In the spring semester of my junior year at IUPUI, I took an Introduction to Counseling course that affected me deeply. I had always figured that I would be a counselor because I loved psychology. Taking this course, however, gave me the necessary confidence to know that counseling is the career path that I was always meant to be on. In this course, we practiced active listening skills through "triad" work, i.e. grouping up in threes and pretending to counsel. This activity was a little awkward towards the beginning, but even then it still felt right to me somehow. Listening to the "clients," showing attentive body language, asking questions to help them tell their stories--it all felt like what I was meant to do. After this validating realization, I applied for Dr. John Guare's capstone practicum experience in clinical psychology. I feel very blessed to have been accepted and placed at a site that interests me. 

This semester, I am volunteering at Damar as the Clinical Director's intern. Damar is an organization that provides services to a wide range of individuals with developmental disabilities. I am specifically interested in their autism services, so I will be observing Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA therapy. I will also be working with a high functioning child to compare my observations with his official charts. Consider it a case study, to the best of my ability. So far, I love the warm atmosphere of Damar and I am excited to see where this capstone practicum leads.