Inside Homeboy’s Approach to Youth Therapy and Mental Health with Fajima Bedran and Jason Delgadillo
At Homeboy Industries, a young person can push a therapist away and still find the door open when they return. Tom Vozzo sits down with therapists Fajima Bedran and Jason Delgadillo to explore how trust, belonging, and consistent care help young people heal from childhood trauma. Together, they discuss youth therapy, complex trauma, EMDR, and the relief of realizing that abuse and neglect were never your fault. Fajima and Jason also examine how food insecurity, unstable housing, substance use, and social media perfectionism complicate youth mental health. They share how Homeboy’s community extends support beyond therapy, why forgiveness should never be forced, and how avoiding painful feelings can keep those wounds active. Their conversation reveals what becomes possible when people have both practical support and someone who keeps showing up. Key Takeaways Youth therapy requires patience and persistence. Young people may initially challenge or reject a therapist. Keeping the relationship available gives them a chance to return when they are ready. Recognizing trauma can ease self-blame. Fajima and Jason discuss how understanding childhood abuse and neglect can help people recognize that they did not deserve what happened to them. Community carries healing beyond the session. At Homeboy, people leave therapy and return to a community that encourages treatment and reinforces the care they experience in the room. Avoiding pain does not make it disappear. Fajima and Jason explain how suppressed feelings can surface elsewhere, including in relationships, and why acknowledging pain matters to healing. In This Episode [00:00] Introduction [00:25] Tom welcomes Fajima Bedran and Jason Delgadillo [02:13] How mental health therapy began at Homeboy Industries [04:50] Understanding complex trauma and early relationships [06:59] What it means to do therapy the Homeboy way [08:03] Judgment, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard [11:54] Why Jason wanted to work at Homeboy [13:59] How youth therapy differs from adult therapy [15:41] Childhood neglect, abuse, and attachment wounds [17:15] The relief of realizing it was not your fault [19:05] What keeps young people coming back to therapy [22:06] How Homeboy’s community reinforces therapy [24:39] Helping young people explore their emotional wounds [27:25] Why suppressed emotions come out in other ways [30:33] Are love, forgiveness, and mercy essential to healing? [32:58] Care, intimacy, and boundaries in therapy [35:10] Faith, self-love, and healing [37:54] Food insecurity, housing, and substance use [40:34] Combining emotional support with practical help [42:29] Social media misinformation and youth perfectionism [45:34] Why avoiding painful feelings can get in the way [47:19] What gives Fajima and Jason hope [49:13] Recognizing Homeboy’s mental health team Notable Quotes “There's a caring that happens in the room and outside of the room at Homeboy, which we're lucky to have, that is really important in terms of the client feeling like this person really cares for me.” - Fajima [31:39] “I like to think sometimes that I hold the torch for hope that things are gonna get better, because they really are, if you think about it. There are places like Homeboy. There's really a lot of hope in the world, and I would argue that although there's a lot of things that are bad, there are also a lot of things getting better.” - Jason [48:20] Resources and Links Homeboy Industries https://homeboyindustries.org/ https://www.youtube.com/@HomeboyIndustries_LA/videos Donate: https://homeboyindustries.org/donate/donate-online/ Homeboy Media https://homeboyindustries.org/social-enterprises/homeboy-media/ Thomas Vozzo https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvozzo The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Homeboy-Way-Radical-Approach-Business/dp/082945456X Credits: Hosted by: Tom Vozzo Produced by: Podify, and Alexa Rousso and Melody Carter of Homeboy Media
