Intern Profile – Colleen

My name is Colleen. I am from Frankfort, Illinois. I interned at Porter Starke Services, the local community mental health center. I worked in the alternative school and experiential therapy (ET) department. With the alternative school, I went on service learning trips, participated in a wide range of activities with the students, and sat in on group sessions. With the ET department, I observed, participated, and helped facilitate experiential therapy sessions with the patients at Porter Starke. ET is an action based therapy that incorporates a wide variety of mediums; art; meditation, group challenges, etc. I loved that each day was different. Last year, I interned at the Boys and Girls Club in Valparaiso and led groups with children ages 7-12. With an overarching plan to reduce bullying, we discussed different types of respect and how to celebrate diversity. After I graduate, I will go to graduate school in Seattle and get my master’s in either medical social work or clinical social work. I would love to eventually work in a children’s hospital. end