Saralyn Masselink, M.S.W. Class of
'08
I was pursuing a master’s in Theology when
I began to crave more in-depth clinical training. When I began researching programs,
the name that surfaced in nearly every conversation was Smith’s clinical
social work program. One clinician in the area told me that at Smith, I would
get “as rigorous psychological training as a Psy.D. program but in two
and a half years.” At the time I was considering Psy.D. programs as well,
so this comment piqued my interest. What hooked me about Smith’s program
however, was the focus on the person-in-context. Beyond focusing on intra-psychic
realities that might pertain to any client, Smith digs into psychodynamic theory
while critiquing these theories from a variety of perspectives. I recognized
that I could gain psychodynamic training while reflecting critically on how religious
identity, racial identity, class-related culture and gender norms might influence
clinicians and clients’ experiences of themselves and the world. It was
exciting to see ways that my theological studies and perspectives on religious
identity could weave into my social work interests.
Smith’s block-schedule
format has worked well for me. I was not quite ready to leave my home in Atlanta,
and so my first-year internship was in a highly reputed outpatient clinic on
the edge of Atlanta. I learned so much from this experience -- I had two full
hours of individual supervision per week, as well as weekly training sessions
offered by the agency. By the end of the internship, I was seeing children and
adults for weekly fifty-minute therapy sessions as well as co-facilitating two
groups. During my second summer of study, I brought my questions and experiences
from the field back to an insightful group of colleagues and professors. It has
been helpful to revisit these clinical interactions (through class papers and
discussions), interpret them through a variety of theoretical lenses and hone
my skills.
For my second year internship, I am crossing the country for a new experience in Los Angeles, California. I will be interning at Kaiser Permanente in their outpatient psychiatry program and I look forward to the learning possibilities there. I love my experiences at Smith -- gaining confidence in the classroom and the field where I have room to practice skills (and learn from mistakes) has been a greatly rewarding experience. I am building my professional identity as a clinical social worker, and I have talented colleagues with whom I will consult often after graduation! |
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Kaiser Permanente was a wonderful learning experience! I was treated like a staff clinician in many ways: I had my own office, I developed my own schedule and met with 12-15 clients per week. Additionally, I co-facilitated an anger management group with a staff clinician, as well as developed and co-led an eight-week grief and loss group with a fellow intern. My supervision was excellent. As a participant in Kaiser's MSWI training program, I had four hours of individual supervision a week and two hours of group supervision. We also had weekly training seminars on a variety of clinical issues. I can really see how I have grown in my clinical skills over this past year.
To my surprise, I am returning to L.A. after graduation. I met a supportive group of interns from UCLA and USC at my placement, and so I am in good company as I build a new life across the country. I am excited to live in the city while I have some time to explore it... balancing the thesis and internship this past year had its challenging moments. My thesis supervisor was incredibly supportive, and I met weekly with other Smith second year students in the area for a "thesis support group." I'm glad to say that all of us completed our theses and we're cleared to graduate!
I am grateful for my education at Smith and I wouldn't trade it. One of our Smith professors has her practice in L.A., and I will be participating in a weekly supervisory group that she leads when I return. Two other Smith grads participate in the group already, and so I look forward to hearing about their first few years out of school. So... here I go! It's been a transformative adventure.
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