Its A Promising Site :)

Sanibona bafwe2 J

I’m back on my journey. No really, I’m back OMG! I literally haven’t dealt with the psychosocial module for 2 years. That’s right 2 years!!!  I’ve been anxious about 2nd semester even while I was in 1^st semester. So you can only imagine what’s going through my mind. Its thoughts ranging from MSE, dominoes, hallucination, delusions, dementia, and asking myself questions such as isn’t alzhiermers a form of dementia? All I know is I’ve got to READ READ and READ! And that’s only if I want to make it through this block alive J .

The major module that carries weight towards my marks for this semester is the psychosocial module, this is a module that deals with equipping us students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to help individuals that have mental illnesses to be able to engage in meaningful and valuable occupation. For the duration of my psychosocial block, three of my classmates and I have been allocated to be at North Bay Lodge where we will be allocated clients to work with for an estimated 8 weeks for 2 times a week (which will be on Tuesdays and Fridays).

One of the first things our lecturer asked us the first day we got back was was…”what are you expecting from this psychosocial block?”. Well from around the class, answers such as…”I’m expecting to be challenged”, “I’m expecting to really work hard and I’m anticipating growth along the way”. Those were just a few quotes from what my classmates had said when asked that question.

Quiet honesty I hadn’t really thought about it as yet but once I was given the opportunity to kinder search for what it is  I’m willing to gain during this block. The answered guided me towards focusing on what I want to give, rather than gain. So I’ve given my mind clearance in hopes that I’m able to be as open minded as possible so as to gain knowledge and experience enough so that I’m able to give back to the clients at North Bay with full potential. Basically with this block, I’m attempting to be like a sponge, if one places a sponge in water. It absorbs as much water as it can possible take. Once it’s taken out, without even squeezing it, it starts to release what it has taken in. now that’s how I want to tackle this block, that’s the mentality in setting my mind up for. I want to come as empty as I can possibly be and leave the same way but hopefully because I’ve learnt and given so much. And not because I’ve worked so hard to the point where I’m left with nothing to look back and be proud to have accomplished, both for the client and myself individually as a budding therapist.

How am I preparing myself for this semester/psychosocial module?

Truthfully, I hadn’t been. But after my lecture I would have been a fool not to attempt to read anything. So there I was on the net trying to read everything I possible can about North Bay Lodge which is the psychosocial fieldwork site I have been placed on. And NOTHING! Just directions and contact details of the lodge. Awu L  dead end? No of course not. So I remember a friend of mine, currently doing her 4^th year in OT this year. And she had been to the very same site I’ve been allocated to. She told me about what to look out for, informed me about the state of the facility and the clients I’m mostly likely to come in contact with. From our discussion I now have an overview of what to expect about the facility but I