THE
TRUE
SELF
Questions and answers

Everything you might want to ask.

Plain answers about how The True Self works, what a season costs, and who can read what. If your question is not here, write to us and a person will reply.

What The True Self is

What is The True Self?
The True Self is a private writing space led by Teri Potter, a qualified therapist, for parents and carers who are finding it hard to reach a young person they love. You write in your own time, Teri reads and replies as a person. It is not therapy and it is not crisis support.
Is The True Self therapy?
No. It is a reflective writing space with a therapist alongside you. There is no diagnosis, no treatment plan and no clinical record. If you need therapy or urgent help, speak to your GP or your local emergency services.
Who is it for?
Parents and carers of young people, where talking has become difficult, tense or silent. Young people can be invited into their own separate space, In My Room, which is private from the parent by default.
What is A Place to Land?
A Place to Land is the parent or carer space. It holds your private writing, your conversations with Teri at The Threshold, The Village community, and the resources Teri has gathered.
What is In My Room?
In My Room is the young person's own space, with their own writing, their own conversations with Teri, and their own community. Nothing a young person writes is visible to their parent or carer unless the young person chooses to share it.
What is The Clearing?
The Clearing is the shared ground. When a parent and a young person are connected and both choose it, a piece of writing can be brought into The Clearing so it can be read together, with Teri holding the space.
What is the S.A.F.E. Practice?
S.A.F.E. Practice is Teri's way of working. It shapes the invitations you are given, the pace of the writing and the way replies are written, so that nothing rushes you and nothing is forced.

How it works

How do I begin?
Choose a season, create your profile, and A Place to Land opens for you straight away. You can write on the same day.
What is a season?
A season is a fixed length of time with Teri. It runs from the day you begin to a stated end date. Nothing renews behind your back and nothing is charged again unless you choose another season.
How much does it cost?
One week is £29, three weeks is £79, six weeks is £149 and twelve weeks is £279. The longer seasons cost less per week. Every payment is a one off payment, not a subscription.
Is it a subscription?
No. Every season is bought once. There is no recurring payment and no card is charged automatically at the end of a season.
Can I add more time to a season already running?
Yes. If you buy again while a season is running, the new weeks are added to the end of the current season rather than starting a second one.
Can I pause my season?
Yes. You can pause from Your details, and pick the season up again when you are ready. We say pause, because stepping away is not the same as stopping.
What happens when a season ends?
You are reminded two days before and again the day before. When the end date arrives you are invited to choose again. Your writing stays where it is.
How quickly does Teri reply?
Teri reads and replies personally, usually within a few days. She is one person, not a rota, and she will tell you when she is away with her own family.
Can I write by voice instead of typing?
Yes. You can record a voice note in your own space and it will be written up for you, so you can speak when writing feels like too much.
How do a parent and a young person connect?
Each account has its own connect code in Your details. Share the code with the person you want to connect with, they enter it in their own space, and once both sides agree the connection is made. Connecting does not open anyone's private writing.

Privacy and safety

Can my child read what I write?
No. Your writing in A Place to Land is private to you and to Teri. A young person cannot see it, and nothing is shared unless you deliberately bring it into The Clearing.
Can I read what my child writes?
No. A young person's writing in In My Room is private from every other account, including yours. This is the heart of how the space works, and there is no override.
Who can see my writing?
You, and Teri. Nobody else, including other members and other family accounts.
Does The True Self use AI to write replies?
Teri writes every reply herself and never sends a template. Tools may help her organise her own notes behind the scenes, but the words you receive are hers.
How long is my writing kept?
If you close your profile you can choose to archive it, in which case your writing is held securely for five years and returns to you if you come back with the same email address. You can also choose to erase everything, in which case your writing and recordings are deleted permanently.
What if I am in crisis?
The True Self is not crisis support and Teri is not on call. If you or a young person is in danger, contact your local emergency services or a crisis line in your country. Crisis numbers are listed throughout the site.

The Village and membership

What is The Village?
The Village is a quiet community space. Parents and carers have their own Village, young people have theirs, and the two never mix. Posts appear in the order they were written, nothing is ranked and there is no private messaging.
Why is membership limited?
Teri reads everything herself, so membership is capped at twenty people at a time. When the space is full you can join the waiting list and you will be offered a place as one opens.
How does the waiting list work?
You leave your name and email, and when a place opens Teri offers it to the next person waiting. There is nothing to pay while you wait.
Where is The True Self based?
The True Self is based in the United Kingdom and works in British English, and it can be used from anywhere with an internet connection.

Somewhere safe enough for truth.

Begin a season with Teri

Seasons of one, three, six or twelve weeks, from £29. A season ends on a stated date. You are invited to choose again, not charged again.