Mixed Emotions

[Diane M. McKnight]

I started at my first art therapy internship site last week. I am doing 10 hours a week at The Center for Women in Transition in Holland. It is a facility that offers counseling, support, temporary shelter, and other resources to woman and children suffering from domestic violence or sexual assault. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work there and they have a wonderful and caring staff. The staff is very excited to have the opportunity to offer art therapy to their clients, and I am excited to be there and to be given the blessing of working with these woman and children in the hopes of offering them some healing opportunities through art. I have started an eight week art therapy group for women who are suffering or have suffered from domestic violence. I had my first session last week and I will be starting to work with sexual assault victims in individual art therapy sessions in a few weeks. I am so excited to finally be using the talents and the education that I have in such a powerful way. Based upon previous experiences, I know that I will benefit as much from this work as those that I hope to help. But, even with my excitement running so high, I have apprehensions and fear. I tell myself that this is normal and that anyone might have these mixed emotions in this situation. I pray that I will know how to react in a helpful manner as issues surface for my clients and that I will plan appropriate and healing art interventions that this population will find helpful. I pray that God will continue to guide me, and that I will confidently use the gift that I know he has given me to use in this fashion...to help others to use art as a vehicle for healing, self-knowledge and problem-solving. I hope to give them the gift of art and allow them to understand that it is a safe and healthy way to express emotions, even those that may be overwhelming.