Internship

Journals
Description &
Questions

Semester: Fall
New Internship

Name: Martha Nowacki

Internship Site: Hillcrest
Loras College
Fall 2017

Journal Entries/Critical Reflection

Reflection should be a deliberate and regular habit during your experience. Although reflection and recording
can overlap in some ways, they are different. The primary purpose of reflection is to evaluate what you are
learning and how you are growing. “Reflection is a fundamental concept in experiential learning. In order to
turn your experience into learning you need to stop, recall events, analyze and process them” (Sweitzer 9).

Directions
1. Put your name on the cover of this journal.
2. Provide Dates for each week.
3. Answer each question directly within this document. This means that each week your journal
submission will contain the most recent response and all previous weeks as well.
4. For each Drop Box submission, you will need to delete the previous week’s submission in order to
add the most up-to-date journal.
5. Weekly journals are due to the Drop Box on eLearn by 11:00pm Sunday night.

Journal Questions

Week 1 Date ____8/29, 8/31________________ Total Hours ______2 hours & 45

minutes___________
Record you’re the date and your hours here.
Refer to eLearn assignment “Week 1 – Picture & Description” for this week’s assignment.
I am interning at Dubuque’s Hillcrest Family Services, specifically in the Molitore house for kids 12-18 going
through substance abuse/mental health treatment. My position requires me to sit in on counseling sessions with
the house therapist, Kelsey—I am directed to observe, take notes, and learn from the sessions between Kelsey
and the kids (this includes one on one sessions and family sessions).

Week 2 Date ____9/5,9/7_________________ Total Hours: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning in this experience. How would you draw a connection
between your academic learning, professional goals, & social awareness of the “common good”?
Response:
 For the most part, my tasks have been to observe the counseling dynamics between Kelsey, my
supervisor, and the teens living at Molitore (one of the Hillcrest homes). I am able to sit in on one-on-
one sessions, family sessions, phone call sessions, and group sessions. It is important that I take notes in
order to record new information that strikes my interest and helpful pieces of knowledge that may very
well benefit me in my future career. Other tasks include building relationships with the clients, or teens,
asking Kelsey questions (about her career, the master’s degree, how to apply a theory or something else
specific, and other information relevant to the session), and applying what I have learned so far in school
to this real life situation. Despite my tasks not being very strenuous and drawn out, I am learning so
many valuable details about counseling. I am learning more about substance abuse, specific mental
illnesses (i.e. borderline personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder), how to approach the kids in
treatment, about licensure in drug abuse counseling, how to take thorough therapy notes, different
therapy techniques (i.e. motivational interviewing, the empty chair model, self-aspirations, etc.), about
interesting studies being conducted in the field, and so on. I would say that the connection between my
academic learning, professional goals, and awareness of the common good is drawn naturally. First, it is
important to soak up everything you can in classes so that you can reflect on possible professional goals.
My academic learning and professional goals have the most interconnectedness, because the learning
 that I have done in school has prompted my goal setting. I’ve learned about mental health—stats,
suicide, the need for counselors, the disorders, and the lives that need help—and this has helped me form
goals for the future. Once you find something that interests you to an extreme amount, you simply keep
feeding your need to learn about that specific topic, which influences one to look at how they could
apply this knowledge base to a future involving the topic. Being aware of the common good of all
people, what benefits the people in society, is key too, especially on the route that I want to take. My
academic learning shows me what’s going on in society and how I can help, for the interest of all
people, especially those whose lives are on the line. Based on what I learn in school, including the needs
of the people living in our society and beyond, I am able to set my future goals, and those goals are then
influenced by my constant learning.

Week 3 Date: 9/12, 9/14 Total Hours: 5hrs

What role does this organization play in the community? Does this organization contribute to the “common
good”&/or display an understanding of social responsibility – in what way(s)?
Response:
 Hillcrest definitely plays a large role in the community. I would say that most, not all of course, but most
people have probably heard of “Hillcrest” before, even though they may not know exactly what the
organization does. Walking into the internship and my interview, I was only aware of the surface
responsibilities that Hillcrest had for the community. This internship has prompted me to search, thus
gaining more knowledge about the amazing work of Hillcrest. Broadly speaking, Hillcrest works to help
people in need: families, children, and adults. Specifically, some of the services that Hillcrest provides
include adolescent residential homes (in which I intern), adoption, counseling, education, professional
health care, youth mentoring, and various ways in which the community can connect spiritually
(Hillcrest is linked with the United Methodist Church and Presbyterian Church). Therefore, the
responsibility of helping across many different circumstances, results in a large role to play for the
community. Hillcrest is quite the organization due to the fact that it reaches several important sects of
life; it’s not just one thing or one problem that Hillcrest is focused on, and this is also why there are a
number of staff on the site(s). Based on Hillcrests’ role, it is pretty evident that this organization heavily
contributes to the common good, as well as displaying an understanding of social responsibility.
Hillcrest doesn’t turn anyone away from its services—drug addicts, homeless individuals, those without
a family, those with mental illnesses, and so on. Its services benefit all and everyone has an equal
opportunity to be part of those services. Personally, I work with teenagers who come from a variety of
situations like drug addiction, mental illness, foster care/adoption, without family, abusive households,
racial minorities, those who have committed delinquent acts, etc. My supervisor always says to meet
clients exactly where they are in life, no matter what their struggles are. Hillcrest works to be inclusive
of all people, especially the most vulnerable who are often thrown to the side by society. In this way,
Hillcrest demonstrates an understanding of social responsibility. Because they provide services that
reach out to populations in need as well as the general community, they are participating in social
responsibility. They are continuously focused on achieving positive results for their clients and this is
accomplished due to their mission: working to enhance the lives of the clients they serve by teaching
them skills and providing information/resources—Hillcrest stands with their clients, while also
collaborating with other community services in order to provide the best possible programs and forms of
helping. https://hillcrest-fs.org/

Week 4 Date: 9/19 Total Hours : 1 hr, 50 mins

What does this experience point out to you about your own attitudes, biases, or preferences? How does this
internship fit with your values?
Response:
  I find this question to be very intriguing, because evaluating my attitudes/values and such in regards to
an experience, or specifically in regards to this internship gives me a glimpse into the future when I will
be pursuing a career in mental health counseling. So far this internship has reiterated the fact that I am
comfortable around addiction and in discussing addictive behavior. When the teens talk about their drug
usage, I’m not scared or shy around these topics. Even though I have never personally experienced
addiction, I recognize it as a disease and try to understand where the teens are coming from. If your
expression shows disgust or shock, the kids will pick up on that, thus resulting in lack of trust and
connection. I have always been a person that accepts everyone no matter what their background may
look like, no matter their appearance, etc. and this internship has shown me that this attitude is right on
for this type of work. I would say that the majority of my attitudes cooperate, if you will, with the setting
and tasks of the internship, giving me insight on what is to come in the future. I believe people can
change, that things will get better, that mental illness is a real issue and needs proper care, all people are
deserving of love and connection, and that people’s feelings are valid. These attitudes simply seem to fit
well with counseling in general. This internship has also revealed more about my preferences.
Obviously, it’s easier to work with individuals who are willing to put forth effort and who are willing to
try. I prefer the kids who are determined at Hillcrest—yes they will have slip ups, but it’s hard to form a
treatment plan with someone that doesn’t want to be there. It’s also quite difficult to work with
individuals who have a constant pessimistic attitude—who can never point out any of the positive.
Therefore, I prefer working with the more optimistic kids, but I personally understand the opposite
viewpoint. Those who are more willing and comfortable to talk about their past and current problems are
more preferable to work with as well. However, these last 2 preferences are not realistic. A lot of
individuals suffering with mental illness or addiction will not be optimistic, or it may be fairly hard for
them to be. The same goes for talking about their past (especially) and current problems—people don’t
always open up when you want them to and right away. It takes time and some days they may feel more
comfortable than others. Past circumstances can be extremely hard to discuss—abuse, sexual assault,
family drug addictions, etc. In regards to biases, the only one that I can really think of that this internship
has revealed to me is that I tend to automatically associate the teen clients addiction with their parents
having addiction or having a mental disorder. Not all of the parents are/have been addicted and not all
experience mental illness. Lastly, I think this internship fits very nicely with my values—I value
healthy/enjoyable relationships with family members, the dignity of all people, faith, helping people,
and if not having a good relationship with family than having some sort of good connection with others.
The work of the Hillcrest counselor is to promote and better the relationships in the lives of the teens as
well as give them coping mechanisms in order to help them keep going in their lives. It’s important to
give each teen an opportunity at receiving help/getting better, and this is exactly what Hillcrest does.
Even though God may not be a part of the teens’ lives, I still feel a spiritual connection—I want these
kids to receive love and know that they are worth it.

Week 5 Date: 9/26/18 Total Hours: 1.5 hours

When reflecting on your work environment, what are two things you would keep and two things you would
change about your work place? How would you effectively & ethically implement those changes?
Response:
 I definitely would keep the number of opportunities that the kids can take part in if they are following
their treatment plans/not leaving the premises for a drug, sex, or alcohol run. If the kids are keeping in
check, they are able to have home passes, go on mini “field trips” (this may consist of going to the river
walk with a group, the movies, and other fun places with a supervisor), a variety of rec activities
(playing games in the gym, for example), they are able to more freely have access to call their families
just to talk, and they are able to join in on various in-house group activities (for example, the counselor
set up a time in which tattoo artists came to speak to the teens and explain what they do/how to become
an artist). I’m sure there are more things that the kids can get involved in if they are following protocol,
 but these are just some of the examples that I hear of frequently. Secondly, I would keep encouraging
the relationship dynamics between counselor and teen that are currently set in place. The mental health
counselor is very free-spirited—she talks to the kids in a way that resonates with them. In order to gain
their trust, one needs to be viewed as trustworthy—there is no need to be all “prim and proper”.
Exposing your inner-self is needed—not being fake. Meeting the kids where they are at as well as being
willing to share your own struggles is vital, too. While the focus should be on treatment, goals, and
counseling, having fun and cracking jokes is a way that breaks the ice, if you will. Sometimes, the kids
don’t want to keep talking treatment goals, so there is no use doing this—listening to music, drawing, or
just talking about hobbies is quite beneficial. Kelsey (counselor) has authority but she doesn’t think that
she is better than any of the kids—she uses their language so to say. Building this kind of relationship is
necessary for kids ages 12-18, in my opinion. First, I would change the amount of time spent with each
of the kids, one on one, and with family. Currently, Kelsey meets with the kids once per week formally,
but they are welcome to speak with her if they are struggling at any other time when she is around or not
busy. I’m not exactly sure how many times Kelsey meets with each teen and their family, but it seems as
if it may be a few times per stay at Hillcrest, and that’s if the family is willing. So, I would formally
schedule the kids in for meeting with the counselor at least twice-three times per week and I would
formally schedule in three-four family sessions in. Since there are two counselors, meeting with kids
more often wouldn’t be terribly difficult. I would definitely have the kids be meeting at least twice if not
three times per week especially in the beginning of treatment. Towards the end, if the kids are doing
better, meeting times may vary. I believe this is both effective, for the patients sake as well as the
counselors—so they can keep up to date and get to know each teen better, and ethical. I would also
make parents aware during the beginning of the treatment at Hillcrest that they will be required to meet
several times throughout their child’s stay, because family involvement is key in reaching better
outcomes and in encouraging the teens to keep up with treatment after it has finished. If parents
wouldn’t comply, I would collaborate with DHS (department of human services) about the situation.
Secondly, I would possibly add a third counselor and train overnight staff on mental health/drug abuse
related content. If one of the kids threatens suicide during the middle of the night, a counselor is
obviously not available. The staff that are present should be trained in how to deal and help the teen. I
believe only one of the staff has mental health background, but I don’t think the others do. For that
matter, I think all in house staff should be trained in mental health/drug abuse behavior. That way, when
the counselor is not there, they can be of some professional help to the teen struggling. I would
implement this by providing training sessions, possibly given by the counselor on site or other
counselors from the greater community.

Week 6 Date: 10/5 Total Hours: 4 hours, 10 minutes

What insights have you gained about yourself? How could your gifts & challenges effect the workplace?
Response:
 Besides continuing to learn a number of things about counseling and the inpatient teen treatment
program at Hillcrest, I have also gained new understandings or insights about myself. I now know that
even though I am a fairly quiet person that I do have a lot to say to the kids. When I am observing a
counseling session, I am constantly thinking about what I would say or how I would respond to the teen
being counseled. Often, what I am thinking in my head aligns with what the counselor says to the teen. I
also can make general conversation with the kids and make them laugh. Prior to this internship, I
considered myself to be mainly introverted, but this experience has proved that I can adapt to various
situations and I receive enjoyment out of getting to know the kids through fun conversation. I feel like I
am more extroverted than I once thought, because not only do I reach out to the teens living at Molitore,
but I also communicate with the staff (minus the counselor). I believe that it is vital in a professional
setting to acknowledge everyone, and this further improves my “voice” if you will. I have also noticed
that I work well with all kinds of people, not just the “easy” ones. When interviewing for the internship
position, I was told that it would be rough because some of the kids were particularly difficult. But in
 working there, I have realized that yes obviously some are harder to connect to than others, but even
those kids can be somewhat reachable. When my advisor told me that they can get rough, I was nervous.
But I have been able to reach out to the kids that do yell/scream, go on drug/sex runs, and get into fights.
Recently, I was able to talk to one girl who showed me her artwork, and was able to give another girl my
old (unused) drawing pads—both of these girls, especially the one, would probably be considered as the
more difficult of the group. I have also been able to connect to kids with very different backgrounds than
mine, filled with abuse, drugs, sex, and delinquency. I found that there is always something I can say to
spark connection and communication, even if it is simply a compliment or a question about themselves.
This internship has also brightened my understandings of people in regards to race. I haven’t only be
subjected to white individuals, but people of all races. The staff that work in the home are predominately
black, so I think it has given me more insight into other races. After all, the more one surrounds
themselves with others different than themselves (especially in terms of race), the more understanding
they become, as well as less stereotyping. Overall, I have become so much more people-oriented, and
am a lot more comfortable talking to people I don’t know than I once thought.
 I think my gifts and challenges could affect the workplace in a number of ways. Several gifts of mine
come to mind when I think of this specific atmosphere and how they could benefit: creativity, my own
personal background with mental health, being empathetic, hard-working, as well as my sense of faith.
All of these could help the kids feel like they are worthy, feel comfortable around me, and see me as a
possible role model. I’m very creative in how I present myself, which displays that I am not a threat to
them specifically. I understand mental health and am empathetic, in which I can really deeply feel for
people. I’m also extremely hard working and am devoted to my faith, in which I believe everyone is
worth my time. On the other hand, my challenges could also affect the workplace: not being assertive
enough, not being able to take criticism well, and not knowing what to say at times. I’m too nice, I don’t
like stirring the pot. I often feel uncomfortable telling someone what to do and like to keep the peace. I
also don’t like criticism, because it shows me the negative side of my work. I like trying to be perfect,
which I think is another flaw because no one is perfect, but I don’t like when people tell me that
something is wrong with the way I do things. I feel like both of these challenges are things that could
affect the workplace poorly, but at least they are things that I know about and try to address/practice
doing the opposite. If I’m not assertive enough, people have the freedom to run all over me and get what
they want, especially when what they want is not good for them. If I don’t take criticism well, I won’t
improve or learn new things about myself. The third challenge is more related to my lack of being more
educated in the realms of counseling. I feel like once I finish my degree, I’ll have a better understanding
of what to say in certain situations. I’ll have tools and therapy techniques to follow.

Week 7 Date: 10/10 Total Hours: 2

In recognizing your knowledge & skills, how can you use those gifts to impact the community in which you
decide to spend your professional career?
Response:
 Knowledge: aspects of mental health, why people behave the way they do, how the brain works,
emotions, stressful situations, abuse and/or trauma, genetic mental health background, drug abuse,
simple/basic therapy techniques, the etiology of disorders, etc.
 Skills: active-listener, empathizer, seeing worth in all people, creativity, hard-worker, always find ways
to relate to others no matter how different they may seem from me, make people laugh/happy, etc.
 I can use the knowledge and skills above to impact the community of mental health counseling, the
professional career I plan on being involved in, by not only staying true to myself and continuing to
actively use this list of things, but also to take advantage of education and learning. I will definitely
acquire so much more knowledge and understanding once in grad school, which will make me a better
fit for the mental health counseling community. Continuing my education will also most likely improve
and change (in a positive way) my knowledge and skills. I also plan to work in a variety of settings,
 which will push me to learn how to adapt and use these skills and knowledge basics in different ways.
I’d love to work in a hospital setting with young adults, possibly with younger kids, with impoverished
individuals, and with religious peoples. I think my skills and knowledge will help me to improve the
lives of people who seek counseling and will help me to improve the counseling atmosphere, even if in a
very small way. This answer is fairly straight forward, because for me it’s about continuing to use the
skills that I have learned so far, emphasizing learning. I need to keep attending school in order to gain
better knowledge and skills needed for mental health counseling. The skills and knowledge I have
currently are only the foundation of the house, or the basis to everything else. I’m sure things will
change, too. The more education I receive, the more of an impact I will have on the people around me. I
may even save lives, which is one of the main reasons why I want to be a counselor. I want to strive to
make people’s lives more bearable and reassure them that they are worthy of love, helping them to find
ways to cope.

Week 8 Date: 10/17 Total Hours: 2 ½

What are you learning about yourself in terms of communication style, adaptability, and contribution to the
professional setting? How do these qualities/skills impact others in your work environment? How are you
impacted by those qualities/skills of others?
Response:
 In regards to communication style, I simply have been reaffirmed about how precise I am with
communicating. In order to be successful in the work one does, good communication is absolutely
necessary. I am always in contact with my supervisor (Kristin, who was the old “executive” counselor,
now counsels at Molitore as well, because Kelsey quit) about days and times that I will be coming and,
and during the sessions we have good communication. I have learned that I am quite relaxed and easy to
communicate with, I just need the specifics and my questions answered. I ask questions frequently, and
believe we have a good relationship due to my steady communication. However, I think it would be
beneficial to be more outgoing in my communication with the head of staff (LaMetra). Every time that I
go in, she is also there and communicates with Kristin about the clients/situations. Since she is such a
direct source, asking her questions and reaching out to her more would probably be good for me, or at
least good practice because I’m not the most talkative of people—however, I’d like to improve this.
Secondly, I think I am a lot more adaptable than I give myself credit for. It’s hard for me to change,
because I like routine, but I can adapt rather quickly. For example, since my previous main supervisor
quit, I had to get used to Kristin’s style of counseling and adapt to how she worked. I also have to adapt
when new clients come in—this is only a several month program, so kids are coming and going. I also
had to get used to the time change—Kristin is there earlier, while Kelsey stayed later. I used to come
when the kids were off school when it was pretty crazy at the house, but now I go when they are in
school and it is really quiet. Before the internship, I never thought I could adapt well to new things at all
since change scared me so much, but even though I hate things changing I’m fairly good with handling
it on the outside. Thirdly, I am learning more about myself when it comes to contributions given to the
professional setting. I am learning that even though I am just an intern and that I don’t know everything
about counseling, being an undergrad, I still impact the professional environment around me. I form
connections with staff, including Kristin and LaMetra, the clients living at the house, and the broader
Hillcrest community. I probably impact the kids more than I think I do—yes, I’m not saying much to
them in sessions, but just my presence and body language says a lot. They see that another person is
listening to their struggles and cares for them. I don’t remember if I mentioned this in earlier entries of
this journal, but I gave an old art kit and some old drawing notebooks to a girl that loves art/drawing.
She was really happy since her drawing book was falling apart. I’d like to think that my wanting to learn
in some way contributes to the professional setting. Being an intern shows that counseling is important
and that students want to learn about it in a real life setting. The staff most likely learns from me and I
most certainly learn from them. These qualities and skills impact those in my work environment,
because good communication, being able to adapt to changes relatively easily, and contributing to the
professional setting in a variety of ways shows the staff some of my skills and could potentially
 influence them to take some notes. It could definitely help them to be better at their work in some way,
if even a little. Maybe having me around prompts the staff, especially Kristin, to work in a more
thorough way, to make Hillcrest look good. This action may then influence the staff to keep working in
this way when I am done with the internship—the cycle continuing as more students intern there. We
probably take more pointers from each other than we would initially think. However, I know I take more
from the staff. I’m always taking notes on how Kristin counsels and what is done in certain situations.
Just this past Monday, I learned that when the kids are being physically aggressive, the therapist isn’t
supposed to act immediately because this can disrupt the therapist-client relationship, breaking it and
making it somewhat awkward. The staff are trained on how to stop a physically violet client, putting
them in a hold, and possibly letting them into the time-out room. I also learned that when a client is
physically aggressive and is triggered by an individual in particular, that individual shouldn’t say
anything and should show that they are inferior in order to avoid harm/attack. The aggressive client will
take anything you say and turn it on its head, making you seem like the bully and in need of a beating. I
am also impacted by the professional tie between Kristin and LaMetra—they are always communicating
about how to handle certain situations. They are the building blocks of the staff at Molitore, and it’s
honestly awesome to see how they work together. I’m also impacted by the counseling techniques of
Kristin—kindness, gentleness, encouragement, but also fun, humorous, and insightful. Kristin is always
asking the kids to share and asking them how they feel about certain things, but she won’t make them
talk if they don’t want to.

Week 9 Date: 10/22, 10/24 Total Hours: 4

What gaps do you recognize in your knowledge and/or skills related to this experience? How will you address
those gaps?
Response:
 Due to the fact that this internship is more of a shadowing/observing experience, this question doesn’t
apply directly to me. I feel that I have a fairly good knowledge base in regards to psychology and mental
health. I also feel that my skills that fit this experience, including listening skills, note-taking,
questioning, and relationship building are beneficial too. However, gaining more information about
Hillcrest and the inpatient treatment program for kids would help me more in understanding how they do
things/why they do what they do. This is a slight gap in knowledge that could be simply addressed
through asking questions when Kristin is not in session with a client. In regards to skills, focusing on
continuing to develop better “extrovert” skills as well as rapport would benefit me. Practice helps to
build these skills, so by trying to be more of an extrovert in certain situations and trying to reach out to
the kids/staff are possible ways to address gaps in skill. Starting conversations, even if it’s about their
favorite music or movie, is a perfect way to develop relationships—both between the clients and staff. I
have been in conversations during sessions where the client, Kristin, and I are involved and we have a
lot of fun with this. I remember a time with the previous counselor, Kelsey, in which 2-3 clients were in
the room, as well as a staff member, Kelsey, and I. In order to help one of the clients having trouble with
self-esteem/image, we each stood in front of the mirror and did affirmations, in which we said 3 things
that we like about ourselves. This helped the client by showing her that anyone can affirm themselves,
and we are all deserving of treating ourselves well (no matter what). So, even in that small encounter, I
too developed my rapport and relationship building with all involved. In looking at this question in a
broader stance, which applies more to my goals, there are numerous gaps in knowledge and skills that
would need to be addressed. Since I want to eventually become a licensed mental health counselor, I still
have so much more to learn/do before I can practice professionally. Learning more about mental health,
people, counseling, therapy techniques, theory, etc. are just some topics that will need to be sharpened in
my knowledge base. I will need to continue developing relationship building skills/trust, rapport, and
other skills related to counseling as well. I will address these issues through continued schooling, and
even when I receive my master’s degree/licensure, I will still continue schooling, because learning is
essential—you can never learn too much information.
Week 10 Date: 11/2 Total Hours: 4
Based on this experience, what will your leadership style be when/if you are in a supervisory role in the future?
How can you put those leadership skills to good use within your community?
Response:
 This is a really interesting question. If in the future, I were to become some kind of supervisor, my
leadership style would have two different dimensions. First, I would distribute work evenly among
workers, make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and make sure they are getting
things completed. I would constantly push for above average work, or work that is done to the best of
their ability depending on the individual. I would also hold everyone to a high standard, expecting
ethical behavior. The second dimension of my leadership style would include the following: setting
aside time for the workers and their family (stand by business hours—no one works beyond those),
promoting healthy relationships with myself and the workers (they would be encouraged to talk to me
about anything, especially if they are struggling), showing that I care as a supervisor by trying my best
to learn about each worker—not just their professional life, and being easy to talk to myself. If I were to
become a supervisor, I absolutely don’t want to be the kind of supervisor that thinks they are better than
those under them. I would make sure everyone feels as though they are worthy and doing good work,
from the janitors to the assistants/receptionists. Everyone would be held to a high standard, but I would
stress having a life outside of work and taking time for themselves (if a worker needs a mental health
day, I would definitely grant it). I want to be a relatively “child” supervisor, but at the same time expect
a lot out of the people that work for me. Communication would be key, and in order to create good
communication, I would need to present myself as someone who could be trusted. At my internship, for
example, LaMetra, who is the head of staff of Molitore, told me that she really likes how Kristin goes
about her work compared to how Kelsey did. Since Kristin has a higher position over LaMetra, this is a
great example. Kristin takes time to talk to LaMetra, always talking about clients and how things are
going in her office. They update each other in order to keep tabs on what’s going on with the staff and
kids at the house. The previous counselor wasn’t very good at doing this with LaMetra, so it made it
hard to have a clear understanding about the clients for LaMetra. Since the counselor has separate
sessions with clients, and LaMetra doesn’t get as in depth concerning clients’ mental illnesses, it is nice
for them to be on the same page (even though Kristin can’t reveal all information discussed in sessions,
she can relay the basis of the info). Learning from this, I would like to take the approach of Kristin
within my potential future supervisor role—having communication with all workers, especially if we are
working with the same clients.
 For the second half of this question, I’m not quite sure if it’s meaning community as in the internship
community or broader than that, but since my internship is a learning experience I can’t really put my
leadership skills to use. However, I think another beneficial leadership skill is being open to learn from
others in your work environment. You shouldn’t act like you know everything just because you are a
supervisor. In this case, I can put that leadership skill to good use. At school, especially, I can use my
leadership skills. I can keep putting my all into schoolwork to be a “role model” for the class, take
charge within groups—keeping people in line, answer questions when the professor asks (especially if
no one is willing to participate), ask the professor questions about assignments or concepts, etc. At the
same time, I want to continue acting like I don’t know everything and that I am a “chill” person. I want
to learn from others’ comments and I want to provide accurate information so others can learn from me.
In group projects, I think this is the most necessary, because work needs to be done and there isn’t a
professor for every group so to say. Being both stern and asking of group members to do their part,
while also being trustworthy/comfortable to be around is my goal. The same goes for my job at Colonial
Terrace (animal hospital). Even though I am not a “higher up”, I can demonstrate these skills, showing
that I am a good leader. I can speak up when something doesn’t seem right, learn from others, and
perform with quality work.
Week 11 Date: 11/7 Total Hours: 2
What is one challenge you have faced in this internship? What problem-solving skills & ethical standards did
you use to respond to this challenge? Would you do anything differently if faced with this challenge again?
Response:
 For this question, I’ll address 2 challenges because one was more of the internship site’s problem and
the other was directed towards my own internal struggles. First, it was difficult and frustrating with the
therapist change and getting enough hours for credit. Initially, I shadowed Kelsey. She was at Hillcrest
for a few months before the change. I liked her, but I didn’t get as many hours as I wanted. She often
would leave early, come in late, and take days off, so it was challenging to work with. After she quit
Hillcrest, her boss Kristin stepped in at the Molitore therapist. I think I enjoy working with her more as
she is organized and communicates well with everyone. However, sometimes she too takes days off
which cuts my hours down. I can only intern a few days per week due to my class schedule, but she does
try to work things out with my schedule. Along with getting enough hours, it’s hard when sessions
cancel when I am scheduled to come in. She usually finds something for me to do, but it’s definitely not
as interesting as watching the actual therapy. For these challenges, there wasn’t a whole lot that I could
do. The therapists changing was nothing I could control—I responded by adapting as best I could. It
wasn’t that hard to get used to at all, which was nice. I simply went with the flow of things. It was
obvious to me that I couldn’t talk about what clients said in sessions with Kelsey while I was working
with Kristin, along with other ethical considerations. In regards to not getting a lot of hours each week,
this was also something I couldn’t control. I responded by complying with what both therapists did, but
also used fall free days to get more hours. If I was faced with this specific problem again, I want to say I
would do something different, but I’m not sure what I could do differently. I guess I could have
shadowed LaMetra on days that Kelsey and Kristin weren’t in, but I would be missing the therapy
dynamics.
 The challenge that was more internal pertained to the clients living at the house. I had been warned
before starting the internship that some kids might be violent. Also, I have been told stories of extremely
violent kids while working there—Hillcrest gets new kids quite frequently, so my chance of
encountering a violent client was/still is likely. At first, I was pretty nervous about this possibility. I
wondered what I would do if a violent client acted out on me or what I would do if they acted out on
Kristin, etc. It’s not like I could fight back. This is a challenge not many people face in their professions,
so I thought that this was a good learning experience, even if nothing (thank God) happened to me while
I was interning. In order to respond to this challenge, again like the others above, I simply had to take
whatever came. I had to remind myself that most of these kids have come from a background of pain
and struggles. I also have to reassure myself that because I wasn’t at Molitore a lot, that the likelihood of
something happening was slim. I don’t think I would have responded differently if this were to happen
again—it’s normal to be somewhat nervous about violence, especially when you are working with a
population that has had their fair share of struggles, including abuse, drugs, mental health problems (not
saying that those with mental illness are violent), family/relationship difficulties, etc.

Week 12 Date: 11/16 Total Hours: 7

What have you accomplished in your time in this internship that you hadn’t expected? What have you been
unable to accomplish that you had hoped?
Response:
 First, I didn’t expect to gain as much confidence in myself that I have from this experience. Prior to the
internship, I assumed I would be somewhat more confident in myself at the end of the semester, but I
have come further than I initially thought. I even feel like my self-esteem and the way I think about
myself has increased positively as well. Throughout my life, I’ve had pretty bad self-esteem and never
really liked myself, but it’s definitely gotten better in recent years. Working with the kids, hearing them
 say I’m beautiful, and them simply wanting to give me hugs before I leave for the day feels so good. I
feel as though I help them in some small way, just by sitting in and listening. By accepting them, they
accept me. It’s very nice to feel appreciated. I have also come out of my shell more than I thought I
would. I think of things to ask the kids and frequently compliment them. I have also been surprised at
how in depth these kids have gotten around me—they don’t hold back. It would be difficult to have a
few people listening to your life struggles compared to one, so I could understand if they weren’t so
revealing, but it’s the other way around. I remember my first session with a client—she didn’t seem to
care at all that I was sitting in on her appointment and let everything out. These kids are so vulnerable
and break down the boundaries, because they are trying to communicate that they need help. All of the
kids don’t tell their life story and go into complete detail, but the majority of them do. I’ve only come
across one individual who did not want me to sit in on her session and there are usually around ten kids
living in the house at a time. Third, I have learned more in general than I thought I was going to. At the
start of the internship, I didn’t think I’d learn a lot just by sitting and listening and asking a few
questions here and there, but I was wrong. I’ve gotten insight on various ways to go about therapy—3
different perspectives, I learned about the Hillcrest treatment program for kids, how to respond in
different situations, “activities” to take advantage of, group settings, etc. I’ve also accomplished a
“place” at the house. Even though I’m not there every day—maybe a few days a week for several hours,
the kids and the staff remember me (sometimes they forget my name, but that’s beside the point). If a
particular client hasn’t seen me in a while, they may ask where I’ve been. I guess I didn’t think I’d leave
much of a mark on the kids as I have.
 In regards to things that I wished I could have accomplished but didn’t, I definitely wished I would have
been able to get more hours in. 50 is still okay, but I wanted to get as much as I possibly could. There
were some weeks that I was only able to get 2-3 hours, which was a bummer. I also wish I would have
accomplished more with session notes. Before Kelsey quit, I was only able to do a few notes, but since
then I haven’t done any. Kelsey thought that it would be a great idea for me to get introduced to
documenting the sessions through therapy notes, because notes are essential to counseling. The
counselor usually has a template, in which they input what the client talked about, if the client seems as
if they are a threat to themselves or others, the current mental state of the client, etc. I also wish I would
have been able to connect with the kids more. On one of the days, Kristin had a private meeting, so I
was instructed to hang out with one of the kids while the meeting was happening. We played games and
just talked—I was able to get a better understanding of him through this encounter. We didn’t focus on
his struggles, but on having fun and having a regular conversation. I would have loved to do this more
often with all of the kids in order to learn more about them (besides just the therapy side of things), but
my main focus was therapy and due to the time constraints I wasn’t able to do other things like this. In
general, I wished I would have been able to form better relationships with each of the kids, but again this
was difficult with time and the central focus on therapy.

Week 13 Date: Thanksgiving week (off) Total Hours: 0

You will soon have to represent this internship on your resume. If a future employer were to ask you to name 3
key points of this experience how would you answer him/her?
Response: There are so many points, but the 3 listed are the first that came to mind when reflecting…
 First, I would point out that this internship gave me “real life” job experience. Prior to this internship,
the only mental health counseling experience I had was based on my academic in-class learning and my
own personal circumstances (myself, family, and friends). This was face-to-face action, which was
unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Obviously, I’m not trained/certified/etc. so I couldn’t actually
counsel the kids, but by just observing and asking questions, one can learn a lot. I was able to get a sense
of what counseling is like, especially in a more difficult setting—involuntary, drug abuse backgrounds,
sometimes violent behavior, teenagers involved with the law, poor family situations, and so on. In
observing at Hillcrest, it has shown me that this is really something that I want to do for the rest of my
life. In other words, it has confirmed my career aspirations. I think both of these aspects (getting job
experience—glimpse of what your potential career may hold for you, and thus deciding if this seems
 like a suitable area of work for you) are at the core of what an internship is meant to do. I have
accumulated more knowledge and was shown what counseling is like in a specific setting, which has
further validated my choice of career path. Even though the job I take may not have the same
environment and structure as Hillcrest, I can apply what I have learned and observed to another similar
setting, and can assure the employer that I am dedicated to the field—even after the internship
experience came to a close, I still wanted more. I was sad to leave.
 Secondly, I would explain that the internship was a culturally diverse experience. I was surrounded by
so many different kinds of people. I met kids of different ages, religions, sexes, races, economic
backgrounds, sexual identities, and so on. The staff working in the home were diverse as well. And with
all of these individuals came various personalities, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. It was interesting
to see the differences between clients behavior due to their individuality. One client was a book reader,
while several others were artistically creative. One client was fairly loud and dramatic, always showing
off her big personality, while another was quiet, shy in certain situations, and had self-esteem issues.
Some kids wanted to make friends with their housemates, while others didn’t. One girl was particularly
close to God, having one of the staff members who happened to be a preacher become her mentor, but
others weren’t vocal about faith. It was hard for some to show their feelings (specifically, crying), but
others didn’t care and were full blown emotional. It was also interesting to see how the kids interacted
with some of the staff and how they connected to some but not to others. I think being immersed in such
a diverse setting was beneficial for me, because it gave me various perspectives and allowed for me to
become comfortable with a variety of people. In the counseling profession, diversity in clientele is
inevitable. One has to be able to work with a variety of people. I think that because the kids weren’t all
white, heterosexual, Christian, and coming from a two parent family, it made it a better experience for
me. After all, being people-oriented is a major aspect of mental health counseling—being accepting of
differences and treating all people with respect/dignity.
 Lastly, I would say that this internship experience has sparked my interest in addiction and drug abuse.
Since addiction is involved in the mental health realm, it makes sense that I’d be interested, but I wasn’t
as intrigued as I am now, learning more about addiction and various drugs. So, not only did I learn more
about counseling and mental health, but I now have a newfound area of mental health that I’d like to
take a deeper look at. During the first part of the internship, when I was shadowing the counselor that
quit shortly after I started, we frequently talked about her other job at Cedar Valley Recovery Services
here in Dubuque. She discussed a little about her own family history with addiction as well as her job at
Cedar Valley, which I almost shadowed her at but never got the chance. We also talked about how to
become certified in drug addiction counseling. From that point on, I began to reflect on taking this
opportunity upon my own shoulders.

Week 14 Date: 11/30 Total Hours: 3 ½

As you reflect on the totality of your experience, what skills do you hope to further develop? How can you use
those skills to pursue your career goals while also making a positive contribution to society?
Response:
 I hope to further develop skills such as good communication, extraversion, rapport building,
observation, critical thinking/application, questioning, listening, creativity, open-mindedness therapy
session notes and so on. There are so many different things that I want to keep developing and working
on, but if I had to pick my top three I would say that I’d like to see myself continue to come out of my
shell as well as critical thinking/application and therapy session notes. Also, in general, I’m looking
forward to developing skills pertaining to the art of being a counselor. Right now, I’m obviously not
qualified or certified in counseling, so I can’t practice some of the skills—diagnosis, therapy techniques,
building connections with the client and others involved in the process, treatment, etc. However, in the
meantime it’s a great idea for me to advance in the number of skills listed first as they will help me as
my education and experiences progress.
  I can use the skills that I listed first to pursue my career goals because counselors rely on good
communication between their clients, client families (if appropriate), insurance, psychiatrists, etc.
Counselors interact with people daily, so building relationships is key. It would be beneficial for
counselors to be creative in a sense for the purpose of therapy—being creative in how they present
therapy techniques (playing therapy games, writing break-up letters to drugs, etc.). Lastly, listening is
central to the therapists’ job in that they continuously have to pay close attention to their clients, and
taking good therapy notes. Observation and application of academic learning will help me in pursuing
my career goals, because I will have to complete several internships and other supervised requirements
in order to become a future counselor. This is why being able to observe the therapy dynamics and
applying what I have learned in my education will help my achieve certification. Being able to ask
questions is another great skill in terms of my continuing education, because in order to learn and fully
understand something, questions should be asked if need be.
 All of these skills can be used to make a positive contribution to society, because by having these skills
one can be a better therapist—effectively/successfully helping clients struggling with a variety of
problems. I want to save people, especially the younger population, as this can be a hard period of one’s
life. Even if I can save or drastically help a few people (what I have learned so far is that you can’t save
or help everyone you meet), I will be extremely happy, therefore I need to perfect these skills so that I
can help—without good communication or connection, how will the client improve? If a client isn’t
engaged in how the therapist is presenting therapy, how will things change? If a therapist doesn’t have
good listening skills, how will they be able to grasp the extent of the situation? Looking at the
importance of having these skills in a broader fashion, we all need someone to listen to us at many
points in our lives. We need relationships with other people, we need people who are creative and open-
minded, while at the same time, we need those who can ask the questions, applying what they know to
prompt a solution. These skills can have a positive contribution to society beyond the therapy office—
friendship, family, interactions with the community… the list goes on.

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