From struggling student to clinical psychology through psychotherapy and personal growth

¶ … Education: Is there additional information you would like us to know in order for us to evaluate your undergraduate record?

My family never gave me advice, discussion, or thought about college. They felt that it was not their role to decide what I was to become; without their input I was left to decipher the world with my own eyes and to decide myself what I was to become.

A never realized in the earlier grades how important high school success, measured by GPA, would be in my future life. As a result of this oversight, I was unable to attend a university immediately. My undergraduate career began at a community college and was completed at Arizona State University. These years were a time of great personal growth, but I was unprepared for the pressures of college life. I did not excel as a student during the first few years of college. Although I enjoyed my independence, I had low self-esteem and no clear goals. After failing two courses in the first semester of my freshman year, I suffered mentally and emotionally.

Beginning the second semester of my freshman year, I embarked on a personal journey. I began to acquire knowledge of a different kind and to understand who I was from the inside out. In pursuit of this knowledge, I entered psychotherapy. Through therapy I developed a sense of enthusiasm and an understanding of how my past experiences affected my ability to function emotionally and academically.

In my junior year, I made an earnest effort to improve my grades. Dedicated to this goal, I was finally able to transfer to Arizona State University and complete a Bachelor (of XXXXXXX Arts/Sciences) in four years.

My undergraduate education base is broad and includes research in several interrelated areas of study, including communication, psychology, and sociology. Exposure to these fields led me to complete my Bachelor's degree in Communication. Effective communication is crucial to all aspects of life, and is requisite for therapists. Communication skills are essential to a therapist's success: by being sensitive to the needs of clients, a therapist can foster growth and healing. The opportunities I have had to develop interpersonal and public speaking skills are directly relevant to helping me be a better clinician. Coupled with my personal challenges and growth experiences, my undergraduate studies led me to the rewarding field of clinical psychology. Although I initially wanted to pursue my Bachelor's degree in psychology and took many classes in the field, a weakness in math and statistics forced me to reconsider my options.

Your graduate study: please describe any formal graduate work you have completed (what, when, where) and how relevant it is to your application to this program.

In 1999, I began my graduate studies in counselling psychology at San Francisco State University. I entered the program to become licensed as a Marital and Family Therapist. I completed two semesters of the program. I was introduced to developmental foundations of counselling, including theories of family, home, and social dynamics and their implications for therapists. I also gained exposure to the psychological foundations of counselling, which applies a knowledge and use of the DSM to treatment plans. Other graduate coursework I took at San Francisco State included field counselling, an overview of issues concerning specializations, licensing, therapist roles and functions, and legal and ethical issues. This tract of study has obvious practical application to the field of psychology. Finally, coursework in counselling theories provided me with an overview of the most established theories of psychology and their relevance to clinical practice. My two semesters at San Francisco State provided me with a solid foundation in these useful areas of study, which can directly carry over to a Masters of Clinical Psychology and specifically to the Marital and Family Counselling Track.

Why should we accept you into this program?

Wanting to become a therapist is not a recent or frivolous desire of mine, but results from a lifetime of experiences. My willingness to examine myself while persevering through difficult and demanding situations, coupled with my ability to relate to others, will enhance my capacity to contribute to society as a therapist. My desire is to impact others and their relationships with family, peers, and culture. My enthusiasm plus my strong academic background make me an ideal candidate for the Masters of Clinical Psychology.

Life Experience

From years of work in therapy, I gained insight into and reconnected with earlier parts of my life. Learning how my childhood relates to my present situation sparked my interest in psychology as a tool for helping others. Furthermore, I have direct experience with paranoid schizophrenia, as my brother suffers from that illness. Personal life experiences like these directly relate to my decision and ability to be a successful psychologist.

How would the completion of this program contribute to your personal development, to the profession, and to society?

Completion of the program in clinical psychology will utilize my character, beliefs, and experiences to their utmost potential. For example, through my graduate research at San Francisco State, I was introduced to the issues surrounding adolescent substance abuse. I found myself becoming interested in both the specific issues of adolescent substance abuse and the significance of family, peer, and environmental context. I have been exposed, through classes and independent study, to work in risk and resilience. Not only has this exposure elucidated for me the role of the psychologist in all realms of life.

I am also familiar with specific child and adolescent problems of aggression, delinquency, depression, suicide, and eating disorders. Each of these clinical issues has interesting causal mechanisms and pathways that frequently have much in common. How so very many different developmental pathways can result from subtle differences in both context and learning history fascinates me and makes me eager to explore the professional application of psychological studies.

I am starting to see that many clinical issues are a result of a complex interaction between the person and their context, and that tearing apart the individual pieces of these interactions will better inform our understanding of them. I am perceptive and sensitive; perhaps this is the result of the skills I had to develop at an early age. As a child, I quickly learned that people did not necessarily mean what they said. Ironically, instead of being helped my others, I have found myself in the role of making others comfortable.

What experience do you have that would prepare you to be a psychotherapist for people who differ from yourself?

At San Francisco State University, I was educated in an environment with diversity and exposure to different cultures. Through multiple classes, I gained sensitivity necessary to work with individuals in a counselling setting. I have also led support groups for individuals who suffered from Muscular Dystrophy and who faced much discrimination because of their limited physical abilities. I volunteered with the SFAF, which also exposed me to persons suffering from discrimination as well as disease. My brother, who is a paranoid schizophrenic, gave me hands on experience dealing with society's clouded judgement of the mentally ill. I attended numerous support groups to learn about his illness and to develop my own belief system. Through all these direct experiences, I have come to appreciate the differences and similarities among seemingly incompatible cultures.