Meet Bikalpa K.

Psychology Intern

Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury

Fall 2020 (12 month term)

"Through the Arts Work Experience Program, I have been working as a Psychology Intern at the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta for the last 8 months. I work in a Psychosocial Rehab inpatient facility with an amazing interdisciplinary team of therapy assistants, an occupational therapist, a rec therapist, a psychologist, a social worker, and psychiatric nurses and aides to provide care for clients struggling with their mental health. My regular tasks include running self-report assessments, different cognitive assessments, facilitating workshops, and working one-on-one with clients on different emotional and/or day-to-day goals to better support their recovery during their 6-8 week stay.

I have gained many significant skills, lessons and experiences during my internship but if I were to choose one, I would say that being able to experience and put into practice the theoretical concepts that I have learned in my first three years of university in a real-world, client-centered environment with AHS has been the most important to me. It's been a great learning opportunity to see how research and theoretical concepts in the field of psychology are applied to patient care in a mental health facility. Being exposed to the workforce now through AWE, I am able to gain a more holistic view of the field of mental health and psychology in general, in that I am not only able to understand and appreciate the practice of patient care we provide, but also the importance of research and everything I have learned in my degree so far that compliments this practice."

Bikalpa is an Honours Psychology Student. He currently works for the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury as a Psychology Intern.