“It is important to understand that to accomplish the task of trauma symptom reduction the client must be able to create a state of relaxation.”
~Trauma Practice: A Cognitive-Behavioral Somatic Therapy, Baranowsky & Gentry~

Today I had a visit with a potential internship site. Unless something changes, I can start there in August. The site is Contact Ministries in Springfield which is a faith-based organization that provides temporary housing for homeless women and children. They have an emergency shelter for short-term overnight care, as well as a longer term shelter where women stay for even as long as six months. I liked it there.

I’m kind of picky when it comes to finding a place. This is I think the fifth time since starting this program that I have gone to see about a potential clinical site. There are several things I’ve noticed that I pay attention to while doing this. Is it relatively close by to my area of residence? Do I like the drive? Do I feel a sense of physical safety while being there and while being in the general area of town? Do I like it here?

A positive for me was the flexibility in hours. Most of them would have to be done in the evening, with the clinical supervisor being there from 4-9 or 4-10. On weekends I could pick up shifts and get paid. It’s been told to me before and I’ve been in contact with the program advisor about it being possible to spread the internship out over a fall-spring-summer, or even a spring-summer-fall. They have an intern opening now.

So once again, I will pray about it more. They said prayer is something they regularly do with the women, be it in Bible studies led by area pastors, or private sessions, or group meetings if they make requests. They are open with the women about being a place with Christian values and ask for mutual respect for all views. They do not require workers to be Christian but it’s nice if they are. The main thing is loving God.

Tonight I have a Zoom call for a partner assignment. We have to make a video of us counseling each other by teaching a Safety and Stabilization skill. Mine is a 3-step somatic intervention with the goal of “creating a non-anxious presence”. This one has to do with breathing and relaxation of the pelvic floor which apparently is the balance and power point of the body. We need to talk about the breathing thing more.