Shortly before I embarked on this course in 2009, I had the good fortune to run into someone whom I knew was studying the foundation degree. When I asked what’s it like? she answered “It will challenge you in ways you don’t even know about yet”. Today was an example of that – my last day in placement at the Addiction Recovery Agency in Bristol was more emotional but somehow, easier to handle than I had anticipated. Reflecting on the day, I can see that while the emotional content was greater, my capacity to feel without being overwhelmed has developed significantly. Over the last few weeks there has been a process of disengaging from my caseload… some have transferred on to other counsellors and others have naturally come to the end of their time at ARA but in either case, there have been opportunities for learning for the clients and myself. Its been hard work and now its over. We’ve said our goodbyes, exchanged kind words, cards and smiles and now our paths have diverged.
In my time at ARA (March 2010 – June 2011) I was with the Structured Day Programme (SDP) team, working with abstinent and non-abstinent clients for over a thousand hours in total across the fourteen months. From December 2010 until May 2011 I was also working with the Residential (RRP) team and their abstinent client group on a sessional basis, which is I will be returning there in October 2011 for my honours year placement.
My colleagues in both the SDP and RRP teams have been of enormous benefit to my learning during the placement, allowing me access to a huge amount of experience and challenging me with tact and discretion when required! I’ve worked well with them, my line manager paying me the highest compliment possible – ‘I have to keep reminding myself you’re a student, you behave like a member of the team’.
We said our goodbyes today. I thanked them for the opportunity I’d been given and quoted Vinnie Jones in ‘Lock, Stock…’ – “Its been emotional”. My line manager replied – only half joking – “we’d have been insulted if it hadn’t been”.
I’m going to miss them and I think that my sucessor in placement with the SDP team is a lucky man in very good hands.
Tags: Placement
