I am a counseling intern, and my journey to PTM was nothing short of miraculous. I am finishing my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Regent University and decided to move to Nashville on a whim last July, to pursue music and complete my internship. When I arrived, I looked everywhere for an internship, but had difficulty, because I was not from a local school. Once, twice, three times I was interviewed and all but accepted by neighboring governmental and non-profit agencies, only to be rejected because of my school’s requirements, because of my gender, because of my degree focus, because…the list went on. I deferred for the fall semester. I received my third rejection the day before the contract deadline for the spring semester, so I dejectedly told my roommate, Hayley, a PTM intern that I would have to defer again. She said, “Oh! I’ll justtell Carmen, she can totally get you into PTM, you’ll love it! Don’t give up yet!” I thought, “Don’t give up yet? I’ve been searching for 8 months, how dare you tell me not to give up!” The next day, Carmen interviewed me and signed the contract, just under the deadline.

Pro Tip: Children often have difficulty waiting for “God’s time,” or “Parent’s time,” because the part of their brains that helps them delay gratification is not yet fully developed. This ability to delay gratification is linked to higher SAT scores, lower chances of obesity and substance abuse, and better stress management and social skills. [1] If you would like to help your child in this area, consider saying, “Let’s wait 5 minutes,” when they are begging for that cookie, or to play that video game. Even if it’s something good, like an apple, asking them to wait helps them practice this essential skill.