Stella’s Story
Stella is a young person who faced significant challenges due to a family breakdown. Through her work with wellbeing workers, she was able to build confidence, explore her emotions, and take meaningful steps toward reconnecting with her family and shaping her future. Her story demonstrates the importance of support, empathy, and patience in helping young people overcome difficult circumstances and find their path forward.
About Stella
When Stella first started receiving support from Herts Young Homeless, she was living with her uncle and attending college three days a week. She had been excluded from her previous school but was determined to finish the year. She was interested in a career in the public sector, inspired by her love of the police cadets, or possibly within the animal sector, as she enjoyed volunteering at a horse sanctuary. However, the breakdown of her family had left her feeling unsettled, both at home and in her new college environment. This had led to feelings of low self-esteem, distrust towards others—especially professionals—and a lot of anger about her situation.
Initial referral
Stella found support from mediation by her family intervention worker to help rebuild her relationship with her mum after leaving home. However, she soon realized she wasn’t ready to start that process and chose instead to work with the wellbeing team to build her confidence first. This would help her feel more prepared when the time came to reconnect with her mum.
Family breakdown is one of the biggest causes of homelessness. When Stella began mediation, she opened up about the challenges she faced at home. Her parents had split, and she had taken on significant responsibilities, such as caring for her mum and looking after pets and siblings. Throughout this time of working together, common themes arose, like her negative feelings towards her mum, a longing for the qualities she wanted in friends, and struggles with confidence, trust, and self-esteem.
Working through difficult emotions
By the end of twelve sessions, Stella had made great progress. She felt more confident, particularly when it came to expressing her feelings. Writing a letter to her mum helped her process difficult emotions and communicate more openly. She also reflected on the qualities she valued in friendships and used this to form a meaningful connection with a classmate at college. Most importantly, Stella began to embrace her teenage years again and felt more hopeful about the future.
Looking Forward
Supporting young people through difficult emotions and insecurities is crucial to helping them rebuild their lives and relationships. This process isn’t always easy, but it’s inspiring to see how Stella’s journey was guided by a desire to feel more confident, trusted, and supported. Stella began to understand values of empathy, growth, and self-belief, and, with the support of her Wellbeing worker, took important steps toward healing and moving forward.