Read more to learn more about the some of the incredible volunteers that comprise our community of commitment.
Q: How and when did you first get involved with A Home Within, and why were you drawn to it?
A: I first heard about A Home Within when I was a postdoc years ago at Access Institute, which provides mental health treatment to low income and underinsured individuals, couples and families. I was drawn to it because I am concerned about the social injustices in society and empathize with the many people and families without resources and support to grow.
Q: What would you say to someone considering volunteering with and/or donating to A Home Within?
A: It’s a wonderful organization that does such good work! It connects seasoned therapists to children and young adults who desperately need stability and continuity of care. And, even though it is challenging to create strong bonds with kids who have been repeatedly disappointed and hurt, the work is very rewarding.
Q: What do you think people not yet familiar with A Home Within would find most surprising about the work the organization does?
A: They may be surprised by the fact that A Home Within is so well-organized and staffed. Every AHW staff member and volunteer I have met has been wonderful. The people AHW attracts are dedicated, interesting, smart and hardworking. AHW also does an excellent job supporting its volunteers. For example, AHW organizes peer consultation groups to support the emotional demands of working with the foster care population who have had so much loss in their lives. They also regularly offer excellent and free continuing education classes. The people at AHW also genuinely and regularly offer appreciation and gratitude for the work we are doing.
Q: As you know, we are celebrating both the inspiring history and promising future of A Home Within. Where do you hope to see A Home Within headed in the future? What would you like to see happen?
A: I would like to see the organization continue to increase the number of volunteers and continue to support us as well as you do. I’m not sure if the organization works with people outside of the US, but it might also consider expanding to other countries.
Q: What are some other projects and/or accomplishments outside of your volunteer work with A Home Within you are most proud of?
A: I am proud of my work providing pro-bono therapy to first responders during the pandemic. I am also proud of raising two wonderful sons, nurturing a 35+ year marriage, and leaving a good research job to lead bike trips in my twenties.
Interested in joining A Home Within as a volunteer? Sign up for one of our upcoming info sessions below — no commitment necessary.
These casual, virtual, staff-led sessions are designed to answer your questions and introduce you to what makes A Home Within unique.
“The therapist becomes part of the client’s network of relationships, which ordinary children in ordinary circumstances completely take for granted. It is just there for them. And that’s what we are trying to build for our AHW clients.”
Recently Eileen Keller, an AHW consultation leader for the past 25 years, sat down for an interview at A Home Within (I am not sure there is anything I have done for 25 years, certainly nothing professional). I have heard those in her consultation group describe the amazing way Eileen facilitates the group, so it was an easy choice to have her be the focus of the next spotlight article in our A Home Within newsletter.
Eileen was incredibly generous with her time, sitting down for not one but two interviews, and I sensed that this was because she truly loves talking about her volunteer work with AHW. When asked why she had agreed to be a consultation group leader back in 1997, she said, “I was completely won over by the premise: one child, one therapist, as long as it takes, and also felt the premise became so obvious once put into words, like a truth one feels one has known all along without knowing it till someone says it.”
Even though Eileen is the leader of the group, she very much sees herself as a member of it. In fact, when I asked her what her favorite aspect of being a consultation group leader was, she emphatically said, “I look forward to my meeting each week with the therapists. I enjoy the camaraderie but mostly I value the depth of their commitment to each other’s cases as well as their own. Inspiring and restorative.”
Of course, group members have come and gone over the 25 years but there has usually been a tight knit few who come together weekly, many continuing for several years. Eileen spoke about the high value she places on AHW’s consultation group model, especially given some of the unique therapeutic considerations for foster youth. She reflected on the need for therapists working with foster youth to be able to ethically activate the attachment system and create a different relational experience. The consultation group members can help each other figure out their boundaries and keep promises to their clients who have often experienced so many broken promises. She said, “It’s so important not to make promises that you can’t keep. One of the things we’re talking about in our group is the absolute necessity to add boundaries about what one gives, because the need is enormous. And you can’t give everything that’s needed. The therapist becomes part of the client’s network of relationships, which ordinary children in ordinary circumstances completely take for granted. It is just there for them. And that’s what we are trying to build for our AHW clients.”
One of the things I value most about being a volunteer with AHW is the opportunity to meet on a consistent basis with other therapists I appreciate and respect. However, from some of my paid consultation and research work with AHW, I know that not all volunteers see the value of the consultation group, and some do not feel that they have the time to devote to AHW outside of their weekly sessions with their AHW client. So, I often ask, “What is the true value added of consultation groups for volunteers? How much do factors like who is part of the group, the experience of the therapist(s), personality, lifecycle stage, client situations, etc. drive the value added?”
For longtime volunteers like Eileen, the consultation group model IS the AHW model. She said, “I don’t think there’s anything like it. Our philosophy is based on our understanding about a ‘container phenomenon in development’. The child and the therapist are in a therapeutic relationship together that serves as a container and the group functions to hold and support the therapist and help carry a therapist over the difficult times. In other words, the consultation group works as another layer of containment.” She finds that new volunteers grow into the consultation group if they give it some time.
I believe that the consultation groups are often quite magical based on my own experiences and what I hear from many volunteers across the chapters. So naturally I asked Eileen, “Are you the magic? You have been an AHW consultation group leader for 25 years, and it’s clear that what happens in there is containment and multiple levels of holding each other. But if you weren’t there, do you think all of that would still be happening?”
Without hesitating, she said, “I absolutely do… if we bring leaders into the philosophy of the program. I do observe and really show something I believe is important that’s happening in the work. But I think any clinician can do that because it’s what we do. And so that’s what I do in the context of the group. And when I haven’t got it, or when I get overwhelmed by despair, somebody else in the group steps up. And that’s because we have a group. And we have a theory that I think really helps people bear the difficult cases, and the pain that kids have in their eyes. And so, it’s not just about celebrating when it’s going well. It’s really about that containment—of all kinds of experiences—that when you have a group that’s functioning together, it makes it easier.”
Please feel free to reach out to our Program Coordinator, Chrissy Arlen, for more information on volunteering: chrissy@ahomewithin.org or visit our Volunteer FAQ page.
Aisha Henry
“At this point in my career, I am speaking up because it has to be about our humanity and love. Apathy can no longer be an option in response to all the trauma that youth in foster care experience.”
Hi there, A Home Within Community! I’m Candice Simonds. As the California Clinical Director for the A Home Within-CASA Therapy Project, I lead our collaboration to expand telehealth by identifying strategic partnerships. Recently, I had the privilege of having a Sunday fireside chat about social work practice and youth in foster care with Aisha Henry, Clinical Director for our DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) Chapter. I was eager to learn more about her experiences as a professional social worker and hear how A Home Within aligns with her clinical priorities. I was immediately impacted by the scope and breadth of her commitment to reimagining clinical practice as a space that is concerned with humanity, love, and community. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the Q&A below and learning more about Aisha’s incredible work.
Candice: Tell me about your professional background.
Aisha: I have experience working in communities: with families living in poverty, with foster children who fall behind in school because they move around so much and don’t get help until they reach a certain level of acuity—and even then they are often not fully evaluated. They don’t get a full physical exam, psychotropic medication to address their trauma, or school evaluations to determine if a learning disability is impacting their behavior. There is no one really watching out for them because each system has competing ethics and values.
C: What values inform your clinical posture and what do you hope to cultivate?
A: It really is about understanding that love and unconditional support are basic human needs, just as important as air and water. To be disconnected from family and permanent sources of love is like walking outside with no ground. At this point in my career, I am speaking up because it has to be about our humanity and love. Apathy can no longer be an option in response to all the trauma that youth in foster care experience.
C: How did you first get involved with A Home Within, and why were you drawn to it?
A: I received an email from Reed and I’m drawn to the organization because it meets a basic need with no financial strings attached.
C: How do you think A Home Within is impacting youth in foster care?
A: The reasons I appreciate A Home Within are first, because you are offering therapy with no fiscal strings attached, the client and therapist have an actual possibility to develop a relationship, and second, the client, rather than a budget, gets to decide when therapy ends. A Home Within represents hope and positivity, which can be hard to find.
C: What would you say to someone who was considering volunteering with and/or donating to A Home Within?
A: I think I am still learning my pitch…I guess I would ask them, “What matters to you? Where are the gaps? Where is your heart?” Because of professional boundaries, we ignore our heart—we stop listening to it. It doesn’t mean that we have poor boundaries if we care and volunteering time is sacred.
C: Where do you see A Home Within headed in the next five to ten years? What would you like to see happen?
A: I would like to see us be more flexible in how we engage people in foster care—expand our offerings to advocacy, education, and really contribute to the knowledge of our communities because when you leave foster care, you often return to a dysfunctional community.
C: So far, what do you think is special about A Home Within?
A: Everyone is positive and hopeful. It’s energizing, and unfortunately, you don’t always experience people organized around a solution. And I cannot be silent anymore. I cannot tolerate apathy.
C: Love is a basic human right and the lack thereof as distancing us all from our own humanity is soul-stirring….it has been a privilege to speak with you today and I will look forward to hearing more from you in the days to come.
A Home Within is the only national organization dedicated solely to meeting the emotional needs of foster youth. Our volunteer therapists meet with a young person that they have committed to “for as long as it takes.” We identify, recruit, train, match, and support licensed therapists who each provide free, weekly, one-to-one therapy to a single foster youth.
We currently have a wait list of individuals seeking support through therapy. If you’re a licensed clinical therapist with one hour per week to spare, please consider volunteering with us and help us by spreading the word to your professional network. We provide access to a thriving national community of therapists, free and ongoing Continuing Education courses, and support from consultation groups.
“Being part of the solution and making a commitment to one youth can have a valuable impact for an entire community.”
Hi there, A Home Within Community! I’m Candice Simonds. As the CA Clinical Director for the A Home Within CASA Therapy Project, I lead our collaboration to expand telehealth to youth across the state. I endeavor to support our community of CA volunteers and respond to the unique needs of each chapter. This fall, I had the privilege of having lunch with AHW Volunteer Therapist and Clinical Director of our San Diego Chapter, Mae Howard, LCSW, RPT. I was eager to learn “what” and “who” called her to serve and volunteer to be a leader in her community. I was immediately impacted by her warm smile and felt her passion for improving mental health disparities for transition-age youth in the County of San Diego. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the Q&A below and learning more about Mae’s incredible work.
Candice: Tell me a little bit about yourself—whatever you’d like to share.
Mae: Well, I’m a mother of two awesome sons. I’m a career changer. I started off wanting to have a career in International Business but due to personal dynamics shifted to social work after my undergrad.
C: How did you first get involved with A Home Within, and why were you drawn to it?
M: While working at Children’s Hospital, I observed gaps in care, youth feeling frustrated with having to retell their foster/trauma stories, or having gaps in care due to funding issues. And on a personal note, in late 2016 I started looking into adopting and found a flyer at Children’s Hospital from AHW. This flyer addressed a need for me to get more information and created an opportunity for me to provide mental health services by counseling a youth aging out of foster care with multiple episodes in treatment.
C: How would you describe the impact A Home Within has on individuals, families, and/or communities?
M: We fill in the gaps and provide continuity of care for youth involved in foster care.
C: What would you say are A Home Within’s most significant accomplishments during your time with the organization?
M: I’m loving the support they give to all their chapters and bringing a professional community together to address social problems.
C: What would you say to someone who was considering volunteering with (and/or donating to) AHW?
M: 100% Do it! Being part of the solution and making a commitment to one youth can have a valuable impact for an entire community.
C: What do you think people not yet familiar with A Home Within would find most surprising about the work the organization does?
M: The amount of research happening is awesome and we are nationwide!
C: Where do you see AHW headed in the next five to ten years? What would you like to see happen?
M: I would love to see chapters expand to more states especially in states with higher numbers of youth involved in the foster care system.
C: What’s the most special part of AHW for you?
M: The mere fact it exists is special and it feels amazing to be available to families.
C: What impact has your work with AHW had on your life?
M: It has touched my heart in a way that no other program has—I have never experienced this depth of connection to my community by serving one person.
A Home Within is the only national organization dedicated solely to meeting the emotional needs of foster youth. Our volunteer therapists meet one on one with a young person that they have committed to “for as long as it takes.” We identify, recruit, train, match, and support this network of licensed therapists who each provide free, weekly, one-to-one therapy to a single foster youth.
In Mae’s San Diego Chapter we currently have a waitlist of individuals seeking support through therapy. If you’re a licensed clinical therapist with one hour per week to spare, please consider volunteering with us and help us by spreading the word to your professional network. We provide access to a thriving national community of therapists, free and ongoing Continuing Education courses, and support from consultation groups.
“Working with foster youth, I realized that was really where I needed to be, because kids who are in foster care need so much more support than a lot of people I have worked with.”
Emily Kent always wanted to do something in the helping field. She knew she wanted to be a social worker after volunteering at shelters throughout her childhood and visiting a domestic violence shelter in high school. She continued this type of work into her undergraduate years, and eventually decided to focus her work on children and families.
After graduating from UCLA with a Masters in Social Welfare, Emily had her first encounter with the foster care system when she began working at the Bill Wilson Center in San Jose with 16- to 24-year-old people who were homeless, often suffering from substance abuse. She found that most young people in that age group who became homeless had either aged out of the foster care system or run away from home. “Working with foster youth, I realized that was really where I needed to be,” Emily says, “because kids who are in foster care need so much more support than a lot of people I have worked with.”
Her focus on children in foster care led her to work as a clinician and supervisor at A Better Way in Oakland while maintaining a private practice to hone her skills in different therapeutic modalities. Even during Covid, Emily managed to safely see her small circle of clients in person to maintain a stable therapeutic environment.
When she left her job to fully commit to her private practice, she found time for volunteer work. “I really wanted to find a better way to connect clients to lifelong therapists,” Emily says. This mindset ultimately led her to become Clinical Director of the San Francisco Chapter of A Home Within, a natural fit for her with her prior supervisory experience.
As a Clinical Director during the pandemic, Emily has contended with many obstacles including long waitlists, overbooked therapists, and challenges getting in touch with new volunteer recruits. She has made it her goal to get in touch with all of the San Francisco therapists to ask if they are interested in taking on an additional AHW client and to encourage them to reach out to their colleagues as well to let them know about A Home Within and the increasing need for volunteer therapists.
She has made it a point to make sure that all of the volunteers in her chapter feel supported and appreciated throughout their experiences. “The therapists like having a client,” she says. “Most have been seeing their clients for a while. They feel connected. They love the program. They know they can reach out for help.” For Emily, her experience with A Home Within has been humbling and she feels it is a privilege to do this type of work.
Emily has found a silver lining to the pandemic: the use and acceptance of telehealth. “Now when clients wake up and don’t feel super awesome,” she says, “they don’t have to cancel their session.” Additionally, she notes that it can be very hard for the therapist and the client and their parents each time a child moves to a new home in a new city, making it more difficult to have access to the same office. “So I think telehealth has really opened the door for making those lasting connections much more accessible.”
Elizabeth Earnshaw
“It’s an amazing experience. It gives therapists the opportunity to truly use their skills to help those who have experienced trauma, who wouldn’t usually have access to this type of assistance. You get this support network, the consultation groups, and continued education.”
Several years ago, when Elizabeth Earnshaw and her husband were getting married, instead of a wedding registry they chose a donation registry. Reading through the donation options, none really spoke to her—until she saw A Home Within.
Elizabeth had provided emergency foster care in Philadelphia, and as a therapist worked with a lot of children after Hurricane Katrina who were at some point in foster care or went into foster care. “My heart was there with them,” says Elizabeth. “And my husband was adopted. So we just have a big spot in our hearts for those trying to navigate through living conditions and the mixed feelings that come along with that.”
After finding A Home Within through her wedding donation registry, Elizabeth decided to become an AHW Volunteer Therapist. She has been providing therapy to twin siblings since 2017, beginning when they were in middle school. She has now watched them graduate from high school, an experience she truly cherishes.
As is very common for youth in foster care, Elizabeth’s clients had many experiences with therapists prior to being matched with her through A Home Within. “A lot of the time they get diagnosed with all these things by various therapists who don’t get to know them,” Elizabeth says, noting that this is an issue she faces with many of her clients. She believes that it is not necessarily the fault of the therapist but rather insurance that only allows for a minimum number of sessions, resulting in rash diagnoses.
Clients often reach Elizabeth very frustrated and fed up with counselors, psychologists, and social workers. “I think my AHW clients really like how A Home Within gave them a more long-term opportunity,” she says. “I think it has been a great experience. Coming in, the twins knew we could meet as long term as they wanted, and they have really taken advantage of that. When you know someone for a year or two, it destigmatizes the person and moves out of this diagnostic model that might not work for children going through such trauma. Some things just can’t be understood through a short-term relationship.”
Elizabeth describes her journey to becoming a psychologist as not very straightforward. She began studying to become a teacher and ended up with a degree in organizational development, which is essentially the psychology of companies. She then went to school to become a relationship therapist in order to provide therapy to couples and families. In Louisiana she worked to help rebuild mental health programming after Katrina. She later moved to Philadelphia, where she opened her practice, A Better Life Therapy.
In addition to her private practice, Elizabeth operates her Liz Listens account with over 200,000 followers, teaches classes, and has a book coming out in November. Available November 30th, I Want This to Work is a book designed to help couples navigate the complexities of modern life together. Elizabeth has an enormous and growing social media audience, and posts nearly every day to educate others about how to have healthy relationships.
Elizabeth really appreciates the long-term support A Home Within offers to both clients and therapists. She also appreciates the access to online therapy, especially through the pandemic.
“It’s an amazing experience,” says Elizabeth of A Home Within. “It gives therapists the opportunity to truly use their skills to help those who have experienced trauma, who wouldn’t usually have access to this type of assistance. You get this support network, the consultation groups, and continued education. It is an hour out of your week, and it’s an amazing way to utilize your skills.”
by Emma Mears
Mary Haake
“You have a chance to offer your professional expertise, which is of high value. You get to contribute your time and make an impact in your community and repair inequalities that we are becoming more aware of in terms of privilege, class, and race. You get to learn and connect to somebody in a way that is deeply meaningful.”
A Home Within Volunteer Therapist Mary Haake discovered in college that she wanted to work with people—maybe, she says, it’s because both her parents were educators who were passionate about improving the lives of kids and teens in her hometown of Redding, CA. After attending community college, Mary went to UC Santa Cruz. “I don’t think I understood at the time what it meant to do psychotherapy, so I was naive in a way,” Mary says with a laugh. “But I liked studying and thinking about psychology, which led me to apply and get into a PhD program in clinical psychology at UMass Amherst.”
At UMass, Mary gained a passion for family therapy, an interest she pursued in her postdoctoral internship at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic. “I got to work with a diverse group of families, many affected by poverty and racism. We learned about empowering parents to support their kids in new ways. It was pretty exciting.”
Back in California, Mary got a job at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, where she worked in the child and family service section of their psychiatry department for 26 years. During her time there, she was introduced to A Home Within. “Someone came to a meeting at Kaiser to present about the concept of long-term psychotherapy to heal the traumas of the foster care system, which I found really interesting,” Mary says. “I could see that these kids really needed long-term psychotherapy as a support, so I got excited about this opportunity and made some client referrals to A Home Within.”
Nine years ago, Mary transitioned to private practice, and decided to make the commitment to join A Home Within. “I have been working with an adult who was raised in foster care,” Mary says, “and it’s been an incredible experience. It’s incredible on so many levels, which is why I wanted to get involved as a Clinical Director to see if we could build and expand the opportunities for clients.” And she did, becoming Clinical Director of the Alameda County chapter last year.
As a Clinical Director, Mary has gotten to learn more about A Home Within and build connections. “It’s been great because I’ve been able to get acquainted with what is going on within the Alameda County chapter,” she says. “We currently have 18 volunteers including four consultation group leaders who provide ongoing support for our 14 therapists. The majority of the therapists have been working with their clients for six years or longer, so I have gotten to see how the work really is ongoing.”
A lot of the work at AHW is made possible through the consultation groups, weekly meetings during which volunteer clinicians can get support around their cases. Mary says the groups “are entirely essential. Anybody who has been through the foster care system has had to deal with instability and pain, so the group is essential to hold everything together. It is really rewarding to do this work with the group because they are there in the difficult moments. Many in the consultation groups have been working together for many years.”
Mary sees continuity as critical for success in both private practice and for the AHW client. “The A Home Within model is so exceptional because it is such a unique clinical opportunity for both the therapist and client,” says Mary. “I learn a lot in my consultation group. It’s a key part of my private practice experience. Especially this year dealing with the pandemic, to have this ongoing group to share experiences with has been so helpful. It’s been extremely valuable to know others in the field and their work. I am able to make referrals for clients with confidence to people I really trust.”
If you are able to volunteer with AHW, you have the opportunity to have an extended relationship with a client who could not otherwise have access to ongoing therapy. Mary says, “You have a chance to offer your professional expertise, which is of high value. You get to contribute your time and make an impact in your community and repair inequalities that we are becoming more aware of in terms of privilege, class, and race. You get to learn and connect to somebody in a way that is deeply meaningful.”
About Emma Mears
Emma is currently an intern at A Home Within. She was born and raised in Oakland, CA, and is a third-year Health and Society student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Vanessa Hernandez
“It is common for A Home Within clients to be unsure if we are going to be there for them long-term because they have made connections and lost them in the past. So just the idea that we are offering to be their therapists for as long as they want—that it’s in their control, not ours—is so unique.”
When Vanessa Hernandez was assigned her A Home Within client over four years ago, she was met with some hesitancy. Anna* was 13 at the time and had already had several therapists. Many foster youth, needing free services or a sliding scale, are matched with interns, as Anna was. Once the internship ends, the therapeutic relationship also ends. Anna had made a good connection with the last therapist she had. “So once the counselor left, she didn’t really want to start the process again,” Vanessa says. “The starts and stops can be difficult.”
Fortunately, Vanessa managed to convince Anna to give her a chance. “The idea that I could tell her that I was going to be her counselor until she decided to not come to counseling anymore was really important,” says Vanessa. They both had to navigate getting to know each other. “Teenagers put you through it. I’m just another adult to them,” she says. “They think ‘Should I trust you? Why should I trust you?’ Teenagers can see right through you. And that’s what I like—you don’t get an automatic pass. You have to work through it. Once you do make that connection, there is so much you can do.”
In order to build that connection, Vanessa got creative. She and Anna started by setting up various board games during each session. Once they landed on Monopoly, they stuck with it. “We played Monopoly for probably four years straight. It’s a long game. We would play Monopoly and just talk to each other,” says Vanessa. “And at the end of the session I would take a picture of the board so we knew our place. We had a running score. The idea that something continued every week was important. Sometimes we would set up the game and not even play. We would just talk. But Anna always knew what to expect. There was a sense of permanency there.”
Vanessa receives support for her work with her client in her weekly A Home Within consultation group with other Volunteer Clinicians. “Consultation groups give us a chance to talk about our cases, and they are pretty complicated cases. It’s really nice to get input from these really great therapists,” she says. “Being a therapist, especially in private practice, can be so isolating. Even more so with the pandemic. The consultation groups have continued virtually and it has been so helpful to discuss what we are doing with all of our clients, even beyond A Home Within. What we do in our groups has helped me become a better therapist.”
Vanessa has had to adjust her practices during the pandemic. “The work that I need to do now is more with the family to support Anna. I see her mother, but I also still have time in place for my client,” says Vanessa. At this point she feels like she is “a fixture in their family, and I have been for some time. I have been involved with big life decisions regarding her life. You don’t usually get this experience with your clients unless you see them for a long time.”
Vanessa hopes the adaptations therapists and clients have had to make during the pandemic serve to broaden the idea of what therapy can be. “It doesn’t just need to be going to the therapist’s office,” she says. “We can see each other through FaceTime or other online methods, going to backyards, and even going on walks. Being flexible means we can reach more people from different groups.”
Vanessa’s volunteer work with A Home Within has been valuable to her client and herself. “The most unique part about A Home Within is that it is pro-bono and for however long the client wants,” she says. “It is common for A Home Within clients to be unsure if we are going to be there for them long-term because they have made connections and lost them in the past. So just the idea that we are offering to be their therapists for as long as they want—that it’s in their control, not ours—is so unique.”
About Vanessa:
Vanessa Hernandez grew up in Pittsburg, California, she moved to Oakland over 20 years ago and has remained there since. Vanessa attended Saint Mary’s University in Moraga, California for both her undergraduate degree in Organizational Psychology and her master’s in counseling.
*The name and some identifying details have been changed to protect the client’s privacy.
by Emma Mears
Sarah Campbell
“My work with A Home Within is one of the most important parts of my private practice.”
Sarah Campbell didn’t always know she wanted to work with adolescents. Following the birth of her second child, Sarah began exploring a career change, preferring not to return to her previous job in marketing. While in therapy to help her through postpartum depression, Sarah found the experience so transformative that she decided to go to graduate school to become a therapist herself. Eager to help others as she had been helped, Sarah still didn’t think she’d want to work with teens.
While getting her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California, Sarah began studying how to help new moms go through postpartum, including body work through yoga. “You can’t ignore the body when dealing with the mind,” Sarah says. “Movement is important to work through what’s going on.”
The whole time she was in graduate school, Sarah thought postpartum work would be her focus. “I read every paper and textbook on the topic,” she says. “I even wrote my thesis on supporting postpartum mood and anxiety disorders with yoga and cognitive behavioral therapy, which was actually what had helped me.”
But towards the end of her program, her focus shifted as her practicum required that she complete internship hours with people under the age of 18. Sarah got an internship at a high school wellness center and ended up loving working with teens— and adolescents have been the majority of her clients since. Her internship supervisor introduced her to A Home Within.
After completing her license in 2012, Sarah opened her private practice, and began working with her AHW client soon after. She immediately found a community at AHW, which she greatly appreciated. “Being in private practice, it is so important to have a network of colleagues,” she says. “It is really invaluable to have this network that you trust and can consult with.”
Sarah has found her consultation group to be essential to her work with AHW. By conferring with fellow mental health professionals, she gains insights into her work with her AHW client as well as with her other clients.
“What’s great about the consultation groups is that there are four therapists and a mentor,” Sarah says. “Everyone has a different approach. It’s really a creative consultation where everyone is super supportive, and it bleeds into my work with other clients— whether it’s a way of thinking, a question, or an approach to dealing with a situation, it often applies in some way to all of my clients.”
With a growing number of young people seeking therapy from AHW—there are now over 20 young people on our waitlist in Alameda County alone— AHW is seeking additional volunteers from around the country for all of our chapters.
Sarah urges other mental health clinicians to take this unique opportunity to volunteer with A Home Within. “It is really an honor and a privilege to be able to do this work,” Sarah says. “It is really grounding as a therapist to know that every week I have that hour with my client. It’s really amazing to get to know someone and work with them during a huge period of their life for however long it takes.”
In her private practice, Sarah works with many young people whose parents have pushed them into therapy. “If a child wants to be there,” says Sarah, “if they choose it themselves, it makes a difference as a therapist. And that’s how it is with A Home Within—the young person really shows up every week.”
Sarah and her AHW client have now been working together for nine years. “I’ve known this person since they were a kid,” she says, “and now they are an adult.”
Thanks to the community AHW has opened up for her, as well as the rewarding relationship with her client, Sarah sees herself continuing for as long as her client would like. “My work with A Home Within is one of the most important parts of my private practice,” she says.
We at A Home Within are deeply grateful to Sarah and our other wonderful volunteers for making A Home Within possible.
About Emma Mears
Emma is currently an intern at A Home Within. She was born and raised in Oakland, CA, and is a third-year Health and Society student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
