pjones616

Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying a semester abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I had a two-month internship working with families of children with a range of disorders. There I co-facilitated psycho-educational groups, sensory activities, and miscellaneous games for the families to be involved with their children. Given the cultural context, I was curious about how some of the families perceived their children’s diagnosis so I lead a psycho-educational group talking about the history of various disorders that were in the group with the goal of normalizing the disorders. My time in Curernavaca, Mexico had such a profound affect on me I signed up for a second study abroad trip, this time to rural Tanzania, Africa. I taught reproductive health in two village schools and prepared dinner with some of the women every night for one-month in a convent. These experiences gave me insight on how much privilege I have and taught me the importance of cultural competency as a means to cross-cultural communication. Currently I work as a mental health practitioner doing behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child. I also work as a youth care counselor at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. These experiences have had there challenging moments where I get emotionally exhausted from all of the kids I see come and go from the shelter and all of the families who are motivated to change but there insurance runs out and their services get discontinued. The more unjust circumstances I encounter, the more motivated I am to be a better, more competent provider. Therefore, I want to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. I will also spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. These populations often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. As one of six to graduate high school with a diploma, I once was considered an at-risk and disadvantaged youth, but with my personal motivation and encouragement from teachers, I prevailed and I will give back. Now, as the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I realized I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist will provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. In addition, this program emphasizes working with underrepresented and diverse populations, which tailors to my academic and career goals, so I look forward to working under these lenses. Moreover, I understand the PsyD in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost eight hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. Commitment, time-management skills, and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. In addition to the support of my family, my MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “personal time” to avoid exhaustion. There was a time where I had some difficulty knowing when to take “personal time,” but I quickly learned how I am of little value if I am tired and have low energy. With that said, I have learned to balance work and leisure by prioritizing my obligations and adding structure to my life by scheduling personal and family time. Subsequently, as a McNair Scholar, I had three years of extensive training on how to succeed as a graduate student. I had research training, summer courses on graduate school preparation, and weekly advisement about academic progress. For the fact my MFT program is so demanding in its expectations, I have an even greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful PsyD student. With that said, I understand the sacrifices I will make in order to succeed in this program. I am extremely dedicated to my family and currently spend a considerable amount of time with them. Although, it will be a challenge to have to lessen the amount of time I spend with them and prioritize something else, my family understands what admission to this program would mean to me and fully supports my decision to purse the PsyD in counseling psychology program. I also understand my privilege of an education so I am a very proactive student as I have always sought to learn more about my studies outside of class. I also have no trouble utilizing resources if I am having difficulty academically or personally. In addition, I work very well with others and appreciate the opportunity to learn from others backgrounds and their experiences. With some research, I am confident that the Psyd in counseling psychology program will align well with my personal strengths. At an early age I built up a resiliency that has allowed me to prevail in challenging situations. I define my circumstances and see difficulty in a positive light, as that is where I do the most growing. Also, reaching out for help and utilizing resources has never been a problem for me. I do have concerns about whether I am good enough to be a counseling psychologist and the looming idea of failing myself. Although these thoughts have crossed my mind, I remind myself that they have crossed my mind before and I reflect on how far I have gotten despite some of my doubts. In addition, I understand the PsyD in counseling psychology program is not APA accredited which is of concern, as it would keep me in a window of things I could do with my degree. However, for the fact Dr. Solberg has been successful at accrediting programs in the past I am confident that this program will be accredited when the first class graduates. What is more concerning is the financial investment that I will be making to earn my degree. However, I have fully weighed the financial obligations I will be undertaking, and am prepared to make this commitment. I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model that St. Mary’s University employs as I will receive training in both research and practice. I look forward to learning more about research, testing, and assessments. I also look forward to individualized mentorship, supervision, and building relationships with my peers. I anticipate completing a doctoral degree will encourage me to hone in on my diverse skillset and be more confident with my competencies to integrate evidence-based research and theories as I practice.

I forgot there are only 28 days this month and this is due March 1st (Friday). I am looking for feedback on how well I specifically answered the questions asked and how to format this into a narrative without overusing transitions. Thank you for your time! Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field. Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying a semester abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I had a two-month internship working with families of children with a range of disorders. There I co-facilitated psycho-educational groups, sensory activities, and games. This experience taught me the importance of how cultural competency is key to cross-cultural communication and how I would have been an ineffective co-facilitator without that understanding. I had a taste for this experience again so I went on a one-month service-learning trip to rural Tanzania, Africa. I taught reproductive health in two village schools and prepared dinner with some of the women every night in the convent. This experience also taught me the importance of cultural competency as a means to cross-cultural communication, but I really recognized how much privilege I have. I work as a mental health practitioner that does behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child, which has been eye opening because I get a first hand perspective on how the system affects the individual. On another hand, I work at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. What are your long-term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time. I want to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. I will also spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. Reason being, they often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals? As the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I realized I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist would provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? The PsyD in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost eight hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. Commitment, time-management skills and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. With the support of my family, I am always motivated to prevail and succeed in my goals. In addition, my MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “personal time” to avoid exhaustion. How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? I had some difficulty knowing when to take personal time last year, but I quickly learned that I am of little value if I am tired and of low energy. With that said, I have learned to balance work and leisure by prioritizing my obligations, I have added structure to my life by scheduling personal and family time. Subsequently, as a McNair Scholar, I had three years of extensive training on how to succeed as a graduate student. In addition, because my MFT program is so demanding in its expectations, I have an even greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful PsyD student. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges? I understand how important prioritization, time-management, sacrifice, and endurance, are to be a successful doctoral student. This is the biggest endeavor I have ever embarked on, and I would be crazy to think this would be easy. Yet, I do not expect this journey to be easy, I expect this program to be the most challenging time in my life. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. I understand my privilege of an education so I am a very proactive student as I have always sought to learn more about my studies outside of class. I also have no trouble utilizing resources if I am having difficulty academically related or personally related. In addition, I work very well with others and appreciate the opportunity to learn from others backgrounds and their experiences. With that said, I take feedback very well and am receptive to new ideas and ways of conceptualizing things which will be important tools to have as a doctor student. I am also very resilient to rapid change and can easily adjust as things change. Resiliency is important in a doctoral program in counseling psychology because there are a lot of expectations both academically and personally and without the ability to be flexible, I can imagine “burnout” to occur quickly. What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? I do have generic concerns questioning whether I am good enough to be a counseling psychologist and the looming idea of failing myself. Although these thoughts have crossed my mind, I remind myself that they have crossed my mind before and I reflect on how far I have gotten despite some of my doubts. In addition, I understand the counseling psychology program is not APA accredited which is of concern as it would keep me in a window of things I could do with my degree. But what is more concerning is the financial investment that I will be making to earn my degree. What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you? I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model as I will receive training in both research and practice. I look forward to learning more about research, testing, and assessments. I also look forward to supervision, and building relationships with my peers. I anticipate completing a doctoral degree will encourage me to hone in on my diverse skillset and be more confident with my competencies to integrate evidence-based research and theories as I practice.

It has to be a narrative because its a personal statement.

Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field. Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying a semester abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I had a two-month internship working with families of children with a range of disorders. There I co-facilitated psycho-educational groups, sensory activities, and games. This experience taught me the importance of how cultural competency is key to cross-cultural communication and how I would have been an ineffective co-facilitator without that understanding. I had a taste for this experience again so I went on a one-month service-learning trip to rural Tanzania, Africa. I taught reproductive health in two village schools and prepared dinner with some of the women every night in the convent. This experience also taught me the importance of cultural competency as a means to cross-cultural communication, but I really recognized how much privilege I have. I work as a mental health practitioner that does behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child, which has been eye opening because I get a first hand perspective on how the system affects the individual. On another hand, I work at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. What are your long-term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time. I want to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. I will also spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. Reason being, they often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals? As the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I realized I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist would provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? The PsyD in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost eight hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. Commitment, time-management skills and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. With the support of my family, I am always motivated to prevail and succeed in my goals. In addition, my MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “personal time” to avoid exhaustion. How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? I had some difficulty knowing when to take personal time last year, but I quickly learned that I am of little value if I am tired and of low energy. With that said, I have learned to balance work and leisure by prioritizing my obligations, I have added structure to my life by scheduling personal and family time. Subsequently, as a McNair Scholar, I had three years of extensive training on how to succeed as a graduate student. In addition, because my MFT program is so demanding in its expectations, I have an even greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful PsyD student. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges? I understand how important prioritization, time-management, sacrifice, and endurance, are to be a successful doctoral student. This is the biggest endeavor I have ever embarked on, and I would be crazy to think this would be easy. Yet, I do not expect this journey to be easy, I expect this program to be the most challenging time in my life. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. I understand my privilege of an education so I am a very proactive student as I have always sought to learn more about my studies outside of class. I also have no trouble utilizing resources if I am having difficulty academically related or personally related. In addition, I work very well with others and appreciate the opportunity to learn from others backgrounds and their experiences. With that said, I take feedback very well and am receptive to new ideas and ways of conceptualizing things which will be important tools to have as a doctor student. I am also very resilient to rapid change and can easily adjust as things change. Resiliency is important in a doctoral program in counseling psychology because there are a lot of expectations both academically and personally and without the ability to be flexible, I can imagine “burnout” to occur quickly. What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? I do have generic concerns questioning whether I am good enough to be a counseling psychologist and the looming idea of failing myself. Although these thoughts have crossed my mind, I remind myself that they have crossed my mind before and I reflect on how far I have gotten despite some of my doubts. In addition, I understand the counseling psychology program is not APA accredited which is of concern as it would keep me in a window of things I could do with my degree. But what is more concerning is the financial investment that I will be making to earn my degree. What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you? I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model as I will receive training in both research and practice. I look forward to learning more about research, testing, and assessments. I also look forward to supervision, and building relationships with my peers. I anticipate completing a doctoral degree will encourage me to hone in on my diverse skillset and be more confident with my competencies to integrate evidence-based research and theories as I practice.

I need feedback as to how you think how well I answered the questions and suggestions on how to turn this into a narrative!! Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field. Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying a semester abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I had a two-month internship working with families of children with a range of disorders. There I co-facilitated psycho-educational groups, sensory activities, and games. This experience taught me the importance of how cultural competency is key to cross-cultural communication and how I would have been an ineffective co-facilitator without that understanding. I had a taste for this experience again so I went on a one-month service-learning trip to rural Tanzania, Africa. I taught reproductive health in two village schools and prepared dinner with some of the women every night in the convent. This experience also taught me the importance of cultural competency as a means to cross-cultural communication, but I really recognized how much privilege I have. I work as a mental health practitioner that does behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child, which has been eye opening because I get a first hand perspective on how the system affects the individual. On another hand, I work at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. What are your long-term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time. I want to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. I will also spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. Reason being, they often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals? As the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I realized I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist would provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? The PsyD in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost eight hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. Commitment, time-management skills and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. With the support of my family, I am always motivated to prevail and succeed in my goals. In addition, my MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “personal time” to avoid exhaustion. The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? I had some difficulty knowing when to take personal time last year, but I quickly learned that I am of little value if I am tired and of low energy. With that said, I have learned to balance work and leisure by prioritizing my obligations, I have added structure to my life by scheduling personal and family time. Subsequently, as a McNair Scholar, I had three years of extensive training on how to succeed as a graduate student. In addition, because my MFT program is so demanding in its expectations, I have an even greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful PsyD student. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges? I understand how important prioritization, time-management, sacrifice, and endurance, are to be a successful doctoral student. This is the biggest endeavor I have ever embarked on, and I would be crazy to think this would be easy. Yet, I do not expect this journey to be easy, I expect this program to be the most challenging time in my life. Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. I understand my privilege of an education so I am a very proactive student as I have always sought to learn more about my studies outside of class. I also have no trouble utilizing resources if I am having difficulty academically related or personally related. In addition, I work very well with others and appreciate the opportunity to learn from others backgrounds and their experiences. With that said, I take feedback very well and am receptive to new ideas and ways of conceptualizing things which will be important tools to have as a doctor student. I am also very resilient to rapid change and can easily adjust as things change. Resiliency is important in a doctoral program in counseling psychology because there are a lot of expectations both academically and personally and without the ability to be flexible, I can imagine “burnout” to occur quickly. What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? I do have generic concerns questioning whether I am good enough to be a counseling psychologist and the looming idea of failing myself. Although these thoughts have crossed my mind, I remind myself that they have crossed my mind before and I reflect on how far I have gotten despite some of my doubts. In addition, I understand the counseling psychology program is not APA accredited which is of concern as it would keep me in a window of things I could do with my degree. But what is more concerning is the financial investment that I will be making to earn my degree. What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you? I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model as I will receive training in both research and practice. I look forward to learning more about research, testing, and assessments. I also look forward to supervision, and building relationships with my peers. I anticipate completing a doctoral degree will encourage me to hone in on my diverse skillset and be more confident with my competencies to integrate evidence-based research and theories as I practice.

I really appreciate all of the feedback!!!! Thank you so much!!

I have chosen to go into the health-care profession because I was given a chance. Specifically, I am referring to the teachers who not only gave me the tools to supersede my goals, but who instilled the confidence, courage, and bravery to always go a step further. Being one of six to graduate from high school with a diploma and continue my education I still had big shoes to fill, and I still do. Not many people understand what I mean by that, but it is as if I set the precedence for what everyone in my family “ought to be doing.” The truth is, I am doing what I love. Early on in my academic career I had the opportunity of studying abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico for a semester where I worked closely with children with disabilities and their parents. This was the most rewarding experience of my life to date, yet the most challenging experience because I was not able to speak my first language and I was operating off of norms, taboos, and ways of communicating with a culture that was different than my own. I had a taste for this experience again so I took advantage of going on a service-learning trip to Tanzania, Africa. Living on a convent gave me a taste of what true community is. I was able to teach in the schools about various topics such as contraceptives and education. I was also able to work along side “my people” in the kitchen, slaving over hot dishes for hundreds of people. I can easily reflect on both experiences and notice what I learned, but collectively I grasped the true meaning of life, and that is health and family. These foundational values have stuck with me throughout my work career. I work as a mental health practitioner that does behavior analysis and skills training with families based on a treatment plan. Each client I have presents with a different skill set and each family provides a different level of commitment and support to their child, which has been eye opening because I get a first hand view on how the system affects the individual. On another hand I work at a crisis shelter for children and adolescents. This is the most humbling job I have because each week whether I see a new or an old face I experience a new set of empathy each time. Sometimes I wish I had more than one life to live because there is so much I want to accomplish. However, since I only have one life I would love to spend my time working in schools and in the community with at-risk and disadvantaged youth. Reason being, they often lack the support of family members and the community to be successful. I would love to one day open my own practice working with all demographics. My MFT program has exposed me to people from all walks of life and it has been such a tremendous growing experience and something I would be more than happy to continue. In conjunction with my own practice, I would also love to spend some of my time coordinating an after school program for at-risk and disadvantaged youth. This is something that is extremely important to me because I have been apart of those populations where you wonder whether or not people care if you succeed or fail, and I understand how quickly I could have taken the wrong path, so I want to provide the opportunity for kids to excel in their academics with the guidance of mental health professionals. As the end of my Master of Marriage and Family Therapy program draws near, I have realized that I have only scratched the surface of my training. Obtaining licensure as a Psychologist would provide me with an abundance of opportunities as I search for employment, but more importantly I would have the ethical and multicultural competencies necessary in this field. As my professional identity evolves, my self-concept will as well. I fully understand how important it is to recognize the connection between my professional identities as a psychologist in comparison to my identity. These two identities merge because as I continue to learn and practice, I myself, am growing, and am molding into a more competent practitioner. The Psyd in counseling psychology has a lot of demands, but within the past two years I have been very successful meeting the demands of my MFT program. I commute almost 8 hours to and from school each week, work multiple jobs, and maintain an above average GPA. So the commitment, time management skills and dedication to my education have proven to be consistent throughout my graduate career. In addition, with tremendous amount of support, encouragement, and prayer from my family, I am always motivated to prevail and succeed my goals. My MFT program has done a phenomenal job of stressing the importance of “self” time to avoid “burnout.” I had some difficulty with that last year, but I quickly learned that I am of little value if I am tired and of low energy. Family and friends are a huge part of my success so being able to invest in those relationships is very important for me to keep my sanity. With that being said, I have learned to balance work and play and use my time more wisely and informing them of my schedule has made my life much easier. Subsequently, because the Marriage and Family therapy program is so demanding in its expectations, I have a greater understanding of what type of dedication it takes to be a successful psyd student. Although I know the expectations of the psyd in counseling psychology are greater, I am confident that my training has prepared me for the challenges ahead. My commitment to my education and resiliency of external factors are strengths that I have not always had, but continue to grow me as I have the opportunity to prove myself time and time again. I am the kind of person who has dreams but chances them. The kind of person who understands how a, “mans reach exceeds his grasp,” but still try. I am the kind of person who wants to do better each time and I do. Experience has taught me that communication is a key element for relationships to function. Additionally, throughout my college career I was fortunate enough to work with different families while studying abroad, and with those experiences I had the opportunity to present my study abroad research on how social economic status can effect ones education. I am concerned of “burnout.” If I experience “burnout” I will not have sufficient energy for my studies and clients, and will therefore be useful in the program. With that said, I understand how important prioritization, time-management, sacrifice, and endurance are to be a successful doctoral student. This is the biggest endeavor I have ever embarked on, and I would be crazy to think this would be “easy.” Yet, I do not want this experience to be easy, I expect this program to be the most challenging time in my personal, academic, and professional life. With that said, I am looking forward to working along side my peers and my professors. I am immensely excited about the practitioner-scholar model. In truth, I look forward to the challenges because that is when growth happens. I anticipate myself exceeding my career goals and becoming a competent psychologist. Please address each of the following in your statement. Weave your responses into a single integrated narrative. Unless you wish to, you do not need to address the questions in exactly the order they are listed. Most personal statements will be three to five pages in length. What are your long-term career goals? Be as specific as possible. It is understood that these goals may change, and that they may not be clearly formed at this point in time. Provide a brief description of your background, training, and experience. Include work and experiences both within and outside of the health care field. How does obtaining licensure as a Psychologist fit into your career goals? What is unique about a professional identity as a psychologist in terms of meeting your goals? The doctoral program in counseling psychology is demanding of both time and energy, and sometimes students underestimate the commitment needed to complete the program in a timely manner. How do you plan to integrate your work as a student in the program with the other demands in your life? How do you anticipate making changes in your life so that you can successfully complete a doctoral program? Describe the academic, interpersonal, and/or personal challenges that might hinder your success as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. How do you plan to address these challenges? Describe the academic, interpersonal, and personal strengths you would bring to your work as a student in a doctoral program in counseling psychology. What concerns you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? What excites you the most about the prospect of embarking on graduate study in a doctoral program in counseling psychology? How do you anticipate (and perhaps hope) that completing a doctoral program in counseling psychology will change you?

Hello, I appreciate the feedback. The reasoning for continuing my education is to gain more competencies. Most MFT programs do not have the 1 year of clinical work where mine does, but even though I am almost done with that, I am yearning for more education and research experience. I am not in a hurry to find employment as an MFT right away, so I figure why not go for a home run? For me, it is not so much the title, but we all know that having that title does help.

Hi, I am a 23 year old African American woman in the process of finishing my M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. I recently decided to apply for a PsyD in Counseling Psychology. I am in the process of writing my personal statement and I really want it to be excellent. I know the gist of a "good" personal statement, but I am looking for something more than that, something GREAT to make my personal statement stand out (arent we all). A story you suggest? Well, about what? A quote? "about what?" I have a GPA of 3.6, but since I am young, I feel the need to overcompensate to be on the same page as I assume the other applicants are. ANY advice would be so appreciated!!!

Hi, I am a 23 year old African American woman in the process of finishing my M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. I recently decided to apply for a PsyD in Counseling Psychology. I am in the process of writing my personal statement and I really want it to be excellent. I know the gist of a "good" personal statement, but I am looking for something more than that, something GREAT to make my personal statement stand out (arent we all). A story you suggest? Well, about what? A quote? "about what?" I have a GPA of 3.6, but since I am young, I feel the need to overcompensate to be on the same page as I assume the other applicants are. ANY advice would be so appreciated!!!