Phoenix keeps proof of their strength close by.
Inside a binder, they have saved certificates, medals, and memories from different chapters of their life – reminders of the progress that can be difficult to see in the moments they struggle with past traumas. When self-doubt gets loud, Phoenix opens it and looks back at everything they have already done.
“Sometimes I take a step back and pull out this binder I have of all my past achievements, even from elementary school through high school, just to remind myself: ‘look how much you’ve done,’” Phoenix said.
That practice of pausing long enough to recognize their own growth reflects a theme that runs through Phoenix’s story. Their journey has not been quick, simple, or linear. It has taken courage, patience, support, and a willingness to keep trying, even when progress felt uneven. Through therapy, community, and the support of WellPower’s Emerson St. for Teens & Young Adults, Phoenix has learned to name what they need, apply new skills in everyday life, and keep moving toward the future they want.
Finding the courage to begin again
Phoenix first connected with WellPower while at Urban Peak, a homeless shelter for young adults. At the time, a WellPower therapist was available there to help youth receiving shelter services connect to mental health supports.
Even beginning therapy took time. Phoenix had to learn not only how to trust the provider and get comfortable with a someone new, but to work towards trusting a male provider – something that had felt impossible for them in the past.
“For me, that was, at the time, a big step because I had never had a male provider before,” Phoenix said. “I always requested female providers because a lot of the trauma that I had experienced in my childhood and adolescence was with men.”
What helped was time. Before therapy began, Phoenix had opportunities to talk with the provider in a lower-pressure setting. Trust grew gradually. Then Phoenix made the choice to begin services with WellPower.
That determination has shaped much of Phoenix’s healing. They have kept going through grief, trauma, mental health challenges, and the uncertainty that can come with trying to imagine a different future. Healing, for Phoenix, has not meant always feeling confident or always knowing the next step. It has meant deciding, again and again, to keep showing up.
A place to practice being seen
Emerson St. became an important part of that process. The program supports teens and young adults, ages 15 to 26, through therapy, groups, psychiatry, case management, supported education and employment, prevention activities, and community-building opportunities. For Phoenix, it offered something deeply personal: a place where healing could be practiced in relationship with others.
In Emerson St. groups and conversations with staff, Phoenix found a welcoming environment where they could learn, connect, make mistakes, and try again. The space felt different from many others they had been in, not because everything was easy, but because it felt safe enough to keep practicing.
“Emerson just feels like a way easier place to get more progress done sooner,” Phoenix said. “I think it’s because I know that everyone there is also getting support for their mental health. I’m not the odd one out, or the one who feels like they’re missing the rules of engagement, so to speak.”
Part of that came from being surrounded by other young people who also understood mental health services, therapy, and the work of healing. Phoenix described the common experience of being served by WellPower as something that made a difference. It helped create a sense of shared understanding, reducing the feeling of being alone in what they were working through.
Learning that healing is not linear
Phoenix speaks about growth with honesty. They know the work does not happen all at once. Even in better seasons, self-criticism can return. Old patterns can resurface. Some situations do not go the way they hoped. But instead of seeing those moments as failure, Phoenix has learned to step back, reflect, and ask what could be done differently next time.
“I feel like it’s very easy with mental health, even when I am in a better place, to sometimes fall back into that self-critical mode,” Phoenix said.
The understanding that healing can move forward, backward, sideways, and forward again, has helped Phoenix stay grounded. Progress is not measured only by perfect outcomes. It is measured by awareness, accountability, and the ability to return to what they have learned.
“Even if I’m not perfect or even if sometimes it takes multiple times, I’m able to analyze different situations that didn’t go the way I wanted, then think of better ways to approach them in the future,” Phoenix said.
For Phoenix, this is not resignation. It is motivation. Each hard moment becomes information. Each imperfect attempt becomes part of their learning journey. Each time they practice a new skill, they build more confidence that they can handle what comes next in “real life” situations.
Carrying lessons into daily life
The lessons Phoenix has learned at Emerson St. do not stay inside the program. They carry them into relationships, school, work, and new environments. In their relationships, Phoenix said applying those lessons can still feel like a “work in progress,” but the tools are there. They think back to conversations with staff, remember what they practiced, and use those moments as guides.
“Even when I’m not with the Emerson St. folks or at a group, I’m still thinking about the skills I learned with Emerson and applying them,” Phoenix said. “I’ve learned that I can have healthy relationships with people, especially my partner, even if I’m not perfect or even if sometimes it takes multiple times for me to get something right.”
Currently, Phoenix is also bringing those lessons into a career training program, which they described as “taking longer to adjust to than Emerson St.” Instead of treating that discomfort as a sign to stop, Phoenix has been reminding themselves of what Emerson St. helped them learn: growth often requires stepping beyond what feels familiar.
“I keep reminding myself that, thanks to Emerson, sometimes I need to push myself outside my comfort zone,” Phoenix said. “It’s not often easy for me, and I still find myself struggling at times, but I also feel so much more confident in my ability to navigate through my own life, work, schooling, and relationships now.”
That sentiment captures the quiet power of Phoenix’s story. Healing is not only about what happens in a therapy room or during a group. It is about what someone carries with them afterward: the self-awareness, coping skills, trust, and confidence that can be used in new places and new challenges.
Moving forward with hope
Phoenix’s journey is still unfolding. They are working toward employment, education, creative goals (like publishing their poetry), and a stronger sense of who they are becoming. They are also learning to honor what they have already survived and accomplished.
At Emerson St., Phoenix found support that helped them practice those lessons in real time. But the heart of the story belongs to Phoenix: their determination to begin again, their wisdom in understanding that healing does not move in a straight line, and their courage to keep applying what they have learned beyond the walls of the program.
When Phoenix opens that binder of achievements, they are not only looking backward. They are seeing evidence that they have kept going before, and they can keep going now.
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