Through her internship at Recovering Hope Treatment Center in Mora, Rita Erickson ‘26 is gaining the confidence she’ll need to work as an addictions counselor after she graduates. By shadowing counselors at the center, she is learning counseling styles, skills and documentation techniques. A key take-away from the experience for her so far has been witnessing the direct application of counseling methods and role playing exercises she learned in the classroom in a real-world professional setting. She also appreciates how much she has learned about care coordination.
“[S]eeing skills firsthand in real time is more beneficial for my learning style. I really enjoy watching counselors connect with their clients and provide them care. [The counselors' responses allow] me to start thinking about the direction of the conversations with clients and how the session may play out. I also … consider responses that I may have to clients.”
Erickson is majoring in psychology and minoring in addiction studies at UMN Morris. When she started college, she wasn't sure what kind of career in psychology she wanted to pursue. Then she heard about Morris’ pre-licensed alcohol and drug counselor (pre-LADC) program.
“[I]t really intrigued me,” says Erickson. “I have people in my life who struggle—have struggled—with addiction, and my gut told me that I should do it. I researched the field a bit and ultimately made the decision that this is what I wanted to do.”
She had been working at the treatment center for the previous two summers and during winter breaks so chose to do her pre-LADC internship there. Completing the internship will fulfill the 880-hour alcohol and drug counseling practicum requirement to become licensed in Minnesota.
“The staff there … have been extremely supportive with my school journey!“ Erickson adds, “I really enjoy watching the clients grow and change into a new, more confident person during their stay. It is so wonderful to be a part of this period of life for the clients and I am excited to be in a new role as a counselor.”