Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement
              What I am most proud of is my answers and the sources I had to back them up with. The reason is because a lot of people just quickly reference a source but I went into detail about the article or interview. That was something I was super confindent with.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
            What worked really well was my independent components. They actually helped me answer my essential question. They gave me different scenarios of clients and helped me understand my best answer.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
             If I had a time machine I would go back and change how fast I was talking through the presentation. I felt as I was rushing through it.

(5) Finding Value
The senior project has been helpful for the future because I learned that the people around will always have a huge influence on you. They can change your entire decisions in life making. Also that you need to help clients to cope with the issues they are going through.

Blog 22: Mentorship

LIA Response to blog:

    Literal

     Flor Martinez Catholic Charities and The County of San Bernardino Contact 

    Interpretive

     What the most important thing I gained was the responsibilities and hardship for a therapist. This showed me how to deal with the different clients coming in. I attended seminars with my mentor and learned that offended times a therapist will need their own therapist. Learned different coping methods. During my Mentorship time I found out about the biopsychosocial Model, which I based my answer off of.

   Applied

   This helped to answer my EQ because I not only learned about the biopsychosocial model but I    built an understanding of the therapist. My answer three is  "In order for the client to make process of control they must have a therapist with the fullest attention and well insight about a client." Going to different events and learning the importance of the role of the therapist in a client's life.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?    What is your best answer and why?

            My essential question is "What is the most important aspect of a client's support system that they need in order to control their mental health?". 

            My first answer is the most important aspect of a client support system to control their mental health is there social life. My second answer is a client with mental health issues go to therapy and having a therapist help with them through the process of control. The third answer is looking at a clients biological intake and condition.

  My best answer to my essential question is that in order for a client to control their mental health, is their social life/environment. Reason for this being my best answer because often times when a client is outside the therapy room they look for someone to help them make decsions and to look up to. This is important because this can influence a client to continue going to therapy sessions or taking their medication.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

            The process I took to arrive to my answer was a very hard and tough. Throughout my whole mentorship I saw the stories of different clients and how the main issue was they had no one to support them and if they did have it, it had already been too late in the process to help the client. 

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

           The problems I came to face with was staying in control hearing the terrifying stories of clients. The way I resolved this was my mentor took me to seminars that would have other therapist communicate on how to build empathy with the client not sympathy. This actually helped me in hearing stories of the clients and learn to relate on a therapist's level.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

Armando Michael Rivera was one of the greatest source I used because he constantly helped me with articles and I interviewed him and found me Dr. Bonnie Gillaspy to do my last interview. He also helped me in the base of my essential question.

The second source that helped me was "Positive Therpay" by Martin Seligman which was an article talking about how to deal with clients going through depression. This discusses how a good supportive family/friends can help them to take antidepressants and help them get through the hole they feel they are in. This article is what first made me realized that social environment would be my first answer 

April Blog Post: Independent Component

            During my time of mentorship I came into some trouble when I did my mini experiment. I conducted the experiment at Rancho Cucamonga high school. First off let me say how much trouble it was to go on campus. How the office didn't even treat me like an adult and they treated me like a child. When I first told him about my independent component they laughed at me. I had never felt so down and I've never felt like I had no power. This independent component actually taught me to appreciate I Poly and how they treat you like an adult and they don't do things as a normal high school would do. I'll also appreciate the people that go to I Poly. I was having so much attitude with people because they don't know who I was and I was a stranger. So this part of my independent component was a real struggle and to be honest I would probably never do it again at that high school.  I would never recommend anyone children to attend that high school. Also I recommend just for anyone in general to never go there.

Independent Component 2

LITERAL

A. Include this statement: “I, student name, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours and 30 Minutes of work.”

B. My mentor Flor Martinez who works for Catholic Charities and the County of San Bernard

C. Hours have been Updated

D. I’ve done about 30 Hours and I completed the outside one therapy sessions. Learning about different clients come in different ages and different situations. I learned how to react to it. Another I have completed was a mini experiment with my mentor. This was to understand more of the biopsychosocial model. Learning that the social aspect of clients life is very important.

INTERPRETIVE 

I know it just shows a High School, but this is the High School were I conducted my mini experiment. This is Rancho Cucamonga High School. This shows my independent component because this is where I spent most of my time at and not only that, but this is where I finally understood the whole importance of social environment. My mentor helped with with this. This High School discourage pictures, so this was one I sneaked in. This school was strict but I was able in the end to complete my mini experiment there

APPLIED
The independent component helped greatly into answer my essential question because it was based of the biopsychosocial model and shows how different ages deal with stress. This gave me a great understanding how social environment is so vital to a client. A client needs a good social environment because if their no support they will cling to other bad things. Like gangs, drugs, alcohol, or other bad activities to sustain them. The experiment showed over half the people in a normal high school don't get that support at home and try to stand out in school or go to bodily harm. So this actually showed me as learner to Pscyology that the social aspect of a client's life is so important.

March Blog Post- Interview # 3

When I was given interview #3 I was thinking of the best person to interview and get a different view on things. I really want to choose a different kind of person someone who was rare to the fields and beginning new. So I decided to pick my father who had just begun conducting his work as a therapist.

I felt that my father would best fit because as a male in this field, it was super rare. I thought it would be nice to get a different view from someone who might have a different experience than a female. He even told me that different genders have different reactions to him because he is in a female and doesn't have that carrying or motherly look. But once you grow a bond with the male they begin to grow closer to the client.

My father who actually just graduated three years ago with a masters degree in psychology, is very brand-new to the fields of psychotherapy. He has been in a few different clinics and was currently placed at the Pomona clinic has actually seen quite a few things even though his small, short time there. I thought it would be a good idea to get his experiences into my interview.

This interview actually help me to answering my essential question. Also to help me into planning my final senior project. I thought this was the most help for interview that I've had in a long time. And I would interview him again!

Fourth Interview Preparation

1.What kinds of goals do you set for yourself to help clients achieve their personal goals?

2.What’s the best method to keep a client coming to therapy sessions? 

3.What’s the best method to have a client keep their taking medication if failing to take or has problems?

4.What books should I read in this field?

5.Please describe what you think the Biopsychosocial model is?

6.What kind of connection are you supposed to build with a client? What boundaries can you not cross

7.How is it like being A female in this field?

8.What is an example of a hard situation a therapist can go through?

9.What would you do to best handle that situation?

10.How are you able to keep under control during a tough situation of hearing about a clients life story?

11.What is important about the biological aspect of the biopsychosocial model?

12.What is important about the social aspect of the biopsychosocial model?

13.What is important about the psychological aspect of the biopsychosocial model?

14.What are some experiences (clients) you dealt with? Explain with the biopsychosocial model in mind.

15.What college did you attend and what is your status at this moment?

16.What are some activities that would be great to do for my final presentation, to represent the biopsychosocial model?

17.What can be ways to intrigue my audience into my topic and make things a much better learning experience for my final presentation?

18.What kind of protection do you have as therapist against any kind of lawsuits or false accusations?

19.What kind of protection do you have in a moment where a client might get physical or violent?

20.Have the experiences that you seen coming to the office help you in your own life and and learn in making your own decisions and what to do and what not to do?