Work Setting: Independent Practitioner
Reflecting on “Reflective Practice”
Linda Kantner
05/26/2020
Note: Linda Kantner, MSSW ’82, is an independent Reflective Practice practitioner. She works with public health nurses, early childhood teachers, and therapists who work with young children.
Linda:
One moment I was seeing 12 groups a month and meeting with 17 people individually and the next my datebook, yes, I still use a book, was empty. The Corona Virus came to Minnesota and stunned us, silenced us. It took a while but we found our footing like we do every year when the first ice covers the sidewalks. Phone calls, Zoom and Skype. I provide support to Public Health Nurses who do home visits with high risk infants and moms. I meet with early childhood teachers, and therapists who specialize in young children. This work is called Reflective Practice, we talk about how the work affects their lives and their lives affect the work. Now it is hours of Covid talk. Sitting in my living room at a makeshift desk, looking out at the tree tops I try to stay present with frightened clients. Everyone is trying to make sense of how this virus threatens them and struggling with choices they have to make. After two months we are slowly getting back to the clients, they never really left us, we always held them in mind.