What Does it Mean to be an Intern at The Fountain Hill Center?
There I was, sitting in a room full of therapists, applying for an internship that I felt I knew little about at the time
“why do you think Fountain Hill will be a good fit for you,” asked Amy Van Gunst, who would later become my site supervisor.
Honestly, I was not 100% sure then, but I responded, “Because one of the four values at Fountain Hill is creativity, and creativity is a big part of who I am as a person.” This was and is true, and little did I know then how much creativity it would really take to effectively do the work of a therapist. The other values at The Fountain Hill Center are authenticity, respect, and honesty, all of which the practitioners who work here demonstrate on a daily basis. Through my internship, I was able to learn how to incorporate these same values at the center of my therapeutic relationships. Here are some reflections on what I have learned about these values as in intern:
Authenticity
Authenticity regards one’s ability to truly be themself in front of their client. Makes sense right? Well, it takes practice. In school, we talk about things like counseling ethics, boundaries, unconditional positive regard, and empathy, but then you have a real person in front of you and all of that book knowledge is put to the test. In becoming an authentic therapist, you are really faced with the challenges of being genuine, transparent, and congruent in your interactions with clients. Sometimes, authenticity means telling a client, “I don’t know about that one, let’s think abut that together,” rather than making something up because you feel like you need to have all the answers. As an intern, I learned that I will never have all the answers, and that is okay.
Respect
Everybody wants to be respected. As an intern, I had to face my own insecurity that fed into my belief that some of my clients might not respect me because of my age, lack of experience as a counselor, or because of my title as “intern”. I soon learned that this fear hindered my ability to be genuine, and had more to do with my own self-image than it had to do with helping my client to the best of my ability. Respecting your client means honoring the dignity, autonomy, and individuality of each client, and I learned this through my counseling sessions, supervision meetings, and by observing the incredible work of the other practitioners.
Honesty
In internship at Fountain Hill will reveal to you what it means to be honest with your client and honest with yourself. At Fountain Hill, I have learned that honesty is about being truthful, transparent, and ethical in interactions with all of your clients. Furthermore, it is about leaning your own boundaries and limitations. If you are not honest about your own shortcomings as an intern, you are not able to grow to your potential. If you are not honest with your clients in moments where they might need to be sensitively and appropriately challenged, you do not help them grow to their potential.
Creativity
Counseling is an art. Don’t get me wrong, it is scientific, but it is an art too. Creativity at Fountain Hill is about nurturing a culture of excellence, innovation, creativity, and a space for clients to be their true selves. This is not done by following one template, theoretical model, or treatment plan, but by taking the time to learn about who your client is, what growth means to them, and how you can work together to create a treatment plan that is tailored to their abilities and skills that they have developed in their own life and through our therapeutic journey together.
Bio
Ben Collins has been an intern at The Fountain Hill Center since the Fall of 2024. In May, he will graduate from Spring Arbor University with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Prior to his pursuit of becoming a therapist, Ben received a Bachelors in Ministry from Cornerstone University, later working in a variety of non-profit organizations including churches and senior living facilities. During his internship, Ben has worked both at The Fountain Hill Center located in Grand Rapids, as well as in Shelby Public Schools in Shelby, MI. As he continues to grow in his craft, Ben hopes to gain further specializations in working with addictions/substance abuse, as well as learning how he can further incorporate the creative arts into his counseling practice.
