Peeking Into The Nest - Fall Interns
This summer we started a series on our blog called Peeking Into The Nest with the aim of giving a more intimate look at all that happens at A Haven. This month, as we wind down 2020, we’re excited to give you a Peek from the perspective of our fall interns Nicollette and Claire!
Nicolette and Claire are both undergraduate psychology interns from West Chester University who joined us at the start of the fall semester. We welcomed them with our now traditional gift of an initial mug - we drink a lot of tea and coffee here to keep the energy flowing! Their enthusiasm and dedication were palpable and we were all looking forward to diving into the work and getting to know each other.
We quickly learned that, as is true for many of our staff members and volunteers, Nicolette and Claire each have a grief story that drew them to A Haven. Nicolette shares that she “saw A Haven as an opportunity to grow and heal by working with others who have gone through a similar experience.” We find that opportunity goes both ways and that our families are often comforted to know that the people they are working with have also journeyed in grief and can offer true empathy. Claire felt similarly to Nicolette, adding that in her own times of grief she “did not feel like there were many opportunities to talk about it and feel comfortable talking about it.” Because she had experienced the isolation that can often accompany grief, she “wanted to be a part of other people’s grief healing and let them know that there are places to go and people to talk to, so you are not alone.”
Both Nicolette and Claire have participated in a range of planning and activities for A Haven this fall, including joining our teens for Teen Night. This group has built such a strong network of support and consistency for each other, extending that to all who join them including staff and volunteers. The teens have also perfected the art of weaving grief throughout their experiences, and Teen Nights offer a wonderful balance of fun and lightheartedness with deep feelings and grief support. Nicolette said she enjoyed Teen Nights more than any other activity she was able to participate in with us, noting that she looked forward to every session and admired the diversity of the group and their ability to have fun while making space for and honoring each other’s grief.
Part of A Haven’s mission is to support grieving families by providing education, and as much as we have benefitted from having Nicolette and Claire on our team this fall, we rest in knowing that they have gained concrete grief support skills that will inform their work for years to come. Claire has learned the importance of recognizing that “that there is no right way to react to grief,” and Nicollette won’t forget that “grief has no rules.” She also added that she has been amazed by the way that “children share/live their grief through play,” which is something that we want everyone to understand about the littlest grievers!
We’re grateful to Nicolette and Claire for giving us this Peek into their intern experience and we wish them well in their next adventures (and we hope we’ll continue seeing them around our nest)!
If you are interested in interning or volunteering at A Haven, we would love to hear from you! Email us at info@ahaven.org for more info!
Written by: Kate Lannan, Community Services Director