Interview Prep Flashcards
What do you know about Creative Counselling?
- expressive arts therapy (for groups or individuals)
- Kids Counselling (through expressive arts)
- Individual Counselling (works with the whole person to calm the survival and emotional part of the brain first - so the thinking brain can then be accessed)
- Workshops (moving through grief and loss, self esteem, finding passion, and working with story telling figures)
- EMDR
About Placement
450 hours or 60 days
What do you know about EMDR?
- Neutralizes triggers
- EMDR helps to process the memories
- Carrie is the only counsellor in Norwest Ontario using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing when working with children.
- The fight, flight and freeze response is resolved
- EMDR is one of the most researched and efficient trauma treatments
- eye movements help to keep clients grounded in the moment while processing memory
Tell me about yourself
Present:
- Masters
- focus in clinical work - especially pertaining to grief, dying and death
My supervisor is Kathy Kortes Miller, the executive director of CERAH
- My previous placement was at Hospice Northwest - where I learned so much - art workshop - supporting clients
Past:
Background in fine arts
- Interested in the use of art as a tool for healing / self discovery
Future:
Through my work thus far, especially at hospice northwest, I’ve recognized that when journeying with someone through grief, other things come up. Other traumas, anxiety, depression, ect. I want to learn how to work with the whole person - not just with their grief. So I am drawn to Creative Counselling not just for the creative element, but due to your diverse areas of expertise.
Why Social Work?
- I’ve always been very interested in exploring vulnerability and connecting with others. But I’ve also always been interested in activism.
- In the past, I’ve done this through my artwork. Although my artwork was successful in creating dialogues, I wanted a more active role in creating change.
- I wanted a career that would challenge me. The continually evolving research within the profession ensures that I would never stop learning and I also know its’ a profession that would continually push me out of my comfort zone and encourage personal growth.
Describe your previous Social Work or related experiences, including any relevant life experiences
Professional experiences:
Hospice northwest:
- Art workshop
- Seeing the connection between the participants (power of groups)
- Seeing the profound ways in which participants were able to externalize their grief, and speak about it in such profound and touching ways
- Supporting grief and palliative clients
Palliative Program Coordinator
- This was a role that I would have normally never applied for. Coordination was something that normally never interested me
It was such an amazing experience! I was thrown into the role, with little guidance - as the previous PPC was unable to instruct me.
- Over the course of only 3 months, I was able to reduce the waitlist from 25 clients to 7
- I was able to hone my organization and advocacy skills during this role
Distress Line:
Prior to moving to Thunder Bay to pursue schooling for Social work, I volunteered for a Distress Line in my hometown.
I was the first point of contact for calls, which meant when I picked up the phone, I had no idea who or what to expect. Through the course of the call, I had to build a report, and assess the situation and the caller’s needs. Occasionally, I had to implement safety planning and de-escalation.
This line of work was completely out of my comfort zone - I had to push through a lot of fears.
- Then of course, I also have many life experiences related to social work:
- From a young age, I participated in many interventions for my alcoholic father, which taught me emotional intelligence, compassion and resiliency.
- In my early twenties, I was sexually assaulted twice - these experiences taught me so much about trauma, but also the power of the narrative you tell yourself.
- These personal experiences have gifted me with so much emotional intelligence, empathy and nuanced ways of understanding life and people
Challenges?
PPC
- Learning the role with very little guidance
- I overcame this by asking many questions and creating a new system of organization that worked best for me - lots of detailed note-taking,
- Advocacy / Navigating the health system
I overcame this through being persistent - really good note taking
Art Workshop
- Unexpected challenges: participant choosing tablecloth, rather than available objects.
- I had to adapt on the spot to the many challenges that were presented - and trust the process. Allow the workshop I had developed to be flexible to the clients’ needs.
What do you feel you have to offer the placement? What are you capable of contributing to the placement?
- Art workshops
- My creative, enthusiasm, commitment
- I’m also great at graphic design and photography - which is helpful for advertisement
- I am dedicated to learning as much as I can.
What do you expect the placement to offer you in terms of a learning experience?
- Professional experience (working with clients in a counselling setting).
- Supervision from Carrie and Rochelle
- EMDR / Art Therapy
- How to run a private practice
Challenging
- Ensuring that I prioritize self care - and respond to anything that may trigger me in the work
Do you have any questions for us?
- As a field supervisor, what is your supervision style / process of providing supervision?
- What would my role and responsibilities be?
- What are the available learning opportunities?
What are your strengths? (top and 3)
-Humility
I am very humble, I always assume my client knows best
Client centered
I received feedback very well
-Adaptable
Tablecloth
-Resilient and Positive
Client rejection - upset - reframe as a learning experience.
What are your weaknesses?
Weaknesses
Sometimes I struggle to ask for guidance, because I struggle to take up space due to a lack of confidence
- With teachers in the past - occasionally with my HNW supervisor - I sometimes feel as if I should just figure it out myself
But if I establish asking for guidance early on in a professional relationship, it is much easier. This is something that I’ve put into practice with my supervisor.
Compartmentalization: If I am going through a difficult time in my personal life, it can be a challenge for me to compartmentalize, and show up fully in the workplace.
- I’ve learned to manage this through being open and honest with my supervisor, take a mental health day when I need one and to keep on top of my self care.
Lack of confidence about my knowledge
- I think this comes from my humility and awareness of all the things I DON’T know. This can result in a sense of insecurity and anxiety.
I’ve learned to manage this through reflecting my personal achievements and through thought records! Also supervision
