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Psychology major Cristin Timoney ’05 is gaining significant career experience by working alongside a therapist, assisting with an after-school program for mentally and emotionally troubled youth.
She is serving an internship with Family Life Education and Counseling Services (FLECS) in Norristown.
“This experience is helping me choose my career path,” says Timoney, who is minoring in philosophy. “I chose this internship because I am considering a career in social work and public policy, with a focus on youth and families.”
FLECS therapist Karen Gould supervises Timoney, who works alongside other therapists to provide a safe environment, counseling, and support to the children at the center. Gould and Timoney work with a group of 10 boys between ages 8 and 10. Timoney has been assigned two boys with whom she works on an individual basis each week.
“Although both boys have behavior problems, they are very different from each other and will stretch Cristin’s abilities to develop varied strategies suited to each child’s particular difficulties with school, identity, development, and social relationships with other children in the program and in the neighborhood and school settings,” says Ann V. McGillicuddy-DeLisi, Metzger Professor of Psychology and Timoney’s adviser for the internship.
“Cristin is fortunate in that she has two experienced supervisors at her internship and has an opportunity to gain experience working with children from disadvantaged backgrounds who show a variety of behavior problems under the tutelage of experienced therapists in a hospital setting,” she says.
The internship is part of an experientially based Lafayette course called Advanced Applied Psychology, in which students apply their knowledge of psychology in a nonacademic field setting. Students log 80 to 100 hours in field placements that reflect their interests and keep a journal of their activities.
“Through the internship course in psychology, all students who enroll create their own integration of formal academic study and hands-on experiences in various settings and sub-fields,” McGillicuddy-Delisi adds.
Timoney has enjoyed working with Gould and the other employees at FLECS and feels the hands-on work experience she has received is “great.” She acknowledges that her classes have prepared her for the internship.
“My courses at Lafayette have helped me to understand the children’s emotional and social states as well as the politics behind a nonprofit organization such as FLECS,” she explains.
Timoney says that the psychology department at Lafayette is both unique and academically strong in its emphasis on research and science.
“I think Lafayette provides a wide variety of experiences,” she says. “The advantage of the small school is the rich academic environment and the availability of the professors in all departments.”
Timoney is a supervisor at Kirby Sports Center and films games for the football team. She is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, the Student Life Committee, Lafayette Leadership Institute, Family Weekend Planning Committee, Alternative School Break Club, and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education Now. She also took a Lafayette interim course in France over the January interim break.
She is a graduate of North Penn High School.