Practice What You Preach

We just completed week 3 with our outstanding intern, Alisabeth!  I am so excited to begin this new endeavor as an internship supervisor! It’s thrilling to be in this influential role, though it has been a little daunting and challenging at points.

I’m in a role where I’m teaching someone what I know about my profession and helping to shape them into the professional they want to be.  My internship was one of the most formative experiences of my professional life. So, maybe it’s just me, but I see this a very important role that I take seriously.  My style may be a little different in that I try to be 100% open and honest with my intern, but I like to maintain that they are a real person and adult that can be treated as such.

music therapy intern orrientation

With that in mind, I try to be a “real” person around her: I try to be honest when I’m not feeling great, or when a session is a struggle, or when I’m really excited about a client’s progress, etc. I think it’s good for her to see the human aspect of running a business and working as a professional and know that it isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. I think being honest with her allows her to be more honest with me, opening up the doors to more opportunities to learn and grow.

This role has also pushed me to be a better therapist by practicing what I preach daily. In internship we talk about being timely with documentation, establishing/revising appropriate and realistic goals, reading, researching, creating new materials, being in the moment, and self care.

I’ve been pushing myself to follow the same guidelines I’d like my intern to follow and set the best example I can.  I believe it makes me a more understanding supervisor if I hold myself to the same standards.  It pushes me to continue learning and growing along with my intern and holds me accountable to the same set of standards I establish for others.

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I’m so excited to see where the next few months will lead! Follow Alisabeth’s journey as she makes weekly blog post’s on the Listen and Learn for Learders page.

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