Hey everyone, my name is Madison Bell and I am a junior majoring in Psychology and Exercise and Sport Science here at UNC. I have had the privilege and honor of being chosen as a Gil Intern for the Fall of 2016 and have loved every minute of it. I want to thank Rachael Hall and Dr. Buzinski for taking into consideration my interests and placing me at Carolina Performance, somewhere that combines my appreciation for psychology and sport.
Carolina Performance’s mission is to enhance the performance of their clients, resulting in a smarter approach to sports, a more effective work life, and an improved general well-being. They use mental training techniques to build upon existing skills, develop mental game plans, achieve individual and team goals, and maximize potential. My mentor, Dr. Morse, works here as well as in the Athletic Department at NC State, and has also recently opened his own opioid addiction clinic in North Raleigh. At NC State, his role as the sports psychiatrist is to help athletes work through mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, ADHD, and addiction via a cognitive-behavioral counseling style and also prescribing medication when he deems necessary. Dr. Morse uses medication-assisted therapy at Morse Clinics, his opioid addiction clinic. Essentially, the medication (either methadone and buprenorphine) treats the physiological symptoms and the counseling allows the patient to engage in the necessary steps he or she needs to begin in order to make a behavioral change. This evidence-based treatment has shown to be most successful in research, and Morse Clinics does everything they can to transfer the treatment’s efficacy to effectiveness in the real world.
My role at each workplace is a little different. At Carolina Performance and NC State, I am lucky enough to be allowed to shadow all of the therapy sessions while I am there, gaining first-hand knowledge as to how therapy works. Since Morse Clinics has just recently opened, my role in making the business more successful is helping with the marketing tasks at hand. It is my responsibility to seek out clients in need of treatment in the area by visiting local urgent cares, primary cares, and emergency rooms and telling them about the available services Morse Clinics has to offer if people seeking help for their addiction come in. Knowing that I am ultimately helping potential clients better their lives is a huge responsibility that is rewarding to fulfill.
Being a Gil Intern has not only increased my knowledge of psychology in general, but has helped me to grow so much in my professional skills such as communication and overall self-confidence. After graduation, I plan to use these skills and hopefully attend physical therapy school and specialize in the sports medicine field. Most people don’t realize how incredibly helpful a psychology background can be for patients in physical therapy. I cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for this program. It has helped me to explore my interest in sports psychology and gain knowledge and professional skills that I wouldn’t have without this internship.
#UNCGiller #confessionsofagiller #UNCPsych #fall2016
