The Wellness Center welcomed three new interns, Patch Tseng-Putterman, Laura Knox, and Kat Griffith, to the Hill this academic year so that they could complete their advanced graduate internships as part of their Master of Social Work programs.
All three arrived at McDaniel having already completed internships elsewhere and hope to gain new experience on the Hill.
“I provided counseling to high school students in my first internship, and knew I wanted experience working with adults as well, so McDaniel was a great fit,” Tseng-Putterman said.
“I did my internship last year in DC and wanted to stay (more or less) in the area,” Griffith added.
The interns come from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of interests. Tseng-Putterman grew up just outside of Boston in Concord, Massachusetts. They graduated from Brown University with a degree in literary arts and environmental studies. After spending a few years as an organic vegetable farmer, Tseng-Putterman started their master’s in clinical social work at Smith College.
Knox was born and raised in England and moved here during high school. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from UMBC and is wrapping up the last year of her master’s in social work program from UMD, School of Social Work.
Griffith grew up in Washington, DC and has worked in DC, Los Angeles, Chile, and now Westminster. She is studying social work at Smith College with previous work experience in community organizing, crisis intervention, faith-rooted organizing, and legal services in an immigration detention center. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and lived abroad in Santiago and Valparaiso, Chile.
McDaniel’s newest additions bring different strengths and interests to the table. In addition to providing counseling services, Tseng-Putterman also hopes to co-facilitate McDaniel’s “Exploring Gender Identity Group” in the spring.
“I am a trans and non-binary identified counselor and working with folks around experiences of queerness and gender is an exciting part of what I hope to do in the mental health field,” they said.
Griffith meets with students for assessments, crisis interventions, and individual sessions.
“I am passionate about honoring resilient stories, supporting others in challenging times, promoting a culture of consent, and building meaningful connections,” she said.
Knox connects students to counselors and schedules them through initial phone calls.
“I am interested in anxiety, depression, relationships, attachments we develop, and maintaining a balance to live our best lives,” she said.
All three counseling interns are excited to be at McDaniel and look forward to an exciting year.
“I have really enjoyed my experience so far,” Griffith said.
“I like the chicken fingers at Glar,” Tseng-Putterman added.
“My experience has exceeded any possible expectations,” Knox said. “This is such a warm, welcoming, supportive environment.”
