Therapy 101

One of the most valuable experiences I've had at Mars Hill has been my involvement in a "class" called Practicum. For lack of better words, it's group therapy that's designed to teach us about ourselves, our style of relating, and the opportunity to practice basic counseling skills. Last semester, each of the nine members took a week and shared a story from our lives. We would then respond to the stories, hopefully in a manner that would challenge the student to engage their life and their story more deeply.

This semester, we added to the practicum experience what we call a "triad." It's a group of three students that begins practicing therapy with each other. So, I am the therapist for one student, who acts as a client. They become the therapist for the third student, and that third student becomes the therapist for me. It's a great, non-threatening way to begin to practice basic therapeutic interactions.

However, each week, in our normal practicum meeting of nine students plus two staff, one student counsels another student during the practicum meeting while everyone else observes. Today was the first meeting, and I drew the short straw and was the first 'therapist.'

Now, it's bad enough that we really have no idea what we're doing yet - I'm only 9 credit hours into a 66 hour program. But now I am expected to be the 'therapist' for another student while 7 other students and 2 staff scrutinize every possible thing about my interaction: how I sat, how I began the session, how I looked at the time, what questions I asked, what questions I avoided asking, the tone of my voice, my facial expressions, directions I avoided taking, my body posture, how much time I left silent before I asked a question!!! Everything is fair game. Worst of all, there's no right or wrong answer to any of these things - since there is no formula, I cannot just 'follow the book' and be fine - I must read the 'client' and read myself at all times. Where are my anxieties? What are they saying about me? What are they saying about the client? Am I uncomfortable with silence because of me? or because of something with the client? Am I bored? Why? Because the client is boring? or because the client is completely disengaged from his or her own story so I'm disengaged too? Is he or she being honest about his or her feelings? Is the client testing me? Is the client taking care of me? Do I need to be taken care of? Or is he or she avoiding something?......and the list goes on....

So, not only am I listening to the client, but I'm supposed to be listening to the questions in myself. And then, I'm supposed to respond in a helpful way - all while 9 other people are critiquing everything I do, say, don't do, or don't say.

Oh yeah, and then we spent an hour processing how I did, what I could have done differently, and what would be helpful for me to think about in the future.

Talk about NERVERACKING!!!

Now that it's all said and done, the one thing I know for certain: it's over and I don't have to do it again :)

Kite Runner

Recently, I've seen several incredible movies that have almost inspired me enough to begin blogging again, but I just couldn't seem to drag myself back to my page.

I guess this changed tonight after seeing "Kite Runner"

I knew the book was popular (it's on my never-completed list to read), but I had no idea what the story was about, other than a guy goes back to the middle-east to do something with his friend's son.

I'm glad I knew nothing before watching this movie, and for your sake, I'm not going to say much about it here.

I will say, "Go to the theater and pay whatever outrageous price theaters are charging in your town - it will be worth the price, whatever it is."

I would love to say more about my thoughts and emotions, but I'm really hesitant to spoil the free and pure experience you will have if you don't know anything about it.

I watched the movie with some classmates and a thought-provoking professor who we all deeply admire. Afterwards, we went to a coffee shop to process - I could have sat for hours and discussed the many layers of this film and its characters.
I don't know the author's name, but that guy is brilliant.

Seriously, take a night and go watch this film.

who's sick of Taylor Mali??

Sorry about exposing you to the same picture of Taylor Mali for the last month. Life got a little busy for awhile...

From Thanksgiving on, I was trying to wrap up my end-of-the semester assignments, and I didn't have much remaining mental energy to expend - and what I did have, I didn't want to use it writing something else on the computer.
But, I'm finished now. Actually, I've been finished since the middle of December, and I've spent the last two weeks decompressing. I've rejected any intelligent thoughts that have attempted to enter my brain, and instead, I've immersed myself in multiple movie marathons and long naps.
Although I've never agreed with our educational systems, the one thing they have right is their well-timed breaks!

The blogging world is like any habit-forming pursuit. If you keep up with it, it's easy, but a few days off and it's extremely difficult to get involved again. I'm hoping this post will get me back in the habit...

taylor mali

I wish I had something to say, but I've been swamped with work...and we're heading to Tennessee tomorrow morning. Hopefully, you enjoy the poets as fillers in my absence.

I'm pretty sure this guy is a teacher; he seems to like to speak to the sad trends of our culture.

Grades

I had forgotten how much I hated our educational system, but I am quickly being reminded.

I absolutely love learning. I love reading. I even like to write. But as soon as I receive this random point total that has been given as an arbitrary judgment, I begin to feel differently. Especially when this arbitrary grade must be maintained at a "B" level for me to stay in school. And then there's the kick in the pants when the grading scale is raised to an insanely high level. So, here at my lovely school, I must maintain an 87% or higher. 86% and below is a B-, which will put me on academic probation (and after the second term of below a 3.00, or below 87%, you're out of school for a semester). If I want to get an "A," I must have at least a 97%!

So, for one class, I have four grades which have all been completed. Two tests: each 99%. First paper - 92%. Second paper - 95%. Average these out and I have a 96.25%, which is an "A-". And this is definitely my best class so far...

Ridiculous.

Enough said for Buckeye fans.

Why am I getting hits from all over the world??!!

So, I've been getting random hits from all over the world the past three days. I'm not sure what's going on, but I would love to find out! If you're reading this and you don't know me, would you mind commenting how you stumbled onto my blog...
If it's because of the "next blog" link, then does anyone know why the hits started only 3 days ago???

I would really appreciate it!! Thanks!