The blog

My biggest challenge- THE LANGUAGE

As I assumed before leaving, Swedish was going to be my biggest challenge during these 2 months.

I left Copenhagen knowing that some of my host’s patients were Swedish speakers and we have agreed before on how we will deal with this issue. My knowledge of Danish gives me a strong advantage but it wasn't enough for me to understand everything. So I agreed with my internship host that I will take notes from the certain sessions and we will discuss the issue one more time at the end of every day. I was lucky to have more than half of the sessions in Romanian and this has helped me to be closer to the patients.

In less than 2 weeks I managed to enlarge my understanding of Swedish and this is primarily due to my knowledge of Danish and my ability to catch foreign languages pretty easily. At the end of the internship I was able to formulate basic sentences in Swedish and of course, everyone had a good laugh at my pronunciation. 

PS: the pictures are from a book about naturopathy in Swedish that I started reading from to get familiar with the language and the terminology. 

With only 2 weeks left I am trying to make sure I have learned as much as I wanted to from my internship host. He is a fantastic person and I am fascinated by his knowledge of the human body.

Sometimes I feel discouraged by my lack of knowledge and how easy I get distracted but he always finds a way to motivate me and bring me on the right track.

One important thing I have learned by being here is that I shouldn’t feel bad for not knowing it all, and I shouldn’t give up when I feel overwhelmed. He made me understand that I am only 26 and knowledge comes with time, patience and perseverance. I have to admit I am not the most patient person. The more I stress about things, the more I get distracted and therefore the less I learn. I should be as patient with me as I am with others and everything will be fine.

My work here includes more and more aspects. Besides the usual helping around and asking questions, now I have gained more responsibility in the practice. Because appointments last one hour and sometimes patients come a little before their time, I am in charged with taking care of them until my internship host has finished whatever he is working on at that moment. I get the chance to ask them all kind of questions, from assessing their health situation to whatever they feel comfortable sharing with me.

Because I am interning in such a small practice everyone got to know me, some people feel confident to talk to me about personal issues such as their family, grandchildren and even wedding plans. One of the ladies that comes twice a week for acupuncture sessions as treatment for a knee injury has insisted that we become friends on Facebook so I can see pictures from her wedding in August, which I have heard so much about already.

I know that some of the things they talk about are not relevant for my education but I have observed that people sharing more personal things with me trust me more when it comes to more serious issues.

Because I am approaching the end of my internship period here at BENEFARE, I am writing this blog post to share with you my achievements, both personal and professional.

As you could see from my “Internship contract and learning objectives” blog post I have divided the learning objectives in 3 main categories. Therefore it makes sense if I present the achievements using the same structure.

First of all, I had to observe the different therapies used in the practice, what they consist of and how they are used. Since starting my internship, I have attended every single appointment my internship host had with his patients. I was able to observe the sessions, take notes and ask questions. Now I know clearly the difference between all therapies used here at Benefare and what they represent.

Even though I still don’t know exactly how my internship host decides to choose a method over the other, I can differentiate between them. For example, I know that mechanical dysfunctions of the human body (muscular and skeletal dysfunctions) are treated through osteopathic maneuvers, physiotherapy and massage. On the other hand, the chemical unbalance of the body is treated mostly with use of fitotheraphy, homeopathy and acupuncture. Some aromatherapy aspects are used together with the other therapies to provide extra support in situations where the patient is stressed because of prolonged suffering. I unfortunately haven’t had the chance to see how my internship host uses hypnosis.

Secondly, I had to perform literature review on holistic nutrition. During my staying here I have read a lot of materials about alternative treatment methods which I had access to in my internship place. In the same time, I am reading 2 books that I have brought with me, which I haven’t finished yet.

My internship host has also guided my research by suggesting materials that he considered relevant for me.

Unfortunately I am not very ahead with my compiling of statistical data because I couldn’t get my computer to connect to the internet of the place I am living in and there is no internet in my internship place either. Therefore I have to go to the library to access internet on my computer…like in the old days. And I don’t get the chance to do that as often as I would like.

Lastly, I had to develop different personality skills and competencies which I believe I managed to accomplish successfully. I am very happy with the way I developed as a person and as a health professional during my staying here. I have become more aware of the needs of others and especially the needs of every patient in particular. I observed that I pay more attention to what the others are saying because I can pick clues that are very important in understanding their behavior. I am more aware of my posture and gestures when I communicate with others and that also comes from being more confident in my communication skills. Even though I still have to work on my time-management skills and setting of priorities I am confident that I can do it!

All my days start at 7.30 in the morning because I am privileged to start working at 9.30 on most days.

After a quick shower and my “not so beauty routine” I have breakfast and a cup of tea. I try to eat a full breakfast every day because we don’t have a lunch break and I don’t want to get hungry when a patient is there. It is not nice to hear your stomach asking for food when you are trying to have a conversation with a patient, a lesson I have learned in my first days here.

I was lucky enough to find a place to leave very close to the practice. If you think how big Stockholm is, imagine that I live in walking distance from my internship place, and it only takes me 20 minutes. I avoid taking the bus because the weather has been fantastic so far and I like to enjoy the morning sun on my way there.

I start at 9.30 and the first patient comes in at 10. We have 30 minutes to prepare the practice and drink a cup of tea together. One of the perks of working here is the amazing teas my internship host makes. And it is always a surprise to see what herbs he combines because it is never the same. We have a sort of a guessing game where I try to guess what the tea is made of and what benefits it has. I have even tried to brew us tea once…but I didn’t know that too much lavender is bitter and lavender in the morning is a bad idea…but now I know.

We also take advantage of this time to see who is supposed to come that day and discuss a little about every patient in particular.

Every appointment lasts for an hour and we can have 5, 6 or even 7 appointments in a day. Usually we finish at 16.00 but there are days when we go home at 18.00. On Fridays we finish earlier, usually at 2 o’clock.

During these hours, I attend the sessions and I help with whatever my host needs help with. I help with blending the herbs and oils, I arrange things around the practice and I talk to patients. One time I even held a girl’s hand during her acupuncture session because she was scared of needles. I laugh with the patients that tell jokes or even sing because of the pain they go through and sometimes I cry when they tell me about their suffering (unprofessionally, I know but I am only human:) )

At the end of the day, we spend another 30 minutes discussing about what happened that day and I ask questions if I have some. Some days I ask the questions the morning after because they just come to me after I leave the practice.

I sometimes walk home, other times I take the bus and I stop by the supermarket to do my grocery shopping.

Learning objective I:

To understand the complexity of alternative therapies, what they consist of and how they are used.

Key strategies (tasks):

·         Study the different alternative therapies used in the practice.

·         Strengthen my knowledge of the alternative treatments used in the practice.

·         Study each therapy-what it consists of, what mechanisms are used and how they are used.

·         Observe each therapy-what it consists of, what mechanisms are used and how they are used.

·         Observe sessions and reflect with my mentor on the effectiveness of the treatment methods.

·         Integrate the knowledge I have about key constructs in health communication in understanding the chosen communication method.

·         Attend sessions, along with other meetings and client interactions

·         Observe the nature of the meetings (f. ex. treatment, coaching, counseling)

·         Study mentor/client relationships and journal the outcome.

·         Gain an understanding of the skills and knowledge required for success in the workplace.

·         Reflect and evaluate after every session or meeting.

·         Ask for feedback.

Learning objective II:

To perform literature review on holistic nutrition

Key strategies (tasks):

·         Gain skills in conducting literature review regarding holistic nutrition.

·         Gain skills in compile statistical data, facts and information regarding holistic nutrition

Learning objective III:

To develop different personality skills and competencies.

Key strategies (tasks):

·         Strengthen my interpersonal communication skills with the patients.

·         Develop self-awareness.

·         Clarify my own values.

·         Develop self-reliance and self-confidence.

·         Develop career awareness, direction and exploration of profession.

·         Evaluate my professional and career goals and plans.

·         Be able to set priorities and manage my time efficiently.

Two more weeks has passed and I am even more excited about all this with every day that passes. But I am also nervous that I have reached the half-way milestone and that I will be leaving soon. It has been such a great experience being here and I will definitely miss all this.

Life here is so different from one day to another because the program is made according to the way patients have their appointment. For example, one day we receive 6 different patients with 6 different conditions that need 6 different kind of treatments. And it is so interesting to see how my internship host manages to work with each one of them and provide the appropriate treatment.

The most common disorder by far is the Frozen shoulder syndrome. During my staying here I have met 7 people suffering terrible pain because of this condition. As I could see, it affects more men, age 40 and more who perform jobs that involve moving the shoulder a lot. 3 of them work as drivers: 2 as taxi drivers and one is driving a bus. We even had a female doctor coming in with this condition.

The usual treatment for this disorder includes painkillers and waiting for the shoulder to heal itself. This can take up to 18 months in which the patient is suffering terrible pain not even being able to sleep at night. If the pain lasts for more than 12-18 months, the patient has to go through a surgery to loosen the shoulder.

By using an electronic stimulator and applying electric impulses to the muscle, my internship host is able to release all the tension and loosen the tightened tissue. It hurts a lot the first time he does it, but only after 3 sessions the patient regains full mobility of the shoulder. I was pleased to see how after the first session, all patients are able to feel less pain and therefore sleep at night.

After the second session, all patients go through the process of helping healing the damaged muscle tissue using an infrared massage device. This has become my task because my internship host was pleased by the way I can apply a constant pressure for more than 30 minutes without getting tired. (My hands actually get a little tired but I haven’t told him that :) ).

I thought that I will have a sad birthday this year because I am away from family and friends, but boy I was wrong!

Hey guys,

I can sum up my first two weeks of internship just by using one word: “WOW!”

It is crazy and hard to describe the experience I am going through now. Even though I am not in an exotic place, seeing fantastic landscapes or interning in a fancy practice, I am simply overwhelmed by everything that happens around me. And it is very hard to give a meaning to everything I see every day. I believe that being here and having the chance to experience all this is one of the biggest blessings of my life.

Since I came here, I had the chance to observe people from the very first time they entered the practice and how only after 3, 4 or 5 sessions their physical and emotional health has improved significantly.

A lot of people come in with back pain or other kids of pain that was reduced or cured by the osteopathic maneuvers my internship host is doing on them. For example I have met a 23 years old girl that would wake up crying because of the lower back pain she had. Within 3 sessions of osteopathy and physiotherapy using a special device that sends electric impulses to the muscle, she said she never felt better in her life. (I will do more research on that device)

Benefare is a private practice in Stockholm, Sweden, where my internship supervisor uses different therapies to prevent and treat a large number of affections. The treatments include natural ingredients and techniques with no side effects on the patient.

The types of therapies used include: Osteopathy- alternative medical approach emphasizing the physical manipulation of the muscle tissue and bones; Hypnosis- a state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion; Homeopathy- remedies are derived from substances that come from plants, minerals, or animals; Energy therapies; Diet orientation and Alternative medication.

These therapies are combined in order to provide a complex and complete treatment for both physical and psychological diseases.

Besides nutrition and coaching, I am interested in alternative medication and how nutrition can be used to prevent and treat diseases. My focus in this internship will be on holistic nutrition and how the way we eat influence our bodies and mind. I would like to find out more about holistic nutrition, how it works and why and about the connection between alternative medicine and nutrition.

During my internship, I will be observing the therapies my supervisor uses for every patient separately. I will strengthen my knowledge about these alternative therapies, how they work and how they can be used in practice. I will also attend sessions and client interactions.

I will also observe the nature of these meetings and take notes which I will share with my supervisor and reflect upon after every session.

Hey again!

Do you guysremember how I was going on and on about the fact that I will do my internship somewhere warm? Well… I ended up in cold Stockholm :)

I can’t say that I have found my internship, but I can say that it has found me. Does that make sense? Probably not right now but it will, I will make sure of it :)

The place I am interning with is called Benefare and it is private practice where my internship host uses different therapies to prevent and treat a large number of affections. The treatments include natural ingredients and techniques with no side effects on the patient.

I have met him 3 years ago though my church, where he held a conference about Spiritual Health and I was fascinated of this association between the physical health and the spiritual health. In the same time, he has helped me cure a health problem I had at the moment and which I didn’t manage to cure with the help of 4 specialists in Denmark and Romania and a huge list of prescription drugs.

What can I say more? I was deeply marked by our encounter and I kept in touch with him through emails but that was only on a personal level. I always wanted to learn more from him, but I never dared to take this seriously.

When the time came, and when I had to look for an internship, I started evaluating my opportunities and considering different alternatives. I was mostly inclined to find an internship in Copenhagen, because of my job and housing situation.

After a couple of weeks of going back and forth I felt like I was about to make a mistake and I have decided to go for what I really wanted to do (remember when I said no more compromising? ) and I wrote him an email.

The application process for the internship was different and simpler in a way. The internship host knew me already and I only had to tell him about the education program and what requirements I had to fulfill. He agreed to all of that and I continued with working on the learning objectives and tasks to be fulfilled, which he helped me with as well.

Now it was just a matter of getting all the papers signed by everyone and I was off my way to cold and snowy Stockholm :)

Hey guys and welcome to my internship blog!

My name is Corina and I am currently in my 4th semester of studies at Metropolitan University College in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am Romanian and I have been living in Denmark for the last 6 and a half years.

As many of you probably know, I am specializing in Lifestyle Changes and Health Education because I believe that the first step to change things in better is to change ourselves in better.

My way here was bumpy and full of unexpected, I first came to Denmark to study Marketing and Sales, and I have a Bachelor’s degree in International Marketing and Sales Management, but soon after that I realized that who I am wasn’t who I was supposed to be for that kind of jobs and therefore I felt like in a cage.

By deciding that I won’t compromise for the rest of my life, I have joined this education program and even though there are good days and bad days, I am happy that I took this chance.