My last Level II Fieldwork experience was at an outpatient mental health hospital. I spent there 2 months as well as in my other practice settings. I really enjoyed this last experience. My favorite part was that I was able to give group therapy sessions to adolescents as well as adults. Even though I seem younger than what I am, they followed my instructions and treated me with respect. Since it was an outpatient clinic, the patients were pretty functional, so the focus of the therapies were stress management, autoeficacy, communications skills and things like that. I also got to do crafts as therapeutic exercises for problem solving, impulse control, etc. Through the patients, I learned how important it's to keep a positive mind, to forgive yourself for your mistakes and to keep moving forward no matter what. It was a nice and relaxed way to end my OT training.
The last day of practice (I'm not going to lie) felt a little bitter sweet. I always wanted so bad to finish OT school so I could go back home, but I felt a little sad when I was leaving the capital. It felt like the end of an era. Now the real word, where I have to find a job, pay bills, and be an actual adult awaits. But for now I still have to finish my thesis (which I'm not going to miss at all) and prepare myself for the NBCOT and local tests. So, one day at a time right?
PS: Yesterday, my OT program made us take an NBCOT practice test and even though I haven't started studying yet I passed it, so I'm exited!
