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Quirky Kid welcomes professionals and interns from various walks of life including provisional psychologists, editors, graphic artists and teachers. During the course of their internships - from 3 to 6 months - a lot of learning takes place. In this new section, we ask our interns and colleagues to share their experiences with Quirky Kid; what they've learnt and how this experience will help them in the future. In this post, Darcy Smith shares her experience.
Why did I apply?
As a recent psychology graduate, I applied for the volunteer position at The Quirky Kid Clinic to expand upon the knowledge I gained at university and gain invaluable practical experience from the dedicated and experienced experts in the field of child psychology. The opportunity excited me as it also allowed me to connect with individuals who have similar goals and values, while learning from the clinical team’s vast knowledge and experience.
What did I learn?
During my placement I was able to engage in a wide variety of projects and tasks that consolidated my learning and expanded my skill set. I was also fortunate enough to have been asked to sit in on sessions with a psychologist and the client.I learned to score various assessments, assisted with shop orders and aimed to create a warm and welcoming environment for children and their families during their time at the clinic. Further, I was involved in research for the writing of articles about children’s mental health and development.
How will this help me in the future?
As I am striving to be a Clinical Psychologist, the volunteer program at The Quirky Kid Clinic has provided me with advantageous skills, knowledge and understanding regarding the complexities of children’s mental health and development as well as valuable insight into clinical skills. The broad range of knowledge and learning will facilitate entry into Psychology Master’s programs where I can further expand my understanding and practical experience. Through this program I was also able to connect with established psychologists to better understand potential career paths and learn from their expertise to apply in the future.
The extensive level of professionalism demonstrated by all staff members also gave me invaluable insight into the workforce and expectations when working within a dynamic team.
My experience with QK as a company.
My experience at The Quirky Kid Clinic was extremely rewarding and productive. Having the opportunity to work alongside individuals who shared similar values and passions was beneficial and the consistent demonstration of thoroughness and extensive expertise was admirable. The clinic is always so inviting and the team demonstrates incredible competence and proficiency reinforces what makes them so incredibly successful and internationally renowned.
Tips for future applicants.
I encourage future applicants to be open to new experiences and learning and enter each day with a positive attitude as you are helping create a space that is safe and welcoming. You will learn so much from this experience but it will require you to be flexible and motivated to continue learning and developing.
Overall, this was a rewarding and positive experience and I recommend the volunteer program to other aspiring psychologists and counsellors as there is no doubt that you will learn so much and develop as an endeavoring clinician.
