In February 2023, I applied to volunteer at the Foundation, as I was due to begin my Master’s studies in Psychology that September and wished to gain experience within a professional setting. During the spring semester, I had the opportunity to apply for a summer camp, which took place in August: a one-week intensive art therapy camp for preschool-aged children living with autism.

The group was led by two professionals, Petra and Zsuzsi, while another psychology student and I participated as volunteers alongside them. Our responsibilities included note-taking and supporting child supervision. Throughout the four-day camp, we alternated these roles between us: for two days, my fellow volunteer was responsible for documentation while I assisted the group leaders with supervision, and for the remaining two days we switched roles. Petra and Zsuzsi prepared us thoroughly for the dynamics of the sessions and consistently communicated clearly whenever a specific task required our attention.

Working together with the children was an extraordinary experience. Throughout the sessions, we gradually came to understand more about the children and their dynamics, while they themselves also became increasingly open and expressive. The group leaders supported them beautifully in identifying and articulating their emotions. During the musical activities, I was also able to become an active part of the therapeutic process, which was especially meaningful and exciting for me as a musician. Experiencing the group from the position of a note-taker was entirely different: it allowed me to observe the functioning of the group from an external perspective, which proved to be a distinctly different, yet equally valuable professional experience.

As a psychology student, one aspect I particularly appreciated was the opportunity to discuss the children with the group leaders following the sessions and to place their experiences into a professional and psychological context. What I find especially admirable about the Foundation is its systemic approach — namely, that therapeutic support is offered not only to children experiencing difficulties, but also to their parents. Based on my previous volunteer experiences, I consider this to be an especially thoughtful and effective approach, particularly given the profound influence a child’s environment has during such an early developmental period.