Our Story

TeensTalk YXE was founded in October 2022 by Taryn & Pam Hutchings – a mother and daughter duo from Warman, SK. Taryn suffered an extreme mental health crisis beginning in August of 2022 which left her admitted 12 times to the in-patient psychiatric unit, totaling more than 90 hospitalized days.

Taryn was initially diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, her symptoms continuously evolved from all types of sensory and tactile hallucinations to overwhelming urges to self harm – resulting in overdoses and various injuries. She underwent countless medication changes and her symptoms continued to worsen. A diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder was eventually added which provided more questions than answers. 

Her family felt the need to think outside the box and found the Amen Clinic in Los Angeles, California which housed a youth psychiatrist that specializes in Functional Neurological Disorder. The clinic takes a cutting edge approach to psychiatry by utilizing SPECT scan technology to measure the brain’s functioning. Taryn’s brain was part of 10% of patients that had incredibly over-active results. Taryn was given a new treatment plan that included medication adjustments in addition to other holistic requirements. This trip provided the family with much needed answers. 

During this crisis, Taryn and Pam noticed a gap in services in Saskatoon – where were the support groups for youth struggling with mental health? Why wasn’t there more education and accessible information? Together, they decided to create the community they desired to belong to and TeensTalk YXE was created.

Pam, Taryn and Carter love spending time outdoors – hiking, camping and exploring. Pam is a registered social worker and works as a counselor at Evolve Counselling & Wellness. Taryn loves to dance, learn and bake! Carter loves basketball, soccer and gaming. They have an additional 3 family members, all rescue animals – Dulce  (Spanish word meaning sweet) their dog, Luna (Spanish word meaning moon) their cat and baby Leon (lion in Spanish) their newest kitten. Why Spanish names? They spent a year living in Honduras volunteering at Cofradia Billingual School – ask them about it sometime – it was the most rewarding and impactful year of their lives! When they’re not planning their next adventure, you can find them reading (they all LOVE to learn), playing games, and spending time with their friends & family.