As an art therapy major we have to learn how to interact with people in a therapeutic setting, that is the purpose of the internship course. Throughout the course of the semester we were asked to find an internship site, learn how to interact with clients, and even lead a group. Being in this course and going to my internships taught me some really valuable lessons. For one, it showed me what styles of art therapy I’m interested in working in. I’ve learned to love directing a group in therapeutic art making tasks, otherwise known as experientials.  I’ve learned that I have an interest in working with people experiencing homelessness, something I didn’t initially think I would be interested in. I thought I would enjoy working with kids, and while I did enjoy the experience, I definitely struggled with it. Now that my internship experience is coming to an end, I’m struggling with leaving. I enjoyed my experiences greatly and I cannot wait to be able to work with more populations in the future. 

For our final we have been asked to create a piece reflecting on our own experiences at our internships. In this piece I wanted to capture the chaos and the merging of all the experiences I had. I chose to do a mandala for its reflective qualities and its ability to help one look within. For the piece I chose to let the ink flow naturally, and then build up on it based off of its natural flow. I wanted to let the ink flow naturally as a means of showing the somewhat chaotic nature of going into a new day but, to also show the way in which people merge as relationships form. Internship was a tough experience at first and at times I didn’t know what I would be walking into on a particular day, but that’s what made it so interesting and I’m grateful for the experience and the relationships I made.