My internship at Calm Clinic has had significant benefits in my personal and professional development. The benefits I am able to see from this experience include developing my skills in problem solving, critical thinking, time management, independence, and communication. As a psychology major, being able to conduct research while in a clinic setting with psychiatrists and therapists was exactly the real-life experience I needed. My research looked at patients who have Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and are taking Spravato (Ketamine) treatments in the clinic. For years now I have been very interested in forensic psychology, but after working with their providers during my internship, I will admit that there was a huge draw towards psychiatry for me.
While they didn’t have any group therapy during my internship, I had the opportunity to sit in during Spravato therapy sessions a couple of times. This not only helped me understand the process, but kept the participants in my research very present and real. I think that before working on a research internship with Calm Clinic, it would be wise to take abnormal psychology, so you will understand the diagnosis (like MDD and TRD) that many of the patients have. This will also help prepare you for how to engage and work appropriately. I also think that making sure you’ve taken a research methods class so you know how to conduct research is vital. Without that you might make professional and ethical research mistakes that can have negative responses.
I am still very interested in psychology and specifically forensic psychology after this experience. My time at Calm Clinic helped me recognize that while I enjoyed my office time, I am very interested in furthering my education, and am looking for a master’s program for forensic psychology now. I think that many of the things I have and will learn will apply to clinical psychology and the forensic specialty. If I were to have changed it up after this experience, I think some skills I think I would need to gain for this career choice would include a higher degree in psychology and/or psychiatry. Since medications are prescribed and administered a BA is not going to cover those needs. Also through that higher education, a full understanding of biology and the human body is necessary. So you can understand the chemical side of how medications work with our bodies. My advice to any student considering interning at Calm Clinic is, don’t be shy. They welcome all the questions you might have, they take the time to explain everything, they let you get hands-on experience, and they do truly care.