Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship

8/14/2023 - 9/3/2023

And... I believe this is a record of missing so many weeks in a row in the past year or two. I've been so good and consistent at writing weekly, but alas, I'm not perfect. So here's me taking some time to sum up the highlights from the past three weeks :).

I finally got to go with Kimberly to do baptisms. She is a recent convert and I am quite amazed with how quickly and well she has taken to the gospel. She is like a sponge soaking up so much knowledge and so curious and obedient. It's really so inspiring to see and such a good reminder that this is the true church of God, and even if you aren't born into it, you have a place in it.

We had "Awkward Family Photos" night for family home evening, which had a pretty great turn out. That week, August 15th through the 18th, I had my EFT Externship, so I took off work and canceled with all my clients. It was honestly life changing. It really helped me see how to put the theory of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) into practice, and it helped give me a better framework through which to view my cases and start piecing things together and giving me direction of where to go in a therapy session. It helped me feel WAY less incompetent. These specialized trainings are the way to go, and I honestly fell in love with EFT as a model of therapy, so I signed up for more trainings coming up so I can get officially certified to be an EFT therapist. I'm also going to do trainings to get certified with EMDR, but I'm waiting a bit to sign up for those trainings. Right now, school just feels like a formality, something I just have to get through that is detracting from what I actually want to do. But I graduate in four months, and I am finishing up my last class this quarter and only have internship next quarter. Then I have one last barrier standing in my way: the MFT exam. I'll need to take lots of time to study for that test, and once I pass that, I will actually get to start making money for what I'm doing, and then I can do even more specialized trainings (which are actually quite expensive). So I'm super excited for all that, and in the meanwhile, I'm just trying to live my best life and not get burnt out. I had a couple of difficult client situations over the past few weeks that have been emotionally draining, but also great experiences for me. I really feel myself growing as a therapist and having more sessions that I feel really good about, and there are some days, even weeks, where I feel like I am living the dream. Because I am. I get to do what I've dreamed of doing for so long, and what helps is that I am feeling good at it. Staying humble, but not letting self-doubt drag me down or paralyze me. 

Lucy came down for a week and a half, that awkward gap between summer and fall, so we got to see her a lot. She came with Val and I to a flower arranging Relief Society activity, and I roped everyone into getting a photo together because I cherish the times we get to be together and want to remember them and have photos of us together. Lucy even crashed mom and dad's date night, and I got to crash it along with them! We went out to On The Border, and after we were seated, we saw Aaron and Brie come with Gracelyn, and we got to hold her while waiting for our food to be served (which was actually quite a long wait, but it was okay because we had a cutey pie to entertain us.

We went to Alexandra's wedding reception at the Schultz house, and it was absolutely beautiful and a fun time, even with the mugginess and mosquitos. Baby Gracelyn was so cute! I got to dance with her on the dance floor and she gave me some smiles. And the food was really yummy. It made me want a beautiful reception. I've been to some lately that were just so disappointing, and I know they can be super expensive, so some people want to go the cheaper route, but there really is something magical about having a more traditional wedding reception, with lots of lights in a dim setting, an official dance floor area, delicious food, and all the fun traditions. 

Much love,

Emily Burnham