Internship Update

Internship has gotten very interesting lately. I have been given the opportunity to do a lot more of the initial intake assessments over the past few weeks. I have found this to be a great opportunity for me to grow in my practice as a therapist. It is interesting for me to give the various tests and gather the intake information and then watch the client change through the treatment process. All of the testing is completed within the first 3 weeks of their arrival and is done when the client is in the honeymoon phase at ECA. I like to see how they change after that period of time and see if I was able to predict the areas they were lying on during the intake evaluation. Much of what the clients report is downplayed or exaggerated in an attempt to make the client look better for themselves. I have found myself to have gotten better at detecting this lying or manipulation, even though during the intake and testing process is not the appropriate time to call attention to these bluffs. I find it interesting that the clients know we have various assessments and background given to us from past placements etc that tell us the reasons the client has come to the ECA for treatment. Despite this, they often still lie about things until their behavior unfolds weeks into treatment.

The other interesting thing I have found lately is that all of the client whom are schizophrenic or have some type of hallucinations have been having psychotic breaks over the past month. I have found it fascinating to work with these clients and watch how their behavior and thought patterns change based on where they are at in their cycle. I have learned in class and read about in books what this is like for clients and how it will be outwardly expressed in the clients’ behaviors. I have found it to be a very different experience to watch develop in person. It has been somewhat difficult to piece together at times because two of the clients are also diagnosed with conduct issues. This gets difficult to know if the client is lying to me or if they are having delusions. I have also found it beneficial to talk with one kid that has had active hallucinations for about 5 years and has a fairly good handle on coping with his scary hallucinations.  He has given me some insight on what it is like to experience such hallucinations and has told me about the things he does to reality check and also keep the hallucinations from progressing. Of course, this does not work all of the time but I find it helpful to hear from him things that work so I can pass them along to other clients in the future who may benefit from trying some of these techniques.