The opportunity to learn and observe at the Mifne Center was a tremendous privilege for me. I had such a wonderful time serving each of you in numerous ways, while at the same time I was able to learn so much. Right from the beginning, conversations that Irit and I had planted the idea of the autonomy of the child in my mind that continued to grow throughout my observations. The most powerful learning tool for me during my time at the Mifne was the many hours of observation.

First of all, my observations of the therapists changed my view of what therapists were capable of doing with children that were not their own. Everyone at the Mifne Center was so careful and attentive to the family. The play therapy stood out to me as a wonderful way to connect with the children. In my job in America, we are expected to drill the children on their knowledge base while completely missing the connection or relationship between the therapist and child. I was so impressed by the careful yet persistent way the Mifne forced the children to find self and connect with other people as their own individual.

Observing how the children reacted to the therapists also opened my eyes to the effectiveness of the Mifne Method. The fact that the children I observed reacted so quickly and successfully to the therapy is the best recommendation in my thinking. Watching the videos of children in past years helped blossom this idea for me. The children I observed not only improved in their parent’s eyes, but they also seemed to be happier and enjoy people so much more. This jump from a secludedbubble to a world of relationships for the children must be the most rewarding feeling.

Lastly, I learned so much from the research, communication, and feedback that the Mifne remains actively involved with. Again, I was not able to join in on most of this other then brief helps with English grammar questions, but I was able to learn so much by watching the research take place and reading some of the papers. The feedback worksheet helped me better understand how each therapist views the therapy. Also, the communication between the therapists and parents, therapists and children, and even therapists and myself was very important. The high emphasis on teaching and consistent learning made an impact on how I want to return to my job and schooling.
The immediate application of what I have learned will be seen most clearly in my job. As I mentioned to many of you, I am so excited to return to my job with a new goal in mind. My goal right now is to help the children I work with to discover relationships and self, and I want to keep learning as much as possible on how to better accomplish this goal. This trip is just a beginning in my study and learning process, and I plan to keep learning and improving. I am so thankful that I have connected with the Mifne Center, and I cannot wait to see you again.I consider every one of you a wonderful contact and friend.

Ariel Huntress, USA
Volunteered at the Mifne Center, June-July 2013