By: Carlee C., LPC-i Counseling Intern from The Christi Center – Spring 2017

I had a Rancher tell me that driving through the gates of Down Home Ranch was like driving into a new world. He said everything outside was left behind, and you could be a part of this peaceful place.

I wholeheartedly agree with that. Being an intern at Down Home Ranch was a comfortable and encouraging experience. When you arrive, you never once feel like a stranger–from the staff to the ranchers, I always felt like I belonged. Developing relationships with the Ranchers felt natural and easy.

Interning at the ranch gives you an opportunity to work with clients on their terms in their environment. You get to see them where they are most comfortable and sometimes most vulnerable. Inevitably, that goes both ways, and you can often feel that same comfort and vulnerability when working with all of these wonderful people.

Being an intern at the Ranch allowed me to be a part of the Ranchers' world in a way I could not have experienced elsewhere. I believe interning at Down Home Ranch is a very different kind of intern experience that anyone could appreciate.

The mission of the Christi Center: “We offer hope after the death of a loved one by providing support networks, community education and therapeutic activities that are free, peer-based, and ongoing.”