This has been a repetitive theme of my blog lately and I apologize for boring people to tears, but I'm fitting in another "end of the semester" blog entry.
Tomorrow's the last day at my internship site and I'm so sad about it. I've loved it over there so much. I'd work there for free if I could. OK, maybe not, but I've enjoyed it that much. I'm going to miss the patients so much even though they're only there for about a week at a time and the crowd is constantly changing. I feel like I've actually made a difference in these kid's lives. I see kids come into the hospital in a really bad off way and leave with a smile on their face and it feels so good to know that they have that fighting chance.
I had a family session at the end of the day today and thought to myself "that went horrible, she's not leaving anytime soon." The reason she's not leaving anytime soon is that she's still a threat to her family. Basically, people come into the hospital because they're a threat to themselves or a threat to others. Usually suicidal or homicidal attempts or ideation. We don't discharge them until the doctor thinks they're no longer suicidal or homicidal. So when I realized that the girl wasn't going home because she was still a threat to others, I had this moment of awakening that all of the other people who do go home have actually changed and they're actually not a threat to others anymore (for the moment at least). It felt so good to come to that realization and to think that I may have had a hand in steering them towards the change that they need to make. I definitely think that it's the client that does the work and makes the change. I take no responsibility for that. But it's nice to think that I might've put a spark into someone's mind that ignited a fire for change.
So now I'm getting nervous about not being able to find a job. I talked to a girl today who works at a grief counseling center for children down here and she said she would give my name and number to her boss. That made me happy. I'd love to do that. There's really not a whole lot of places to work with children here in New Orleans. That's the population I want to work with. I love working with adolescents. I've enjoyed it so much this semester and I know that's where I belong. Just can't find a place that will pay me to do that. I can do that in private practice, but I need somewhere to work while I'm getting my licensure first. We'll see.
On a totally different note, I've sparked up quite a conversation in the comments section of a previous post about a website that Marina told me about. The website is bookcloseouts.com. Now, in addition to that, bookfool went on to tell me about currentcodes.com that has a code for bookcloseouts.com that offers an additional savings. The bookcloseouts.com website offers all kinds of really great books at, you got it, close out prices. I scored 10 books for $60.15 after shipping. All of the books were hardcover or trade paperbacks. Marina also told me that you can enter a wishlist and it lets you know when books you want become available as closeout books. WARNING!! This is a VERY dangerous website ;) Stephanie wanted to know what books I bought, so here they are:
1. Wyrms by Orson Scott Card
2. The Book Of Ballads by Charles Vess and others
3. The Faery Reel ed. by Terri Windling Illus. by Charles Vess
4. The Wood Wife by Terri Windling
5. Into the Green by Charles de Lint
6. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
7. Tithe by Holly Black
8. What it Takes to Pull Me Through by David Marcus
9. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
10. Martin Dressler by Steven Millhauser
Not a bad list, eh?
Showing posts with label counseling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label counseling. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Days That Make It All Worth It
I've come to learn very quickly that there are certain days that make all the work that goes into counseling worth it. There are those days (which are numerous) where it seems like the majority of the patients are not interested in getting better or at least don't seem to be getting any better. I know this is more common among adolescents than adults since adolescents are for the most part forced to go into inpatient treatment while at least some of the adults check themselves in. But every now and then, there are those days where I just leave with a big smile on my face and see so much improvement in my patients. Those are the days that count for me.
Right now, we have a lot of cutters and self mutilators on our unit. So, for the process group this morning, I chose to focus on why people cut and have everyone share their experiences. What an emotional group. Lots of stuff came up that triggered other clients and a lot of tears were shed, but by the end of the session, everyone seemed to be more comfortable...laughing and having a good time. A lot of these kids haven't laughed in months. It takes a lot of courage to talk about things that are this personal, but everyone did, and I could see the catharsis of talking about it on their faces. Everyone was sharing hugs by the end of the group, which usually isn't allowed on the adolescent unit because it leads to something else, but today it was appropriate...and I let it slide.
I've tried this before (a group on cutting) and it was a disaster. I don't know if I just have a better group of patients now or if I've become more comfortable with the job. It's probably a mix of both. I made a special point of pulling each patient aside for the day and letting them know how proud I was of them and how much I can see that they're working to get better. I hope it helped them as much as it seemed to.
I'm in such a good mood now as a result of this. Here's hoping that tomorrow is as good!
Right now, we have a lot of cutters and self mutilators on our unit. So, for the process group this morning, I chose to focus on why people cut and have everyone share their experiences. What an emotional group. Lots of stuff came up that triggered other clients and a lot of tears were shed, but by the end of the session, everyone seemed to be more comfortable...laughing and having a good time. A lot of these kids haven't laughed in months. It takes a lot of courage to talk about things that are this personal, but everyone did, and I could see the catharsis of talking about it on their faces. Everyone was sharing hugs by the end of the group, which usually isn't allowed on the adolescent unit because it leads to something else, but today it was appropriate...and I let it slide.
I've tried this before (a group on cutting) and it was a disaster. I don't know if I just have a better group of patients now or if I've become more comfortable with the job. It's probably a mix of both. I made a special point of pulling each patient aside for the day and letting them know how proud I was of them and how much I can see that they're working to get better. I hope it helped them as much as it seemed to.
I'm in such a good mood now as a result of this. Here's hoping that tomorrow is as good!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Working With Adults And A Couple Of New Books
I got to work on the adult psychiatric unit for a little while today and it was a pretty good experience. I find that working with adults is very different from working with adolescents. It's easier to talk with most adults on the psychiatric unit. Most of them are there because they want the help whereas the adolescents are there because their parents, the hospital, or the law made them go. I found it more rewarding in an immediate sort of way with the adults. I can actually do therapeutic work with them and see their interest and their desire to change. I can see their hurt, their pain, their addictions, their feelings of loss. With adolescents, alot of that is hidden by anger. Adolescents are rewarding as well, but certainly not immediately. It's rewarding to see how they come in and (hopefully) how much better they've gotten when it's time for them to leave. It was quite a good experience over there, though I must say that I was happy to get back to my adolescents. I just have fun with those guys and gals.
Got two new books in the mail today! Always a great thing to see in the mailbox. The first was a book that I bought so that I could understand childhood trauma a little bit better. We see alot of trauma on our unit. The book is called Too Scared To Cry and is written by Lenore Terr. It's a really great book and a big eye opener to trauma. The basis of the book is from a mass kidnapping in the 70's. 26 children were kidnapped and buried alive and they all survived. Lenore Terr interviewed them and examined how that affected the rest of their lives. She also examines other forms of trauma such as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
The other book that I got was Colleen Gleason's The Rest Falls Away and I'm really excited about this one. It came signed to me with a few bookmarks for her next book. It's been called a Jane Austen meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of book. It's a romance with vampires. How cool is that? She's still giving away a few more copies on her blog up until April 15th. That's how I won mine. Check it out.
Sleepiness is winning over the gym tonight. There's seems to be just no energy left in my body. So I'll play in blogland for a little while and then just kick back and watch some tv for a little while. Sounds like a plan.
Got two new books in the mail today! Always a great thing to see in the mailbox. The first was a book that I bought so that I could understand childhood trauma a little bit better. We see alot of trauma on our unit. The book is called Too Scared To Cry and is written by Lenore Terr. It's a really great book and a big eye opener to trauma. The basis of the book is from a mass kidnapping in the 70's. 26 children were kidnapped and buried alive and they all survived. Lenore Terr interviewed them and examined how that affected the rest of their lives. She also examines other forms of trauma such as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
The other book that I got was Colleen Gleason's The Rest Falls Away and I'm really excited about this one. It came signed to me with a few bookmarks for her next book. It's been called a Jane Austen meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of book. It's a romance with vampires. How cool is that? She's still giving away a few more copies on her blog up until April 15th. That's how I won mine. Check it out.
Sleepiness is winning over the gym tonight. There's seems to be just no energy left in my body. So I'll play in blogland for a little while and then just kick back and watch some tv for a little while. Sounds like a plan.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Getting A Little Better
So today has been a much better day so far. My skills as a counselor were put to the test this morning and I'd say I passed. One of the social workers was out today which left me to fill her position for the day. How nerve wracking! I always have my supervisor there to help me out. Well today I didn't and I think I did fine. Did the process group (which I'm used to doing by myself), got all my discharge plans done, set up family sessions, ran a couple of family sessions and just all in all had a pretty good day. Very busy day, but good nonetheless.
I find that I like it when things are busy. I'd take busy any day over bored. When I'm at work, no matter where that may be, I am just not a fan of idle time. The day progresses faster and I get a certain feeling of accomplishment knowing that everything's been done. I feel like if I'm not busy, that means I'm falling behind...a feeling that just overwhelms me too much. I need to be on top of things. This is sort of a theme of my day to day life. Whether at work, at school, or at home, I'm always doing something. Though I must say, I've learned to enjoy idle time at home a little more than I used to.
Right now, I'm filling my idle time by reading Orson Scott Card's Hart's Hope for the once upon a time challenge. It's wonderful so far. It amazes me how great of an author Card is. I've read about 30 of his books now and have not been disappointed by a single one. Now that's rare, though I feel the same way about Neil Gaiman. Every time I jump into a Card book, I think "it'll be good, but won't be as good as some others." You figure there's got to be a mess up somewhere in there. But there's not. Not only are all of his books great, but they even exceed my expectations. My favorite thing about Card is his character development. He has the greatest ability of any author I've read to create real, human characters...characters that we feel for and relate to. Can't wait to finish this one, though at the same time, I wish it were longer. Review should be coming in the next couple of days.
I find that I like it when things are busy. I'd take busy any day over bored. When I'm at work, no matter where that may be, I am just not a fan of idle time. The day progresses faster and I get a certain feeling of accomplishment knowing that everything's been done. I feel like if I'm not busy, that means I'm falling behind...a feeling that just overwhelms me too much. I need to be on top of things. This is sort of a theme of my day to day life. Whether at work, at school, or at home, I'm always doing something. Though I must say, I've learned to enjoy idle time at home a little more than I used to.
Right now, I'm filling my idle time by reading Orson Scott Card's Hart's Hope for the once upon a time challenge. It's wonderful so far. It amazes me how great of an author Card is. I've read about 30 of his books now and have not been disappointed by a single one. Now that's rare, though I feel the same way about Neil Gaiman. Every time I jump into a Card book, I think "it'll be good, but won't be as good as some others." You figure there's got to be a mess up somewhere in there. But there's not. Not only are all of his books great, but they even exceed my expectations. My favorite thing about Card is his character development. He has the greatest ability of any author I've read to create real, human characters...characters that we feel for and relate to. Can't wait to finish this one, though at the same time, I wish it were longer. Review should be coming in the next couple of days.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
An Awakening of Sorts
Oh my Ford! (I'm reading Brave New World) What a day today was! No this is not some deep, meaningful post about a spiritual awakening. It's more like I awakened to the fact today that I do indeed work in a psychiatric hospital.
I usually have no problems at the hospital. I love my job and I love the clients that I work with. But boy did we have some serious behavior problems today. Without going into detail, 3 codes (psyc emergencies) were called today. All resulted in biting, kicking, etc. and one of the psyc techs ended up with a black eye and a bloody finger. I feel like a wet towel that's been wrung out. Also did a family session where I got chewed out for being an intern. Now I can kind of understand the parent's worries. I'm not a licensed therapist yet, I'm an intern and while I may be a month away from finishing my training, I'm still not done yet. But I think I knew what I was talking about. Anyway, that doesn't matter because I brought in one of the "real" therapists to finish out the session.
So I'm still trying to make myself go to the gym. That's been the plan all along, and I'm going to stick with it, it's just a matter of when that motivation will kick in. I plan on buying protein powder and Flax seed meal soon. I was watching Workout last night and one of the trainers gave the recipe for a mixed berry protein shake that you can drink in the morning for energy and just for health all around. I found a site where I typed in my weight and saw that I should have between 64-119 grams of protein daily. I'd be surprised if I'm having 10 grams a day right now. So I'm going to try to boost that up. It's supposed to help in losing weight.
Ok, back to Brave New World.
I usually have no problems at the hospital. I love my job and I love the clients that I work with. But boy did we have some serious behavior problems today. Without going into detail, 3 codes (psyc emergencies) were called today. All resulted in biting, kicking, etc. and one of the psyc techs ended up with a black eye and a bloody finger. I feel like a wet towel that's been wrung out. Also did a family session where I got chewed out for being an intern. Now I can kind of understand the parent's worries. I'm not a licensed therapist yet, I'm an intern and while I may be a month away from finishing my training, I'm still not done yet. But I think I knew what I was talking about. Anyway, that doesn't matter because I brought in one of the "real" therapists to finish out the session.
So I'm still trying to make myself go to the gym. That's been the plan all along, and I'm going to stick with it, it's just a matter of when that motivation will kick in. I plan on buying protein powder and Flax seed meal soon. I was watching Workout last night and one of the trainers gave the recipe for a mixed berry protein shake that you can drink in the morning for energy and just for health all around. I found a site where I typed in my weight and saw that I should have between 64-119 grams of protein daily. I'd be surprised if I'm having 10 grams a day right now. So I'm going to try to boost that up. It's supposed to help in losing weight.
Ok, back to Brave New World.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Being a Bum
Today was quite a mentally exhausting day. Working at a psychiatric hospital, you eventually learn not to take the problems home with you. And overall, I've done a pretty good job of leaving work at work. However, there are certain days that are just hard not to take home with you. One of the most upsetting things about working with children is seeing the amount of sexual abuse that goes on. I was shocked at how often this happens when I started over there, and even more shocked to find how hard it is to prosecute offenders. When they do get prosecuted, they're only in jail for a year or two, then they're back on the streets. Sexual trauma has such a huge effect on children. In my opinion, people who do this to kids should be locked up with the key thrown away. While they are satisfying their addictions, they are ruining the lives of these kids, or at least making their lives alot more challenging than they need to be.
So after all of that, I had decided that I was going to go to the gym again to work off some steam. But I made the mistake of laying down in bed first and now I'm in my pajamas going nowhere.
On a totally different note, Subterranean Press released the cover for their version of Neil Gaiman's M is for Magic, which I have already ordered and I was so disappointed. The cover is just horrible in my opinion. Yesterday's blog post had the most anticipated cover, and this has to be the most disappointing cover. Oh well, at least it's signed and numbered by one of my favorite authors.
One other thing I wanted to mention was that Endicott Studio had a post today about a new book on Charles Vess being released. It's Modern Masters Volume 11 and it's subject is Charles Vess and it looks amazing. It focuses mostly on his graphic novel and comic book work. Looking forward to this one!
So after all of that, I had decided that I was going to go to the gym again to work off some steam. But I made the mistake of laying down in bed first and now I'm in my pajamas going nowhere.
On a totally different note, Subterranean Press released the cover for their version of Neil Gaiman's M is for Magic, which I have already ordered and I was so disappointed. The cover is just horrible in my opinion. Yesterday's blog post had the most anticipated cover, and this has to be the most disappointing cover. Oh well, at least it's signed and numbered by one of my favorite authors.
One other thing I wanted to mention was that Endicott Studio had a post today about a new book on Charles Vess being released. It's Modern Masters Volume 11 and it's subject is Charles Vess and it looks amazing. It focuses mostly on his graphic novel and comic book work. Looking forward to this one!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Musings and Most Anticipated Cover of the year
Here it is folks - the cover for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been released. I like it, very orange. This picture is the dustjacket laid out without the words on it. I just can't wait for this book to come out!
Today was a fairly productive day. I sort of flew solo at the hospital today which felt good. I feel like I've become much more capable and competent in the counseling profession. I've found that counseling skills definitely grow over time. I know I have a lot further to grow, but at least I'm moving.
Went to the gym again today which felt great, though somewhat exhausting after the work day. The show Workout on Bravo! always brings out that urge in me to get to the gym. And that urge couldn't come at a better time with the Mexico trip coming up soon. Great show by the way, very interesting people.
And finally, there's been a new addition to the blogroll. It is Jenclair's blog, A Garden Carried in the Pocket. Her's is a blog that I've visited for awhile and realized that it deserves to be a regular. She always has wonderful things to say about books and just life in general...and she's a fellow Louisianian! And spellcheck actually didn't try to correct Louisianian. What can I say, I'm smart.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Stumble Upon and Lisa Snellings
I'm feeling kind of blah today, but what the hell...I'll do a post anyway.
If you use any Mozilla browser, I highly recommend that you download Stumble Upon as an add on for your browser. It's a really neat little feature that I just discovered. You check off your interests from a huge list that they have. Then there's a little button that you click that says "stumble." It brings you to a random site that others with your interests have said that they like. If you like the site, you can click on "like it" and if you don't, you can give it a thumbs down and your interests are tailored to that. In addition, anytime you're at a site that you like, you just click "like it" and it becomes available to others with your interests. I've gotten some really cool results such as this, this, and this. Check it.
Lisa Snellings-Clark had a really cool post today. Lots of cool news including more details on the much anticipated PoppetPlanet. She's also announced a new sale that will run from March 17th through the 24th with some new art and poppets by her. I love the green poppet named Gaia on the post. She's also announced that she will be a guest at Balticon, and I really wish I could go. I'd love to meet her, she seems like such a cool person.
I really wish we'd have a good sci-fi convention here in New Orleans. I would love it. They have one here occasionally, but it tends to become an alien porno/fetish convention. Just doesn't do it for me....
In one other small piece of personal news, I feel that I finally reached a landmark in the internship. One of the social workers was out today so I kind of filled in for her and ran a family session by myself today unsupervised. I feel that I did really well. Family sessions are meetings with the family and our patient. They typically last an hour, but mine managed to last for two causing me to miss lunch. Lots of issues to work through, but I feel like I made some progress with them.
Ooh, one more thing. I wanted to plug Orson Scott Card's online magazine entitled Intergalactic Medicine Show. It's only $2.50 an issue and you get tons of stuff for that price. It usually has about 6-7 decent length short stories, Orson does an Enderverse short story for each one, there's young adult short stories, sometimes a comic, usually an audiobook or two, review columns, there's been a Card serialized novel called "Hot Sleep", and each issue has a new clock for your desktop which is really cool in the I-Wei's Amazing Clocks section. In addition, each short story always has incredible art to go along with it. I know he said that sales weren't too good, so I wanted to plug it. Really great deal. 4 issues to date with tons of stuff. At $2.50 a piece, you could get them all for $10. How cool is that.
If you use any Mozilla browser, I highly recommend that you download Stumble Upon as an add on for your browser. It's a really neat little feature that I just discovered. You check off your interests from a huge list that they have. Then there's a little button that you click that says "stumble." It brings you to a random site that others with your interests have said that they like. If you like the site, you can click on "like it" and if you don't, you can give it a thumbs down and your interests are tailored to that. In addition, anytime you're at a site that you like, you just click "like it" and it becomes available to others with your interests. I've gotten some really cool results such as this, this, and this. Check it.
Lisa Snellings-Clark had a really cool post today. Lots of cool news including more details on the much anticipated PoppetPlanet. She's also announced a new sale that will run from March 17th through the 24th with some new art and poppets by her. I love the green poppet named Gaia on the post. She's also announced that she will be a guest at Balticon, and I really wish I could go. I'd love to meet her, she seems like such a cool person.
I really wish we'd have a good sci-fi convention here in New Orleans. I would love it. They have one here occasionally, but it tends to become an alien porno/fetish convention. Just doesn't do it for me....
In one other small piece of personal news, I feel that I finally reached a landmark in the internship. One of the social workers was out today so I kind of filled in for her and ran a family session by myself today unsupervised. I feel that I did really well. Family sessions are meetings with the family and our patient. They typically last an hour, but mine managed to last for two causing me to miss lunch. Lots of issues to work through, but I feel like I made some progress with them.
Ooh, one more thing. I wanted to plug Orson Scott Card's online magazine entitled Intergalactic Medicine Show. It's only $2.50 an issue and you get tons of stuff for that price. It usually has about 6-7 decent length short stories, Orson does an Enderverse short story for each one, there's young adult short stories, sometimes a comic, usually an audiobook or two, review columns, there's been a Card serialized novel called "Hot Sleep", and each issue has a new clock for your desktop which is really cool in the I-Wei's Amazing Clocks section. In addition, each short story always has incredible art to go along with it. I know he said that sales weren't too good, so I wanted to plug it. Really great deal. 4 issues to date with tons of stuff. At $2.50 a piece, you could get them all for $10. How cool is that.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Spirituality in Counseling
A short reflection on the matter written for an ethics class:
When I first began my current internship I was told never to bring up religion in a session. I asked “why not?” and was told that religious views are very varied and you may insult someone or cause a serious debate that would get in the way of therapy. I then asked “what about bringing up spirituality?” and was told that spirituality and religion were the same thing. I disagreed with this, but decided that my place would be best served by accepting the rules of the organization.
In the latest issue of the Journal of Counseling and Development, Young, Wiggins-Frame, and Cashwell (2007) describe the role of spirituality in counseling and what training a counselor may need in order to be competent in this area. Young et al. based their research off of a former article which “reported that 75% of Americans reported that religion and spirituality are important to them” (p. 47, 2007). Young et al. also point out the difference between religion and spirituality. According to this study, spirituality is defined as
A capacity and tendency that is innate and unique to all persons. The spiritual tendency moves the individual toward knowledge, love, meaning, peace, hope, transcendence, connectedness, compassion, wellness, and wholeness. Spirituality includes one’s capacity for creativity, growth, and the development of a value system.
Religion, on the other hand is defined as “the specific organized and codified form through which individuals may express their spirituality” (p. 48, 2007).
In this study, the authors report that 68% of counselors felt that it is important or very important for counselors in training to have formal training in addressing spiritual and religious issues. However, only 46% of respondents said that they were prepared to integrate spiritual issues into counseling. What we have here is a huge demand with little supply. The authors point out a number of ways in which we can help start the process of working spirituality into counseling.
The first suggestion is that there is a need to build curricula with an emphasis on spirituality. They suggest that this can be either one course, or it can be worked into all areas of study. Second, there is a need for research on the subject and knowledge on how one can incorporate spirituality into counseling. Third, there is a need to evaluate the role of spirituality in the lives of others and how religion and spirituality may contribute in the development of psychological disorders. Finally, there is a need for greater dialogue on the subject in professional literature. The word needs to get out on the subject in order for the subject to gain ground.
I have always felt that spirituality is one of the greatest assets to a counselor. The majority of people have some sort of spirituality, whether they have religion or not. Without spirituality, we would essentially be robots who only performed basic life functions. Spirituality plays a huge role in the psychology of our minds. Spirituality helps to develop our morals, our place in the world, our relational issues, our connectedness with others, etc. Major breakdowns in one of these areas can cause huge psychological illness.
As counselors, I feel that it is our role to acknowledge the spirituality of a person and let that be a major factor in the person’s recovery. The counselor does not have to have the same religion or any religion at all when counseling a person, but we should have a basic awareness of our own spirituality and the empathy to understand another’s spirituality when helping a person recover. I feel that we need to examine innate qualities such as spirituality when treating a person and use that as much as possible in their treatment. Essentiality, the counselor acts as a guide while the client seeks out the answers that they can best come to terms with. It’s important to teach a client how to pay attention to their moral traces when examining any given situation and to trust their gut feeling when appropriate.
In order for this to become an effective mode of treatment, more education needs to be given on the area. The authors of this article suggest this as well and give a starting point for how to incorporate spirituality training into courses. As I mentioned before, I feel that spirituality plays a major role in a client’s recovery and it is our duty as counselors to have knowledge in this field.
Reference: Young, Wiggins-Frame, & Cashwell. (2007). Spirituality and counselor competence: A national survey of American Counseling Association members. Journal of Counseling and Development. (85)1, p. 47-52.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Rationalization for Settling
Still haven't heard back from the high school I applied to for the guidance counselor position, but I honestly don't really care. I was having thoughts about whether or not I wanted to work there, and my gut feeling told me that I wouldn't like it. It involves way too much "school stuff" such as scheduling classes, and I personally feel like I didn't get this degree to schedule classes for people. I want to be a counselor. My would be supervisor told me that I would do very little actual counseling if I got the job, and I just don't think I'm OK with that. So if they don't call, I won't be upset, in fact, I'll be relieved in a way.
Here's the rationalization part. I love the hospital that I work at, and I really want nothing other than to work there. My problem is the pay. It's horrible, and it's a hospital that's known for paying very little. I'm trying to find ways to come to terms with the low pay, but it's just not happening. I get along really well with everybody and it's the best psyc hospital I've seen in Louisiana. I feel like I'm becoming part of the team, they're giving me more responsibility, and I just feel like I'm in a very comfortable fit at this place. I've been putting the word out more and more to people there that I would like to work there when I graduate but that the pay would need to be a little higher. Maybe someone will hear that and suggest something. I've been told by my supervisor and one of the other social workers that they would like to have me and they can't wait until I graduate. That's very flattering.
Here's my rationalization: My ultimate goal is to go into private practice, which is hugely in demand right now in New Orleans. In order to do this I need my LPC. We have LPC supervisors at the hospital. If I can work my supervision being payed for into my contract, that would figuratively add $5000 to my salary ($100/week for 50 weeks). Once I have my LPC, I can start a private practice and supplement my income at the hospital with that. Or if all works well, do only private practice. I'd also have my foot in the door for private practice because we're always looking for outside therapists for our clients for after they're discharged. I honestly just want to stay where I am when I graduate, because I know I'd be happy, and to an extent, that matters more than money. At the same time, I need to make enough money to at least pay my bills. So what do I do?
I got the best complement today. One of my patients asked me if I do private practice, and I told her that no, that's why I'm in school right now so that I can get to that point. She then told me that she wishes I did, because I'm the first therapist that she's ever felt comfortable with and been able to open up to, and she feels like I've really helped her. That made me smile, and at the same time made me upset that she's never had a therapist that she could be comfortable with.
I guess what I'm getting at is that I know I would be happy at the hospital and I can do the type of work that I really want to do. I want to deal with clinical cases. And maybe I can find a way to adjust my life to be able to live with the salary. Eventually, the salary will be where I want it to be, I may just have to accept that I'm going to start off on the low end.
Here's the rationalization part. I love the hospital that I work at, and I really want nothing other than to work there. My problem is the pay. It's horrible, and it's a hospital that's known for paying very little. I'm trying to find ways to come to terms with the low pay, but it's just not happening. I get along really well with everybody and it's the best psyc hospital I've seen in Louisiana. I feel like I'm becoming part of the team, they're giving me more responsibility, and I just feel like I'm in a very comfortable fit at this place. I've been putting the word out more and more to people there that I would like to work there when I graduate but that the pay would need to be a little higher. Maybe someone will hear that and suggest something. I've been told by my supervisor and one of the other social workers that they would like to have me and they can't wait until I graduate. That's very flattering.
Here's my rationalization: My ultimate goal is to go into private practice, which is hugely in demand right now in New Orleans. In order to do this I need my LPC. We have LPC supervisors at the hospital. If I can work my supervision being payed for into my contract, that would figuratively add $5000 to my salary ($100/week for 50 weeks). Once I have my LPC, I can start a private practice and supplement my income at the hospital with that. Or if all works well, do only private practice. I'd also have my foot in the door for private practice because we're always looking for outside therapists for our clients for after they're discharged. I honestly just want to stay where I am when I graduate, because I know I'd be happy, and to an extent, that matters more than money. At the same time, I need to make enough money to at least pay my bills. So what do I do?
I got the best complement today. One of my patients asked me if I do private practice, and I told her that no, that's why I'm in school right now so that I can get to that point. She then told me that she wishes I did, because I'm the first therapist that she's ever felt comfortable with and been able to open up to, and she feels like I've really helped her. That made me smile, and at the same time made me upset that she's never had a therapist that she could be comfortable with.
I guess what I'm getting at is that I know I would be happy at the hospital and I can do the type of work that I really want to do. I want to deal with clinical cases. And maybe I can find a way to adjust my life to be able to live with the salary. Eventually, the salary will be where I want it to be, I may just have to accept that I'm going to start off on the low end.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
A Very Gloomy Day
I woke up this morning expecting to see sunshine, what I got instead was that annoying rain that's slightly above a drizzle, yet not quite a relaxing thunderstorm. Rain that just plain stinks! In addition to that, the wonderful chill in the air has been replaced with humidity.
The internship was very strange today. Since we're an acute care unit, the clients were all completely new to me since I haven't been there since last Thursday. The weather was definitely reflected in the staff's attitudes. Everyone seemed to have a very short fuse today. I picked a bad day for not wanting to be there, because their moods just made my day feel that much longer.
My supervisor can be really tough to get along with sometimes. She's a great woman, I really like her, but she has this very blunt, harsh side to her as well. I didn't like her my first few days there, but the more you get to know her, the more you like her. Today was a blunt, harsh supervisor day. She was very short with me at times for things that I didn't know how to do. In addition to that, I always feel bad asking her to sign any paperwork for me because I feel like I'm putting her out. She didn't really choose to be my supervisor, she was more appointed to do so. So now, in a few weeks, I have to get her to fill out a mid semester evaluation that's like 5 pages long and I know she's going to hate it. We'll see. I'll try not to worry about that for now.
In good news, I got to do my first individual session with one of the children today. We normally don't do individual therapy, but there is only 1 kid in the children's (ages 4-11) group. So the group counseling session turned into an individual session. I feel like it went great. I had no problem getting to the 30 minute mark like I thought I would and the kid opened up to me alot.
Now I'll lay in bed and catch up on tv. Then later I have to pack more boxes for the move. At least this is a short week....
The internship was very strange today. Since we're an acute care unit, the clients were all completely new to me since I haven't been there since last Thursday. The weather was definitely reflected in the staff's attitudes. Everyone seemed to have a very short fuse today. I picked a bad day for not wanting to be there, because their moods just made my day feel that much longer.
My supervisor can be really tough to get along with sometimes. She's a great woman, I really like her, but she has this very blunt, harsh side to her as well. I didn't like her my first few days there, but the more you get to know her, the more you like her. Today was a blunt, harsh supervisor day. She was very short with me at times for things that I didn't know how to do. In addition to that, I always feel bad asking her to sign any paperwork for me because I feel like I'm putting her out. She didn't really choose to be my supervisor, she was more appointed to do so. So now, in a few weeks, I have to get her to fill out a mid semester evaluation that's like 5 pages long and I know she's going to hate it. We'll see. I'll try not to worry about that for now.
In good news, I got to do my first individual session with one of the children today. We normally don't do individual therapy, but there is only 1 kid in the children's (ages 4-11) group. So the group counseling session turned into an individual session. I feel like it went great. I had no problem getting to the 30 minute mark like I thought I would and the kid opened up to me alot.
Now I'll lay in bed and catch up on tv. Then later I have to pack more boxes for the move. At least this is a short week....
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Things coming full circle
Wow...this is just blowing my mind....
First a little background info for those who don't know Chris (me).
In 1998, I was expelled from my high school for being around (and using) drugs. This is what ultimately led me to become a counselor, specifically a counselor who wants to work with children and adolescents. I had a hard time with those years and came out pretty damn good... at least I would like to think. I also think that the hard times that I went through give me an empathetic edge on some of the competition.
So today I get an email from one of my professors in my program. She emailed a lady telling her that she thinks that I would be an excellent candidate for a certain job opening and that she highly recommends me. Well I find out that the job she wants me to apply for is THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR POSITION AT THE SCHOOL THAT I GOT KICKED OUT OF!!! Talk about weird.
So I emailed the lady at "the school I got kicked out of" and basically told her that I wanted to be honest with her upfront and understood that my unique situation could disqualify me from the job. But I also told her that my unique situation puts a unique spin on my being a school counselor for young guys. I told her what I've learned over the years and how I have a strong desire to help kids not end up where I did. Or if they're heading that way, hopefully turn them around.
So now I'm VERY anxiously awaiting her reply. I won't be disappointed if she says that I can't work there, but it would be pretty damn cool to go full circle to the place that actually helped me decide to do what I want to do now.
First a little background info for those who don't know Chris (me).
In 1998, I was expelled from my high school for being around (and using) drugs. This is what ultimately led me to become a counselor, specifically a counselor who wants to work with children and adolescents. I had a hard time with those years and came out pretty damn good... at least I would like to think. I also think that the hard times that I went through give me an empathetic edge on some of the competition.
So today I get an email from one of my professors in my program. She emailed a lady telling her that she thinks that I would be an excellent candidate for a certain job opening and that she highly recommends me. Well I find out that the job she wants me to apply for is THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR POSITION AT THE SCHOOL THAT I GOT KICKED OUT OF!!! Talk about weird.
So I emailed the lady at "the school I got kicked out of" and basically told her that I wanted to be honest with her upfront and understood that my unique situation could disqualify me from the job. But I also told her that my unique situation puts a unique spin on my being a school counselor for young guys. I told her what I've learned over the years and how I have a strong desire to help kids not end up where I did. Or if they're heading that way, hopefully turn them around.
So now I'm VERY anxiously awaiting her reply. I won't be disappointed if she says that I can't work there, but it would be pretty damn cool to go full circle to the place that actually helped me decide to do what I want to do now.
Monday, February 5, 2007
The Long Day is Over
What a long day it was! I worked this morning on the unit, but it was a nice morning. The clients were having a collectively "good" day which made the therapeutic process much easier.
After that, I had my first day of counseling with my role played client. Since for some reason we can't get any real clients to take our offer of free counseling, the undergraduates are role playing clients for us counselors in training. I thought that mine went relatively well today. Today I basically just had to go over the HIPPA rules regarding privacy and then go into my practice and procedures. Next week I go into an intake. I don't like this role-played setting. We do this in front of the classroom in front of about 10 of our peers and 5 of our professors. Very intimidating, I feel like I'm defending my dissertation. Faculty members had some good things to say about me as well as a few things to correct. Mainly my language. I tend to say "um" alot and also ended a few sentences with "and other things like that". One teacher called this "diarrhea of the mouth". Not the most kind thing she could've said, but point taken. My main thing was nerves. Like I said, I felt like I was defending my dissertation at first and was very nervous, but as I continued I eventually got lost in the session and forgot that others were watching. I do so much better at my internship. I feel like I do a good job with clients when I'm not under scrutiny, and that's how the real world will be. I won't be doing a counseling session in front of 15 people in the real world. Which is why I'm not crazy about these role-played sessions. I could be doing this for real at my internship instead of being in class. But whatever, I'll make it work.
A few interesting things found in blog-land. "Why Do I Need a Title?" humorously describes the adventures of online dating in this post. Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings gives a good fair review of Blood and Chocolate at this post. Literacy-chic has some good points to make about the recent HPV vaccine that is required of school aged girls in Texas at this post. Endicott Redux offers a link to the online Journal of Mythic Arts which is fascinating at this post. And in Orson Scott Card's latest column, he talks about the Harry Potter series and his take on Snape at the bottom of this post.
Hope everyone's day was good! I'm off to watch Heroes!
After that, I had my first day of counseling with my role played client. Since for some reason we can't get any real clients to take our offer of free counseling, the undergraduates are role playing clients for us counselors in training. I thought that mine went relatively well today. Today I basically just had to go over the HIPPA rules regarding privacy and then go into my practice and procedures. Next week I go into an intake. I don't like this role-played setting. We do this in front of the classroom in front of about 10 of our peers and 5 of our professors. Very intimidating, I feel like I'm defending my dissertation. Faculty members had some good things to say about me as well as a few things to correct. Mainly my language. I tend to say "um" alot and also ended a few sentences with "and other things like that". One teacher called this "diarrhea of the mouth". Not the most kind thing she could've said, but point taken. My main thing was nerves. Like I said, I felt like I was defending my dissertation at first and was very nervous, but as I continued I eventually got lost in the session and forgot that others were watching. I do so much better at my internship. I feel like I do a good job with clients when I'm not under scrutiny, and that's how the real world will be. I won't be doing a counseling session in front of 15 people in the real world. Which is why I'm not crazy about these role-played sessions. I could be doing this for real at my internship instead of being in class. But whatever, I'll make it work.
A few interesting things found in blog-land. "Why Do I Need a Title?" humorously describes the adventures of online dating in this post. Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings gives a good fair review of Blood and Chocolate at this post. Literacy-chic has some good points to make about the recent HPV vaccine that is required of school aged girls in Texas at this post. Endicott Redux offers a link to the online Journal of Mythic Arts which is fascinating at this post. And in Orson Scott Card's latest column, he talks about the Harry Potter series and his take on Snape at the bottom of this post.
Hope everyone's day was good! I'm off to watch Heroes!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I finally got through to one of them!
Today was a very bizarre day on the unit, but a very good one nonetheless. Lots of aggression aimed primarily at staff...but I guess that comes with the job.
I've been working with this one little guy for about a week now. He's very shy, but opened up to me pretty quickly. I think the thing that has him down the most is his father's drinking. I know it gets to him, but he's too afraid to tell his dad anything. Well today (after a week) I got him to confront dad about his drinking and tell him how he feels. He actually did it! I was so proud of him. Dad broke down, and I think some progress will be made now.
I related alot to this kid. My father is an alcoholic. I felt like he wasn't there for me very much as a child, at least, we didn't do the things that dad and son typically do together..which I guess is ok, because I became a bookworm as a result of that :p There were and still are times where I feel like the adult and he is the child. This little guy felt the same way. I've confronted my dad before and it solved the problem for a little while, and then he went back to it. This kid's dad will probably do the same thing, but at least he got over his initial fear of talking to his dad. Me and my dad get along fine now, but I'd say it's more of a friendship than a parent/child relationship. But that's better than nothing. I hope this boy makes some progress. It feels good to know I made a little bit of a difference in a kids life.
He also refuses to eat anything but chicken! I think that we've found that this is sort of a trust issue for him. He won't eat chicken if someone other than his parents cook it. Well today I got him to eat a banana at lunch and though that's not much, it's something new. And he liked it! Aside from that, he's eaten nothing but cereal since he's gotten on the unit and has lost about 5 pounds already. Hopefully we can start pumping him with at least bananas now if not some more "new stuff".
All in all, a rewarding day!
I've been working with this one little guy for about a week now. He's very shy, but opened up to me pretty quickly. I think the thing that has him down the most is his father's drinking. I know it gets to him, but he's too afraid to tell his dad anything. Well today (after a week) I got him to confront dad about his drinking and tell him how he feels. He actually did it! I was so proud of him. Dad broke down, and I think some progress will be made now.
I related alot to this kid. My father is an alcoholic. I felt like he wasn't there for me very much as a child, at least, we didn't do the things that dad and son typically do together..which I guess is ok, because I became a bookworm as a result of that :p There were and still are times where I feel like the adult and he is the child. This little guy felt the same way. I've confronted my dad before and it solved the problem for a little while, and then he went back to it. This kid's dad will probably do the same thing, but at least he got over his initial fear of talking to his dad. Me and my dad get along fine now, but I'd say it's more of a friendship than a parent/child relationship. But that's better than nothing. I hope this boy makes some progress. It feels good to know I made a little bit of a difference in a kids life.
He also refuses to eat anything but chicken! I think that we've found that this is sort of a trust issue for him. He won't eat chicken if someone other than his parents cook it. Well today I got him to eat a banana at lunch and though that's not much, it's something new. And he liked it! Aside from that, he's eaten nothing but cereal since he's gotten on the unit and has lost about 5 pounds already. Hopefully we can start pumping him with at least bananas now if not some more "new stuff".
All in all, a rewarding day!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Tiring but good nonetheless
Today was the first day on the unit and I have to say, it was a very good one. I'm extremely exhausted right now, but I'll stay up long enough to inform my e-friends how the day went.
I discovered today that I'm not so bad of a counselor. Sure, alot comes with experience, but I found the "right words" coming out of my mouth when talking with my clients. It's amazing how much our perceptions of situations can freak us out. I had the preconceived notion of how things would be on a child and adolescent unit. I thought the clients would be very intimidating and that I would not do well. What I found was that these kids just need someone to listen to them.
I think that this is the population I want to work with. I felt at home in group sessions. If anything surprised me, it was that I enjoyed the children (4-12) even more than the adolescents (13-17). The hardest thing about working on this unit is not getting attached to the kids. I can see how it can be so easy to get attached and to invest so much in their success. I have to constantly remind myself that I am their counselor and they are my clients. I also have to remember that even though they may appear to be angels in groups (despite their attempted suicides and/or homicides) that things are not always like this at home. I can see how therapists may become almost too much of an advocate for their clients. Some of the stories are just so sad and you want to just take them home and tell them that everything will be o.k., but that's not an option at all in therapy. I think that's one thing that I'll learn to adjust to quickly.
Another interesting thing I learned today was the idea of transference. For those non-psych or non-freud reader people, transference is the idea of placing thoughts on a client that reminds you of someone else that you know. This happened today with one little boy that reminded me alot of my little cousin. I found myself liking this kid alot and almost playing favorites. Needless to say, I saw another side of that child later that was not so pleasant. The lesson learned here is that transference is o.k. to experience, but I have to keep it in check. I have to realize that it's there and be more objective towards that client.
So all in all, I had a really great experience on my first day.
The day ended with an ethics class on lsuhsc's campus. Now...ethics is a very VERY dull subject. It will be even harder to keep my attention for 3 hours every tuesday after working for 8 hours. Luckily, my teacher is a little out of his box. A little cooky, and VERY passionate about ethics. So if anyone can get the job done of teaching me ethics, it's him.
I discovered today that I'm not so bad of a counselor. Sure, alot comes with experience, but I found the "right words" coming out of my mouth when talking with my clients. It's amazing how much our perceptions of situations can freak us out. I had the preconceived notion of how things would be on a child and adolescent unit. I thought the clients would be very intimidating and that I would not do well. What I found was that these kids just need someone to listen to them.
I think that this is the population I want to work with. I felt at home in group sessions. If anything surprised me, it was that I enjoyed the children (4-12) even more than the adolescents (13-17). The hardest thing about working on this unit is not getting attached to the kids. I can see how it can be so easy to get attached and to invest so much in their success. I have to constantly remind myself that I am their counselor and they are my clients. I also have to remember that even though they may appear to be angels in groups (despite their attempted suicides and/or homicides) that things are not always like this at home. I can see how therapists may become almost too much of an advocate for their clients. Some of the stories are just so sad and you want to just take them home and tell them that everything will be o.k., but that's not an option at all in therapy. I think that's one thing that I'll learn to adjust to quickly.
Another interesting thing I learned today was the idea of transference. For those non-psych or non-freud reader people, transference is the idea of placing thoughts on a client that reminds you of someone else that you know. This happened today with one little boy that reminded me alot of my little cousin. I found myself liking this kid alot and almost playing favorites. Needless to say, I saw another side of that child later that was not so pleasant. The lesson learned here is that transference is o.k. to experience, but I have to keep it in check. I have to realize that it's there and be more objective towards that client.
So all in all, I had a really great experience on my first day.
The day ended with an ethics class on lsuhsc's campus. Now...ethics is a very VERY dull subject. It will be even harder to keep my attention for 3 hours every tuesday after working for 8 hours. Luckily, my teacher is a little out of his box. A little cooky, and VERY passionate about ethics. So if anyone can get the job done of teaching me ethics, it's him.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Do you ever really know what you want to do in life?
I guess today is a day of titling blogs with questions.
This question was brought on to me by A&E's Intervention, which is a wonderful and highly recommended show. So here's the deal, I know I want to be a counselor. That is set in stone for me. I just don't know about which population I want to work with. I guess that's the beauty of counseling is that I can work with any population. But I'd like to have a specialty, or better yet a specialty licensure. Right now I want to work with adolescents and children. But I've also recently discovered that I'm very interested in working with people with substance abuse issues. I read an excellent book awhile ago called Hooked, written by Lonny Shavelson. It's the story of 5 addicts and their journey towards sobriety. Excellent book.
I always find myself to have a huge amount of empathy for people with substance abuse issues. The problem is, it's a very frustrating job. As a substance abuse counselor, you see the same clients coming back again and again. Drugs are a really hard habit to kick. And it's not just the chemical addiction, it's also a lifestyle change. Most people with serious addictions have something underneath it all that keeps them going back to the drugs. And if that one thing triggers, it doesn't matter how much therapy and detox they've been through- 99 out of 100 times, when the trauma kicks in, they go back to the drugs. I would love to be that really great therapist that helps a person learn to deal with the issues that keep them going back. That's the problem with alot of institutions...they treat the chemical addiction, but they don't offer any individual counseling to talk about underlying causes of addiction. It's only group counseling, which has it's benefits, but I think there needs to be individual work done too.
This was also brought on at the hospital the other day. I was on the dual diagnosis (substance abuse and a mental illness) unit and I just thought it was such a great atmosphere. It was very laid back. There were lots of smiles on the patients faces, and people were talking to one another. On the adolescent unit, so many of these kids are just angry. Most of those kids aren't there by choice, whereas the adult units are almost all by choice since it's a private hospital that's very costly. I do love working with the kids though. Like I said in a previous blog, I feel like I have alot to offer children and adolescents, and I just hope to God that I can be a good counselor for them. Even if I can make a difference for 1 child out of 30, that's reward enough for me.
Oh well, I'm sure that all of this will resolve itself as I progress in my career. Who knows, I may not even be in this state anymore when I graduate. Thanks for listening ;)
This question was brought on to me by A&E's Intervention, which is a wonderful and highly recommended show. So here's the deal, I know I want to be a counselor. That is set in stone for me. I just don't know about which population I want to work with. I guess that's the beauty of counseling is that I can work with any population. But I'd like to have a specialty, or better yet a specialty licensure. Right now I want to work with adolescents and children. But I've also recently discovered that I'm very interested in working with people with substance abuse issues. I read an excellent book awhile ago called Hooked, written by Lonny Shavelson. It's the story of 5 addicts and their journey towards sobriety. Excellent book.
I always find myself to have a huge amount of empathy for people with substance abuse issues. The problem is, it's a very frustrating job. As a substance abuse counselor, you see the same clients coming back again and again. Drugs are a really hard habit to kick. And it's not just the chemical addiction, it's also a lifestyle change. Most people with serious addictions have something underneath it all that keeps them going back to the drugs. And if that one thing triggers, it doesn't matter how much therapy and detox they've been through- 99 out of 100 times, when the trauma kicks in, they go back to the drugs. I would love to be that really great therapist that helps a person learn to deal with the issues that keep them going back. That's the problem with alot of institutions...they treat the chemical addiction, but they don't offer any individual counseling to talk about underlying causes of addiction. It's only group counseling, which has it's benefits, but I think there needs to be individual work done too.
This was also brought on at the hospital the other day. I was on the dual diagnosis (substance abuse and a mental illness) unit and I just thought it was such a great atmosphere. It was very laid back. There were lots of smiles on the patients faces, and people were talking to one another. On the adolescent unit, so many of these kids are just angry. Most of those kids aren't there by choice, whereas the adult units are almost all by choice since it's a private hospital that's very costly. I do love working with the kids though. Like I said in a previous blog, I feel like I have alot to offer children and adolescents, and I just hope to God that I can be a good counselor for them. Even if I can make a difference for 1 child out of 30, that's reward enough for me.
Oh well, I'm sure that all of this will resolve itself as I progress in my career. Who knows, I may not even be in this state anymore when I graduate. Thanks for listening ;)
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