The Author’s Mic™: Terri Lee Thompson — Girls Who Rise
There are some conversations that stay with you long after the recording ends, and this was one of them.
On this episode of The Author’s Mic™, I sat down with attorney, author, and advocate Terri Lee Thompson to talk about Girls Who Rise, the work she’s doing with young girls, and what 33 years in criminal defense has taught her about trauma, confidence, and self-worth.
Watch the full episode:
Terri shared that even as a child, she knew she wanted to become an attorney because she associated lawyers with helping people. That purpose-driven mindset followed her into a 33-year career representing clients in criminal court, including juveniles and individuals struggling with mental health challenges.
What stood out most during our conversation was this: over and over again, she saw the same root issues showing up in different forms.
Low self-esteem.
Untreated trauma.
Lack of confidence.
Girls growing up without fully understanding their value.
And eventually, those struggles would show up later in life in devastating ways.
That realization led her to create Girls Who Rise.
Originally, Girls Who Rise started as a book project. But as Terri listened to the stories from contributing authors and reflected on the girls she had encountered throughout her legal career, she realized this was much bigger than a single book.
Now, Girls Who Rise is growing into a larger movement centered around empowerment, confidence-building, mentorship, healing, and support for young girls.
One part of the conversation that really hit me was when Terri talked about speaking with teachers who told her they are seeing confidence and self-esteem issues as early as third grade.
Third grade.
That changed the way she approached the program completely.
This is not just about teens navigating difficult situations later in life. This is about reaching girls early enough that maybe they never end up lost in the first place.
Throughout the episode, we also talked about:
Mental health in young girls
Trauma that goes unnoticed
Confidence across all income levels and backgrounds
Why representation and mentorship matter
The importance of community support systems
And honestly, this conversation reminded me that confidence is infrastructure. Self-worth is infrastructure. Feeling seen matters.
Girls Who Rise is trying to address those issues before they become lifelong wounds.
Guest Links
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wearegirlswhorise/
Key Takeaways
Childhood confidence issues can shape adult outcomes
Trauma often shows up later in unexpected ways
Mental health struggles are affecting girls younger than many people realize
Confidence and self-worth impact every community regardless of income level
Mentorship and representation matter deeply for young girls
Prevention and early support are just as important as intervention
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