The psychology placement was very insightful. It was a very hands-on and practical experience that I will carry through my life as I wish to be a clinical psychologist. I was mainly involved in clinical history taking of patients with addiction (primarily alcohol and opium) and I also sat in on diagnostic sessions with the Dr. I learnt about clinical assessment in psychology, delved into the DSM and ICD-10, learned about psychiatric diagnosis and addictions, and helped run anxiety and depression tests for clients.

Spending time with the kids in the afternoon was wonderful! I feel like I have made friends for life. Meeting the kids and Smriti aunt and seeing the life she has built for them and the experiences she ensures they have was truly inspiring. Also seeing the children’s love for each other and how they built their own family away from their birth givers was great.

I really had the best time!! I want to thank Vocational Impact because it was very well organized, and I felt very safe and taken care of. I’m very grateful for all the work you guys put in! Overall, my experience and impressions of my time in India were impressive, unmatched and priceless, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is hard for me to generally put into words what I learned and how much I feel I have grown during this time.

I cultivated so much compassion, empathy, and understanding that this will definitely help me in my future profession. I will be able to have a better understanding of situations that I cannot directly relate to. It gives me understanding and perspective for things that are not my own. I understand hardship on a new level and this understanding creates empathy and this empathy can only be of benefit for a psychotherapist.