I’m glad I didn’t start this internship without learning a few things first about expectations and idealism. Last week in class we had a rather depressing discussion about how the systems that our society has set up to help people are basically failing at astronomical levels. Several women in my group have worked as teachers in the schools. Even over the past 10-15 years, and especially over the past 5, things have changed so rapidly that the old way of doing school is not working anymore. System change is slow.

The kids have changed and people have changed. One of the interns is working at Memorial Behavioral Health with the same partial-hospitalization program where I did my practicum. The problem he sees is that this program is being offered in the portion of the day when most normal people are expected to work. It also feels impersonal because the entire program is scripted due to having to meet certain health insurance requirements. Only certain therapies are approved, many of which are outdated.

Because there have been many more discoveries and researched-backed methods even since the time that CBT on the scene. When people are only there for 2-3 weeks, you’re barely scratching the surface with being able to address their problems. Whenever I talked to people I would tell them that this program wasn’t going to be the place where they were cured. What it would hopefully be for them was a place where they could receive support during a critical point in their life. It would set them on a path.

During the groups, as you pay attention, find one or two things that really stand out to you. It will be different for every person, but hopefully there will be something in there you can take with you that will empower you as you continue along on the healing journey that you are hopefully on. I didn’t say all that to him but I was remembering while sitting there. He needed to get it off his chest and that is partly what group supervision time is for. To share frustrations and process experiences with the class.

The other time is for presenting videos which is what I was recording yesterday evening while talking with one of the moms. I decided I wasn’t even going to ask about recording anything in the kid groups just to avoid the potential of making moms feel uncomfortable. Most people decline to be in the camera view, which I’m pretty sure I would too. So the videos are of the “counselor” as you can hear the voice of the other. This was only our second meeting so there were many new things I learned about her.