The content of this page is maschine translated by AAU Translate. Read the original text in?Danish

What kind of industry is your company/organisation a part of?

Psychological therapy and counselling.

What do you spend the most time on in your work?

In my work at UngTerapi, I provide individual counselling with children (from the age of 12), adolescents and adults with various problems.
Some of the issues I often come across in my work are dissatisfaction at school or university, low self-esteem, relational challenges, stress, anxiety and depression.

In addition to individual counselling, I have conversations with the parents of several of my young clients in relation to their children's treatment with me.

Every week, I receive supervision on my therapeutic work and participate in professional sparring with my colleagues.

What is the most important learning in your working life so far?

The most important lesson I have learnt in my working life so far, is how valuable it is for my development to have good relationships with my colleagues. I am lucky to work in a workplace where I am surrounded every day by psychologists who are passionate about counselling young people.

I enjoy sparring with them when I face challenges in my work and I am extremely inspired by discussing different approaches to therapy and working with children and young people over lunch or after work.

When I think back to my time at AAU, I also remember how much I enjoyed sparring with my fellow students. It was so important for my wellbeing and learning on the programme that I could ask them for advice and share both my joys and frustrations. And now that we have all graduated and are working, we can share the exciting and challenging experiences we are all having as psychologists.

What motivates you?

What motivates me the most, is seeing the difference that therapy can make for my clients. Seeing my clients grow, break unhelpful behavioural patterns, gain new insights into themselves and find greater acceptance and understanding of their issues, motivates me to continue my work and professional development.

Being a psychologist can certainly be challenging and emotionally draining, but it is also incredibly rewarding to see how therapy can really help the people I meet in my job.

What are your best memories from your time at AAU?

It would be sharing the highs and lows of project work with my fellow students. Writing projects was a real rollercoaster.

One week, the group might feel that we were floundering or that we would never finish - and the next week, we might suddenly crack the code to a challenge and then feel the drive and enthusiasm return to the group.

The best part was when we were finally able to proudly present and defend a project that the group had put all their energy into over the past few months, and finally celebrate a successful semester.

Another fond memory is my internship, where I was lucky enough to be assigned to the University Clinic. It was where I had my first experience of conversational therapy, and also had the opportunity to really geek out on the area of psychology that I find most exciting which is psychotherapy.

How do you use your degree and competencies from AAU?

In my work as a therapist, I use the vast theoretical knowledge I gained from my studies and the therapeutic experience and confidence I gained during my internship.

And when I face challenges in my current role, I really appreciate sparring with my colleagues and supervisors, just as I did with my fellow students at AAU.

Why did you choose to study at AAU?

I chose to study at AAU because of the problem-based approach, which included a lot of project work.

In my opinion, AAU has a more modern approach to the psychology programme, where there is a good mix of self-study and group work, and where learning is constantly connected to the 'real world'. In addition, AAU has some incredibly talented psychology lecturers that I really look up to.

What made you choose your specific programme?

I find the human psyche really fascinating. I would like to learn more about what makes us feel, react and act the way we do.

I would also like to work with people and hopefully influence their lives.

With the knowledge and insight you have today, what advice would you give yourself if you were starting out at AAU?

It will be all right!

Studying can feel overwhelming at first because there are so many new things to learn. It takes time to find out how you learn best and how to study in a way that allows both immersion and freedom to do other things. Everyone learns in diverse ways and there is no right way to study.

What is your best advice for new graduates entering the job market?

Believe in yourself!

After many years at university, it can be difficult to fully trust that you can live up to your future employer's expectations. But do not underestimate how much your knowledge and drive are worth in the job market. You have a lot to offer an employer, so believe in your own abilities and be brave.

Fun fact about you?

I had no plans to move to Copenhagen when I finished my studies. In fact, I had just moved to Aarhus, where I am from, with my husband. But when I was sitting in Aarhus and saw a job ad that described my dream job in every way, I had to apply.

The job was as a psychologist at UngTerapi in Copenhagen, and when I was lucky enough to get the job, my husband happily agreed to move to Copenhagen.

Bonus info: Fortunately, the job at UngTerapi lived up to expectations (and Copenhagen is not bad either)!

Connect with Iben Thoft Holm