Tai's World

As mentioned in my last post, I have been hesitant to post about my field placement due to a really rather unexpected reaction I experienced after the starting work.

First of all, I should start by saying that I *love* my field placement. It is the work I wanted to do with a population that interests me in an agency that has an ideology that strongly matches mine, people who are fabulous to be around, and the greatest supervisor. I really am in my dream job (and though I have said that in the past when starting new jobs, it isn't a sentiment I would have expressed over a month into the work). I can actually see myself (hopefully) being associated with this agency for years to come (in some capacity). So, where am I and what am I doing?

I’m working in a “PASS-level” adolescent girls’ group home in Fairfield County CT, which has a wonderfully relational and individualized approach to working with the girls. For my field placement, I work 21 hours a week (officially, though I seem to spend much more time by the end of it).

So, if I love my field placement and it’s my (current) dream job, what was throwing me off balance? Apparently the shock if working in a highly nurturing environment where I am invited to sit down to a formal dinner with a table full of other people, not to mention the general warmth of the home, was just a little too much for me. I suddenly found myself wanting to go running back to the familiarity of financial services. Not that I didn’t love my new environment, but boy was it posing some frightening and new challenges for me. I longed for the fast paced (and cold?) work environment to which I had grown accustomed. I also missed some of the business side of the work, itself. This, however, was quickly rectified. I talked to my agency and asked if I could become involved with some of the fundraising or business aspects of the agency (for which I would volunteer my time beyond the 21 hours of clinical experience I get each week). I was promptly invited to be on the fundraising committee (where I am able to contribute my professional network). I have, also, been able to be involved with other aspects of the agency that allow me to use my knowledge and skills gained over my past two (brief) careers. This has given me a chance to feel as if I'm contributing important and unique knowledge of my own too.

At this point, I feel like I’ve regained some sense of balance, and I’m really enjoying the change of pace. I’m sure I’ll likely stumble several more times as I hit moments of panic about being in a nurturing environment, but I also realize that I am extremely fortunate to be working in my dream job at the moment!