Keshia Williams, M.S.W. Class of 2008

As an international student I was drawn to Smith for its intense training program and the personal challenge. I was particularly influenced by its reputation as a clinically focused school which would help to balance out my experiences in macro level social work both in Canada, my country of origin, and abroad, where I have worked in Guatemala and Nicaragua.

In the midst of social and political unrest while living abroad as well as experiencing the pain and intensity of shifting geopolitical climates, collective trauma and suffering, I witnessed phenomenal resilience. I knew that I wanted to be a part of the many movements toward healing and mental health that would cultivate my desire to think globally and act locally.

My first year placement was in the Forensic Outpatient Services of the Law and Mental Health Program at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. I had the opportunity to learn and work with severely and persistently mentally disordered violent and sexual offenders. I acquired a deeper sense of empathy and reflexivity in working with a population that many people find difficult to feel empathy for. I was able to integrate what I learned about psychodynamic theories in the classroom with the case management and risk management needs of my clients and the multidisciplinary team that serviced them. Moreover, I had access to an abundance of trainings on evidenced based practices such as cognitive and behaviorally based treatments available to me through the hospital.

While my first year internship offered me an invaluable experience of working with chronically ill clients using a medical model, my second year placement at Spelman College offered me new challenges in working in more of a "traditional" psychotherapeutic setting. I had the unique experience of working exclusively with young black women at one of this nation's premier historically black colleges. This opportunity provided new explorations into what it means to be "culturally competent" as a clinician of color and how that translates to exploring people of color’s relationships to racism and internalized racism in racially matched treatment situations. I was guided through these diverse challenges by excellent supervisors and advisors. My appreciation for the deliberate use of self, the intersubjectivity of the treatment relationship and the importance of being truly present in order to sit with people all served to stimulate new ideas in me about how I will choose to engage with various aspects of the field of social work. I am confident that the combination of my course work, my field placements and my overall experience at Smith will provide me with the depth and breadth of clinical experiences to forge ahead as a vessel for change as I immigrate to the United States to begin my career as a social worker.