ABSTRACT
By my third year of graduate study in my doctoral program, I was confident in my basic skills as a therapist. I knew that I formed relationships with clients easily. Most of them stayed through a course of therapy with me, and several of them informed me that our therapeutic work together was helpful. Because I wanted to stretch myself as a developing therapist, I frequently did extra practica to give me additional experiences in mental health. During this particular year I was a practicum student in our university counseling center, as well as the local community mental health center. This was my first experience in community mental health, and I looked forward to the challenge it would provide me in developing new therapeutic skills. After all, the populations served by most such facilities are very different from the populations served by university counseling centers. One of my first clients was Cynthia, a woman in her 50s with bleached blonde hair and an impressively quick gait. Cynthia was referred to the community mental health center by herself and her family.
