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Contents
I. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................1

II. Summary of Experience Gained...........................................................................................................1

III. The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT): Overview.........................................................................2

3.1. CVT: Mission................................................................................................................................3

3.2. CVT: Functions.............................................................................................................................4

3.3. Supervision of Counseling supervisors, Counselors & Psychosocial Counselors..........................4

3.3.1. Clinical Supervision..............................................................................................................4

3.3.2. Individual Supervision..........................................................................................................4

3.3.3. Group Supervision...............................................................................................................5

3.4. CVT: International Programs........................................................................................................6

IV. Description of the Experience and Assessing the Learning that Occurred.......................................7

V. Major Success as related to Goals.......................................................................................................8

VI. Major Challenge...............................................................................................................................8

VII. On-site Supervisor’s Feedback.........................................................................................................9

7.1. Major Strengths (by supervisor)..................................................................................................9

7.2. Areas of improvement (by supervisor)........................................................................................9

VIII. Self Assessment.............................................................................................................................10

8.1. Strength.....................................................................................................................................10

8.2. Growth Areas.............................................................................................................................10

IX. Assessing the Experience...............................................................................................................11

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I. Introduction

This is a final report of counseling practice the intern has worked in the past four months.
The report mainly focuses on overall description of the organization where the student
interned such as overview of the organization, its mission, its international programs and
the kind of clients with whom the organization works. It also discusses summary of the
internship experience, challenges faced, major successes, onsite supervisor’s feedback,
and the lesson(s) gained.
The report further discusses self-assessment that focuses on identifying positive sides and
areas of growth, and how the experience is related to future careers/goals.

II. Summary of Experience Gained

Four months of internship period at the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) gave me the
opportunity to learn a lot about Counseling.

The internship program began with two weeks of intensive training on different topics
ranging from overview of the organization, mission and operating principles to
conceptualizations of torture and trauma.

Moreover, the training covered topics like philosophies of counseling, basic counseling
skills, CVT trauma care model, trauma informed counseling, complex impact of torture
and interpersonal trauma, and group dynamics. Suicide/ Crisis intervention, advanced
counseling skills, clinical assessment, monitoring and evaluation, community work, and
self care were also topics of training.

What follows is attending group counseling in the healing center of the organization.
Besides attending group counseling, I conducted intake assessments, prepared treatment
planning, and participated in individual and group supervision. Things to be taken into
consideration when assigning clients in a certain group have also been learned.
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Providing external training is one of the functions of the organization. Social workers,
teachers, different unions and others from other Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) are targets of the training. Based on this, I get the opportunity to co-train social
workers from other NGOs on suicide and vicarious (secondary) trauma.

Additional points learned include documenting clients’ information, maintaining

confidentiality, respect and boundary. Running a group requires at least two facilitators.
Working as group in turn requires team work. In this case, I believe that I have learned
how to work in group.

III. The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT): Overview

CVT’s work began with a simple conversation. As a young volunteer for Amnesty International,
Rudy Perpich, Jr. asked his father – then Governor of Minnesota – a tough question: “What are
you doing for human rights?” Inspired by his son’s challenge, Governor Perpich directed a
committee of human rights experts to research various initiatives. The most ambitious proposal
from this group was a rehabilitation center for survivors of torture.

Governor Perpich embraced the idea. He went to Copenhagen, Denmark, to visit the first
treatment center in the world, the Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims, and appointed a task
force to determine how such a center could be established in Minnesota.

CVT was then founded in 1985 as an independent nongovernmental organization. For the first
two years care was provided at the International Clinic of St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center. In
1987 CVT moved to a more home-like and less institutional setting that would feel welcoming to
survivors.

Today CVT provides care from St. Paul Healing Center. The house was designed to meet the
needs of torture survivors, with domestic furnishings, large windows and rooms with rounded or
angled corners to create an environment much different from the stark square rooms with
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glaring lights that most torture survivors experienced. We want our clients to feel as
comfortable as possible when they are with CVT.
In Minnesota, healing services are provided to torture survivors on an outpatient basis. Each
survivor works with a team of specialists who provide:
• Medical treatment, including psychiatric services
• Nursing care to help monitor physical conditions
• Psychotherapy
• Social services to connect survivors with other organizations and basic needs, and to
provide case management.
• Massage and physical therapy to increase mobility and relieve physical pain

CVT’s International Headquarters (HQ) is located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in

Minnesota in the United States of America. There are approximately 60 HQ staff members plus
interns and volunteers. Internationally, CVT employs over 300 people.

International Services staff at CVT HQ work together with staff at various field sites and
offices. They communicate regularly through e-mail and Skype. Staff members from HQ
sometimes come to visit field sites to provide support and training.

III.1. CVT: Mission

CVT rebuilds lives by extending healing care to survivors of torture. The healing care in
Minnesota, Georgia, Africa and the Middle East restores hope so survivors can once again live
healthy, productive and peaceful lives.

Torture has profound long-term effects. Physical reminders include headaches, chronic pain,
respiratory problems and a host of other symptoms. The psychological damage is often worse.
Living with constant fear, debilitating depression and regular panic attacks prevents survivors
from caring for themselves, their families, and contributing to their communities.

But healing is possible. We help survivors rebuild their lives so torture is in their past and not
something they re-live every day.
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III.2. CVT: Functions

 Training
 Capacity building
 Policy & advocacy
 Research

III.3. Supervision of Counseling supervisors, Counselors & Psychosocial

Counselors

There are three components of supervision. These are administrative, evaluative and clinical
Super vision. Of the three components of supervision, clinical supervision is the most common
one.

III.3.1. Clinical Supervision

Clinical supervision is an intensive, interpersonally focused relationship in which one person
(the supervisor) is designated to facilitate the development of competence in the other person
(the supervisee) in the service of the client. This clinical supervision is further divided into
individual and group supervision.

III.3.2. Individual Supervision

• Structured, one-to-one session between supervisor and supervisee for a clinical
development purpose

• Benefits:

 Some supervisees respond best to personal attention and focus

 Supervisee may be more comfortable disclosing information regarding their

professional development in a more private setting (vs. group)

 Allows for more intensive work to be done on supervisee’s cases

• Challenges:

 Does not provide the normalization and learning that occurs from interaction in a
group supervision setting
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 Does not provide the opportunity to view the supervisee’s interaction with other
supervisees as a parallel process of how the supervisee might interact with clients

III.3.3. Group Supervision

• Group supervision is a complement to, not a substitute for, individual supervision

• Group supervision involves the use of a group setting to enable members to reflect on
their work, experience and knowledge

• Professional growth is aided by the interactions occurring between groups members.

• The important distinction between group supervision and team meetings or other group
sessions is that group supervision is always centered on developing clinicians with a
specific focus on achieving better outcomes for clients

Benefits

 The core of group supervision is the interaction of the supervisees (Actively giving and
receiving feedback)
,
 Exposure to a variety of experiences; group setting allows an experience to touch many
 Groups allow members to be exposed to the thought process of other counselors at
various levels of development
E.g., Exposure to alternative perspectives in working with clients that one supervisee
may perceive as being difficult but another does not
 Can give supervisees an increased sense of support by realizing others have similar
concerns
 Hearing the success and the frustrations of other counselors gives the supervisee a more
realistic model by which they can critique themselves and build confidence
 Allows supervisees to explore new approaches and avenues of problem-solving by
listening to others and receiving feedback

Challenges
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 Balancing the individual and group needs, while maintaining focus on the
individual
 Providing a safe environment where individuals can discuss their
limitations and problems without criticism

III.4. CVT: International Programs

Country Camp(s) Clients

Iraqi refugees and small number of
Jordan Aman refugees from other countries
Refugees from surrounding African
Kenya Nairobi countries including Ethiopians
Kenya Dadaab African Refugees, Majority Somali

Uganda (North) Bidi Bidi South Sudanese Refugees

Ethiopia (Tigray) May-Ayni & Adi-Harush Eritrean Refugees

Ethiopia (Gambella) Nguenyyi South Sudanese Refugees

Former CVT programs also operated in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Democratic Republic
of Congo.

IV. Description of the Experience and Assessing the Learning that

Occurred
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Learning a theory and having a clear understanding of what the theory is all about is important.
Equally important is being able to put the theories, techniques and skills into practice. The
experience so far has enabled me to practice in a real setting what I have learned in classroom.

As an intern, I have multiple roles to carry out; observer, student and practitioner. As an
observer, I have to carefully and actively understand the process. As a student, I have to read
books, learn from group members including clients, and get feedback from supervisors. As a
practitioner, I have to put what I have observed, read and learned into practice.

Needless to say, combining all these roles has been both challenging and rewarding. The
challenges emanate from the fact that integrating the observer-student-practitioner roles require a
sharp mind that switches among them. Moreover, it needs time, commitment and patience.

The rewarding side of this experience is trying to stick to the roles and being able to help others.
In fact, getting the opportunity that gives the chance to practice such a structured counseling is
really encouraging.

The internship experience helped me learn how to conduct therapeutic assessment, create
professional relationship with clients, facilitate sessions, work in groups, and maintain
professional standard.

In addition to these points, I was able to apply basic counseling skills, advanced counseling
skills, integrate techniques and ideas from multiple theories. More importantly, I have come to
understand that counseling is a creative process that requires passion and commitment to help
others.

V. Major Success as related to Goals

Given the fact that I had no formal prior counseling experience, this opportunity means a lot for
me. My goal is to become a world class counseling professional who provides counseling service
for clients and train counselors and other stakeholders. It is my belief that, as awareness grows
more and more people will seek counseling service in the future. Despite lack of research in the
area, I have observed that the need for counseling service has increased dramatically in the past
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few years in our country particularly in major cities like Addis. This trend is expected to increase
even more rapidly in the future.

To address the ever increasing need, counselors, being mental health professionals, are expected
to make themselves ready and develop their competence. I believe that the internship experience
has given a good exposure that would help me in becoming a competent professional counselor.
Ethical issues, confidentiality being the major one, assessment, intervention, follow up, taking
and providing training have been the focus of the internship program. These are some of the
major issues that really help someone to be a professional counselor. I believe that I have been
successful in these issues.

VI. Major Challenge

Working in an environment with new setting and people obviously seems to be challenging in
the beginning. Even more challenging is working in a relatively harsh climatic condition. One
major challenge relates to a client who seemed to show improvement after the third session but
appeared to be inconsistent. In this case, figuring out what helped him improve in the first place
but without consistency was a major challenge. Other things were adapted easily.This could
partly be attributed to welcoming staff members who were supportive and encouraging and
partly to the intern’s ability to adapt the situation easily. What appeared to be a bit challenging
was the weather condition. The intern tried to cope with this problem by wearing light clothes
and consuming much water.

VII. On-site Supervisor’s Feedback

The intern has been lucky enough to work with an experienced onsite supervisor who is a
graduate of Clinical Psychology and a professional psychotherapist for about four months.
Moreover, his friendly and welcoming approach while maintaining professional stance helped
the intern learn a lot from him.

Apart from his helpful verbal feedback and advice, he provided the intern with the following
written information indicating major strengths and growth areas.
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VII.1. Major Strengths (by supervisor)

From the strengths- dominated feedback, the intern’s substantial contribution for clients care and
follow up was mentioned in the first place along with conducting clear intake assessments and
timely submission of them. The on-site supervisor went on to mention the intern’s ability to
engage with clients while facilitating group session. Another feedback deals with the intern’s
helpful intervention of a suicidal client who showed a good recovery.

The rest major strengths indicated by the supervisor are related to trainings taken and given
during the internship period. One such feedback explains the intern’s active engagement,
participation and contribution in all the trainings attended and during supervision both group and
individual.

VII.2. Areas of improvement (by supervisor)

The onsite supervisor raised one important thing to improve- the intern’s over commitment
which is believed to affect well-being. While commitment is an integral part of any work,
excessive commitment may lead to unnecessary outcomes such as burnout and/or fatigue. This
feedback is worth considering in environments that have lots of sources of stress.

VIII. Self Assessment

VIII.1.Strength
It is quite obvious that almost everyone who engages in some kind of work have strengths and
areas that need improvement. While being open to those feedbacks from other people such as
supervisor or colleagues is important, assessing oneself and identifying one’s own strong sides
and growth areas is even more important. It is believed that self awareness is the foundation for
progression in any professional engagement. To this end, the intern has tried to identify the
following strengths and growth areas.

One of the positive qualities displayed during the internship program is the intern’s ability to
create and maintain good relationship with staff members of all levels. Working as a team
usually requires cooperation and coordination among individuals with diverse background. The
need to maintain good relationship is highly pronounced to be successful. In this regard, the
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intern was able to maintain positive relationship with psychosocial counselors, counselors,
supervisors, and trainers/psychotherapists.

Another strength worth mentioning is the interest and readiness to know and do what is required.
The intern demonstrated high level of interest to get the most out of the internship process. The
ability to adapt the situation in a relatively short period of time is yet another quality. High level
of commitment to provide care and support to clients can also be mentioned.

VIII.2.Growth Areas
As a counseling student who aspires to be a professional counselor in the near future, a lot is
expected from the intern. In this regard, the intern believes that he still needs to explore more on
different skills and techniques that are tailored to address diverse needs of clients. Counseling,
being a broad profession, requires one to explore the diverse specializations and choose among
them.

During the internship, the intern was highly interested in executing assigned tasks. This led to
over commitment to extend help which, in turn, led to less engagement in self care. To help
others effectively, it is paramount importance to balance between professional life and personal
life. The intern found this to be worth improving.

IX. Assessing the Experience

Just like the other applied fields of study, counseling students need to have hands-on experience
without which graduates would be of little help to their community. The intern really appreciates
the initiative taken by The School of Psychology, Addis Ababa University, for providing
students with the opportunity to make some practical work before graduation.

The overall internship experience has been a fascinating one. The intern has been fully engaged
in his work during working days and hours. The services provided by the organization in which
the student interned were a perfect match with the student’s field of study. Screening, conducting
assessments, preparing treatment plans, facilitating group sessions, conducting follow-ups,
taking training on different topics, providing training and psycho education were the major tasks
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executed by the intern. All these have been of great help and would serve a lot in future
endeavors, the intern believes.

Such exposures are really important as the intern’s future goal is to be counseling professional
providing psychotherapy to those in need of such services.

Not only professionally, the internship experience has also been helpful personally. The clients
with whom the intern worked have survived lots of hardships yet they managed to stay alive.
Their incredible resilience has a lot to say and found it to be considering in personal life.

Generally, the internship experience helped the intern to learn the following lessons:

 Counseling needs not only psychological knowledge but also a good understanding of a
number of fields.
 To provide cultural appropriate care and support, one has to try to understand the culture
of the community.
 Counseling can be one of the most stressful professions in the world
 Self awareness is an important ingredient in counseling
 Clients who come to counseling have diverse needs, most of the time, and require
integrated services.
 In addition to theoretical knowledge and practical experience, counseling service
outcome may depend on therapists’/counselors’ attitudes.
 Confidentiality is one of the top priorities in the counseling profession.
 Counselors who are repeatedly exposed to painful materials may develop secondary
trauma.
 Supervision plays an important role in developing counselors’ competence
 Above all, counseling is best for those who have a strong desire to help others help
themselves.
The intern strongly believes that understanding the above concepts can be helpful in his
future counseling career.