A Final Word
We would like to emphasize again that our Counseling Center staff takes its commitment to training very seriously. While many activities are required of all interns, we also try to individualize our program in order to meet specific needs and enhance present skills. Throughout the internship year, intern suggestions and input will be both encouraged and valued. We wish you the very best as you go through the application, interviewing, and ranking process!
Here are a few testimonials/words of wisdom from past interns.
“I loved my internship year at the UMaine Counseling Center. It’s a safe place to really open yourself up to feedback and be willing to grow. The busy times of the year are stressful, but then there are slow times that allow you to really enjoy and get to know your colleagues. I recommend really getting involved beyond the Counseling Center and participating in activities with the Division of Student Life when the opportunity arises. Oh, and Belfast has some great restaurants and shopping.”
“1) Get outside! Don’t let the cold hold you back.
2) Plan weekend trips. There are lots of great places to visit within a couple of hours away.
3) Check out Cafe Miranda in Rockland
4) Make use of the rec center (though it wasn’t ready when I was there, I think it rocks! 😉
5) Get involved in campus activities and with other departments.”
“I feel like I really learned about myself as a person as well as a professional during my internship year at UMaine. Quality of life is important at the Center and staff really takes the time to build relationships with you and have fun with each other. If I could do it again, I would worry less about the beeper (forgetting the beeper, losing the beeper, the beeper not waking me in my sleep, etc.), try more classes at the excellent Rec Center, and take more risks (it’s a safe place to make mistakes!). Make sure while you are here to visit Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park.”
“Also, the Center has a tradition of communal lunches on Friday where we all sit together and order Thai or Chinese food and gab. Pamela reigns over these lunches (AKA places the orders); if you attend, you will make her happy.”
“If you gotta do an internship, this is a pretty good place to do it. It sounds corny, but the people really do make this place special. The staff really values your well-being, and it really is like a family (well, actually better than a lot of families).”
“There are lots of great sites at which to hike, camp, and fish in the area. You may have heard about Acadia N.P. and Baxter S.P. Both are wonderful places. But you may want to investigate other public areas, which offer wilderness, mountains, or coastline and are likely less crowded: Donnell Pond, Nahmakanta, Gulf Hagas, Cutler Coast, Camden Hills, KI Jo-Mary Forest, etc. The people at the office of Bureau of Parks and Lands in Old Town were extremely helpful with questions about outdoor activities.”
“You may all have a different experience at the celebrated UMaine Counseling Center during your internship year. This will depend on the context of your life and the personality of, not only your fellow interns, but the staff you will be interacting with. However, I sincerely believe that if you give your thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, your energy to learn from the staff then you will be greatly rewarded.”
“Coming into my year here I had many questions and hopeful expectations. The one thing that I found to relieve my anxiety the most was that the staff made a great effort to have me be a part of their culture. They expressed a desire to make room for what I wanted out of my year and to incorporate my ideas as a fully participating member. The genuineness I experienced was real and took a short while to get used to. While there is certainly an expected professionalism, you will also be invited to relax and be yourself.”
“Have fun and be open to learning. Stay present, balanced, and engaged in the process of respecting clients, staff, and yourself. When receiving feedback from staff, resist the urge to become defensive and see it as an opportunity for growth. Remember, this may be exactly what you came here for. Through the good and the bad, value those with whom you work and know they are on your side to form you into a distinguished Psychologist. Every once and a while look at the wall of interns who have gone before you and know that you now carry the responsibility of keeping the treatment here at a high level for those who will soon take over for you.”