My internship this summer will be at the Centro de desarollo y aprendizaje (The Development and Learning Center) NEO , a therapy center for majority children who have been diagnosed with intellectual or developmental disorders. The psychology and therapy industry experiences the same challenges around the world. Most centers struggle with staffing and funding, which will be interesting for me to experience firsthand, as it is the field I hope to join after completing my undergraduate degree. This internship will give me crucial experience to help me become a better psychologist in the future, while also further developing my knowledge of the field and helping me make informed decisions about my career goals.
Within the psychology industry, some of the most important skills and strengths are patience, positivity, and self-reflection. Therapy, as a concept, is extremely exhausting. Therapists need to have proper outlets and support in order to prevent themselves from fatigue and dejection. Patience is important when working with children in any field, but within psychology, additional patience must be practiced. Keeping a positive attitude is equally as important in order to nurture a healthy, growth environment for the patients. Finally, self-reflection, like I mentioned before, is important to for the therapists and employees of the center, to ensure that they are taking care of themselves along with the patients. If a therapist is mentally unwell, they would be incapable of helping others. More specifically to my position within the field of psychology, I will need to be lighthearted and playful. I have worked with kids in the past, and the best way to make a relationship with them is to get on their level and be relatable. While still important to maintain a position that deserves respect, it is important, especially within a therapy setting, for kids to feel safe, understood, and comfortable. 

While mental illness and disorder exists around the world, treatments and sentiments are bound to vary. One of the biggest differences between the United States and Spain are communication styles.  Americans are very independent and success oriented, especially when compared to other countries. While the Spanish experience similar motivations, Spain holds a more communal culture. Group success is often valued above the individual. Another culture difference that I suspect I will encounter is with descriptive terms. Many spaniards prefer to take a less descriptive route when describing emotions which will come up frequently in my placement. I will need to both improve my language understanding, while also picking up on figurative language that is common in the Spanish vernacular. 

This week leading up to the start of my internship has been very fun. I feel settled into my neighborhood and have been taking walks around the city daily. I am happy to feel comfortable on the public transportation and my friends and I have enjoyed exploring the neighborhoods together. My host family has also been a great support system and my host mom has been recommending events and festivities that are taking place around the city that she think I will enjoy. I know that given my work schedule, I will not have quite as much time to explore the city and country as I had expected, but I am very excited to gain this valuable experience in my field. My work schedule is also a bit of a practice in gratitude, as although I will not be able to travel as much as I hoped, or be able to share my experiences with my friends (my work schedule does not line up with any of theirs) I am abroad and I have been given this incredibly unique and valuable experience which will bring about both personal and professional growth. Due to my schedule, I predict that I may feel isolated. I will be returning home after my host family has gone to sleep and my fellow students will be working in the mornings when I am free. Therefore, I will need to make the most out of my weekends and try to be social in order to maintain my own mental health so that I can be helpful and composed while at my placement. All things considered, this is a wonderful opportunity and I would not have it any other way. I am incredibly excited to start work tomorrow and I hope that I can be a valuable asset to the team at Centro NEO and be beneficial with their work, because I know they will benefit both my personal growth and professional goals.