Final Draft-Please Proof Read, Due FRIDAY!!!!

[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.

[ramswell]

My time in Curernavaca, Mexico had such a profound affect  ( effect)on me I signed up for a second study abroad trip

 

As one of six to graduate high school with a diploma--- do you mean one of six children?? i would re-phrase that coz its not very clear

 

Moreover, I understand the PsyD in Counseling Psychology has a lot of demands

 

 

All the best!!