Student Experiences: Hilde de Groot discusses her experience with the Terapia Summer School
With the new cohort of our Summer School set to join us this August, we spoke to student Hilde to find out what she thought about the five day experiential workshop and how it had helped her on her chosen career path.
How did you hear about the Summer School and what encouraged you to sign up?
I found out about the Summer School through an email from Terapia. I had attended an Open Evening about the MA course, but I was still in two minds whether to go ahead with it. Once I received the email about the Summer School, I decided to sign up to experience Terapia and to learn more about working therapeutically with children and adolescents.
How did you find the course?
The Summer School was fantastic. We were a mixed bunch of people with different backgrounds. Some were psychotherapists who wanted to learn about working with children, other participants did it for their own self-development and others – like me- were working in the education sector and wanted to develop different skills. The course was informative and experiential. I learnt a lot about children and what may be going on in a child’s life, however I also learnt a lot about myself. I can say with certainty that I grew as a person in those 5 days. I also made a very good friend, with whom I am still in contact.
What was the most memorable session and why?
The most memorable sessions were the creative sessions of building a house for made up creatures in the park and the session that we worked with the sand tray. The session that we built a little house out of sticks and leaves for some friendly trolls, made us go back to the days of our childhood. What fun we had imagining who would live in our house and how they would be living in the woods. The sand tray session made me realise who is in my support network and how important this is for me. This was in fact quite an emotional exercise and it made me realise how powerful this work can be.
Why did you sign up to the MA following the course?
I had been thinking of signing up for the MA course, but I was undecided of where to do the course. I had looked at other providers, but in the end the summer course made me realise that Terapia’s approach is what I was looking for. I had an individual chat with one of the summer school leaders about what I could expect from the MA course, and I realised that Terapia does not restrict you to one modality. After that I felt well prepared to apply.
What are your views on Terapia and its staff?
Terapia and starting the MA course has been a welcome change in my life. Module 1 is not just theory; there is a lot of skills practice and self-development in this first year. Staff have been amazing. Everyone is approachable and available should you need advice or support. Staff are knowledgeable and there are a variety of lecturers with varying backgrounds to cover different topics. I feel that Terapia’s approach of self-development and encouragement to become stronger as a person is very important for the role that I will be taking on in my workplace. Although the expectations from staff are high, I feel very positive about the decision to study MA child and adolescent psychotherapy.
To find out more about the Summer School: Introduction to Therapeutic Work with Children please click here or call our team on 020 8201 6101
