These last two months really felt like a journey. With ups and downs and a whole lot in between.
I think I can definitely say that it changed me in a way. I am more confident that I want to pursue my academic career with the goal of becoming a sex and relationship therapist. That is something I am very thankful of. The workshops and meetings in which we discussed the role and methods of sex therapy were incredibly interesting and increased my interest in this field.
We were encouraged to write blogs in our area of interest and expertise and in this way we had the chance to choose which topics we want to learn more about and educate others about.
We had the chance to meet the diverse professionals of Willingness team, ask questions and discuss case reviews. Everyone of them could give us insight into a different aspect of the work at Willingness. It was obvious how much passion and effort each and everyone puts into the team and that they care a lot about each other.
It was sometimes challenging to meet the deadlines when you rather wanted to stay at the beach or go for a cake in Mdina but it was always worth it to put in the energy. I can now say that I am proud of my own and especially of my group’s work. We had a lot of fun walking around Msida and pretending to shoot a wedding video in front of strangers.
I think I never met a group that was as heterogeneous as our group of interns. Each person had different perspectives and ideas and for some of us it was a new experience to work together in this kind of environment.
I really enjoyed to learn how to support people in a music festival. All of us got the chance to have a shift in “Chat Bar” at either Glitch or Summer Daze in which we offered tea and a chat to people who were overwhelmed or just wanted to relax for a bit. I can now easily see myself doing this in the future in other festivals thanks to that experience.
I was overwhelmed and challenged quite a lot throughout this internship. I learned where my limits and my trigger points are and in which way I can protect myself and keep an eye on my mental health. An important truth that I am going to take home with me is that as psychologists we first have to look out for our own mental health because it is the instrument that we need for our work. Without it we can’t be of help to anyone. I am going to take home quite a lot of these insights which made me stronger and helped me master a few of the challenges that were waiting for me here in Malta.
Thank you for this time, Willingness team.
Elissa Killiana is an intern at Willingness Hub. She is in her last year of clinical psychology in Vienna and has a special interest in everything related to gender, sexuality and relationships.