I am a counselor for clients experiencing housing insecurity. What I have come to know from this role is that the word homelessness is complex.
Homelessness is often layered in:
- grief
Anna Willis, Graduate Intern of Clinical Social Work
- alienation
- shame
- anger
- addiction
- family horrors
Our clients at New Beginnings of Central Florida additionally present with piled-on legal struggles, barriers to enter proper employment, and inadequate access to both shelter and mental/physical healthcare.
Counselor to the Homeless
My name is Anna Willis and it has been my honor to build trusting therapeutic alliances with residents at New Beginnings since January 2019.
A Graduate Intern of Clinical Social Work from University of Central Florida (Go Knights!), I work alongside a dynamic resident team here at New Beginnings. They consistently model and execute what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.
Why I Feel Humbled Daily
Each resident that enters any of our properties comes with a unique story. It is blatantly obvious that homelessness knows no specific age, race or gender. They are individuals.
Each face that sits in front of me represents a different facet of homelessness; it is a constant reminder that the one thing that separates me from them is luck.
I am humbled and filled with gratitude daily.
The Total Package for Life Transformation
What I really believe makes our program the total package for life transformations is that we have a licensed clinical Mental Health Counselor on our daily staff. Because she holds a license, interns are supervised and provide counseling services to residents.
Our clients attend weekly counseling sessions. They leave with tools on how to manage stress, how to make time for self-care, recognizing negative thinking patterns and learning to have solution-focused goals for their future.
Why Lives Change Here
Lives are changing every day at New Beginnings. It is life-changing for me to see how far human beings can push themselves to regain a hold of their life.
Our clients have the will to bear the discomfort, and they are so resilient. They prove it every day.