Internship

Portfolio
Study
Abroad
Spring 2017
Three Credits

Name Abigail Oldham____________

Location
_Dublin Holistic Centre __________
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Center for Experiential Learning Internship Experience
Loras College
Study Abroad L. EXP-494
Three Credit Portfolio

Internship Portfolios provide students with a summation of their experience. They allow the
student to take a reflective view of where they started, how their internship helped them to learn
& develop new skills, and provide a launching into the next steps in their educational &
professional careers.

The European education system differs from the American system for internship. Many
businesses, organizations, and institutions in Europe are not used to having college students
working with them as interns. Keep this in mind as you get to know the organization and
individuals during your internship.

The three credit internship covers 150 hours of on-site work experience and is designed to guide
the student through an introduction into career readiness & exploration. The Portfolio is the
culmination of those experiences with an emphasis on learning and expanding the professional
skill set.

In order to receive a Passing grade for the Three Credit Internship, students must complete the
following documents/assignments and submit them within this portfolio in the following order:

1. Title Page – Name, Loras College, Semester of Internship, Name of Internship Site &
Location
2. Narrative description of Internship Site (see sample information to include)
a. Name of the site, location, number of employees, primary industry
b. Overview of the organization – is there an organizational chart? How are policies
formed? Whom does the organization serve?
c. Human Resources – What role does this department play in your internship
area?
3. Letter of Motivation
4. Initial Resume
5. Completed Learning Plan (Template is included)
6. SnapShot #1
7. SnapShot #2
8. Reflective Journal Questions & Responses – As submitted weekly on eLearn
9. Final evaluation from Site Supervisor – evaluation form & instructions are available
on eLearn
10. Final Essay – Answering, expanding, and reflecting on the questions:
a. What did you do?
b. What did you learn?
c. Why did it matter?
11. Updated Resume including your internship experience

Completed Portfolios are due on eLearn by 11:00pm _____May 15, 2017__

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ABIGAIL OLDHAM

LORAS COLLEGE

ACADEMIC INTERNSHIP FOR SPRING 2017 SEMESTER

DUBLIN HOLISTIC CENTRE

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INTERNSHIP SITE NARRATIVE

The Dublin Holistic Centre sits right in Dublin’s City Centre at 28 S. Williams Street, D4. This is a
small company with only about 10 paid emplyees, while there are only a small number of employees there
are about 80 different therapists that work in the centre by renting rooms. The centre is a place for
holistic treatments that include but are not limited to massage, acupuncture, healing energy, talking
therapy, yoga and pilates classes, and much more.
Helen is the owner of the Holistic Centre as she is the one that makes to policies with consultation
from Bella and Anna, the other two managers of the centre. The receptionist all have specific jobs they
must complete which are all layed out in a chart at the desk. The clients of the centre are the therapists
which rent rooms at a half day rate. The centre then facilitates in scheduling and welcoming the clients of
the therapists into the centre.
Working at the Holistic Centre is helpful to me as a psychology major with a goal of going on to
practice psychology in many ways. Through interactions with the different therapists in the centre I am
able to get to know them and the way they practice. Everyone practices in a unique way to help their
clients in varying ways. Not only is it important for me to have interactions with the psychotherapists,
but all of the different kinds as I can understand how different therapies are beneficial in helping people
overcome obsacles in their lives. Along with learning more about practice I am also getting valuable
experience in how a small business runs. In the future I would like to run my own practice, so Helen has
been beneficial in telling me how she got started and now runs the centre. Much more works goes in
behind the scenes then one might think.
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LETTER OF MOTIVATION

Abigail M. Oldham Ms. Margaret Purdy

901 W. Liberty St. European Programme Manager
Anamosa, IA 52205 InternsPlus
Telephone: (319) 821-0359 Guinness Enterprise Center
Email: abigail.oldham@loras.edu Taylors Lane
Dublin 8, Ireland

28 September 2016
Letter of Motivation

Dear Ms. Purdy:

I am writing in regards to an internship opportunity working with children and families in need of counseling.
My past experiences with people seeking counseling services has led me to a major in Psychology with a minor
in Sociology. My studies in psychology has also sparked an interest in working with children from toddler
through 12 years of age, to offer support and guidance in various ways.

The enclosed CV highlights the experiences and skills that I could offer in such a position. Among the
highlights:
 Academic excellence which exemplifies my love for knowledge and understanding
 Numerous experiences working with a wide variety of people including children and families
 Leadership responsibilities
 Dedication to hard work

I have love for helping others, which started in my youth. Having a little sister with Reactive Attachment
Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome I have gotten to see firsthand how important and life altering counseling can
be to both an individual and a family. These experiences give me another more personal perspective when
interacting with families. Growing up with these challenges in my own home has been a blessing that has taught
me true life lessons. I look forward to applying my skills and contributing to your organization, and furthermore
to be a mentor and leader to young children in Dublin.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at- abigail.oldham@loras.edu. Thank you
for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Abigail Oldham
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RESUME
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FINAL LEARNING PLAN
This should be a revisited &/or revised Learning Plan based on your initial plan submitted at the
beginning of your internship.
1. Goal/Objective: Learning how an office with different forms of therapy runs while
giving ideas in how it could possibly be improved

Means: Work with everyone in the office seeing what they do and what needs to be
done. Talk regularly with my supervisor about what is going on around the centre.

Assessment: Seek feedback regularly from supervisor as well as co-workers.

Constantly being around my bosses gave me a great opportunity to always be
improving so I could be more helpful to them.

2. Goal/Objective: Strengthen my knowledge on different forms of therapy and how

each one can be useful. Know how to recommend different treatments to clients based
on asking questions and knowing which therapists they might work well with

Means: Go through and learn what they are. Help clients looking for a therapy
based on symptoms. Along with this get to know the therapists in order to know what
personalities might go well together or not.

Assessment: Becoming quicker with knowing what therapies are helpful. Not rely
on having to look stuff up or ask questions constantly.

 Supervisor goals (What does the supervisor want the intern to learn/accomplish?)
o I want Abby to get to experience all that the Holistic Centre has to offer, and see how it
really runs. I want her to keep an open mind and learn more about the different treatments
that are offered.

 Supervisor expectations (What does the supervisor expect from the student?)
o I expect Abby to keep and open mind and be willing to try new things. I hope she will get a
new perspective on some of the therapies offered. I expect her to work hard and
communicate to us. We would like her to help us with suggestions as to how things can be
changed and to give us some input as to how we can improve.

 How can the supervisor & intern collaborate to help obtain these objectives?
o We are going to work together closely during this internship meeting to talk about what is
going on and how things can be changed. Each day will be a new day to accomplish
something different.

.
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SNAPSHOT #1 : A Day in the Life

Abigail Oldham, Sophomore, Psychology Major

At the Dublin Holistic Centre I help keep the centre ready for clients involved in many different
kinds of therapies ranging from pilates to psychotherapy and everything in between. It is
important that when people come to heal they have a welcoming, clean environment to not let
their mind wander from their treatment process.
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SNAPSHOT #2 : What I Learned

Abigail Oldham, Sophomore, Psychology Major

During my time at the Dublin Holistic Centre I gain gained valuable knowledge in how a helaing
practice is run. By working reception I have been able to hear clients needs and then find a
treatment and therapist that suits them. It is not always about finding the easiest solutions, but
rather the one that will benefit the clients in the most ways possible.
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REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRIES

Study
Abroad
Internship
Journals
Description &
Questions

Spring 2017
Three Credits

Name: Abigail Oldham______

Location: Dublin Holistic
Centre_________________________
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Loras College
Spring 2017
Three Credit Internship

Journal Entries/Critical Reflection

Reflection should be a deliberate and regular habit during your experience. Although reflection and recording
can overlap in some ways, they are different. The primary purpose of reflection is to evaluate what you are
learning and how you are growing. “Reflection is a fundamental concept in experiential learning. In order to
turn your experience into learning you need to stop, recall events, analyze and process them” (Sweitzer 9).

Journal Questions
Week 1 Date _January 22, 2017____________________
Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?
Response:

I had a very good first week at the Dublin Holistic Centre. This week I went in at 11:00am on Tuesday
and 10:00am on Thursday while staying until 5:00pm both days. My regular hours will be 10:00am to 5:00pm
with a one hour lunch break on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. This week I was introduced to the company and
their mission while also being taught the basics of working there such as what to do when the phones ring, when
to change rooms around, and how to book appointments. Along with this I was also shown how to clean yoga
matts, how to work some of the software, and basics like when to do laundry. I do not have a specific job that is
just mine, but rather I will be working with everyone doing different tasks and helping different people every
day. During my time at the Holistic Centre I am going to help with organizing different things, and giving them
suggestions on how things can be improved from an outsider’s perspective. I started that this week by
organizing the reception desk and all the keys for the building.
Working at the Holistic Centre and doing different tasks every day will be beneficial to me by letting me
really see what goes in to running a business, specifically one with clients and patients. After talking with the
owner, Helen, I have already learned so much about her journey and all that she has had to do and still does to
keep a business open. My future goal is to be a clinical psychologist and possible open my own private practice.
Seeing what Helen does and how her business runs will be helpful for me to know the business side of things
for the office that I may open in the future. Even if I am working in another environment other than my own
office it will be helpful for me to understand what is going on in the background in order to be the best
professional possible.

This week respond to the following question regarding your experience to this point.
What do you think will be the key events and features of this experience?
Response:

Interning at the Dublin Holistic Centre is going to bring something new every day. This will be good
because every day will be a new experience I can learn from. I am very excited to get to know and work with
Helen because I think she will be someone I can learn a lot from. Previous to coming to Ireland I skyped with
Helen, and she seemed like a very down to earth person who is excited about what she does. Now, after meeting
her, this opinion I have of her is even more positive. I definitely can see her being someone that I can look up to
as a role model. I strive to have the positive attitude and drive to succeed while helping others that she does.
Helen has a great, positive energy and seems like she isn’t afraid of any task. In my opinion that is a great
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quality to have. Along with working with Helen I am excited to meet the Therapists who work in the office
and learn more about what they do and how they got to where they are today. While I will not get to see them
working with patients I am excited to hear all they can tell me while also building a relationship with them.

Week 2 Date __January 29, 2017_______

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I worked on Tuesday from 10:00am until 5:00pm and Thursday from 10:00am until 4:00pm
with an hour lunch break both days. On Tuesday of this week my boss had my do a beginner’s yoga class so I
could see some of the different things they do there. Also on Tuesday I cleaned yoga matts and went through
the individual treatment rooms with Helen and she explained to me why they are set up the way they are and
how to keep them the best for the clients. One of my jobs will be to make sure that the treatment rooms are
always ready and in their best condition. Helen says that one of her specialties is designing treatment rooms. I
started going through the books at the centre and I am going to make some spreadsheets and tables so they can
see what kinds of treatments they do most often and how they are contacted the most. This project is going to be
something that I will slowly work on when I have extra time. Throughout the day I was also working with the
receptionist to learn how to work the front desk.
On Thursday of this week I redid some of the lighting in the studios and went through and made sure
everything was ready for clients. I also worked on some cleaning stuff and organized all of the CDs that are
used at the holistic centre. I had an opportunity to talk with some of the different therapists and hear about what
they do, which was great.

What assumptions are you making about the people involved in this experience, including yourself? What do
you observe about your behavior and actions and those of others?
Response:
An assumption that I had going into this experience is that the people I was going to be working with
would not want me to be there and that I would be an annoyance to them. I am so glad that this was not the case
at all. Everyone was excited to meet me and had known that I was coming, even the private therapists that I do
not directly work with. While everyone has been super kind I still feel a little bit like I am the visitor and that
everyone is accommodating me. I am making the assumption that I don’t quite fit in and stand out compared to
everyone else working at the centre. I hope that this assumption of how everyone is seeing me will change as I
get to know everyone and the centre better. I have observed that everyone has had a very positive behavior
toward me which makes it very easy for me to be in good spirits and full of energy when I am at work.

Week 3 Date ___February 5, 2017______

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?
Response:
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm. I have been doing the same kind of stuff that I have been doing
the past couple of weeks. Cleaning yoga mats, helping to organize different things, making sure rooms are
ready, and working to organize their online bookings.

What does this experience point out to you about your own attitudes, biases, or preferences?
What are you learning about yourself through this internship?
Response:
So far in this internship I have been able to learn a lot about myself including things I like and things
that I definitely do not like. A lot of times when I am at the Holistic Centre I find myself not having enough to
do or having to ask if there is something I can do. For some people this may not be an issue, but I often get very
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bored and always want to have a task. Because of this feeling of being bored I know that I have learned that I
am definitely the kind of person that always has to be doing something, and feel like what I am doing is
meaningful. While I sometimes need to ask what to do I am very grateful that I am not sitting at a desk all day. I
am always in a new part of the centre working on something, which I really like. I also like that I am not going
in and doing the same things every day. I definitely prefer to be doing different things every day.
Already I can see how working at the Holistic Centre has impacted the way that I think about
psychology. Talking therapy is so important, and I have appreciated talking to the therapists, but I can also see
how much different kinds of therapy, such as acupuncture, can be useful to clients. I think it is important for
people to use different kinds of therapy together to get the best potential for healing in both a physical and
mental way. When I think about how I want to practice in the future I could see myself potentially incorporating
some meditation techniques into what I do in order to enhance how I am trying to help my clients.

Week 4 Date __February 12, 2017_____

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I spent some time
working on organizing the appointment book and then cleaned yoga matts, and helped the receptionist with
some paper work. On Thursday when I came in I fixed a lock on some of the lockers and had to go to the
hardware store. I then worked on making the studios look cozier by adding some lighting, and cleaned and
organized the studio desk. In the afternoon I cleaned yoga matts and then had a chat with Helen (the owner)
about how she keeps the business going and her giving me some tips and advice. It was a really nice talk and
she told me about some projects that she wants me to help her with over the next couple of months. To end my
day on Thursday I went and got some supplies for the centre at a store nearby.
Reflect on your cultural experience; think about an attitude or opinion, a social situation, learning a new word,
a new food and response in one or two paragraphs. Describe the experience. How did the experience make
you feel? What did you learn from it?
Response:
One of the things that has been different is the general attitudes of the people in Dublin both at the
holistic centre and just around Dublin in general. The other day I had a conversation with one of my co-workers
about how the people in Ireland do not have a strong sense of needing material possessions. She was saying to
me that Americans tend to follow the stereotypes of being “American” more than the Irish do. One of the
comments she made was that Americans are very obnoxious and are more concerned with what they have than
anything else. Irish people care more about being respectful of everyone around them and are not as focused on
material possessions.
This conversation was really interesting because I got to hear about how Americans are seen by the Irish
people. I tend to be quieter, and try to always be aware of who and what is around me, so it is hard for me to
hear stereotypes that all Americans are obnoxious. In the states I do not hear people classifying all Americans
together so it is weird for me to hear that here in Ireland. It is my goal to show everyone I meet and interact with
that not all Americans are the stereotypes that they hear, and that there are many more categories which would
be more appropriate to be classified in other than just “American.”

Week 5 Date __February 16, 2017______

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I was out of the office
most of the day running errands for the reception. I also cleaned yoga mats, rearranged one of the rooms, and
fixed a few random things. On Thursday I cleaned the lockers and the yoga matts, unpacked packages that had
come in, and cleaned up the advertising areas. I also cleaned yoga mats and the studios and then spent some
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time in the other office with Anna going over mind body, the calendar, and just chatting about what is going
on in the centre. I am waiting on feedback from Helen about the spreadsheets I have been working on for her.
Interning at the holistic centre has shown me a lot about what it takes and the kind of organization and
management that is needed to run as office. This is very important to my future goal of one day having my own
practice. Working at the holistic centre I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about myself as well as how to
run a business. I tend to be a stressed out person and working at the holistic centre has taught me ways to take
calm down and relax. I have learned about a lot of techniques that I can bring back with me to school to keep
myself from being stressed out.

How does your classroom based learning apply to this experience? What contradictions between your
classroom learning and practical application have you noticed (if any)?
Response:
Our classroom based learning does not have any strong connections to what I am doing at the holistic
centre, however the ideas that we are looking at in class may be loosely connected. In class we are talking a lot
about the attitudes of people in Ireland based on the history of the country. Many people in Dublin are very
frugal and tend to not have a large focus material wealth. This is something that I can see with the clients at the
Holistic Centre. The prices for some of the therapies tend to be pricey, and when people have to pay these bills
they can sometimes become very rude. Just today I had a conversation with one of my co-workers about how
many people think the people of Dublin are always happy, however she often gets very negative responses from
people on the phone. In class we have talked a lot about the hardships of people in Dublin, and this is something
that I can see in the clients at the centre. While some of them are very happy, I also do see the negative side of
the people of Dublin.

Week 6 Date ____February 26, 2017____

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I started my day
going through the rooms and redoing the candles to make sure every room is set just right for the different
moods of each room. I also cleaned yoga matts and had a wonderful opportunity to sit down with one of the
therapists in the afternoon. I had a wonderful talk with her for almost an hour about how she got to where she is
and what her training and schooling was like as well as how she practices. It was really nice to be able to talk
with her about the world of psychology and how it is evolving. Also on Tuesday I got some time behind the
reception desk answering calls and booking in clients while Aly, a receptionist, helped me. On Thursday I
worked on a spreadsheet for Helen, the owner of the Holistic Centre, to help her get organized more. I worked
on that for most of my day as well as cleaning yoga matts and running some errands. Helen and Anna would
like me to start experiencing some of the different therapies that are offered, so right when I was done on
Thursday I got a holistic massage that was lovely.

What are you learning about yourself in terms of communication style, adaptability, and contribution to the
professional setting? How do these qualities/skills impact others in your work environment? How are you
impacted by those qualities/skills of others?
Response:
Working at the reception desk I have been able to communicate with the clients which I love. I have
learned that I would much rather be talking with people, either in person or on the phone, than doing tasks on
my own. One of the things that my co-worker pointed out to me is that when I am asked to do something I
always say “sounds good” which she finds sort of odd, but a good thing. I think that this observation shows that
I am willing to do anything that is asked of me and that I have a positive outlook on tasks. Being a more
positive person is something that I have been working on in the last few year so I take her comment as a
compliment. When I speak on the phone with clients I find it hard to understand to understand them because of
their accents. I have had to learn to adapt to this and listen much more closely to what they are saying. This has
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been a bit of a challenge because I don’t want to be asking every person to repeat themselves. As I answer
more phone calls I am getting more confident in understanding what they are saying.
By working harder and listening more closely I do not have to continue asking, which makes the call
much more relaxed for the clients as well. I also think having a postivie attitude impacts the way my co-workers
and bosses treat me because they know that I’m not going to be angry about whatever tasks they chose to give
me. I had noticed that in the past couple of weeks they have given me much more responsibility in tasks that I
do as well as by letting me take calls and queries more often. I tend to stress out about things and take them too
seriously, however one of the receptionists that I work with is very laid back. I have found that this quality in
her helps me to remember to have fun and enjoy what I am doing while getting my work done. This is
something that I really appreciate, and I know I can definitely learn from her how to enjoy work more by not
taking everything too seriously.

Week 7 Date __March 4, 2017_____ _

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?

Response:
This week I work Tuesday 10:00am until 5:00pm and Tuesday 9:00am until 2:30pm. On Tuesday I
worked on spreadsheets during the morning and then cleaned yoga matts and ran some errands in the afternoon.
On Thursday I came in early and cleaned yoga mats and tidied up the rooms before I worked reception on my
own for the first time. I was at the reception desk for about 3 hours on my own and it was a lot different than the
ten minutes here and there that I have previously done. After working reception I was able to go home at 2:30
so that I could catch a flight to Scotland! The experiences I am having at the Holistic Centre are having a lot of
connections to the professional goals I have for myself. Through working with the client schedules and
answering phones I am learning a lot about what it takes to run an office and how to talk with clients,
specifically clients who are not sure of what kind of treatment they need. In the future I am going to need to
know what kinds of psychiatric treatments and therapies are available and know what will be best for the clients
that I am working with.

What are you observing about your work environment? If you could, what are two things you would keep and
two things you would change? What emotions and thoughts does this experience trigger in you?
Response:
Something that I notice every time I go into work is how calming the environment is at the Holistic
Centre. As soon as I walk in the door I smell the scent of tea tree and then walk up to the reception area and
treatment rooms and see the soft lighting and homey decorations and can instantly relax. The emotions that this
experience is a sense of being safe. When I am in the centre I do not worry about a lot of things or feel like I am
under pressure. Being at the centre always makes me reflect and think about my own home, which triggers the
emotions of being grateful that I grew up in a home that also makes me feel safe and secure. If I were to try and
replicate an environment like this in a centre of my own someday I would most definitely keep the candles and
soft lighting as well as the natural scents that are used in the centre. Something that I might try to change in my
own office would be the cramped, awkward spaces. I would want a cleaner look that doesn’t have too much
furniture or stuff in a room that dos not have the proper room for all of it. Another thing I might change is the
use of lights that require batteries. While the lights look very nice when they are all working it is hard to keep
up with charging the batteries on all of them leaving it with always having some that are out and needing
constant attention.
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Week 8 Date __March 12, 2017________
Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I work Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I spent my time cleaning
yoga mats, working on a spreadsheet for my boss. On Thursday I was on reception for most of the day. When I
was not working reception answering phones and scheduling appointments I tidied up rooms and got the studios
ready for the classes that night. Working more at reception I am learning a lot about how to help different
customers and how the different treatments can be used to help people needing different things.

You will soon have to reflect on your experience for your mid-term evaluation. Write three bullet points about this
internship now, while it is fresh in your mind.
Response:
 I am learning a lot about how a business works, there are many different things that have to be done
daily to keep the business running. This is includes anything from cleaning, to organization, to working
with clients.
 I am learning a lot about how different treatments can be used together to help people needing different
things.
 I am seeing how I could bring some holistic treatments into my work as a psychologist in the future.
Some of the treatments could be useful along with counseling sessions.

Week 9 Date __March 19, 2017________

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I cleaned out and
organized some of the closets around the holistic centre as well as cleaned yoga mats, ran errands, and sat in at
reception for a short time. Also on Tuesday I had a nice talk with Bella about some of the psychotherapists
around the centre and then she let me go through each of their bios online. From this I told a few that I found
particularly interesting and she is going to set up some times for me to talk with them one on one. On Thursday
I worked reception most of the day. It was a busy day for the phones so that is what took most of my time for
the day.

What is a challenge you have observed or faced? How did you respond to that challenge? What, if anything,
would you do differently if facing this challenge again?
Response
A challenge that I have been facing at the holistic centre is learning names. Not only the names of therapists
and clients, but also the names of the different treatments that are offered. I know it sounds like this is a silly thing
that shouldn’t be a big deal, but after an interesting conversation with one of my co-workers I realized how
important knowing names can be. The conversation came up after I had to ask my co-worker again, for the name of
one of the therapists in the centre. She did not mind helping me out, but pointed out to me that when you know the
names of people and different things not only does it make the job easier for myself, but it also makes other things
much easier. An example would be when a client comes into the centre. It is good if I can remember the clients
name first of all, but also the name of the therapist if the client does not remember as well as the name of the
treatment that is being offered. This is something that will be important for myself in the future as well as a
psychologist. My co-worker talked to me about how when you know a client’s name it instantly can put them more
at ease and offer a more welcoming environment. This is a challenge that I face a lot, but I usually just disregard it.
In the future I need to pay much more attention to knowing names of people in order to create a warm, welcoming
environment that is so important in an office where people come who are struggling.
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Week 10 Date __March 26, 2017________

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I worked on redoing a
book with articles in it that sits out at reception. The book is pretty old, so I went through and found new articles
which feature the therapists at the holistic centre and cleaned up the book. This is a project that Helen wanted to
be done nicely, so I took my time and made it look really nice. I did not finish it, but got pretty far on it. Also on
Tuesday I cleaned yoga mats, and made up new solutions of a cleaning spray that we use around the centre. On
Thursday I worked reception which took up most of my day. When I was not at reception I cleaned yoga mats
and worked some more on the book that I am redoing.

What have you accomplished that you hadn’t expected? What have you been unable to accomplish that you had
hoped?
Response:
One thing that I accomplish that I did not expect is my growth of knowledge of how different therapies
can help certain kinds of illness or injury. Going into this internship experience I had no clue what to expect
with very limited knowledge of what goes on at a holistic centre. I had looked at the centre’s website
beforehand and did not understand how there were so many different treatments. Looking at all the centre did
nothing but just confuse me more. Now, as I am over half way through this experience I have greatly broadened
my knowledge of all kinds of different massage, energy healing, yoga, psychotherapies, and much more. What
is more important though is the knowledge I have gained about how these therapies can help people in more
ways that just a simple relaxation technique. People suffering from mental illnesses such as depression and
anxiety come into the centre alongside people with physical ailments and diseases and can all be treated in the
same place. An example of how this knowledge is helpful is when I am helping clients decide which treatment
is best for them. The other day I had a man on the phone who was asking what could be done to help with his
sinuses. I ended up recommending ear candling to him and was able to book him a treatment. A few months ago
I would have had no idea how to help this man and probably would have told him he needed to go see a doctor.
Now, I am able to see how holistic treatments can help a wide variety of people.
While I have been learning a lot about different treatments that are available, I feel as though I haven’t
learned as much about the psychology world in Ireland as I had hoped. I have been able to talk to some of the
psychotherapists but the conversations are always short. I was hoping that I would be able to see more of how
they practice and some of the techniques that they use. This opportunity has not really come up for me yet at the
holistic centre, however I know that Bella is working on setting up some times for me to meet with a few of the
psychotherapists in the centre. I hope that these meeting will allow me to ask some more questions and find out
more about how they practice.

Week 11 Date __April 2, 2017___________

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week. What connection does the experience
have to your personal or professional goals?
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday 10:00am until 6:00pm. I did not work on Thursday this week, as I was in
Madrid, Spain. On Tuesday I finished the book of articles for reception as well as cleaned yoga mats, and sat in
at reception for a little bit.

If asked in an interview, “How would you describe your internship experience?” – How would you respond in
order to provide an accurate description of your site, tasks, and learning?
Response:
When asked to describe my internship experience in Dublin I would have to start out by saying that it is
an experience that I will never forget and allowed me great opportunity to grow as an individual. While working
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at the Dublin Holistic Centre I was able to learn a lot about how to run a practice that is for people who are
goingMy through some hard times in life. Every day I am doing something new to help keep the centre
running. Sometimes this includes answering phones, scheduling appointments, cleaning, running errands, and
doing paper work. These are skills that I have learned that will be useful for running my own practice someday.
While I may not always be doing the most exciting tasks I have been making a lot of great relationships with
both my coworkers, my bosses, and the therapists in the centre. These are connections that I will have for the
rest of my life and are so grateful for.

Week 12 & 13 – Spring/Easter Break

Summarize what are you doing during the break? How is this contributing to your international experience?
Describe a cultural experience with the same questions as Week 4.
April 23, 2017
During my spring break abroad my parents and twin sister (who is currently studying abroad in Vienna)
joined me for the full two weeks. We started our trip by doing a road trip around Ireland going to Galway, Aran
Islands, Kinsale, Cork, and Dublin. After a little less than a week of that we headed over to Prague and then
drove down to some small towns in the Czech Republic, Salzburg and Vienna, Austria, and Bratislava,
Slovakia. It was a fun couple of weeks of exploring Europe!
Going on this grand adventure with my family contributed to my international experience in many ways.
Starting in Ireland I was able to realize just how much I have actually learned about the country I am currently
living in. I surprised myself a few times with how much I actually knew when my parents asked questions. I
was able to give them the history of many of the places we visited in Ireland as well as tell them about the
country as a whole. Being able to show them around where I have been calling home gave me a whole new
appreciation and love for where I am and what I am doing here. As we continued into Eastern Europe I was able
to see how different life is over there compared to in Ireland. Being around so many different cultures really
made me think about my actions more carefully so that I was being respectful and appreciative in countries I
was not familiar with. Each country and city in the world has unique cultures that I have been able to see
firsthand. This proves to me how beautiful and unique our world really is.
During our travels my family and I spent Easter in a small town in the Czech Republic and attended
mass there Easter morning. Going into mass I did not know what to expect, and tried to keep an open mind as I
knew that it would probably be spoken in Czech. I was correct, and I did not understand much of what was
being said. One thing I did understand from this though was how the mass was being appreciated by everyone
around me. No one was dozing off or not paying attention, and everything was done the old fashioned way as
mass was performed. It truly was a beautiful mass and the language sounded so nice although I did not
understand it exactly. One thing though that we all understood was how to interact with those around us. During
mass when it was time to offer peace everyone around us welcomed us with a hand shake and they would say
“peace” in Czech while we said it in English. In this moment though the language did not matter, because we all
knew what the other meant. This was a moment that I will never forget, because I learned that language doesn’t
have to be a barrier when offering peace and well wishes to someone. I also learned that a mass can be shared
between people no matter what culture they come from. It truly was a heartwarming experience that I will
forever cherish.

Week 14 Date _April 30, 2017________

Summarize your hours, tasks and what you are learning for the week.
Response:
This week I worked Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am until 5:00pm. On Tuesday I spent most of my day
out of the centre running errands. Along with this I had some time to work on the computer imputing more
information from calls in the past couple of weeks. To end my day I went through and cleaned all of the yoga
matts in the studios. On Thursday I started my morning working on the computer and then worked reception for
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most of the afternoon. While working reception I answered phones, scheduled appointments, and helped the
therapists with their clients. I then ended my day tidying up the studios and treatment rooms.

As you reflect upon the totality of your experience, what kind of attitudes about work have you found in
Ireland/Portugal? How is it the same or different from work in the US? What is your own personal philosophy
about “work”? (A means to an end? Drudgery? Meaningful?) How does this tie into your values and life in
general?
Response:
While working in Ireland the past few months I have observed many differences between work in the
US and Ireland. The biggest difference I have noticed is the work ethic that people have here. It is not that there
is a lack of work ethic, but rather that there is not the stress in the work environment to get everything done as
fast as possible. At the Holistic Centre everything is very laid back. We get stuff done, but we take our time
doing so and make sure that we do a good jo of it, rather than getting things done as fast as possible which I feel
is more of an importance in the US. Along with this there are a lot more breaks in Ireland than there are in the
US. This is something that I have also heard my peers commenting on. My coworkers and I are constantly
stopping throughout the day to enjoy a cup of tea before continuing our work. This makes the work day feel
much more relaxed. While working over here I have had many expectations to get stuff done, but I have never
felt that I was stressed to accomplish something. If I did not get something done one day, then it was no
problem for me to just finish it the next. My overall impression of work in Ireland versus the US is that
everything is so much more relaxed. This impression is influenced by my experiences at The Dublin Holistic
Centre, and may not be the same for every business in Ireland. I was blessed to have a great boss, who is very
understanding and patient, as well as wonderful coworkers who made this experience a great one for me.
My own personal philosophy on work has always been to work hard and do your best no matter what.
Being in Ireland has not changed this, however it has given me a new way of looking at working hard. I now see
working hard as seeing something that can be enjoyable, and not always a stressful thing. By taking your time
on things and not giving ridiculous deadlines the end product of the work that is being done can be so much
better. I have also learning that by taking your time and letting yourself enjoy your work the end product can be
something you are proud of and want to continue working on. In life in general I am always a hard worker.
Once I set my mind on something I do not stop until I get it. While this is something that I am proud of I also
cause myself a lot of unnecessary stress. Throughout my time in Ireland I have learned that this extra stress is
not needed. I can accomplish my goals and enjoy myself all at the same time.
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FINAL ESSAY

During my internship at the Dublin Holistic Centre I had a wide range of jobs all with
their own importance. Many times I went in and helped reception with whatever they needed.
Some days this included cleaning yoga matts, or tidying up the therapy rooms while other days it
meant going out and running errands around town. Many times they would send me to get
specific items from the health stores in order to keep the centre clean using all natural products.
Through these experiences I was able to learn a lot about how essencial oils can be used in order
to clean and make things fresh without the use of harsh chemicals.

Along with helping with the odds and end jobs around the centre I also spent a lot of time
working at reception. At the desk I answered phones and helped clients who came into the
centre. While on reception I faced many different situations as clients would often call wanting
an appointment, but not necessarily knowing exactly what they wanted. Once I was able to
figure out what the client needed I would then have to contact the individual therapists to see if
they had any time available. The therapists keep their own diary, so at reception I was more of a
middle man to try and keep everyone satisfied. Once I had confirmed a time with the therapist I
would then have to call the client back to make sure everything was coordinated. This job took a
lot of organization as I was constantly trying to figure out appointments for more than one client
at a time.

The final big thing that I worked on during my time at the Holistic Centre was go through
and analyze the books that were held by reception. As people call into reception it is all carefully
noted in a caladar system. Throughout my time at the centre I worked on going through these
notes and breaking down how reception is utilized. I started my going through and looking at
how the centre was contacted. The most popular form of contact was by phone, continued by
email. Once I had the numbers broken down I then put the information into charts which made
it easy to clearly see the differences. I then went on and used the same method to look at the
kinds of treatment that are most often requested through reception and then how many of those
translated into bookings.

Throughout these experiences I was able to get a lot of valuable information that will be
useful to me in the future. Through working at reception I was able to learn a lot about different
kinds of holistic therapies that are used to heal in ways I did not know before. I also go to know a
lot of the therapists well and how they practice. This taught me a lot about how certain
personalities work well in different situations. Not only did I learn about the therapies
themselves, but I also learned a great deal about what it takes to run a centre like this, and how
there may be more efficient ways that things could be done. I learned that a place like the
holistic centre cannot be run by one person, and takes a whole team of people to make it
successful.

This experience was very beneficial to me as it opened my eyes to the world of holistic
therapy that I was not aware of before. While conventional medicine is very important, it can
also be supplemented with holistic medicine in order to have a more natural approach at life.
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This is something that I can take with me as go on to learn more about psychology and start to
establish how I was to practice in the future. Not only do I now have some ideas as to how the
two practices can work together, but I also know how a centre can be set up and run with the
focus of the clients in mind. While I struggled at first to see the point of an internship at a
holistic centre I not see just how important these treatments are and how beneficial they can be.
What I have learned from the centre and the people there is invaluable as it has fueled me with
passion to go on and make a difference in the lives of those who may be struggling around the
world.
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UPDATED RESUME

Abigail Oldham
Campus Home
1450 Alta Vista St. 901 W. Liberty St.
LC Box 1427 Anamosa, IA 52205
Dubuque, IA 52001 Abby4hawks@gmail.com
Abigail.oldham@loras.edu 319.462.4215
319.821.0359 (cell)

EDUCATION Loras College, Dubuque, IA

Sophomore working toward a BA in Psychology (May 2019)
 GPA: 3.745/4.0 scale
 Dean’s List (3 semesters)

Anamosa High School, Anamosa, IA

Diploma (2015); Overall GPA: 3.99/4.0 scale; National Honor Society
 Student Council (secretary)
 Volleyball (4 years; hitter)
 Track (4 years; manager)

WORK Kidz R Us Daycare, Anamosa, IA

Room Leader, May 2016-present
 Planned and organized activities for kids
 Took groups of kids on various field trips
 Provided food for the kids and saw to their needs throughout the day

Dublin Holistic Centre, Dublin, Ireland

Intern, January 2017-May 2017
 Answered Phones and managed reception
 Recommended treatments and therapists to clients
 Analyzed old recorders to see trends in the use of the centre

ACTIVITIES College Activity Board (two years, current member)

 Planned events and worked to run them
 Spread awareness of upcoming events

Dance Marathon (two years, current member)

 Entertainment and logistics board
 Coordinated 12-hour event
 Raised money for the kids
 Helped with various events throughout year.

VOLUNTEER St. Mark’s Youth Enrichment Center, Dubuque, IA

 Helped kids with their homework
 Helped execute activities for the kids
 Prepared and served snacks to the kids
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PERSONAL Vacationed in England and France in 2013 and in France, Germany,
Belgium, and Austria in 2015. Conformable adapting to new
environments and cultures.