Busy as a Bee
Now I've gone swimming two more times and improved my "laps tally" every time- I swam 8 laps the first time, 12 laps the second time, and between 17-18 the third time (I lost count, oops!). I was really excited because I was hoping to get to 16 laps, doubling my laps from the first time and I easily exceeded that. My childhood goggles broke and so I was bummed to buy a new pair but it was honestly well worth it (and only $9.99, so not like it broke the bank). Unfortunately I was also craving candy the past couple weeks and when I weighed in discovered I gained back 2.4lbs of the 10.3lbs I originally lost. So, back to the gym and no more candy- replaced by healthier snacks. I went to a girlfriend's house for a sex and the city night and she made super healthy snacks that were really good- cucumber with seasoning, baby carrots and cherry tomatos, and almonds and that has inspired me. For some reason I gain so much weight when I eat fast food and "junk" food, so it's just not worth it.
I also officially picked a thesis topic- Effective Treatments for Sexually Aggressive Youth, and began my research. Let me just say, not my first choice of a topic to research. Obviously, not a popular topic at all, since a lot of people believe sexual predators are not treatable. Generally, I agree (the statistics are not good) and so it wasn't something I ever thought I'd want to research. However, I have two clients at my work that are sexually aggressive youth (which means they committed sexual offenses against other children while they were still children). I have sympathy for these kids somewhat because they were both abused themselves, but I struggle (as does the rest of the clinical care team) as far as finding a way to treat them because at some point they need to be reintegrated into the community and it would not be successful to do so with that stigma, but I don't want to put other kids at risk. So, I figured researching this topic would help me a). at work with my clients, and b). fulfill the obligation I have to write a thesis so I can graduate. Our professor also advised us to write on a topic that would interest potential employers, and this would obviously impress the place I am working at now, which I am hoping will give me a job. I was also interested in researching the connection between OCD and Hoarding, and Effective treatments of PTSD, but I think I am going to write up a proposal to study PTSD as an independent study instead of taking a (boring) school counseling elective later in the semester. I am kind of dreaming of having my thesis published as well, and the sexually aggressive youth topic would be good there because there is enough material available currently to do the research, but not so much material available that psych journals wouldn't be interested in publishing more. So, wish me luck! I have a lot more research to do but I have 4 sources that I've already tracked down and I put in requests for about 5 more so I am off and running!
Another exciting announcement I have is that I was invited to join my university's honor society. The top 10% of the class is invited to join, and I am really excited to be a part of that group (and also really wondering who else from the Masters' Department was invited to join). I also got my first test back of the semester, and it was a solid A. I didn't feel like I did a great job on it so I was thrilled.
My room, I am sorry to say, is trashed again. Mostly with scrapbooking supplies from a bin I had yet to finish organizing (which is out of storage and in the center of my room now) and from my craft cabinet, which was a mess. I also got some things out of storage I needed to put back, and bought new bras. So I spent about 6 hours yesterday really trying hard to organize my scrapbooking supplies so that order could be restored to my room. I got about half-way done and so am looking forward to more of that tomorrow afternoon.
It's going to be a busy weekend. I'm planning on attending ballet class again tomorrow (4th week in a row!), going to a make-and-take at a local scrapbook store (making super cute flowers out of tissue paper, something I've always wanted to learn), more cleaning/organizing, and then swimming again with my brother before he goes out of town overnight. Also at some point over the weekend I need to type and send my work invoices for February, send in information and a check for the honor society, read the 4 sources I've collected for my thesis, email the research librarian to find out her office hours/get some help, figure out a paypal issue I have with an event I'm planning on evite for my sorority, and I need to work at my internship. I would also like to start my next knitting project but that may or may not be realistic. Phew. Just thinking about all that makes me tired!
Sunday update: So far I have attended ballet class, done the flower make-and-take, went swimming once with my brother, worked at my internship, typed and sent my work invoices, emailed the research librarian, and sent my sorority event evite.
So I still need to read my 4 sources, and clean/organize. Also, if I can find the pattern while I'm cleaning, I will start my knitting project!
I also officially picked a thesis topic- Effective Treatments for Sexually Aggressive Youth, and began my research. Let me just say, not my first choice of a topic to research. Obviously, not a popular topic at all, since a lot of people believe sexual predators are not treatable. Generally, I agree (the statistics are not good) and so it wasn't something I ever thought I'd want to research. However, I have two clients at my work that are sexually aggressive youth (which means they committed sexual offenses against other children while they were still children). I have sympathy for these kids somewhat because they were both abused themselves, but I struggle (as does the rest of the clinical care team) as far as finding a way to treat them because at some point they need to be reintegrated into the community and it would not be successful to do so with that stigma, but I don't want to put other kids at risk. So, I figured researching this topic would help me a). at work with my clients, and b). fulfill the obligation I have to write a thesis so I can graduate. Our professor also advised us to write on a topic that would interest potential employers, and this would obviously impress the place I am working at now, which I am hoping will give me a job. I was also interested in researching the connection between OCD and Hoarding, and Effective treatments of PTSD, but I think I am going to write up a proposal to study PTSD as an independent study instead of taking a (boring) school counseling elective later in the semester. I am kind of dreaming of having my thesis published as well, and the sexually aggressive youth topic would be good there because there is enough material available currently to do the research, but not so much material available that psych journals wouldn't be interested in publishing more. So, wish me luck! I have a lot more research to do but I have 4 sources that I've already tracked down and I put in requests for about 5 more so I am off and running!
Another exciting announcement I have is that I was invited to join my university's honor society. The top 10% of the class is invited to join, and I am really excited to be a part of that group (and also really wondering who else from the Masters' Department was invited to join). I also got my first test back of the semester, and it was a solid A. I didn't feel like I did a great job on it so I was thrilled.
My room, I am sorry to say, is trashed again. Mostly with scrapbooking supplies from a bin I had yet to finish organizing (which is out of storage and in the center of my room now) and from my craft cabinet, which was a mess. I also got some things out of storage I needed to put back, and bought new bras. So I spent about 6 hours yesterday really trying hard to organize my scrapbooking supplies so that order could be restored to my room. I got about half-way done and so am looking forward to more of that tomorrow afternoon.
It's going to be a busy weekend. I'm planning on attending ballet class again tomorrow (4th week in a row!), going to a make-and-take at a local scrapbook store (making super cute flowers out of tissue paper, something I've always wanted to learn), more cleaning/organizing, and then swimming again with my brother before he goes out of town overnight. Also at some point over the weekend I need to type and send my work invoices for February, send in information and a check for the honor society, read the 4 sources I've collected for my thesis, email the research librarian to find out her office hours/get some help, figure out a paypal issue I have with an event I'm planning on evite for my sorority, and I need to work at my internship. I would also like to start my next knitting project but that may or may not be realistic. Phew. Just thinking about all that makes me tired!
Sunday update: So far I have attended ballet class, done the flower make-and-take, went swimming once with my brother, worked at my internship, typed and sent my work invoices, emailed the research librarian, and sent my sorority event evite.
So I still need to read my 4 sources, and clean/organize. Also, if I can find the pattern while I'm cleaning, I will start my knitting project!