In preparation for going into my new role at the NHS as a Specialist Practitioner / Art Therapist, I attended The Art Therapy Co-op’s Unconference, organised in part by my old university supervisor. I got to see my old classmates, make art and think together, including an Art Therapy Large Group on Palestine. I spoke twice the whole day, which felt like an achievement.
I continued making art and doing more CPD the next day, as I’ve signed up for a year of weekly three-hour online seminars more broadly around psychotherapy. It will also be during my meal prep time going forward, so I’m not going to be too hard on myself for not doing all the reading and not getting overly involved. Perhaps the day before spurred me on to speak this time, though it felt like it feel flat.
On my last days of “freedom”, I tried to get better at sleeping earlier and instead just slept less, but I made the 8am Monday sauna. I did a combination of emotional work, admin, and organising before my gas was finally fixed and switched back on, so I at least managed to finally have a bath, even if it was later than expected!
I spent the first couple of days in my new role doing online training, before going into the second site that I’d not been to before. There are six wards in that one alone, so it feels overwhelming, as there may be double that including the other ward. I came in to pick up the trust laptop, but still couldn’t access it for the training from home… it then turned out it was for nurses, so that felt like a bit of a waste of time! It was great to go in and meet some of the team properly though.
I’ll be working in Isleworth two days a week, and having spent a lot of my early 20s there due to my first love being there, so it felt very strange to be back there. Also working in Hammersmith, where my gran lived and worked (also a psychotherapist) feels very poignant. It’s like I am being forced to revisit my past and find some kind of meaning from that.
My friend also found my doppelgänger and I was fully convinced it was an AI version of me! She’s even a life coach and writer, so working in a similar field: Beatriz Victoria Albina. I actually think I could do with giving her book a read!
In the middle of a busy weekend, having just finished work, I’m thankful I’ve at least done some meal prep for the week ahead – my first work of full time work! Even my work in education technically hasn’t been full time (and I happen to think full time work is too much and am all for a 3-day weekend!) Wish me luck!
Watching: The Celebrity Traitors, Platonic, No Number: The High School Catfish
Reading: This Is Yesterday by Rose Ruane, Black Issues in the Therapeutic Process by Isha McKenzie-Mavinga
Podcasts: Conceitednobodi, The Angie Martinez Show, You Feel Me?, The Daily Show, Hip Hop Raised Me, Best Advice: The Podcast (all about Princess Nokia)
Music: Sophie Castillo, Saya Gray, Lilly Allen, PRINCESS NOKIA!
Poet on page and stage. Creator of She Grrrowls. Facilitator. Writer. 