Counselling at the Regina Sexual Assault Centre

Abstract

This report outlines my practicum experience providing counselling at the Regina Sexual Assault Centre. The goal of my practicum was to achieve advanced graduate level social work knowledge and the ability to effectively provide individual counselling from a trauma recovery approach working with individuals who have been victims of sexual assault. To successfully achieve the goal of my practicum proposal I immersed myself into studying and practicing trauma informed treatment. I became a team member within Regina Sexual Assault Centre by providing counseling services five days a week and I frequently completed one to five sessions daily. I began my practicum by enhancing my knowledge so that I could address clients’ needs and be of benefit to the client. I researched various theories and models of trauma counselling through books, academic journal articles and online webinars. The main approach followed at the Regina Sexual Assault Centre is The Three Stages of Trauma Recovery, by Judith Herman (1997). I also gained knowledge of cognitive behavioural therapy, trauma informed cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectic behavioural therapy, somatic experience and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. Completing my practicum at the Regina Sexual Assault Centre allowed me the opportunities to build skills in areas related to assisting survivors of sexual abuse who were from different socio-economic backgrounds and lived with intellectual disabilities. As a result of my practicum experience my counselling skills, my confidence as a counsellor and trust in the counselling process have significantly improved and adapted. I experienced growth as a trauma informed counsellor, and was able to acknowledge my personal strengths, limitations and challenges.