Elaine Currie

           This summer has been incredibly formative for me as a psychology student. I spent the summer living at my lake house in Annandale, MN, while working as an intern at the Catholic Charities Intensive Outpatient Day Treatment Program (Elk River location) and as a chocolate advisor for Lindt & Sprüngli. In the day-to-day of my internship, I typically sit in on skills groups for both the elementary and high school groups, as well as participate in the activities planned for those groups. Activities include group games or worksheets designed to enhance clients’ ability to succeed in school/the world. In addition to skills groups I have also sat in on a fair number of group therapy sessions for the elementary group. This has probably been the most interesting part of my internship because therapy for the kids is not like how I had expected it. Obviously with the older clients therapy centers around talking and working through any challenges, but I was surprised to find that the elementary therapy felt more like a classroom. Messages about emotional regulation are much more subtle than they are for the older kids, and often the hour is spent doing a craft or reading a book that is not obviously related to mental health. The other eye-opening aspect of my internship has been watching the staff reactions to outbursts from the kids. Bouts of anger or aggression are met with compassion but also with clear rules. The phrases “too big” and “work through this” are repeated often, and I have seen firsthand how having clear communication with the kids affects their reaction in times when they are struggling (and how it affects different age groups differently).

            Although I have enjoyed my time with Catholic Charities greatly, and have deeply valued gaining experience through my internship, I have also come to the conclusion that I have no interest in pursuing a career in youth or adolescent mental health services. I have struggled greatly with developing the necessary boundaries between a client and mental health practitioner, as well as with focusing solely on treating their mental health issues (I also want to help with their general education and social skills). Since realizing this, I have been considering pursuing a career in higher education (i.e. being a psychology professor) while conducting research, or otherwise a career in human resources. Obviously, however, there are many more options than just these two interests of mine, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my interests were to change again by this time next year. 

            In planning for this upcoming school year, a lot is changing. I am moving into the Pi Phi house instead of a dorm, I am shipping my car out to Seattle, and I am interviewing for a job as a research assistant in the Comtois Lab in a few weeks. I think my life is about to get a whole lot busier, but I’m also very excited to see what happens!