Hi everyone! Week 5 is officially done and it is crazy to think that we are already at the halfway point! My weeks at Netcare and The Columbus Foundation have been incredible and filled with lots of learning experiences. This week I was able to speak with some staff to learn about their roles and worked on more content.

I had the opportunity to speak to two staff members. I spoke to an outpatient therapist, as well as the director of all the phone and chat services. Speaking to the outpatient therapist was extremely reassuring in hearing her thoughts on the struggles of this career. As someone debating going into therapy/counseling, one of my reservations has been the weight of taking my clients’ stories with me. The staff member I talked to explained that since becoming a therapist, she has been able to manage boundaries while also maintaining self care to help her not hold that weight.

When speaking with the director of crisis hotlines, I had an increased appreciation for what they do. Netcare has many phone based services including the crisis phone line, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, homeless hotline, chats and more. These responders stay on the line with individuals who are struggling and talk them through safety plans as well as anything they are struggling with. It is a quick way for individuals to get the help they need. The director of these services showed me what these conversations look like from her end, as well as explained everything that her role entails. It was such an enlightening conversation and is definitely going to be a career I might explore as well.

This week I also continued to work on our large campaign and other important content. We are in the process of releasing our quarterly newsletter, and it has been my responsibility to include a portion of all the client testimonials I have been working on. This week I worked on making an engaging section including all quotes. 

Overall, this has been such a fun project to work on and I can’t wait to keep progressing!

Best,

Anaika