Ok... So feeling really nervous today. I was pulled into another meeting with my boss regarding my upcoming internship. I determined on the LPC website that I will need 600 hours of internship, which includes 250 hours of face to face client contact. My boss has a case that will fulfill those 250 hours, and the summer program will count toward most of the rest. I ended up accepting full time hours (40 hours) which is salary, as opposed to my now 30 hour/week hourly pay position. The pay is a little more, and the flexibility a little less, but I was assured and reassured that I will still be able to set my own hours with clients and that I will NOT be expected to come into the office 8-5 or anything close to that. I was relieved to hear that part. I just don't know how I feel at this moment regarding adding an extra 10 hrs/week to my job. I love my Tuesdays and Thursdays as they are, where I can take a day here or there to myself, or to go and have lunch with my children. I don't know if I'm ready to give up that flexibility. But I said yes to the salaried position. Money talks, after all.
So, starting next week, I will be working with a teenage boy with substance abuse issues. I can't say anything more than that due to confidentiality. I really need to pray about this, because 1. I am not too terribly familiar with teenage boys, and 2. Substance abuse issues = manipulation to the extreme. My goal in his treatment will be to get him interested in healthy, positive extracurricular activities, help him with independent living skills, help him build a strong support system, and work on self-esteem. I won't be doing the substance abuse piece since I do not have that training. Another counselor will be working with him in that area. Thank goodness.This will help to fulfill my 250 hours of face to face contact for my internship, which is PAID. Now I just have to ease my husband's mind about this particular case, as he is a little on the fence about me working with a teenage male. I have only been assigned to females with this agency.
In addition, I will keep my current clients, but I will be relieved of some of my administrative duties (again, thank goodness, this means I'll get out of the office more!), and I am still in line for the summer program. I can bring my children, and again, this is PAID.
All in all, I think this is a good start. I need to get on the ball and see where I need to be with my schooling. I have my master's in psychology, but not in counseling, so I need to call my school to see if I can get into the required courses to pursue LPC. This is NOT something I'm looking forward to doing, and I may put it off until after I finish the internship this summer. After all, I will need time to adjust to working full time.
With that being said... in this field, full time is not really full time... it's more like 30 hours/week, anyway. The rest of the time is mostly paperwork, driving, and B.S'ing. Even my boss told me this today. So, it really shouldn't be that different for me. At least I hope not.
I really could use your prayers!
Thank you :)
I have a book I think you would enjoy reading. Paul Ekman is a renowned people reader by what is called micro expressions. The book is called telling lies. It's a beautiful book on ways to tell when someone is lying. It's really good. If you want to borrow. Let me know. I have other books too.
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