During the early part of 2023, I remember reading an A Home Within advertisement on a social media site, requesting volunteer therapists to “provide open-ended, individual psychotherapy, free of charge, to current and former foster youth for as long as it takes.” I think I was initially drawn to A Home Within’s creative solution of providing free therapy to current and former clients of the juvenile dependency system, without becoming beholden to the juvenile dependency system’s inherent and problematic constraints. To me, the idea of becoming a volunteer therapist for current or former foster youth was like beautiful harmonious music to my ears. I remember being further drawn to the agency after interviewing one of its Clinical Directors, Candice Simonds, and its Engagement Manager, Chrissy Arlen. In that interview I could feel the beautiful power of Candice and Chrissy’s genuine love for the clients A Home Within serves and that truly connected with me. It was a beautiful day for me when I decided to be a part of volunteering my services through A Home Within. And so dear reader, that’s how I first became involved with A Home Within—a journey that continues to shape my heart, one session at a time.

I strongly encourage anyone thinking about volunteering or donating to A Home Within to just do it! Give back! When you enter the lives of current or former foster youth, you are joining them on their journey toward resilience, so get ready to be deeply impacted. You never realize how much your presence matters. Be open-minded when you listen because sometimes a simple smile, a calm moment, or a shared story can start the healing process. Stay in the moment and follow your intuition. Accept your imperfections because it’s okay that you won't know all the answers. I promise that you will treasure the time with A Home Within, especially when laughter reverberates through your therapy sessions and optimism begins to become brighter and brighter with your clients! Also, if you want to donate to A Home Within, please know that your financial support encourages recovery. Your money could manifest as a safe space, or a mentorship program, and therapy sessions. Every dollar has an impact on future generations. It plants seeds of compassion, disrupts cycles of abuse and displacement, and shapes futures. When you donate or give your time to A Home Within, you join a constellation that is made up of beautiful men and women who are kind, strong, and unfailingly supportive.

It means so much to me to be a member of A Home Within's Building Practice in Community (BPIC) program. I am one of the early-career therapists and this structured professional development project is a ray of hope for me. I appreciate the organized professional development which to me is a growth blueprint with a well-lit path through the clinical practice forest, not an aimless one. I appreciate the clinical supervision I received from Candice Simonds in this program because it has been essential to my professional and personal growth. Candice has taught me that it’s all about illumination, not about judgment. I treasure the times I spent in supervision with her, because she speaks with knowledge, and I soak that up like rain on dry ground.

My personal and professional lives have been significantly impacted by my work with A Home Within. In my capacity as an LCSW, working at A Home Within with vulnerable groups has increased my compassion and empathy. It has been inspiring to see my clients persevere in the face of hardship. Hearing the stories from A Home Within clients has made me think about myself. It serves as a reminder that everyone bears some sort of hardship, and learning from their stories has improved my own life. Regarding my professional life, I was able to complete my remaining clinical hours thanks to the platform provided by A Home Within. My therapeutic abilities have been greatly shaped by these practical experiences and the comprehensive approach used by my clinical supervisor/mentor at A Home Within. As a result, my practice has been impacted by A Home Within’s approach, which addresses both short-term needs and long-term healing. I now incorporate resilience-building strategies with trauma-informed care in my practice. Moreover, my motivation to start my own private psychotherapy practice was sparked by observing the positive effects of regular therapeutic help on foster clients, and I learned the importance of long-term therapeutic partnerships from A Home Within. My goal is to establish a secure private practice haven where clients can gradually recover and develop.

Apart from my volunteer work with A Home Within, I’m particularly proud of my involvement in a collaborative project called “Healing Through Music.” This project, in partnership with Journey House, explores the transformative power of music in personal healing. As a therapist who in one way or another incorporates music as a creative form of expression and communication into my practice, I was invited to be interviewed and contribute photographs through their photoshoot for this project. Although, as of this writing, it’s still a work in progress, I’m grateful to have participated in doing my part in such a meaningful endeavor.