Learning the Hard Way in Clinical Internships in Social Work and Psychology

Book excerpt: In this book, Susan A. Lord shares important stories and lessons from two undergraduate and two postgraduate clinical internships as colorful narratives that will augment texts in undergraduate and graduate practicum seminar classes. The chapters engage with fundamental issues, including the importance of safety and relationship-building, good supervision, the complexities of situationally determining what constitutes ethical practice, boundary-setting, suicide assessment, and professional identity development. Narratives about making mistakes, or "learning the hard way", include being robbed at gunpoint in Chicago, being stalked by a client, and sexual harassment. Each chapter concludes with a list of reflection, small group discussion, and class discussion questions designed to help the reader more deeply engage with the material on a personal, academic, and professional level. Written for students who are excited to begin their practicum experiences, this book explores how these experiences might be addressed and crucially stresses the importance of remembering that everyone is human and that clients are well-defended and resilient. A valuable resource for learning about the importance of safety, boundaries, and relationship development in any internship or practicum experience, it will appeal to students and scholars with interests in psychoanalysis, internship education, and relational psychotherapy.