotionally strong and powerful women.