I learned a lot today.

I think my experiences at my internship today were the most eye-opening, and the most clinical. I think I learned a lot about reading people, and just how much people can fool me. One case, I saw right through the person, and felt her falseness immediately. The other pulled the wool over my eyes, and I'm lucky I didn't say something to make the situation worse. Supervisor and I debriefed after each session. I wasn't surprised to see that I was correct on the one - Supervisor obviously picked up on her before I did, and we went over our assumptions, etc. The other case, I was not as knowledgeable on the complexity of the situation, and I certainly did not pick up on some of the controlling and manipulating behaviors - which they almost got away with on me! I must have somehow subconsciously picked up on Sup's cues because when we debriefed after, she said I changed my wording (for the better) right at the last moment. I told her I have no clue why I did, because I just did not pick up on any of the things she pointed out. However, it all made perfect sense when the evidence was laid out. I'm glad I didn't screw up the session, but I am also glad that I got to see manipulation in action. I think that had I known the background on the clients and their situation, I may have been a bit more keen to what was being said.

It's not like it's the first time I've ever encountered someone like this, but I can be gullible when I'm trying to see the good in a person. I assume that part of me will change real fast when I really get out in the big bad world of social work. However, you take the good with the bad, and the bad with the good.

Great experiences!