Attaining My Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology

The decision to take this course was rooted in a deepening interest in psychotherapy, self–development, the welfare of other people and in a desire to gain a theoretical base to enrich my current arts and health practice.

Clinical psychology is just one of the many subfields that psychology has to offer. Those who choose to enter clinical psychology aim to help people with addiction, emotional stress, mental illness, or any other type of mental problems. Knowing what a clinical psychologist does in their practice is important in understanding their profession. A clinical psychologist's education is the most prominent part of their career; without it, they cannot be considered a psychologist. The process and requirements of employment for psychologists are scattered, varying from state to state, as well as their salary and where they may be employed. The future and growth of clinical psychology can only be

Dr. Judith Wright talks about the results of her students. “Early in their work at Wright, students tended to not only achieve their initial goals, but also arrive at a high level of sophistication in their awareness of their behaviors and processes. They used this awareness to

Introduction: The student is in Practicum III performing her internship at West Bay Community Action in Warwick, RI. West Bay is a non-profit agency that helps clients who live under the poverty level with food supplies, heating assistance, weatherization of their house and various other services. They also help the elderly. The student is pursuing her Social Work degree and is going to continue on to Rhode Island College for Psychology. She will be graduating in December 2016.

In this competency, I learned that intervention is an ongoing process. In addition, I learned that it important to apply theories in the intervention stage because it helps clients

My internship was with Sheppard Pratt Health System. A Hospital, that focuses mainly on mental health and substance abuse patents. Sheppard Pratt Health System offers both inpatient and day program center. My project was on Discharge planning. Its purpose is to aim to improve the coordination of services after discharge considering the patient’s best needs in the community. It seeks to bridge the gap between the Health System and the place to which the patient is discharged, reduce length of stays, and minimize unplanned readmissions. The planning of discharging a patient involves close collaboration between the patient, the support system, and the multidisciplinary team; this leads to improved patient’s satisfaction. To get a good discharge

I am currently a graduate student of the Master of Arts in Art Therapy program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, who is also attending a Clinical Supervision and Consultation course. I will soon be starting my internship to receive my hours before the May 2019 graduation. In addition to that, I attended the University of Michigan-Flint and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in psychology.

The human mind has always fascinated me, the complexities that make each individual unique. This natural inclination drew me towards the field of psychology. My life experiences have shown me that within the field of psychology, the career of a Clinical Psychologist, although a challenging and rigorous field is what I am determined to entrench myself in. Currently, I am a senior at Pfeiffer University studying Psychology.

My career goal is work with the Hispanic community. I am equally interested in designing and conducting researches that lead me discover innovates new ways to improve the quality of mental health therapeutic treatment for Latino Americans living in the United State of America. I am fully bilingual and I hope one day to perform my duties as a psychologist with equal efficacy in both English and Spanish, as well. I aim to serve the Spanish speaking population, which has historically been under-served by mental health services throughout the spectrum. Both research and clinical practices are interconnected. I would be able to produce, analyze, and

When the concept of theory was reintroduced during this program, my first feeling was nervousness. However, my nervousness was also meet with excitement. My excitement was a result of my understanding that the program would use theory to help me become the best clinician I sought out to become.

When I say I am a Psychology major, it comes as a surprise to most people. The ones who are close to me know how much I love to travel, and assume I will pursue an international career. However, I also have a great desire to learn and a passion of working with children. Thus, my career aspiration is to work in pediatric mental health care. I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, and hope to help struggling children understand and cope with their illnesses. This is a somewhat new aspiration, as five years ago, had someone asked what my future held, I might have returned a blank stare. My senior year of high school, I battled an episode of depression and anxiety. Now that I know what immense impact mental disorders can have on children and adolescents, I aim to dedicate my studies to the cause, to, one day, advocate for pediatric mental health care, and to diagnose and treat struggling children.

Although some people may think that keeping feelings to themselves is the answer, it is not always the solution. Most people like to vent about things that bother them and that’s when Psychologist’s come in handy. Psychologist can determine what is going on in the head, as well as mental behaviors. Psychology truly is a helpful career because many people who have problems do not solve them unless they talk problems out and get mental help. I truly believe that I can help people with the ability that I have been given to talk to people and understand them. Going into depth with people’s feelings has always interested me deeply. Everyone has their reasons for the way they are and I understand that and am willing to listen, talk, and

Early in my undergraduate education I became interested in both developmental and quantitative psychology. I initially became interested in developmental psychology by learning about the impact that childhood events can have on adult life. My passion for quantitative psychology came after I enrolled in my Psychological Methods class. This inspired me to expand my knowledge of statistics and go outside the psychology department to enroll in Linear Regression, Analysis of Variance and other advanced statistics courses. I gained the ability to run statistical analyses in multiple packages such as R, SAS, and SPSS. These classroom experiences along with applied research and evaluation experience culminated with me wanting to obtain a Ph.D. in

This committee’s standard for training was the benchmark in clinical psychology. The standard would consist of a four-year doctoral program along with a one-year clinical internship. In addition, they would be trained equally as “scientists and clinicians” and include “research, treatment, and assessment” (Plante, 2011, p. 71). In 1949, another committee assembled in Boulder, Colorado, and developed the scientist-practitioner model of clinical training, named after the city of Boulder.

The collaboration of my undergraduate research, volunteer experiences and extracurricular involvement opened the door to life applications of psychology. The prominent experiences that imprinted on me were volunteering with the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Salem, VA. I experienced the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Unit and the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program. Each opportunity heightened my desire to pursue further education in psychology.