This is the third blog post in a four-part series exploring topics related to graduate students’ practicum and internship experiences. The first post focused on how students can track clinical hours in a way that is meaningful, and the second post looked at the features of an effective practicum or internship plan. In the current post, several complexities of supervision during practicum/internship are identified, and ways to achieve clearer supervision expectations are discussed. The post is based on the big idea that supervision is a pivotal part of practicum/internship experiences, but supervision processes need increased clarity for students and supervisors to be maximally effective. The content is adapted from my recently published book Demystifying the School Psychology Internship: A Dynamic Guide for Interns and Supervisors (New York: Routledge).

Definition and Goals of Supervision

Supervision is generally recognized as the signature pedagogy in psychology. It is defined as “an intervention provided by a more senior member of a profession to a more junior member or members of that same profession. The relationship is evaluative and hierarchical, [and] extends over time” (Bernard & Goodyear, 2009, p. 7). Two central goals of supervision are: (a) promoting supervisee developmental growth through teaching (i.e., enhancing the supervisee’s knowledge and applied skills), and (b) protecting the welfare of clients (i.e., making sure individuals the supervisee is working with are receiving high quality professional services). Additional purposes of supervision include: (c) gatekeeping for the profession (i.e., making sure only those who have met particular developmental benchmarks are able to move forward in training or practice); (d) empowering supervisees with the capacity to self-supervise in the future (e.g., recognizing boundaries of competence and knowing how to seek out additional support), and (e) providing emotional support to supervisees to prevent or mitigate stress, distress, burnout, and problems of professional competence (Bernard & Goodyear, 2009; Corey, Haynes, Moulton, & Muratori, 2010; Newman, 2013).

When Supervision Becomes Blurry

Although the goals of supervision may at first glance seem intuitive or obvious, it is easy for them to get neglected or ignored. For instance, supervisees may be thrown into an applied experience that they are not prepared for with limited supervisory support, a supervisor might be a poor role model regarding self-care or recognizing boundaries of competence, or processes of evaluation may not be explicitly discussed. These are but a few examples of problems that may arise from unclear expectations and/or a lack of formal supervision structure, the result of which is often supervisee anxiety or apprehension (Boylan & Scott, 2009).

In the sections that follow I explore a few supervision processes that I believe require some clarity, especially early on in the supervision relationship, and discuss potential ways expectations can be clarified when they are otherwise nebulous or non-existent. Questions are presented that represent topics for consideration in a written supervision contract or verbal discussion; readers can adapt these questions for discussion in a way that best fits the roles, relationships, and dynamics at their training sites.

Logistics. Different supervisors approach the process of supervision in different ways. For example, some prefer to engage predominately in “on the fly” supervision when a supervisee requests assistance, some prefer to schedule time in advance, and some choose a balance of these approaches. Models, formats, and techniques of supervision may also differ across supervisors. Without explicit discussions about how supervision will be provided, supervisees will not know what to expect from supervision, or how to best prepare for supervision meetings. Discussions about logistics get at the “nuts and bolts” of supervision; pertinent questions for consideration include:

• How often and for how much time will the student and supervisor meet for supervision?
• What model of supervision and supervision techniques will be applied by the supervisor?
• How should the student prepare for supervision meetings?

Evaluation. Consistent with the definition and goals of supervision, evaluation is at the heart of the supervision process. Field and university supervisors should evaluate students formatively (i.e., at points along the way) and summatively (i.e., at the end of an experience), formally and informally, and along numerous dimensions/competencies (Boylan & Scott, 2009; Sullivan & Conoley, 2008). Providing a structured approach to evaluation including clear criteria for assessment, explicit and timely feedback, a variety of evaluation techniques, and transparent communication about progress helps mitigate supervisee apprehension (Boylan & Scott, 2009). Examples of questions regarding evaluation processes in supervision include:

• How will formative and summative evaluation be incorporated as part of supervision?
• What are the supervisee’s goals, and how will the student and supervisor know if those goals have been met?
• How is evaluative feedback communicated?
• How do field and university evaluation processes connect?

Developmental considerations. Supervisees (and supervisors too) are novices when entering situations in which they have no previous experience, whether it is working with a new population, learning a new procedure, or implementing a new tool (Harvey & Struzziero, 2008). However, at times it may feel like a conflict of interests for a student to make himself or herself vulnerable (e.g., admitting not knowing how to do something) in the context of an evaluative relationship such as supervision. Therefore, a supervisor should make explicit how developmental considerations are incorporated into supervision. For example, perhaps the supervisor follows an “I do, we do, you do” approach where scaffolding of the student’s work will look different depending on the student’s level of experience with a particular activity, or at different points in time during the year. Relevant questions regarding developmental considerations in supervision include:

• Does the supervisor know the student’s level of skills in various areas of practice?
• How are appropriate levels of independence and scaffolding determined and provided?
• How does the supervisor support the student’s development in an area where the supervisor may not be competent?
• How are supervision interactions different during the beginning, middle, and end of the year, if at all?

Troubleshooting process issues. A fourth area where supervision expectations are sometimes unclear is with regard to troubleshooting difficult situations such as ethical dilemmas (e.g., the intern is not receiving sufficient time for supervision) or interpersonal conflicts (e.g., the supervisor-supervisee relationship is fragmented). Supervisors and supervisees may be well served by being up front about what to do if something in the supervision relationship needs troubleshooting. For example, on a site visit I recently completed, a supervisor told a psychology intern “If you are not sure why I took an action, please ask. Talking through my decisions helps me to continue to grow as a professional.” Questions that may be relevant to address regarding troubleshooting process issues include:

• What should a student do if he or she disagrees with the supervisor’s perspective on a case?
• What should a student do if he or she receives different messages from different supervisors?
• What should a student do if he or she is receiving too much or not enough supervision?
• How can the supervisor and student improve the supervisory relationship?

Of course these four categories and question examples do not cover every potential issue that will arise in supervision. However, they are intended to provide some areas for consideration from early on in the year that may help to clarify supervision expectations. Yet even when supervision expectations are discussed, it does not mean that they are perfectly clear.

Fallacies of Language

The misuse of language, whether by mistake or deliberate (i.e., for purposes of persuasion), can contribute to poor decision making in clinical practice (Gambrill, 2012). Unfortunately, errors of language are common in supervision interactions, and act to further murky the waters of supervision. A few examples of fallacies of language discussed by Gambrill include predigested thinking/oversimplification of complex issues (e.g., a student tells her university supervisor that her practicum site is “not amenable to evidence-based practice”, but does not explain further); jargon (e.g., an intern’s internship plan states he will engage in “data-based decision making” but what this means is not clarified); labeling/misapplication of terms (e.g., an intern tells her supervisor she wants to start a counseling group with “Aspergery-type kids” this year); and primacy effects (e.g., an intern gets observably nervous presenting at meetings [stumbling, turning red, relying on notes] at the beginning of the year. Despite improvement over time, she receives a poor rating in this area on a summative evaluation). Readers are referred to Gambrill (2012) and Newman (2013) for several additional types and examples fallacies of language in clinical practice.

Clarifying Expectations

It important for students and supervisors to recognize fallacies of language because so doing may provide a path to clarifying supervision expectations. First, awareness of these types of errors helps prevent them from being committed; students and supervisors can strive to be more conscientious in their use of language, communicating with more explicit, observable, and measurable terms. Second, if there is an error that is committed, a supervisor or student can use communication skills such as clarifying questions (e.g., “What do you mean by ‘Aspergery’ type kids? Who do you feel will benefit from this group?”), or clarifying statements (e.g., “Tell me more about what you mean by data-based decision making on your internship plan”) to move towards a clearer understanding.

It should also be noted that fallacies of language are often committed by mistake. For instance, communicators make assumptions about meaning even though what is meant by the speaker and understood by the listener may not be the same thing. Some communicators may pretend they understand something in order to avoid embarrassment, for example a student beginning a new experience who wants to appear competent. To prevent pitfalls of communication, it is important for students and supervisors to be thoughtful in their interactions, and dig a bit deeper when information is not sufficiently clear.

Summary

Problems that may arise in supervision regarding logistics, evaluation, levels of development, or other process issues speak to the need for clear supervision expectations and structures. However, how to achieve clarity on these issues is less apparent. One strategy that may be helpful is for students and supervisors to recognize the influence of language – both verbal and written – on our experiences, actions, and the actions of others. Clear communication interactions between supervisors and students help move inferential language down a ladder of inferences (Argyris, 1990). In so doing, students and supervisors meet at the sturdy ground at the bottom of the ladder with (a) clear, explicit, and shared supervision expectations, and (b) the ability to more effectively meet the goals of supervision.

References

Argyris, C. (1990). Overcoming organizational defenses: Facilitating organizational learning. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Bernard, J. M., & Goodyear, R. K. (2009). Fundamentals of clinical supervision (4^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Boylan, J. C., & Scott, J. (2009). Practicum and internship: Textbook and resource guide for counseling and psychotherapy (4^th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Corey, G., Haynes, R., Moulton, P., & Muratori, M. (2010). Clinical supervision in the helping professions: A practical guide (2^nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Gambrill, E. (2012). Critical thinking in clinical practice: Improving the quality of judgements and decisions (3^rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Harvey, V. S., & Struzziero, J. A. (2008). Professional development and supervision of school psychologists: From intern to expert (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Newman, D. S. (2013). Demystifying the school psychology internship: A dynamic guide for interns and supervisors. New York, NY: Routledge.

Sullivan, J. R., & Conoley, J. C. (2008). Best practice in the supervision of interns. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V. Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Daniel S. Newman, Ph.D., NCSP, received his doctorate from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently an assistant professor at National Louis University in Illinois. He currently teaches and supervises courses in school consultation, clinical supervision, and a school psychology internship seminar, and is co-chair of the National Association of School Psychologists Early Career Workgroup. His book, Demystifying the School Psychology Internship: A Dynamic Guide for Interns and Supervisors, was released this December by Routledge.

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1.  Be Proactive.
This means a little more than sending an email a day. As soon as you find out what your requirements are for the placement, schedule a time to meet with your academic advisor or placement coordinator to discuss potential places for your internship. Pick the brains of students who have already begun an internship and find out if their agency is looking for additional interns. Be sure to check your email regularly for opportunities gleaned by your placement advisor. Some sites like Idealist.org allow you to search for internships using keywords to help you narrow the field. Use these free services to jumpstart your search.

2.  Be Selective.
Your internship is not just something to pass the time until you can graduate. You can use it as an active learning experience. Instead of applying any and everywhere, be selective about where you would like to spend the next 600 hours of your life. Some questions you can ask yourself to help you narrow the field are:

• What population would I like to work with? Adults or children? Career counseling or chronically mentally ill?
• Do I want to work in outpatient or inpatient? Would I prefer a hospital setting or a community agency?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?
• What hours and days will I be able to dedicate to the internship?
• Are there any factors that will affect my ability to successfully integrate into the agency (e.g., religious factors, sexual orientation focus, language barriers)?

3.  Revise your resume.
Foundations class. Group therapy. Adult psychotherapy class. It’s easy to put off updating your resume when your focus is on completing the long list of class requirements. When you are putting yourself out there for the internship, you will need a resume that reflects your real world experience as well as your academic progress. If you have taken course work that provides you with a theoretical background for the population you are interested in working with, highlight it on your resume. Be sure to list work experiences that are relevant and recent.

4.  Do your research.
Before you send out your cover letter, make a call, or walk through the door for the interview do your homework. What is the agency’s mission and vision? Who do they work with and what is their goal? Are they married to a particular theoretical orientation or treatment modality? The more you know about the organization or agency, the better you will be able to speak to why you would be a good fit.

5.  Know your skills, strengths, and weaknesses.
It’s a sure bet that at some point in your interview, someone will ask you to identify what you’re good and something that you’re working on. Don’t go into the interview without identifying strengths and examples of those strengths, as well as areas that you are working on improving. If you can frame it in the context of the agency, even better (most places won’t care if you’re still trying to figure out the newest APA heading standard). While the urge to slightly exaggerate a particular skill set might be tempting, be sure to temper this by showing that you are there to learn and grow. There’s no room for a “know-it-all” in this field.

6.  Join your professional association.
Most students will be required to have insurance coverage and most placement advisors will want to collect your certification of coverage before you can begin your internship. Make sure that you join the association beforehand and list it on your resume. Not only does this reflect your ability to plan ahead but it also shows your dedication to the field. The ACA and AMHCA are two associations that offer coverage when you become a member. There are different benefits that come with professional memberships, so do your homework before signing up for the year.

Do you have any more tips to add on obtaining a mental health counseling internship?  Share in the comments below!

Deanna Richards received her ED.M. in Psychological Counseling from Columbia University.  She has worked with the New York City Department of Education, TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups, Urban Assembly Schools, and many other youth-serving organizations across the nation addressing the academic and mental health needs of adolescents.  She is a proud member of both the American Counseling Association and American Mental Health Counselors Association.  She is interested in exploring the ways counseling is affected by culture and race.  She hopes her blog thepathny helps to increase the visibility and development of counseling as a whole.  Deanna currently resides in New York City.

The post Obtaining a Mental Health Counseling Internship or Fieldwork Placement appeared first on Time2Track.

PARAGRAPH 1 – This should simply be a brief introduction that includes the following:

• Which program/specific track you are applying for.
  
• Who you are (what graduate program you are in, which year of training, etc.).
  
• List anything you are including as supplemental materials so there is never any question you sent them.

PARAGRAPH 2 (and BEYOND) – The central task of your cover letter should be to address the question: “How do you envision this internship site meeting your training goals and interests?”

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD COVER LETTER:  You should aim to include the following elements. There is no exact order and this can be done in a variety of ways.

• State your internship goals (and possibly short-term and/or long-term goals) as precisely as possible with regard to this site.
  
• Explain why these are your goals: What led you to want to devote internship year to this?  These goals should make sense with your training history.
  
• Make an explicit declarative statement about this site being a good fit with your goals (i.e.  “….makes your site is the ideal setting for me….” OR “your site would be an excellent fit with my training goals”) AND any other similar language.
  
• Explain how this site is a good fit with your goals by mentioning specific past experiences that are relevant to this site (what you bring to the site) and how a particular rotation or aspect of this site achieves certain training goals for you (what the site can offer you).

 Be sure to both STATE and ILLUSTRATE your points throughout your cover letter.  If it is only a series of statements without supporting what you are saying with an illustration, or “connecting the dots” for the reader, you lose out on making the strongest impression of a good fit, and the letter runs the risk of feeling generic. Additionally, you want to “prime” the reader with explicit statements about the fact that you ARE a good fit, so you are both leading them to that conclusion (through illustrations) and also making that conclusion for them up front (with explicit statements).

CONTINUE THE “FORMULA” THROUGHOUT THE COVER LETTER:

• Make strong positive statements about your fit or match with the site
  
• Identify clear internship goals & explain why they are important to your overall professional development
  
• State & illustrate how the site offering will meet your goals
  
• State & illustrate how your past training experiences have prepared you well for an internship at this site, with specific reference to certain offerings

ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPHS CAN INCLUDE:

• Other more specific training goals and how site-specific offerings match these goals.
  
• Some highlights from your current or previous training that are important to you in your professional development and relate to a specific quality of the internship site (e.g., supervision, a rotation, specialty, orientation).
  
• A particular supervisor or faculty at their site whose work you know and respect.  Always explain why and make sure that this person is still working there.

FINAL PARAGRAPH – This should be a summary of your main points including:

• That you ARE a good match with the site, or that the site IS a good match with your internship goals.
• A sentence or 2 with a short list of the most appealing aspects of the site for you and why you are applying there.
• A reiteration of your internship/professional goals.
• A statement that primes the reader to invite you for an interview such as “I am looking forward to meeting with you to discuss my interests further.”

OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:      

• Your cover letter is the FIRST thing directors will see, so make sure the first impression is a good one.
• Do not send a generic cover letter.  It must be site-specific if you want to ensure your reader believes you are a good match, but you do not need to write each letter from scratch.
• As instructed above, make a template and simply tailor key sentences or words/phrases; if your training goals are specific and genuine, most cover letters will not be too different.
• If you are applying to more than one kind of setting, you may need a different template for each setting, i.e., if you are applying to child site, you will want to emphasize your child work and goals related to this, whereas if you are applying to a VA you will want to emphasize your work with adults, with medical settings, collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams, etc.  Consider a different template for:
  • Major Medical Centers
  • VAs
  • Community Mental Health Centers (outpatient)
  • College Counseling Centers
  • Child vs. Adult sites
  • Neuropsychology or Health focused
• Make sure you send the correct cover letter to the intended site.  Seeing the names of other sites can offend some directors and demonstrate carelessness, so check your work!

Josephine S. Minardo, Psy.D. is an expert on psychology internship preparation.  She has been running preparation workshops for over a decade and has been successfully coaching psychology internship applicants for several years through Psych Internship Prep, a unique consulting service for psychology graduates students looking for assistance with internship. Dr. Minardo has been involved in, and created, many events that offer advice, strategies and successful tips on applying to internship.  From 2000-2008, she organized the annual New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) Internship Fair, along with presenting her workshop, and Dr. Minardo has also presented internship preparation seminars for several other state psychological associations.

The post APPIC Internship Application Cover Letters appeared first on Time2Track.

Step 1: Identify the types of jobs that you are potentially interested in pursuing (i.e., academic positions, clinical positions, industry positions, as well as types of jobs within those broad categories) and then find out what kinds of experiences will best prepare you to acquire and excel within that job setting. To do this, you can speak to individuals in those positions, you can talk with your advisor and other faculty mentors, and you can browse job descriptions and job ads for the types of positions you are interested in to find out what they require and desire in job candidates.

Step 2: Cultivate and maintain relationships with your advisor, other faculty, professional supervisors, and your fellow students. Think about cultivating relationships with people both inside your department and institution as well as beyond (such as with people you meet at professional conferences). Not only will this ensure the availability of positive letters of recommendation when the time comes, it will help you to start building a broad professional network that will offer support, information, and opportunities before and after you land a job.

Step 3: Seek out opportunities to build up experiences that will make you an excellent job candidate in your chosen profession. This will often include some breadth and some depth, meaning that you want to be well-rounded (so you have an array of experiences), but that you also have developed expertise in several of the most pertinent areas. Seeking out various clinical, research, teaching, and departmental or professional service activities will not only prepare you to be a better candidate, but also offer you a great opportunity to find out more about what you really love to do so that you are better prepared to assess your level of fit with future professional positions. This includes taking part in those experiences that are required by your program as well as finding supplemental activities that will really make you stand out as candidate and enhance your training. This is especially important if you are interested in getting a job in a field that your graduate program is not specifically training you to work in (e.g., a research consultant at a governmental agency or an administrator at a hospital or clinic). In this scenario, you can seek out ways to volunteer or find summer or part-time employment in those work settings to gain experience and establish professional connections before going on the job market.

One last tip: Remember not to underestimate the value of participating in service activities. These are some of the best ways to build relationships, gain insights and information about the inner workings of the program, and show that you are a contributing member of the professional community. A few ways you can do this include: volunteering at professional conferences, helping to organize department colloquia, offering to serve on departmental or institutional committees, offering to help professors with journal reviews, and offering to help professors write letters of recommendation for undergraduate students with whom you have worked closely. Also, if your department or clinic is hiring new faculty or staff, see if you can be a representative on the hiring committee. Being a part of hiring decisions is a great way to learn what is and is not valued in candidates and their application materials. Even if you can’t be on the committee, attend whichever candidate presentations and meetings you can to see how the sessions run and get more insight into interview processes.

Elizabeth M. Morgan earned her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2008. She was an Assistant Professor in the psychology department at Boise State University in Idaho for four years and is now currently an Assistant Professor in the psychology department at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She is interested in providing graduate students and early professionals with the information they need to be successful job seekers and recently co-authored a book with Dr. R. Eric Landrum titled You’ve Earned Your Doctorate in Psychology, Now What?: Securing a Job As an Academic or Professional Psychologist.

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1. Make it personal.  There is very little in your application, apart from this essay, that really gives directors a feel for who you are as a person; this is entirely different than the credentials you submit that are focused exclusively on your training.  In addition to a good training fit (that I discussed in my last blog entry), directors want to work with someone they feel they can connect with, and this is your opportunity to reveal your personality to them.
2. Do not reiterate your CV.  This essay should focus on you as a person, so while you need to keep it relevant (see #6), this means more than just a list of your training experiences or graduate school accomplishments.  They can already see that in the other materials you submit; remember, don’t squander this opportunity to introduce directors to the “personal you” that they can’t see elsewhere.
3. Be authentic.  Be genuine. Be yourself.  Don’t try to write an essay about something that you think sounds good but isn’t truly authentic; trying to figure out what kind of intern sites are looking for, and trying to create a narrative to fit that, is not a good strategy.  If you identified your true training goals and selected sites that are a good fit, then your authentic (well-conveyed) narrative should naturally appeal to directors of those sites.  When deciding on a focus for the autobiographical essay, consider what you really want to convey to directors, what quality or personal characteristic you possess that makes you uniquely you, and how that contributes to making you a more evolved or self-aware, or uniquely empathic, etc. emerging clinician.
   
   
4. When disclosing, keep it contained, sincere and focused on the positive.  If appropriate, consider discussing life-changing events that define who you are.  Even negative life events such as loss, illness, adversity, etc. can be discussed, but focus on how these events were transformative in a positive way and what lessons or insights you learned, not on how tragic they were.  The emphasis should be on how you coped with it, learned from it, overcame it, and eventually, used it, to become more self-aware and grow from it.    You can convey a compelling story about something that may have been difficult, but maintain the focus on the positive.
5. Be compelling.  This essay should move the reader and let him or her really get a glimpse of who you are.  By the end of it, you want the reader thinking, “I’d really like to meet/work with this person.”  Try to stay away from clichés and the trap of writing about how you were “always interested in psychology” or “everyone always thought I was a good listener.”   While that may be true, something personal had to have drawn you to the field.  If you can identify that, and really create a sincere and engaging narrative about it, while tying it in to your evolution as a psychologist, you will have a more compelling (and successful) essay.
6. Keep it relevant.  Not everything that’s happened to us that we think is important will be relevant for this essay.  Ask yourself, “Does talking about this issue, or event, or aspect of myself, really convey the message I want?” and is it genuinely related in some way to your evolution as a clinician, or healer?  Again, don’t “force” that connection; it should be a natural one.   If it’s not, then reconsider the essay topic.
7. Making it personal without disclosing anything private.  If your interest in psychology was naturally more academic than related to a personal event or circumstance, or you would simply prefer not to talk about your private personal life, that’s ok.  However, it still needs to be a personal essay, so consider some aspect of your work with patients that is genuinely compelling for you, and try to craft an essay around that.  You can start by thinking about a particular patient, or a specific moment with a patient(s) that truly moved you, or validated your desire and the meaning of being a healer.   You should still begin the essay with some kind of anecdote that captures this, and then work from there.  This can also make for a very compelling essay.
8. Engage the reader.  Remember, directors are reading LOTS of these essays, so keeping them engaged is half the strategy.  Having a compelling story with a well written narrative is necessary.  Consider starting with a very engaging, or “seductive” first sentence that can really grab the reader, right from the beginning, and make them want to read on.  It doesn’t have to be a long sentence, and it can even be a quote, a song lyric—anything that captures the essence of your message.  Start with that and build the essay around it.  Make sure to somehow make reference to it at the end too; wrapping up your essay by connecting it back to the beginning is also a good strategy.
9. Write a cohesive essay.  It’s should tell a story about you, with a beginning, middle and end.  Make sure it sends a cohesive message about you.  Try to utilize transitional sentences when bridging topics, and don’t forget a summary statement at the end that ties it all together and really brings your message home.   It should wrap back, at the end, to how this “story” about you ultimately translates into who you are (as a clinician) in the room with the patient.  How is the aspect of yourself you decided to write about an asset as a therapist?  If it’s something transformative that really had an impact on you, chances are you have learned something profound from it about human nature, and about yourself, which helps your understanding of patients—so make sure to state that in some way.
10. Remember the word limit but forget it when writing.  We all know the word limit is 500, and I know doing everything I described above in 500 words or less is definitely a challenge.   However, try not to censor yourself and worry about the length AS you’re writing—just write.  You can edit later.  If you find your essay is way too long, consider whether you need a “hatchet” or “scalpel” approach—that is, can you cut entire sections or sentences without compromising the message or the quality of the writing, or do you perhaps need to go in and condense sentences and be more parsimonious in expressing yourself?  That being said, if you go up to 550 or even 560-ish, that’s ok; no director is going to think you are a “bad” match or that you can’t follow instructions because you went a little over 500 words; it’s a guideline, so use it as such.  Do not make arbitrary cuts simply to reach that number.  As long as it fits onto a single page with 1-inch margins, it should be ok.   Most directors just gauge the length by “eyeballing” it; no one is really counting words.  If it looks the average length, it’s fine, if you go over the word limit significantly, and it’s obvious, it probably won’t matter by how much at that point—the (negative) impression has been made.
11. Don’t forget it’s a writing sample!  Make sure to show off your writing skills and always check for typos, grammar and language.  Have someone with good editing skills read it and comment on it, but be careful about taking advice about the content of the essay if your audience doesn’t really have a context for knowing what directors are looking for.   Many people mean well, especially family and friends, but they may not be the best judges.  If you do want “lay” people—read: non-psychologists or those unconnected to the internship process—review it, then the best way to make the most out of it, rather than simply asking for open-ended feedback, is to give them a lot of context for it, and explain a little bit about what you aim to convey BEFORE they read the essay.  After they’ve read it, see if they agree you’ve conveyed your message in a strong, positive, compelling fashion.

Josephine S. Minardo, Psy.D. is an expert on psychology internship preparation.  She has been running preparation workshops for over a decade and has been successfully coaching psychology internship applicants for several years through Psych Internship Prep, a unique consulting service for psychology graduates students looking for assistance with internship. Dr. Minardo has been involved in, and created, many events that offer advice, strategies and successful tips on applying to internship.  From 2000-2008, she organized the annual New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) Internship Fair, along with presenting her workshop, and Dr. Minardo has also presented internship preparation seminars for several other state psychological associations.

The post APPIC Internship Applications: Making Your Autobiographical Essay Unforgettable appeared first on Time2Track.

to figure out how to provide better services.  The number of assertive therapeutic interventions per session increases only with time and practice.  There are, however, some pitfalls that a beginner therapist can avoid.

At the beginning, I often took a lot of notes on the first session and designed elaborate treatment plans.  Doing all of this at once was as complicated as learning to fly an airplane.  The problem is that I often failed in creating a safe emotional container for the client.  Although finding appropriate techniques and designing remarkable treatment plans were some terrific strategies I learned in school, I wish somebody had pointed out the basic and avoidable mistakes I was making.  I did not understand why some clients canceled sessions or stopped coming altogether.  After more practice, I observed some patterns that

clients showed before they left the treatment, those hidden but normal signals that everybody can see but us.  I was passionate and determined to have a full time private practice (and I had had it for several years in Mexico), so I scheduled myself time with more experienced practitioners to address this challenge.  Hence, if you are reading this post, I will assume you also are a curious and independent learner.  Good for you!  Thus, I will share some lessons learned.  I will also share some ideas for improvement that you can use to work with other cultures.

Common pitfalls of a beginner therapist:

• Focusing on paperwork rather than being present with the client.
• Formulating a diagnostic too soon, sticking to it, or sharing it with the client as your professional opinion rather than exploring the person’s uniqueness.  We never know what a person will do after hearing that he or she “is” bipolar or “has” depression.
• Thinking of the client as an isolated being rather than a person who is part of a family and a social system.  Most out of place behaviors make sense and could be even appropriate when you consider the whole system despite your favorite therapeutic approach.
• Confusing passionate statements and normal life decisions with signals of mental illness. For instance, I often hear sentences like “I want to die” or “I wish I could disappear” from Mexican women.  If I take it as a passionate expression and listen to the need behind the expression, we often get a terrific laugh together after few sessions.  If I take it the American approach, I would probably need to hospitalize them and miss the opportunity to listen to their deepest needs.  As a new American clinician, I do believe in drastic actions in some cases, but sometimes following rules blindly is not the best answer.
• Calling a client Latino (or Asian) rather than being precise about the nationality or origin of the person.
• Not arriving on time or providing low quality services to those who we see in public agencies.  Being an intern or in practicum is a perfect excuse to practice high quality services.
• Confusing being bilingual with being culturally sensitive.  Speaking the language of the client does not make you expert in his or her culture.  Some of my Spanish-speaking clients are grateful when
  cialis online

  I ask about the traditions of their hometowns.

• Rushing into a CPS report.  Using clinical judgment before doing a CPS report in a Latino family is a terrific idea.  Most chances of mistreatment are preventable once the person learns better strategies of communication.  Do not take me wrong: I am the first to run to CPS when someone is in immediate danger.  However, I had a colleague that did a CPS when a girl said to him in her broken English that her father hit her the night before. Of course, the police immediately went to the family’s home only to find out the girl was coughing and the father stroked her chest to help.  The problem is that the family is undocumented, and this report made the family afraid of coming back to therapy.  The whole situation could have been avoided by speaking with the parents first.  I believe there is a stereotype about Mexican men being potential abusers, and I may be wrong. What I do know, however, is that machismo is not in every Mexican family; trust me!
• Failing to reflect back the presenting problem in his or her words.
• Failing in memorizing most of the specifics of the client’s situation.  Forgetting names and situations that clients told us in previous sessions is a common mistake.  Just admit you forgot it and say you are sorry.  It is as simple as that.
• Charging low fees. Actually, low fees could be a signal for the client that you are not confident in the service you provide.  At the beginning I felt sorry for my clients and believed I was here to save the world; therefore, I charged low fees. Yet, I often listened to their expensive hobbies in therapy while I was a starving recent graduate.  It would be better to have a percentage of pro-bono clients or donate some money to the community if you want to be helpful.  By the way, I did not learn how to be assertive on my fees from other psychologists; I learned this from dentists, lawyers, and businesspeople.  Keep in mind that our profession is relatively new in the market and we need to learn from other fields.
• Getting scared when a client questions your ability as a therapist.  When a client tries to intimidate me with questions about my expertise, I do my best to not take it personally and respond freely.  If I do not know what to do in a session, I will sincerely admit it.  Yes, after so many years, I still at times have no idea how to treat some clients.  Acknowledging my inabilities sets me free to do a referral or to train myself in a new topic.

The client may soon leave the treatment if he or she. . .

• Is quiet most of the time and you have talked more than 50% of the time.
• Agrees with 90% or more of what you say.
• Is clearly not prioritizing the treatment whether on monetary or time issues.
• Corrects you several times about the specifics of her case or the way you rephrase it.
• Shares the disagreement of other family members about coming to therapy particularly those who are a figure of authority.
• Tells you that he or she will show up late the next session or will not come without an important excuse.  The 24-hour cancellation policy is an excellent way to prevent this.  I often talk about the normal resistance when we are deepening the process so they are prepared to identify it and still show up.

Practical considerations to maintain a long-standing therapeutic relationship:

• Be present during the session.  It is better to listen than to offer elaborate conclusions.
• Make a call 15 minutes after a no show.  Follow-up phone calls are a great tool. Expressing your concern if the client leaves the treatment without telling you is OK.  I often ask the person if they would like to continue or if they would rather not receive any phone calls from me.  In the Latino community this is considered a friendly gesture from your doctor.  During the phone call, try to be genuinely curious about the reasons and do not take it personally.  If possible, make an appointment for the next session.
• Explain the differences between an informal conversation with friends and therapy.
• Be clear about confidentiality and mandatory reports.
• Explain the importance of being on time and do not compensate the time of their session they lost.  Be gentle about it; blame your busy schedule if you wish.
• Be clear about payments and do not let late fees accumulate beyond one or two payments. Talk about lowering the price if the client is in temporarily need or suspend the treatment.  They will have better commitment if they come back.
• Clients may cancel because they have family commitments.  Remember, the family is crucial to Latino community, so do not take it personally.
• Explain the difference between psychotherapy and other medical visits.  Frequently my new clients think they need only to attend when they are in crisis but do not know about the benefits of continuity in their treatment.  In my experience, once my clients learn about therapy, they will be committed.
• Answer as best as you can any personal questions a Latino client may ask you.  They may find it rude if you do not answer whether you are married or have kids.  I often answer and gently go back to their topic.  Later on, I will casually remain them of therapeutic boundaries or explain to them that being concerned about me can be a distraction in their treatment.  Remember:  Latino clients may consider you part of their family and want to know you are ok.
• Be assertive with your fees.  Do your homework and research fees and policies of other colleagues in your area. Have a list of low fee agencies to refer clients if needed.

I hope you find your new career positively challenging.  Question or comments?  Feel free to write to me at counselingmexicans@yahoo.com or comment on this post.  Do not forget to share or like this article on Facebook.

The post Please Come Back! appeared first on Time2Track.

1. Never lose sight of the “match!” Ensuring the right fit with a site is the most essential part of putting together a successful application.  You need to remain in this “match” mindset throughout the process, even when anxiety runs high and you begin to thinking you would go to any internship that accepted you.  You don’t want just any internship—you want the right internship, and no matter how much less competitive a site may be, they also don’t want just any intern, they want the best match for their site.  So make sure you select internships that would actually be a good match, not just ones you think might be “easier.”
2. Know your training goals.  Understanding what you really want from an internship is such a crucial first step. Once you identify your training needs and interests, it becomes easier to articulate why you are good fit with a site.  Use your training goals and the goodness of fit with a site as the benchmark for making strategic decisions.  Whenever you’re unsure of what to do, ask yourself, “Will this lead to me getting the best match?” or is it just a distraction, or some well-meaning but perhaps misguided advice.
3. Don’t play the “numbers game.” This is NOT a good strategy.  Applying to a large number of sites does not necessarily increase your chances of getting an internship; the stats support this.  When you apply to too many sites (say, more than 18 to 20) you begin to compromise quality for quantity, so focus your efforts where they’ll count!  Work smarter, not harder.
4. Don’t try to fake it!  Directors can tell when someone is just applying everywhere.  Remember, you are dealing with psychologists–they can “read between the lines” when they review materials.  The lack of genuine enthusiasm and articulation of exactly how their site can meet your needs and interests will definitely show if you are applying to sites that aren’t a good fit.  And “forcing” a fit when there really isn’t one can also be a waste of everyone’s time, and more importantly, it can keep you from spending time perfecting those applications where you truly are the best match.
5. Let directors know what the site can offer you.  Directors don’t just want someone who has already been trained in what they do. They also want to train you, so let them know what you’ve got (what you bring to the site), but also let them know what you’re looking for (what the site can offer you).  Highlighting both in your materials, and especially in your cover letter, is what will lead you to a better match.

About Dr. Minardo

I have been helping psychology graduate students successfully apply to internship since I was a graduate student myself, back in the late 1990s.  It began when I first became acquainted with the internship application process.  The matching process was very new at that time—I was among the 2nd cohort to experience it—and while that appeared to be an improvement over the prior system of uniform phone notification, the process still left much to be desired.  It was, and IS, a very stressful endeavor, and matching to internship was getting increasingly more competitive while getting good advice was tough to come by.  The training community still did not appear accustomed to having students not match to an internship, so at that time, it wasn’t doing much differently.  Conventional wisdom dictated that if you were a good student with good training and good clinical skills, there wasn’t any reason in the world why you wouldn’t match to an internship.  You see, this wasn’t always a problem.  Yet, within a few short years, it was becoming apparent to everyone that as the number of graduate students in psychology increased, the number of internship positions just couldn’t keep pace…and didn’t!  Enter the “imbalance,” which we are now calling a “crisis.”

While things were not as bad as they are today back when I began developing resources—for students, by students—it was clear applicants really needed more concrete help and guidance in the application process. There wasn’t much out there so, already being a student advocate/leader (in the NY State Psychological Association), I began offering workshops, later folding them into the long-running Internship Fair.  It seemed to really help, especially providing samples of materials and walking students through each step of the process with the goal of getting the best match.  It wouldn’t take long for someone to ask me if I consulted with students individually.  At that point, I didn’t; I was focused on providing the live workshops, but after being approached a few more times, I couldn’t ignore the need.  Certainly, it was unconventional, but since no one else was offering that, and the need was so great, why not use my expertise one-on-one with students in addition to group presentations?  And so it began.

Given the ongoing paucity of relevant and reliable internship preparation resources and the finite number of students live workshops can serve, I have recognized the need to reach a broader audience to really serve the training community.  Through Psych Internship Prep, I continue to share my knowledge and expertise with students everywhere, and personal consultations and webinars (once live workshops) are now available virtually. This vital information, previously only accessible by attending annual events, is now available at your fingertips whenever you may need it. Hence, one of my mantras: You don’t have to do it alone.™

To offer a little more background on me, I also have a long-standing history of leadership and advocacy as a graduate student, and later as an Early Career Psychologist (ECP) advocate.  Through the years, I have been providing lots of really useful and relevant information—posting information on listservs, responding to students’ requests, holding internship events, creating give away packets of information, etc.—always lending my expertise to as many students as possible.

And since beginning this journey as a student over 15 years ago, I have held numerous (NY) state and national (APA) leadership positions advocating for student, ECP and professional issues since 1997. I served on the NY Executive Committee and Council of Representatives, and was the Chair of the APA’s ECP Committee (CECP).  I also served on APA’s Committee of State Leaders (CSL) and continue to serve on the Executive Board of APA Division 31 (State Affairs).  Furthermore, I have been involved with a New York State caucus of Internship, Externship and University Training Directors for several years.

In addition to internship preparation consulting, at present, I serve as the current Executive Director of the New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA) and maintain a small independent practice specializing in behavioral medicine.  From 2006-2010, I was also Assistant Clinical Professor in the Dept. of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

I think I will always be an advocate for psychology graduate students, because I’m invested in the future of this profession, and we need to get it right from the beginning, and provide the resources and strategies for our future psychologists to not only survive, but to succeed and thrive in their careers.

Josephine S. Minardo, Psy.D. is an expert on psychology internship preparation.  She has been running preparation workshops for over a decade and has been successfully coaching psychology internship applicants for several years through Psych Internship Prep, a unique consulting service for psychology graduates students looking for assistance with internship. Dr. Minardo has been involved in, and created, many events that offer advice, strategies and successful tips on applying to internship.  From 2000-2008, she organized the annual New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA) Internship Fair, along with presenting her workshop, and Dr. Minardo has also presented internship preparation seminars for several other state psychological associations.

The post APPIC Internship Application Season has Begun! appeared first on Time2Track.

Professional growth

Studies into the reasons why therapists choose their work and stay in the profession have shown that there is a widespread desire amongst the therapist community to continue learning.  Professional growth is one of the main areas that therapists attribute to preventing burn out and keeping their focus.  There are always new ideas and developments emerging in our field, and as part of what we do, we are always encouraging people to learn more in order to grow and develop as a person. So inevitably that is something we also should be doing ourselves.

Setting goals

Most jobs or study courses have a set of goals as part of an on-going assessment scheme.  However, for personal and professional development many therapists choose to set goals in addition to the ones required by their supervisor or job.  These are likely to include longer-term career goals, such as working towards specializing in a particular field, and short-term goals, associated with current performance.  Setting goals as therapists enables us to ensure we are meeting our professional standards, doing the best for our clients, and meeting the requirements for licensing, such as legitimized hours.  When you are working toward becoming licensed, it can be useful to identify areas where you can make the most of your time or find new ways to accumulate the professional hours you need.  By setting goals for accumulating your hours most effectively you can take some of the stress and uncertainty out of the process of meeting the license requirements.

Networking

An essential part of continuing to develop as a therapist is to network with fellow professionals.  Therapists often work in isolation but by finding ways to meet with other professionals and students who are in a similar position you can discuss issues you have encountered and share ideas.  Your supervisor or local professional association should be able to help connect you with peers who can offer mutual support and help you with issues arising from your casework, administration or professional conduct.  In addition to peer groups, there is a wealth of knowledge and experience to be drawn upon from senior colleagues and supervisors.  Attending seminars, workshops and conferences will give you the opportunity to widen your network and benefit from the broader input.

Establishing wealth

If you are considering setting up your own practice, make sure you have a business plan, take advice, look carefully at your costs before setting your charges, take a look at local competition and price accordingly. Consider what your unique selling point is and how you can market yourself.  For any therapist, self employed or otherwise, it is worth reflecting on your views on wealth and what you want to be able to do with the money you earn.  Therapists do not come into the profession in order to become wealthy, but it is important to ensure you do not sell yourself short either.

Credibility and success

By meeting your code of ethics and adhering to the professional standards expected in your field, you are constantly building your credibility.  Joining an association or gaining additional qualifications demonstrates you have met certain standards and this will further build your credibility.  Through successful networking and good reviews from clients or contracting organizations, you can develop a reputation as an effective and reliable professional, which is invaluable in our field of work.  Continue to take feedback from clients and other colleagues; it is an essential part of your development.  Testimony from satisfied clients and colleagues not only demonstrates your credibility to employers and potential customers, but also gives you the satisfaction and sense of success, which is the ultimate reward for a difficult, committed, multidisciplinary job.

Dr. Wendy M. Schwartz is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Brentwood, California.  She has worked in various settings with over fifteen years of experience in the community.  Dr. Schwartz is the author of Teens & Technology: Helping Teens Connect in a Disconnected World which is available as a free downloadable eBook on her website, DrWendySchwartz.com.

The post Developing as a Therapist appeared first on Time2Track.

/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/latino-professionals.jpg” alt=”Time 2 Track: Using interpreters in therapy” width=”250″ height=”421″ />Can you imagine being in a therapy session where whatever you are saying is just incomprehensible buzz to your client? What a difficult situation to encounter after all your hard training! Now imagine a client struggling with an emotional crisis, and think of the extra effort required to explain the situation in an unfamiliar language. What a serious situation to be in! If you think this post does not apply to you, I have a few questions before you leave this webpage: Have you ever avoided a counseling situation because the client did not speak English? If needed, do you know how to choose an interpreter and the basics of working with him or her? Are you aware of the legal aspects of using an interpreter in a therapy session? With the rapidly growing population of Latino and Asian immigrants in this country, this soon may be a challenge difficult to avoid in your career.

A few years ago, I was not fluent in English; thus, in my roles as both a client and a family counselor, I often relied on interpreters. I have gained some experience based on trial and error. Through research, I have learned of some pitfalls as well as useful resources that I will happily share with you here. I believe that as counselors, we need to know the basics, but not many diversity classes include this important topic. So here we go!

When to Use an Interpreter

“Interpreter” is the correct term for spoken interactions whereas “translator” refers to the written form. The use of an interpreter’s service is recommended when one of the parties involved in the counseling session has limited proficiency with the language of the other. Notice I did not say, “when the client has limited English proficiency,” as the literature suggests. We live in a multicultural country where monolingual English speakers may soon be a minority. After all, it is in the best interests of the therapist and the client to be understood, and the interpreter serves both parties equally. Having this perspective may also help us to be more compassionate during bilingual sessions (DeAngelis, 2010; Hamerdinger & Karlin, 2003).

Choosing the Right Interpretation Services

A traditional way of providing interpretation services has been to ask family members of the client to interpret, which could be children, partners, friends, or bilingual staff members. Even though this seems like a practical solution that can even save money for the institution or the client, there are also some downsides to consider. If you ask a child to interpret, it maybe difficult for him or her to comprehend what has been said or to not listen to private information that belongs only to the parents. Older children may often deliberately misinterpret; I often hear interpretations from my Hispanic teen clients, such as “F means fantástico,” when explaining their grades to their parents. It is especially

difficult if the interpreter is an abusive partner. Bilingual staff members may be helpful and want to do their best, but you must remember that clients can be easily hurt by insensitive facial expressions that an untrained interpreter may exhibit. The good news is that more universities are offering specific training for counseling interpretation (for more info, click here).

Practical considerations when working with an interpreter

• Have a meeting with the interpreter prior to the counseling session to ask for certification, previous experiences, and suggestions.
• Discuss some terminology with the interpreter and explain some expected clients’ emotional reactions.
• Plan for extra time. Diagnosis and testing may take longer in these cases.
• Ensure that the interpreter has a confidentiality agreement and ask the interpreter to explain his or her confidentiality agreement to the client. Be aware that the interpreter may be requested to appear in court if you do this. In that case the first question should address his or her credentials.
• Ask the interpreter to sit on your side of the room so that you are able to better see and speak to your client directly.
• Speak in short sentences but keep a steady pace. Speaking too slow may hinder the process, while speaking too fast may negatively affect the interpreter’s accuracy. Feel free to ask for repetition or clarification of words or sentences. This may help the client, too.
• Be prepared to discuss with your client the impact of a third person in the room.
• If possible, keep the same interpreter during the course of treatment.
• Meet with the interpreter after the session for discussion of idiomatic expressions or any other cultural information you may need.

A Third Person in the Room

Experienced therapists admit that while neutrality as a counselor is the ultimate goal, it can be very difficult to achieve in reality. Therefore, expect some biases during interpretation and be compassionate and alert to non-verbal communications. Transference and counter transference will also apply for the interpreter. Thus, the client may have some expectations about alliances that can be addressed as they arise. It is your responsibility to hold the space and structure of the meeting since the interpreter is not a co-therapist and should not be held accountable for that. Keep in mind that an untrained interpreter may end up hindering the process rather than helping.

Caring for the Interpreter

It is your responsibility to lead the discussion due to the fact that, again, the interpreter is not a co-therapist and should not be held accountable for any part of the process. Ultimately, you are responsible for the session’s safety and success. You may protest: “Do I need to take care of him or her also?” Mhmm… I almost heard myself as a child when my mom held me responsible for my siblings. The answer: YES! And presumably, you took care of yourself before showing up for the session. It is good practice to ask the interpreter whether he or she is working on personal issues that arise during sessions. It may also be helpful to pause the session from time to time for the interpreter to take a deep breath. Allowing private time for debrief at the end is additionally beneficial. Of course, the interpreter should not share any personal opinion that may lead to unprofessional gossip. Then again, listening to his or her professional opinion about cultural issues in language is appropriate.

Develop Cultural Competency for Your Client

The use of an interpreter does not substitute for the need for you to be culturally appropriate. Previous research suggests that better results can be obtained when we understand how a happy and whole person may appear in that person’s culture. Ignoring this may result in setting biased therapeutic goals.

The Use of Interpreters in Group Therapy and Psycho-Educational Group

An interpreter can be used in a group therapy if the group is small enough. From my experience, most groups end up adopting the interpreter as part of the group dynamic. I have tried different methods, such as sitting the interpreter next to me, next to the particular client who needs it, behind me, behind the group, etc. I am playful with it and allow for feedback from all. I have often taken moments to be with the client and the interpreter separately in order to save time for the group. However, there is not much literature available about this topic.

Something I still wonder about is the question of who pays for the services of the interpreter in private practice, but I would rather leave this question open for your comments.

Lastly, I will say: With enthusiasm, patience, and a sense of humor, high quality bilingual sessions can be done. Therefore, after obtaining the appropriate interpretation service, you do not have to let language be a limitation when you are the best option the client has at the moment.

Questions or comments? Comment on this post or write to me at counselingmexicans@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to share this on Facebook

or Twitter!

Helpful Links

• Found in Translation: a related article from the APA
• Quality indicators for educators
• Questions from monolingual therapists
• Interpreter training programs

References

DeAngelis, T. (2010). Found in Translation. Monitor on Psychology, 41(2), 52. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/02/translation.aspx

Hamerdinger, S., & Karlin, B. (2003). Therapy Using Interpreters: Questions on the Use of Interpreters in Therapeutic Setting for Monolingual Therapists. Retrieved from http://health.utah.gov/cdc/tbrefugee/refugee/Therapy%20Using%20Interpreters.pdf

Santiago-Rivera, A. L., Arredondo, P., & Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2002) Counseling Latinos and la familia: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Carmen Roman, MS, is a licensed psychologist in Mexico with a MS in Gestalt Therapy and is currently working toward licensure in the United States. Carmen is an intern in the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California.

The post From Hola to Hello: The Informed Use of Interpreters in Counseling appeared first on Time2Track.

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/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/latino-professionals.jpg” alt=”Time 2 Track: Using interpreters in therapy” width=”250″ height=”421″ />Imagina que estás en una sesión de terapia donde lo que dices es incomprensible para tu cliente. Que situación tan difícil después de tu duro entrenamiento! Ahora imagina a tu cliente quién en medio de una situación emocional se esfuerza para explicarse en un idioma que no le es familiar. Que situación tan seria! Si tu crees que esta entrada no es para ti, tengo unas cuantas preguntas antes de que abandones esta página: ¿Alguna vez evitaste alguna sesión porque tu cliente no habla español? ¿En caso necesario, sabes como escoger un intérprete y trabajar con él o ella? ¿Estás al tanto de los aspectos legales de usar un intérprete en terapia? Con el crecimiento rápido de inmigrantes a este país, ésta pronto puede ser una situación inevitable en tu carrera.

Hace algunos años, yo no hablaba muy bien el Inglés y, en el rol de cliente o de consejero de familia varias veces confíe en intérpretes para comunicarme. Gane alguna experiencia a base de aciertos y errores. Investigando, he aprendido algunos peligros y recursos que encantada compartiré contigo aquí. Ahora creo que, como consejeros debemos saber al menos lo básico pero no muchas clases de diversidad incluyen el tema, así que aquí vamos!

Cuándo Usar un Intérprete

“Intérprete” es el termino correcto para las interacciones habladas, “traductor” se refiere a interacciones escritas. El uso de un intérprete se recomienda cuando alguien en la sesión de terapia tiene limitaciones en el lenguaje que usa el otro. Nota que no dije, “cuando el cliente tiene limitación del lenguaje” como la literatura sugiere. Vivimos en una sociedad multicultural donde quienes hablan una sola lengua podrían pronto ser la minoría. Después de todo, es en el mejor interés del terapeuta darse a entender, así que el intérprete sirve a las dos partes. Tener esta perspectiva diferente nos puede ayudar a ser más compasivos durante las sesiones bilingües. (DeAngelis, 2010; Hamerdinger & Karlin, 2003).

Escogiendo los Servicios de Interpretación Correctos

Algunas formas tradicionales han sido pedir a los miembros de familia del cliente (algunas veces a un niño o la pareja), amigos, o miembros bilingües de la institución. Aunque estas parecen soluciones prácticas, e incluso podemos ahorrarle dinero al cliente o a la institución, hay algunos efectos negativos a considerar. Si le pides a un niño que intérprete a sus padres, puede ser que lo que se esta diciendo puede estar mas allá de su comprensión o es información privada. Los hijos más grandes algunas veces puede deliberadamente malinterpretar. Con frecuencia escucho interpretaciones de mis clientes hispanos como: “F significa fantástico” refiriéndose a sus calificaciones. No mejora mucho la situación cuando el que interpreta es la pareja que abusa del cliente. Miembros bilingües del equipo pueden ser de ayuda y quieren hacer lo mejor pero recuerda que el cliente puede ser fácilmente lastimado por gestos insensibles que un intérprete sin entrenamiento puede hacer. La buena noticia es que más universidades ofrecen entrenamiento especifico para interpretación en consejería (Para mas información ve a las ligas útiles de APA al final).

Consideraciones Prácticas al Trabajar con un Intérprete

• Reúnete con el intérprete antes de la sesión de consejería. Pregunta por su certificación, su experiencia previa y algunas sugerencias que te pueda dar.
• Discute alguna terminología y explícale las emociones o reacciones que el cliente podría tener.
• Planea tiempo extra. El diagnóstico y la evaluación psicológica pueden tardar más en estos casos.
• Asegúrate que el intérprete firma un acuerdo de confidencialidad y habla sobre el tema con el cliente. Si a ti se te pide presentarte a la corte, puede ser que al intérprete también se le pida y en este caso, la primer pregunta podría ser acerca de sus credenciales.
• Pide al intérprete que se siente a tu lado, así podrás ver a tu cliente de frente.
• Habla en frases cortas y guarda un ritmo constante. Hablar demasiado lento o rápido puede afectar el proceso o afectar la exactitud de la traducción. Siéntete libre de pedir que se repita lo que no entiendas. Esto también ayudara al cliente a hacer lo mismo.
• Prepárate para discutir el impacto de una tercera persona en la sala en caso de ser necesario.
• De ser posible, mantén al mismo intérprete durante todo el proceso del cliente.
• Reúnete con el intérprete al final para discutir expresiones idiomáticas o alguna información cultural que puedas necesitar.

Una Tercera Persona en la Sala

Terapeutas experimentados admiten que la propia neutralidad es el objetivo final pero muy difícil de alcanzar. Entonces espera algunos prejuicios incluso de los intérpretes expertos y mantente alerta al lenguaje no verbal. También, el cliente podría tener algunas expectativas acerca de alianzas que pueden ser discutidas conforme aparecen. Transferencia y contra transferencia también aplica para el o la intérprete. Ten en viagra price cuenta que un intérprete mal entrenado puede perjudicar tu trabajo en vez de ayudar.

El Cuidado Hacia el Intérprete

Es tu responsabilidad guiar el contenido debido a que el o la intérprete no es co-terapeuta y no debe hacerse cargo de ninguna parte del proceso. Bien, tal vez ahora quieras protestar: “Es también mi responsabilidad cuidar del intérprete?” Mmjmm, casi escucho mi voz cuando era niña y mi mama me hacia responsable por mis hermanas. SI! Y presuntamente ya has cuidado de ti antes de venir a la sesión. Es una buena práctica preguntar al intérprete si esta recibiendo la ayuda necesaria en caso de que un conflicto personal surja. También, puede ser de gran ayuda pausar de vez en cuando para que el intérprete respire profundo. Permitir tiempo extra al final para confortarle puede ser de beneficio. Desde luego, el intérprete no debe compartir ninguna opinión personal que pueda ser cuchicheo no profesional. Sin embargo, escuchar su opinión profesional acerca de cuestiones culturales en el lenguaje es apropiado.

Desarrolla Competencia Cultural

El uso de un intérprete no substituye tu competencia en la cultura de tu cliente. Investigaciones previas sugieren que resultados mejores se pueden obtener cuando entendemos como una persona feliz y completa luce en esa cultura. Si ignoramos esto, nuestros objetivos pueden ser prejuiciosos.

El Uso de Intérpretes en Terapia de Grupo y Grupos Psico-Educativos

Un intérprete puede funcionar muy bien si el grupo es suficientemente pequeño. En mi experiencia, la mayoría de los grupos adoptan el o la intérprete como parte de la dinámica. He tratado diferentes formas: Sentar al intérprete junto a mi, junto al o la cliente, atrás de mi, o atrás del grupo, etc. Juego con la situación y permito retroalimentación de los participantes. Con frecuencia tomo tiempo extra con el o la cliente y el o la intérprete para ahorrar tiempo al

non prescription cialis

grupo. No hay mucho de este tema en la literatura.

Aun me pregunto quien debería pagar por el servicio de interpretación en la práctica privada pero eso es algo que dejo abierto para tus comentarios.

 

Finalmente quiero decir: Con entusiasmo, paciencia, y sentido del humor, sesiones bilingües de alta calidad pueden ser ofrecidas. Entonces, después de obtener los servicios de interpretación apropiados, no dejes que el lenguaje sea tu limitación cuando tú eres la mejor opción que el cliente tiene en ese momento.

 

¿Preguntas o comentarios? Escribe a counselingmexicans@yahoo.com o comenta en este entrada. Si lo disfrutaste, no olvides darle un “me gusta” o compartir este artículo en Facebook!

 

Ligas útiles en Inglés

• Found in Translation: a related article from the APA
• Quality indicators for educators
• Questions from monolingual therapists
• Interpreter training programs

Referencias

DeAngelis, T. (2010). Found in Translation. Monitor on Psychology, 41(2), 52. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/02/translation.aspx

Hamerdinger, S., & Karlin, B. (2003). Therapy Using Interpreters: Questions on the Use of Interpreters in Therapeutic Setting for Monolingual Therapists. Retrieved from http://health.utah.gov/cdc/tbrefugee/refugee/Therapy%20Using%20Interpreters.pdf

Santiago-Rivera, A. L., Arredondo, P., & Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2002) Counseling Latinos and la familia: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Carmen Roman, MS, is a licensed psychologist in Mexico with a MS in Gestalt Therapy and is currently working toward licensure in the United States. Carmen is an intern in the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California.

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Imagina que estás en una sesión de terapia donde lo que dices es incomprensible para tu cliente. Que situación tan difícil después de tu duro entrenamiento! Ahora imagina a tu cliente quién en medio de una situación emocional se esfuerza para explicarse en un idioma que no le es familiar. Que situación tan seria! Si tu crees que esta entrada no es para ti, tengo unas cuantas preguntas antes de que abandones esta página: ¿Alguna vez evitaste alguna sesión porque tu cliente no habla español? ¿En caso necesario, sabes como escoger un intérprete y trabajar con él o ella? ¿Estás al tanto de los aspectos legales de usar un intérprete en terapia? Con el crecimiento rápido de inmigrantes a este país, ésta pronto puede ser una situación inevitable en tu carrera.
Hace algunos años, yo no hablaba muy bien el Inglés y, en el rol de cliente o de consejero de familia varias veces confíe en intérpretes para comunicarme. Gane alguna experiencia a base de aciertos y errores. Investigando, he aprendido algunos peligros y recursos que encantada compartiré contigo aquí. Ahora creo que, como consejeros debemos saber al menos lo básico pero no muchas clases de diversidad incluyen el tema, así que aquí vamos!
Cuándo Usar un Intérprete
“Intérprete” es el termino correcto para las interacciones habladas, “traductor” se refiere a interacciones escritas. El uso de un intérprete se recomienda cuando alguien en la sesión de terapia tiene limitaciones en el lenguaje que usa el otro. Nota que no dije, “cuando el cliente tiene limitación del lenguaje” como la literatura sugiere. Vivimos en una sociedad multicultural donde quienes hablan una sola lengua podrían pronto ser la minoría. Después de todo, es en el mejor interés del terapeuta darse a entender, así que el intérprete sirve a las dos partes. Tener esta perspectiva diferente nos puede ayudar a ser más compasivos durante las sesiones bilingües. (DeAngelis, 2010; Hamerdinger & Karlin, 2003).
Escogiendo los Servicios de Interpretación Correctos
Algunas formas tradicionales han sido pedir a los miembros de familia del cliente (algunas veces a un niño o la pareja), amigos, o miembros bilingües de la institución. Aunque estas parecen soluciones prácticas, e incluso podemos ahorrarle dinero al cliente o a la institución, hay algunos efectos negativos a considerar. Si le pides a un niño que intérprete a sus padres, puede ser que lo que se esta diciendo puede estar mas allá de su comprensión o es información privada. Los hijos más grandes algunas veces puede deliberadamente malinterpretar. Con frecuencia escucho interpretaciones de mis clientes hispanos como: “F significa fantástico” refiriéndose a sus calificaciones. No mejora mucho la situación cuando el que interpreta es la pareja que abusa del cliente. Miembros bilingües del equipo pueden ser de ayuda y quieren hacer lo mejor pero recuerda que el cliente puede ser fácilmente lastimado por gestos insensibles que un intérprete sin entrenamiento puede hacer. La buena noticia es que más universidades ofrecen entrenamiento especifico para interpretación en consejería (Para mas información ve a las ligas útiles de APA al final).
Consideraciones Prácticas al Trabajar con un Intérprete
Reúnete con el intérprete antes de la sesión de consejería. Pregunta por su certificación, su experiencia previa y algunas sugerencias que te pueda dar.
Discute alguna terminología y explícale las emociones o reacciones que el cliente podría tener.
Planea tiempo extra. El diagnóstico y la evaluación psicológica pueden tardar más en estos casos.
Asegúrate que el intérprete firma un acuerdo de confidencialidad y habla sobre el tema con el cliente. Si a ti se te pide presentarte a la corte, puede ser que al intérprete también se le pida y en este caso, la primer pregunta podría ser acerca de sus credenciales.
Pide al intérprete que se siente a tu lado, así podrás ver a tu cliente de frente.
Habla en frases cortas y guarda un ritmo constante. Hablar demasiado lento o rápido puede afectar el proceso o afectar la exactitud de la traducción. Siéntete libre de pedir que se repita lo que no entiendas. Esto también ayudara al cliente a hacer lo mismo.
Prepárate para discutir el impacto de una tercera persona en la sala en caso de ser necesario.
De ser posible, mantén al mismo intérprete durante todo el proceso del cliente.
Reúnete con el intérprete al final para discutir expresiones idiomáticas o alguna información cultural que puedas necesitar.
Una Tercera Persona en la Sala
Terapeutas experimentados admiten que la propia neutralidad es el objetivo final pero muy difícil de alcanzar. Entonces espera algunos prejuicios incluso de los intérpretes expertos y mantente alerta al lenguaje no verbal. También, el cliente podría tener algunas expectativas acerca de alianzas que pueden ser discutidas conforme aparecen. Transferencia y contra transferencia también aplica para el o la intérprete. Ten en cuenta que un intérprete mal entrenado puede perjudicar tu trabajo en vez de ayudar.
El Cuidado Hacia el Intérprete
Es tu responsabilidad guiar el contenido debido a que el o la intérprete no es co-terapeuta y no debe hacerse cargo de ninguna parte del proceso. Bien, tal vez ahora quieras protestar: “Es también mi responsabilidad cuidar del intérprete?” Mmjmm, casi escucho mi voz cuando era niña y mi mama me hacia responsable por mis hermanas. SI! Y presuntamente ya has cuidado de ti antes de venir a la sesión. Es una buena práctica preguntar al intérprete si esta recibiendo la ayuda necesaria en caso de que un conflicto personal surja. También, puede ser de gran ayuda pausar de vez en cuando para que el intérprete respire profundo. Permitir tiempo extra al final para confortarle puede ser de beneficio. Desde luego, el intérprete no debe compartir ninguna opinión personal que pueda ser cuchicheo no profesional. Sin embargo, escuchar su opinión profesional acerca de cuestiones culturales en el lenguaje es apropiado.
Desarrolla Competencia Cultural
El uso de un intérprete no substituye tu competencia en la cultura de tu cliente. Investigaciones previas sugieren que resultados mejores se pueden obtener cuando entendemos como una persona feliz y completa luce en esa cultura. Si ignoramos esto, nuestros objetivos pueden ser prejuiciosos.
El Uso de Intérpretes en Terapia de Grupo y Grupos Psico-Educativos
Un intérprete puede funcionar muy bien si el grupo es suficientemente pequeño. En mi experiencia, la mayoría de los grupos adoptan el o la intérprete como parte de la dinámica. He tratado diferentes formas: Sentar al intérprete junto a mi, junto al o la cliente, atrás de mi, o atrás del grupo, etc. Juego con la situación y permito retroalimentación de los participantes. Con frecuencia tomo tiempo extra con el o la cliente y el o la intérprete para ahorrar tiempo al grupo. No hay mucho de este tema en la literatura.
Aun me pregunto quien debería pagar por el servicio de interpretación en la práctica privada pero eso es algo que dejo abierto para tus comentarios.

Finalmente quiero decir: Con entusiasmo, paciencia, y sentido del humor, sesiones bilingües de alta calidad pueden ser ofrecidas. Entonces, después de obtener los servicios de interpretación apropiados, no dejes que el lenguaje sea tu limitación cuando tú eres la mejor opción que el cliente tiene en ese momento.

¿Preguntas o comentarios? Escribe a counselingmexicans@yahoo.com o comenta en este entrada. Si lo disfrutaste, no olvides darle un “me gusta” o compartir este artículo en Facebook!

Ligas útiles en Inglés
Found in Translation: a related article from the APA
Quality indicators for educators
Questions from monolingual therapists
Interpreter training programs

Referencias
DeAngelis, T. (2010). Found in Translation. Monitor on Psychology, 41(2), 52. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/02/translation.aspx
Hamerdinger, S., & Karlin, B. (2003). Therapy Using Interpreters: Questions on the Use of Interpreters in Therapeutic Setting for Monolingual Therapists. Retrieved from http://health.utah.gov/cdc/tbrefugee/refugee/Therapy%20Using%20Interpreters.pdf
Santiago-Rivera, A. L., Arredondo, P., & Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2002) Counseling Latinos and la familia: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Carmen Roman, MS, is a licensed psychologist in Mexico with a MS in Gestalt Therapy and is currently working toward licensure in the United States. Carmen is an intern in the PhD Clinical Psychology program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in California.

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