Diary of an ACS Intern
Written By: Casia Ravi, MFT Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program
AFTER YEARS
in another career that I loved and while pursuing a second master’s degree in counseling psychology, I summoned up the courage to fully lean into the field of psychotherapy this past year. I am in my final year at Santa Clara University, which has been providing me with excellent training to become a marriage and family therapist. Adolescent Counseling Services has been an amazing place to start my clinical fieldwork.
Choosing a Practicum Site
When it came to choosing a practicum site, I was extremely discerning about my choice because it had to be worth it in terms of several trade-offs. The two key trade-offs I considered were 1. The job I was giving up, and 2. The time I would be spending away from my own young children. I also knew that I wanted to work as part of a collaborative team; have a supportive and experienced supervisor who would be on site; and receive compelling, ongoing professional development. I sought a diverse client population where I would be challenged by a wide array of presenting mental health needs. I screened for an organization that would embrace a continuous learning orientation because I was eager to learn as much as possible as a trainee.
Training and Support
As a clinical trainee at ACS, every week I receive at least three hours of individual supervision and group supervision from two brilliant clinicians who provide me with different perspectives for my work with my clients. In group supervision, a small team of us come together weekly to think through more challenging cases and our own struggles as developing clinicians. We also receive two hours of professional development on a range of topics that are relevant to the work I am doing every day.
The Day to Day
My primary placement is with a stellar, skilled team of clinicians at Woodside High School, a school that truly supports mental health for its students. Our wellness center is like walking into an oasis of calm amongst a busy high school environment. Students can receive our services on a regular basis, or drop into our center any time they are having a tough day and need someone to talk to, or simply need a safe space where they can emotionally re-regulate in order to go back to the classroom ready to learn. At Woodside I work on a one-on-one basis, both in English and Spanish, with teens who have a wide range of mental health needs.
I also have also been fortunate to work as a counselor one afternoon a week as part of a wonderful team at Siena Youth Center of the St. Francis Center. Siena provides high-quality after-school programming for 10-17 year olds and is aimed at nothing less than breaking the cycle of poverty, empowering its youth, developing young leaders, and helping kids and their families lead healthier and more productive lives. Siena provides a much-needed safe, active, and healthy space for the youth of the Fair Oaks Community in Redwood City. ACS partners with Siena to provide these kids with counseling services.
I am also now getting to apply more than a decade of group facilitation skills as a co-facilitator of a parents group offered by ACS’ Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment (ASAT) Program. ASAT is a harm reduction outpatient treatment program for adolescents that addresses the underlying causes of use/misuse. Its approach deeply values family participation and education.