Running Head: FINAL REFLECTION | INTERNSHIP II 1

FINAL REFLECTION PAPER | INTERNSHIP II

ALFA E. RODRIGUEZ

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY

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At the beginning of this road, this time, the end of internship II, my graduation, seemed to

be so distant. The path I began during Practicum was full of doubts, insecurities, inadequacies

and with fear of the unknown. However, after a year and a half at The Bridge, those feelings

have turned into positive and negative experiences that have enhanced my views and values

about this challenging yet rewarding career as a Mental Health Counselor.

Having chosen The Bridge as my site has enabled me to interact with a wide range of

populations. As the site does not work with a specific age range, I have been able to provide

treatment to clients ranging from as early as five years old to adults in their forties. Another

positive aspect of having chosen this site is that they do not only focus on clients with one

particular issue such as substance abuse, but instead, they offer services for substance abuse as

well as a wide range of mental healthissues including but not limited to, anger management,

anxiety, depression and self-esteem related issues. Because of this, this site has become an

exceptional grounding experience for me.

I have to admit though that my perception of the site has shifted compared to how I used

to view it during Practicum and Internship I as it relates to my relationship with supervisors and

staff. The work environment at the Irvington site is okay; we, the interns have been able to

establish a bond among ourselves where we are constantly assisting each other, especially the

new ones that may not be aware of all the policies of the site. My relationship with my site

supervisor has not changed either; Mr. Levine is a very knowledgeable counselor and I am

grateful to him for sharing his knowledge with me. The other staff at The Bridge-Irvington are

also very helpful, especially Rona, the secretary, whos always welcoming us with a smile on her

face and making our jobs easier doing things sucha as having the clients files ready for us prior

to their session. However, my view of the West Caldwell site is very different from that of the
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Irvington site and this is because of the office manager in West Caldwell. Unfortunately, I have

heard many stories of interns complaining about how mistreated they are by this person; they

have expressed the unprofessional manner in which she speaks to them. Personally, Ive only had

one particular issue with this lady related to an email in the way of a thread she had sent to the

only two Latinas working at the site at that time. I was saddened to discover how someone can

feel comfortable treating interns this way without having any repercussions due to her behavior.

In terms of my relationships with clients, I have been able to quickly build rapport with

all of them except for one particular client; a 16-year-old client I have previously discussed in

class. Even though I am excited and relieved about almost completing my degree requirements,

the thought of knowing I will have to re-assign my clients and in some way leave them behind

saddens me; however, I have faith that the other counselors at the site will be able to assist my

clients in achieving their treatment goals.

During the last weeks of internship I was able to provide treatment to a previous client I

had during Practicum, the client, an 8-year-old girl was originally referred to The Bridge by her

school due to behavior issues. Seeing her again brought mixed emotions. On one side, I was

happy to see her as when I left the site, I wondered at times how she was doing. This client lost

her mother due to a drug overdose when the client was only five years old. Now, a year later, she

had come back for treatment as she was once again having behavior issues in school and at

home. Unfortunately, specialized testing was done on her as well due to her low-performance in

school. The assessments determined that the client had issues in her central nervous system due

to the exposure to drugs and alcohol up to her second month of gestation. Her assessments

concluded that the client should be receiving special education in her school. Upon reading her

test results, I was uncertain on whether or not I should continue providing treatment to her as I
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do not have any knowledge in dealing with special needs clients. However, I have been able to

provide treatment through the use of play therapy.

As Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is my guiding theory, I have been able to implement

some of its techniques during sessions with my clients. One of the techniques I have found

myself using on a regular basis is reframing, which Requires a counselor to take a client-

perceived problem situation and adapt (reframe) it in a more positive or productive manner.

(Erford, 2015). I have found it helpful to implement this technique as it creates a more positive

atmosphere to my clients situations. For instance, this particular technique has been very helpful

during my sessions with an 8-year-old client whos having behavior issues in school and at

home. Using this technique helps me create a safe place for her where she does not feel too

ashamed to reveal the instances where she screams or yells at her dad.Another technique I often

incorporate during the sessions, particularly with substance abuse and anxiety related issues

clients is thought stopping. As this technique Is particularly effective in ending repetitive

thought cycles, (Erford, 2015) it has been a useful tool to assist clients in changing their thought

patterns as a way to eventually change their behaviors.

The final weeks of my Internship II experience seemed to be passing by fairly quickly.

Managing a 9-client load in two days plus supervision and group was a little bit challenging as I

was not finding enough time to complete the required amount of paperwork, including the

progress notes that are required during each session. However, things eventually began to ease.

In order to complete the required amount of hours and due to the snowstorm we had on

March 14th and unexpected client cancellations, I had to add one more day to attend the site. I

have hence joined the Stepping Stones group that meets on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. On

Fridays, the ladies learn about relapse prevention and enjoy art therapy. During art therapy, I am
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able to see their creative side as they enjoy utilizing their creative skills while learning coping

skills to deal with their substance use. Being a co-facilitator for the Stepping Stones group has

brought a lot of knowledge and insight to my experience as a counselor. Learning how substance

use impacts the many roles these women have in their lives as well as their struggles as they seek

to complete the program in order for some to have their children back is at times very

challenging. Adding to this, knowing that many of them are also facing economic hardship paints

a very difficult scenario for them. Hence, creating a safe place for them where they feel

comfortable sharing their experiences is very important.

When it comes to my growth in counseling skills, I believe the difference from Practicum

to Internship II is evident, however, there is still so much to be learned. One of the skills I

wanted to improve is reflection of feeling as on many occasions during Practicum, I failed to

deeply understand and practice this skill. However, as time progressed, I now feel confident

implementing this skill with clients. I recognize, however, that I still need to improve my

progress or DAP note writing skills. It has been a little challenging for me to properly summarize

in writing what has occurred during the session keeping in mind and noting the treatment goal

during the Data, the Assessment and Plan.

As my last day of internship is soon approaching, I am starting to feel nostalgic about the

separation from the clients. Some of them will be graduating, as they will have completed the

program. However, there are others who will be added to the calendar of other counselors. I just

hope these clients will be able to successfully complete their treatment goals and that those that

are Substance Abuse clients will learn the necessary skills for relapse prevention. As this phase

concludes, I look forward to my future endeavors and to the possibility of s continuing my

education so that I may obtain the NCE and subsequently the LPC. This is something I originally
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did not want to do as my goal was to continue working in Academia as an Advisement

Counselor. However, after the experiences at this site, I recognize the need for mental health

counselors, especially Spanish speaking ones. In the meantime, I will continue working on this

field while I celebrate an achievement that was postponed for three years but will finally be

fulfilled soon, the dream of obtaining a masters degree.

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References

Erford, B. T. (2015). 40 techniques every counselor should know.