27 March - 2 April 2023
This week started off pretty well with my more balanced attitude and feelings. I started feeling anxiety about not knowing how to help "fix" people and I realized I just need to seek to understand, not fix. I need to take the pressure off myself to have the solutions and really work harder to listen and understand my clients and be silent while they speak and process. I had some good sessions on Monday and I am getting good feedback from my clients about their experience in therapy with me. It sure keeps you humble. I enjoyed my week at work at the sign shop. The printer is finally back up and running! I was able to bring in the finished signs for CLEAR Counseling, which my supervisor was very happy about. I have been printing some easy things on my own, which is exciting. I can do a lot of things on my own and feel more useful. I went to get my stake temple recommend interview. I had a really good session with one client I was really worrying about. I was stressed about seeing those clients on Wednesday, and I prayed and asked God for help and guidance, and I felt an impression to take things slow. I felt Him guiding me in the sessions with my words and questions and moments of silence, and the sessions went better than I imagined, which I was so incredibly grateful for and humbled by. Friday morning, I got my hair done by aunt Shelli and we had a good time chatting. She also got new baby chicks that I got to see. They're ADORABLE! I love baby chicks *heart-eye emoji*
On Saturday, I missed the first session of conference because I went to the group home in San Tan Valley to see my clients, but they were really short meetings (especially because one of them got a job, so I didn't see him). The good news is that was my last Saturday working at the group home!!! They found out they aren't allowed to offer therapy services at the homes, so they are having us move to a weekday to come to the Mesa office (which is a closer drive for me) and it'll be every other week. So I'll have my weekend again!! I cannot tell you how incredibly happy that makes me and how grateful I feel. And I think it'll be better for the clients because they do not like giving up their weekend either, and I think doing it in the office will be more productive because they will be more focused (because it's therapy with me or their same old groups that they tend to complain about). I know this won't last for long because I'm playing with the idea of offering group therapy for couples on Saturdays to get the relational hours I need. I am in the process of reading different material so I can then map out the course material into six to eight weeks of class content. Then I'll need to create slides to go along with each lesson and find or make handouts. Then once all that is done, I need to set the dates and make flyers and get the word out. So that'll take a couple of months, and I plan on enjoying my free Saturdays until then! Plus, I am actually super excited by the prospect of facilitating groups. It will be the closest to teaching Sunday lessons, which I really enjoy. And it'll be at our clinic in Chandler. So I think I will be more excited and willing to give up my Saturdays when the time comes for that. Saturday was Lucy's birthday, so once I got home from internship, I gave her the card and present I got for her, which she liked. It was a mini bible keychain. She collects keychains, but was suprised to learn it had the actual words of the bible in it! It wasn't blank. It's super hard to read, actually, but pretty cool. So she kept showing it off to everyone. After the second session of conference, Lucy and I went to Deseret Industries and looked at books, which I bought more for my collection... they were all related to psychology and my profession. And I found a journal edition of the Book of Mormon that I felt inspired to get for someone, maybe one of the recent converts in our ward. And I bought Lucy a book (and she bought several others... haha), which was a Christmas present coupon she cashed in.
Sunday was general conference, and I really enjoyed listening to the talks and resting. It seriously felt like a day of rest. I was so light and free without any pressing worries. I felt so inspired and connected to God and His church. I was able to play a board game with my sisters that late afternoon, and then we had pizzas for dinner with Aaron, Brie, Sean, and grandpa over. We took a sibling picture of supply and demand for Lucy's economics teacher, who we all apparently had in high school. Then I carpooled to stake choir with Jasen... it turned into a THREE HOUR LONG PRACTICE! My voice was kinda dead half-way through because I haven't been using it in three weeks since I've been sick. But it was good overall. I'm making lots of friends at choir, which I'm stoked about. Also, I had a good chat with Jasen on the way home and in my driveway, and it was just much needed because I haven't had the opportunity to just have a real, genuine chat with a friend in a while, and it was so fun and connecting and inspiring. So, all in all, a pretty great week. Also, I had plenty of opportunities to hold and play with the baby Gracelyn this week :) And go on uni rides with the fam!
Much love,
Emily Burnham
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