Blog Post by Ivy Johnson
This past spring, Hamm Clinic announced its collaboration and partnership with the Minnesota institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis (MICP&P), a training institute for post-graduate therapists that specializes in psychodynamic therapy. Through this partnership, Hamm Clinic’s fellows are given the opportunity to audit the classes free of charge – I am one of those lucky fellows! Hi, my name is Ivy Johnson, and I recently started my second year as a Clinical Social Work Fellow at Hamm Clinic. For the past year, I have provided individual and group therapy to clients, while also receiving clinical supervision and participating in Hamm’s training seminar series. A new addition to my second-year experience has been matriculating into the MICP&P program with two other Social Work Fellows from Hamm.
Each week, we join a cohort of five other post-graduate therapists (via Zoom) and participate in the content courses taught by various MICP&P faculty members. When I first joined the cohort, I was mostly eager and excited. But, if I’m being completely honest, I also felt pretty intimidated. It was a little scary to join such an esteemed program in its second year. However, my nerves quickly subsided after attending a (virtual) social gathering to meet the other students and faculty. We have since continued to meet on a weekly basis and it has been an incredibly enriching opportunity.
The six-week courses utilize a contemporary psychoanalytic framework and cover topics such as trauma treatment, couple’s therapy, and family therapy, to name a few. As a new therapist, I really appreciate the diverse content and the chance to learn about the treatment and care of various populations. It’s a rare opportunity to learn about adolescents, for example, while working at a clinic that predominantly serves adults. The readings and discussions are both engaging and thought-provoking. It is also refreshing to learn among students from other agencies and fields of study. Something that has really stuck with me is the relational support and validation I have received from both my cohort and the instructor.
The students and faculty continue to be incredibly friendly, welcoming, and excited to have us. Everyone involved not only holds a vast amount of knowledge and experience, but the program creates an atmosphere where I have felt comfortable asking questions and sharing my
own experiences. I am learning new ways to communicate, interact with, and support my clients. Meeting with therapists outside of Hamm Clinic has helped broaden my perspective and allowed me to develop professional relationships with individuals who I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. I have greatly appreciated the partnership for giving Hamm Clinic Fellows additional training, support, clinical knowledge, and the opportunity to expand our professional network.