Looking back on the two artifacts I selected for this PLO, the Marina Case Study and the Personal Performance Enhancement Project (PPEP), what stands out is how beautifully they complement each other. Together, they reflect the dual lens through which I now approach this work: as both practitioner and person, holding space for others and for myself. Revisiting and refining these projects offered me a chance to see just how much I’ve grown. My writing is more organized, my case conceptualization more layered, and my understanding of intervention both more ethical and more embodied.

The Marina Case Study represents a turning point in my clinical reasoning. It was the first time I worked through a complex case with layered ethical concerns, performance issues, and clear indicators for referral. In many ways, this project helped me integrate the breadth of my training, including intake, rapport-building, risk assessment, MST planning, collaborative decision-making, and culturally responsive care. Revisiting the artifact for this capstone, I clarified the rationale behind each intervention step, made language cleaner and more precise, and added citations to reflect recent literature. I also embedded more of my personal voice as a consultant, not just what I did, but why I made each choice. That narrative layer feels important to who I am becoming.

The PPEP, by contrast, is intensely personal. It asked me to walk the talk of mental performance training in a real, vulnerable way. Returning to dance after retirement was not just a performance challenge—it was a values-driven act of healing. This project demanded that I apply MST tools not just cognitively, but somatically and contextually. It taught me to listen to the wisdom of my body, to honor pacing, and to reframe goal setting through an ACT- and SDT-informed lens. My revision of the PPEP involved weaving in more literature, polishing the narrative flow, and tightening connections between my lived experience and the theoretical frameworks I drew from. My instructor encouraged me to consider publication, and that vote of confidence helped me realize just how meaningful practitioner inquiry can be.

What ties these artifacts together is a shared ethic of care, toward clients and toward myself. They show that I can apply structured frameworks, but also adjust when the moment calls for humanity over protocol. They reflect the practitioner I’m becoming: someone who values collaboration, creativity, ethics, and empathy in equal measure.

These are not just two polished assignments. They are representations of how I’ve lived into this work—messy, real, reflective, and committed. They reflect how I see doing the work and becoming a practitioner as one integrated journey.