Click on the following names to read some detailed evaluations of our Training Program from recent participants, written in August 2014:
Scott M.
Elana M.
Chani N.
Here are some other comments written by Training Program participants in previous years:
About the Overall Training Experience
“I would absolutely recommend this traineeship/internship to others! My experience at CCG was invaluable to me. Aside from the supervision, the overall feel of the place, the spiritual/theoretical orientation, the groundedness and caring of the staff, the quality of the group supervision meetings, and the integrity of the Center and everyone working in it contributed greatly to my growth as a practitioner and a person.”
“I would definitely recommend this internship to others. I have had a wonderful experience at CCG. I’ve gained so much by being here! I have appreciated the support and encouragement to explore personal issues that come up in the work. I think the training has been excellent and essential to my development of my personal therapy style. I have felt very nurtured as an intern here. I felt from the outset that the values of CCG matched well with my own. The traineeship far exceeded my expectations.”
“I highly recommend the Center for Creative Growth as an external field placement site. I know I have made friends for life here and my professional advancement as a therapist has grown by leaps and bounds.”
“I came as a seedling and CCG provided compost, plenty of water, and lots of sunlight. Now I’m a green, healthy, growing plant. It’s clear to me what this traineeship gave to me, so I can only imagine that someone else would gain similar benefits. I must say that it is hard to imagine that the level of support —spiritual, personal, and profession — could be met anywhere else.”
About the Supervision
“The most valuable thing I’ve gained from the internship at the Center for Creative Growth (CCG) is consistent support. I have felt supported both as a therapist and as an individual over the year from everyone on the staff. This support has taken many forms, as: constructive criticism, training, availability to talk, encouraging me to explore personal issues, celebrating my achievements, having confidence in me, being willing to process difficult issues that arise, and a commitment to providing what I think has been high quality supervision at all times.”
“Hands down — the quality, consistency, and integrity of the individual supervision was the strongest element of the training program for me. I found my weekly supervision meetings very helpful—particularly as a place where I could check in about how I was feeling about my practice and my competencies as a therapist. Supervisors gave me invaluable feedback, tips, suggestions, and more importantly, support.”
“I enjoyed receiving supervision from all the licensed staff. It’s made for a wonderful experience to have guidance from each supervisor, each with unique gifts and perspectives to share. I loved that I received both individual and group supervision and felt fortunate to have personal guidance as well as a group training experience. None of my colleagues (at other placements) were so lucky.”
“I was concerned about getting enough quality supervision. It turns out that for every 5 client hours per week that I have done, not only do I have the individual supervision hour, the two group supervision hours, but I have the benefit of additional supervision as well. Somewhere between 15-60 minutes per client of additional time spent by my supervisors giving me feedback on my taped sessions and case notes addressing specific areas within the session that either could have been done differently, or were done extremely well.”
“Beyond what has been required by either the State Board or my school, my supervisors have given me their time over and over again – in a warm nonjudgmental and caring and respectful way — to help me personally with my communication skills and with learning to set firm boundaries. They encourage my conscious participation in all things and make the process fun and very creative. I have found them to be authentic and patient. I respect them for the integrity and commitment they bring to their roles as my supervisors.”
About the Staff
“My experience has been that everyone at the Center is open and welcoming…. room is made for everyone to flourish and grow in a respectful and healthy way.”
“I’ve also found the spiritual foundation of the center to be extremely valuable to me. I feel as though I’ve grown as a person being a part of this spiritual community. I feel as though the staff at CCG is composed of individuals who are all striving for consciousness in their own lives as well as striving to help clients gain awareness and consciousness. It’s hard to put into words what exactly makes this spiritual foundation so wonderful to me. It’s something larger than the sum of the individuals that make it up. I’ve felt inspired on a daily basis at CCG to be a more aware and sensitive person and therapist.”
“I have received a lot of individual attention and support. I have always been encouraged to find my own voice/style of being a therapist.”
About the Population Served
“One of the strengths of CCG is the type of clients that it seems to draw (holistic-minded, creative, and familiar with John Bradshaw).”
About the Client Hours Available
“When I applied to the Center for Creative Growth for my external field placement, I was concerned about getting enough face to face counseling hours to satisfy my graduation requirements. The fact is that, I’m almost two thirds of the way through my traineeship and I already have 80 hours in excess of my school’s requirement.”
About the Training Support Tools
“Over many years, the Center put together a training manual which has been invaluable to me as a reference for standardized procedures. I think it’s great we can have this information at our fingertips whenever we need it.”
About CCG’s Location
“I wondered whether the Center is located in a safe area. I found out that the Center shares space with a church and learning center for children located in an extremely safe neighborhood in Berkeley and I never feel unsafe, even at night.”