The Internship
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Yesterday, I started my first day at my internship and I'm sure you are all wondering how it was, right?! Well, it is going to be FANTASTIC. In order to graduate and get my license we are required to do an 18-month internship. My site is at a women's residential facility for chemical dependency issues. It is just a bit north of Seattle. They have 23 beds. Most of these women are pregnant or recently had a baby. The State gives pregnant, addicted women the priority in rehab treatment. The State pays for these women to receive CDT (Chemical Dependency Treatment) but not for mental health work. The director of the facility decided that these woman needed more than just chemical dependency help so she enlisted the help of hour-seeking interns and they get both CDT counseling and mental health counseling at this facility. I get my hours. They get free therapy. Everyone is happy.
I had the option of interning at LDS Family Services but I decided that since I am already a Mormon there will be a natural religious attraction for Mormons to want to come to me for therapy later in my career. I thought this other site would diversify my experience and let me learn things I wouldn't get at LDS Family Services. Plus, they didn't sweep me off my feet in the recruitment process. After being at my site I was so happy I made this decision. It just felt so right.
The first two weeks we just get to see what life is like for these women. We go to their classes, hung out with them in the dining room, go on morning walks with them, etc. After orientation we will start being assigned the new women that come to live in the facility and start the detox/drug treatment. They are usually there for about 6 months, so I will really be able to get to know my clients well which pleases me very much. The women were really welcoming and curious about the new interns. I am excited to get to know them more and hear their stories. They have so much to teach me.
The other great news is that if someone wants to become a licensed CD counselor they have to get 1500 supervised hours in the state of Washington. My time there will go towards my marriage and family therapy license and my CDT license. I will just have to take a few more classes online or at community college and I will be dually certified. This is a huge deal if you know anything about getting hours for licensing. It is basically a two-for-one! Lucky me.
Needless to say, the next year and a half will be far from boring.
5 Comments:
I am so jealous. Really. I got my BA in Family Studies and your schooling and internship all sound so interesting. I'm looking forward to some intership blog posts so I can live vicariously through you. Hope that doesn't creep you out.
Congrats on the new adventure!
Aimee I'm so happy for you. You will be the best therapist. Lucky we have you in the family :)
That sounds amazing Aimee. I applaud you not taking the "safe, comfortable " route (esp. cause that's what I probably would have done). You will be one fantastic counselor.
Aim,
Out to save the world one soul at a time, eh? Heaven knows the world needs more caring counslers like you.
You are right - coming from a loving, supportive family is one of life's greatest blessings but most are not so lucky. My husband comes from a heartbreaking situation where his family relations are the source of some of his greatest heartaches in life. We are trying to "break the mold" and provide our children with a stable, healthy environment that he never knew. You can't change your past but you can alter how you let it affect you. Thank goodness for the healing power of the gospel.
Love you girl!
Aim what an awesome experience--addiction was my very first experience as a therapist and to this day...I think it provided me with such a solid foundation in so many ways! And you are so right that licensing is a huge deal and takes forever so to get two licenses out of it? That's a great find. I'm impressed that Washington has a program geared toward pregnant women...must be a democratic state :) Those women have no idea what's coming their way...they are lucky little gals! (And if you ever want to talk about LDS FAM in the future let me know...)
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