Friday, January 13, 2012

Securing an Internship Site


It’s a new year!  I’ve been living alone for over 2 years.  I’ve been in grad school for nearly 2 years.  This year, I will start my internship in the summer.  I will be working 20-25 hrs per week and taking my last classes.  At first, this made me feel very nervous and sad.  This will be my first summer not spent with Hannah in “Mommy Camp”.  She will have to go to summer camp, probably at her school.  I was scared to see how Hannah would take the news.  She’s so attached to me and looks forward to our time together in the summer.  
Well, at first it was a shock, but the more I explained how fun it will be, the more she relaxed.  I wouldn’t say she’s excited about this idea, but she didn’t fight it.  It may turn out to be good for her.  Three or so days per week they’ll get on the bus and go somewhere fun like Chuck E. Cheese’s.  The other days they’ll stay at the school doing fun things like water day.  It’ll be like a normal school schedule for her, as I’ll be picking her up in the afternoon earlier rather than later, most of the time.  But she can stay until 6pm.  
I will plan to get enough hours in daily, so that I can take a 2 week break to go on a vacation with Hannah to Colorado.  I will be in my internship until May 2013, when I graduate from my Master’s program.  Then I can register as an intern and get PAID to work!    
My internship site is at Bayview Mental Health Center in Pembroke Pines.  I’ll be counseling dually diagnosed adults.  They all have an addiction and a mental disorder.  They are court ordered to be there and live on site.  I’ve heard that this is one of the most difficult populations to work with.  But it will look amazing on my resume!  If I can handle Bayview, I can handle working anywhere.  I just hope I don’t get too burnt out.  I will only work 4 days per week, so I have one day to do all of my housework…mowing, laundry, groceries, cleaning, etc.  I want to be able to enjoy my weekends with Hannah as much as possible.  I know I will come home tired during the week and may not have the energy that I do now to play every afternoon.  
This new chapter will be a difficult transition, I expect, but we’ll get into the routine of it and will be fine.  As long as Hannah is understanding and OK with this, I will be.  I know I will miss being able to spend the time with her that I’m used to.  But I’m afraid those days are over starting this summer.  It’s already been hard being in grad school and juggling my coursework and time with Hannah, but I do manage.  This will be much harder, because there is very little time to get stuff done in the home.  My house may not be as put together.  It is what it is, and I will just do my best.  
I do look forward to starting some real professional counseling.  I will have my own clients!  I will really get to start helping people, or at least trying to.  HEHE!