Laurel Life’s Post

When I was in the process of selecting my internship placement, I knew I didn’t want to do two things: Provide therapy Work with children However, after many conversations about my goals and aspirations for the future, every single person I spoke to encouraged me to work with children which was hard to digest. I was so passionate about practicing social work in a law enforcement capacity so that’s all I envisioned myself doing. One of my advisors told me, “Ezri, you are not paying a million dollars and one cent (thanks Michigan tuition) to have an internship experience that you’ve already done.” This meant the only thing left for me to explore was working with children. As a Therapy Intern at CARE House of Oakland County, I have learned 5 major things I would like to share: 1. Sessions get messy & that's okay. A mess means progress is being made and their creativity is being explored. The mess can be cleaned. 2. Things that pain my soul may be healing for them. For example, mixing Play-Doh colors together or putting stickers that spell a word in the wrong order. Yet, putting my feelings about it aside so they can exercise control in the play room. 3. Non-directive play feels like a waste of time, but it is not. Allowing children to self-regulate as often as they need to will never be a waste of time. I constantly have to remind myself of this. 4. Yes, being a social worker can be sad and emotionally draining at times, but I choose to look at this work from a positive perspective. Three days a week, I have the privilege of seeing and hearing children laughing and playing, witnessing the process of picking the perfect stuffed animal to bring home with them, or watching them dig through the candy bowl to grab a treat on their way out. 4a. Meeting kids where they’re at means I often take on roles of sous chef, food critic, copy cat, detective, or opponent. My willing participation in these roles, however, does not mean I will tolerate BBQ sauce on my brownie, grapes and blueberries on my pizzas, and it definitely does not mean I wanted to let my client win in our board game (seriously, I was so close to winning.) But, I have enjoyed being in these roles for them. 5. Children are more resilient than we give them credit for. I think we fall victim to getting bogged down by learning about trauma work in the classroom and through trainings that we forget what being a child is like. Something I remind parents of frequently is that in the future, their child likely won’t remember everything that was said throughout this process, but they will remember how they felt during this time. I tell parents that their child will remember how they felt believed, supported, and cared for. We need to remember that by teaching and demonstrating skills early on, we are setting up children up to have the necessary coping and emotional regulation skills to be resilient in the future. Comment what your biggest takeaway from your career has been so far!

⭐️ Meet Olivia Feldman, a third year psychology student who is interning with Voices for Children in Flint, Michigan. This internship is through the Flint Study Away Internship Program, a credit-bearing summer internship program where MSU undergrads live, work, and study within the city of Flint for 8-10 weeks. Learn more about Olivia’s work at Voices for Children, her experience with the Flint Study Away program, and how psychology has set her up for success in this internship: https://lnkd.in/gaSQ6n_j #MSUPsychology #Flinterns #MSUSocialScience

Join us for the workshop: The Do's and Don'ts of Being a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern So you FINALY made it, huh? After all those years of readings, lectures, exams, practicum hours, and assignments, you've earned your master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, and you're ready to embark on a 2 -year journey of internship as registered mental health counselor intern. Oh, the places you’ll go! The people you’ll meet! The many things you’ll learn and experience, all inevitably leading to those gleaming, sparkly letters behind your name: "LMHC" (cue angelic voices in the background). But are you sure you know what to do next? Better yet—do you know what NOT to do? Ever been to a 491 board disciplinary hearing? If you have, you’ve probably noticed that a disproportionate number of counselors being disciplined by the board for legal and ethical violations are (gasp)—you guess it---interns! This 2-hour session will offer you practical tips on what to do (and NOT do) to make the most of your internship. Sign Up Here: https://lnkd.in/ecPpBzcR

Thoughts from an Assistant Professor/Director of Practicum and Internship, aka Field Education: If you're a #socialwork educator, you know how important it is to treat your students with dignity and respect. It's not just about teaching them how to become the best social workers out there but also about modeling the same behavior in and out of the classroom. How we treat our students can significantly impact how many of them enter the social work profession, stay in it, and ultimately go on to help others in need. Sadly, some social work educators don't always follow the code of ethics or take responsibility for treating their students and clients. If you're feeling burnt out, dealing with compassion fatigue, or struggling with secondary trauma, please don't hesitate to seek help. Whether it's therapy, taking a sabbatical from academia, or simply taking some time to practice self-care, it's essential to prioritize your well-being to continue to be the best educator you can be. #assistantprofessor #directoroffieldeducator #empoweringsocialworkers #cswe #nasw #socialwork #socialworkers #socialworkmonth #toxicleadership #toxicworkplace #codeofconduct #codeofethics #highereducation #compassionfatigue #burnout

Are you content with what you do? If not, here's a story that might help! 🌟 So, my grandmother served at the Blind Relief Association for about two decades where she taught the blind children, would recite stories and record audio cassettes for them. During my summer vacations, I would go with her to volunteer and that made me happy.  One day out of curiosity, I asked her why she did what she did and her response stayed with me.  She did this because she was passionate about improving the lives of those she could help. “It's this passion that keeps me eagerly looking forward to each day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she quoted. I remember in my first year of college, I was trying to find internships where I could get hands-on experience and amidst the search, I came across Child Rights and You (CRY), an organization that serves the underprivileged children - for health, education & safety. The cause caught my eye. Soon after, I got a chance to work as a volunteer where I would go to a village in Delhi every weekend to teach the kids. My takeaway from this experience? Empathy and Compassion - two things that have helped me to become a better person professionally and personally. It was not easy but again, the passion in me to create whatever little impact I could kept me going. So, I believe at the end of the day, do what makes you happy or puts your mind at peace!!! ✨ #motivation #storytelling

✨✨Last year, I had the fantastic opportunity to complete my internship with the Head Start program in Richmond, California. During my time in the classroom, I had the pleasure of meeting incredible children and teachers. My lessons were centered around social-emotional development. I chose this focus because, as a preschool teacher, I believe that learning to express, communicate, and advocate for oneself is crucial for all ages, particularly for low-income black and brown families. Also when we have the tools to help ourselves we can better help those around us. Despite the prevailing belief among educators that children are egocentric and lack the ability to understand others' emotions, I aimed to challenge this notion. I began by investigating whether children could grasp their own emotions and express them through words, facial expressions, and actions. Through weeks of exploration and inquiry, including asking children about their actions and the emotions behind them, we progressed to examining their friends' emotions. We practiced asking questions such as "How are you feeling today?" "What made you feel this way?" and "How can I help you feel better?" We also encouraged children to problem solve amongst each other by using the language used above✨ Observational findings: Social-emotional development We noticed that following engagement in social-emotional activities and discussions, children began using phrases like "How are you feeling?" "I need space," or "Can we play together?" Our observations revealed a growing awareness of others as children started advocating for fairness, such as saying, "Hey, it's not fair to knock down people's towers." Through ongoing observation and exploration of social-emotional development with our children, we aim to challenge the assumption that children are inherently selfish and incapable of understanding others' feelings.

Drive the change … Be the change … Did you know that addressing trans youth by their chosen names and pronouns can be a simple but effective way to improve their overall mental health? #PrideMonth Co-create Change

With summer drawing to a close and my kids starting school again, I wanted to share what they did for the past three months. My daughter came back from her freshman year of college with only vague plans. She wants to major in psychology with an eye toward a career in clinical therapy. "But it's really hard to get an internship after freshman year, dad," she forewarned me. "That's OK," I said, "You'll learn a ton about people working as a barista." She applied for dozens of internships in clinical psychology and related fields. She got exactly one offer, and worked for the past three months as a Registered Behavior Technician providing therapy services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In what could have been a throwaway summer, she got invaluable career and life experience. She leaves for her sophomore year more poised, mature, and focused on her goals. My son, a rising junior in high school, had no summer plans. He went out and got one of the few jobs available to him given his age. He took drive-thru orders in the sweltering heat. He mopped floors and hauled away trash. I thought about the three successive summer jobs I had in high school and early college: cashier at a supermarket, busboy at a restaurant, and caddie at a golf course. Over the decades, these jobs have achieved a mythical status in my mind. Under the soft and forgiving light of middle-age nostalgia, I remember the friends I made and the hard-earned money I made to help pay for college. So what did I learn all those years ago? What did my children learn this summer? The simplest and most important lessons for success: tenacity; show up on time; have a great attitude; work as hard as you can. It was a great summer. #attitudeiseverything #workethic #tenacity

Some people strongly believe that kids under the age of 5 do not understand or comprehend things like adults, well they do understand everything sometimes even better than adults. while people tend to focus on the children's height and cognitive skills, they do not take into consideration the small yet meaning milestones that every kid achieves. let's us take a look at two of such milestones... Assignment as a part of internship at #krshwelfarefoundation #psychology #childpsychology #development #children #movements #social #development #internship