Hero Spotlight: A Home Within (with Candice Simonds) | LHSFT Classic

Holidays can bring up a lot - gratitude, tenderness, loneliness, longing. It’s a season that puts belonging under a spotlight. That’s why this felt like the right time to bring back this conversation about A Home Within and the impact of being one steady, caring adult in the life of a young person who hasn’t had that before. Many young people in foster care grow up without one consistent adult who stays. In this conversation, Candice Simonds, Chief Program Officer at A Home Within, shares how their model changes that by pairing youth with therapists who can remain a steady presence without insurance limits or agency cutoffs. We talk about how A Home Within began, what repeated loss does to young people, and why one long-term, caring relationship can shift a life. Candice also shares how the organization supports therapists through consultation groups, CEUs, and community so no one is holding this work alone. Their long-term research is hopeful: less anxiety and depression, more stability, more possibility. We also name the hard reality that without support, many former foster youth end up unhoused or involved in the justice system. Through it all, Candice points out the resilience she sees in her clients and why this work continues to matter so deeply. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 A Home Within and Its Mission 02:32 How A Home Within Began and Why the Mission Matters 09:37 Dr. Lisa’s Experience Supporting a Young Adult Aging Out of Foster Care 13:51 How A Home Within Supports Therapists Through Community and Consultation 21:03 Long-Term Outcomes for Foster Youth With Consistent Therapy 38:42 How Therapists Can Get Involved With A Home Within Conversations like this always remind me how much heart therapists bring to their work and how much we hold behind the scenes. Being that steady person for someone else is sacred work, but it can also feel incredibly lonely when you don’t have your own circle of support. That’s why I created The Growth Collective for Therapists. It’s a place where you don’t have to be the strong one all the time. A place to think through hard cases with people who truly get it, to feel grounded again, and to have colleagues who care about you as a whole person, not just as a clinician. If you’ve been craving that kind of connection and steadiness in your own professional life, I’d love to welcome you in.  And if you want to stay connected in a simpler way, come find me on LinkedIn! I love hearing from fellow therapists who believe in relational, heart-forward work. xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie BobbyGrowing Self