My love and devotion for the field of clinical psychology grew instantaneously once exposed to my first psychology course. For the first time in my life, I gained a sense of self-understanding. Prior to this encounter, I had little knowledge on how to put words or meaning to my childhood experiences. I felt plagued by my past and struggled to navigate the impact of long-term childhood trauma on my sense of self, worldview and relationships. Stumbling upon my passion for mental health provided me with insight and self-compassion to my own experiences. It was as if the lectures personified and walked up to me to say, I get you…you’re not alone. With this knowledge I felt empowered and determined to dedicate myself to personal growth and one day provide a safe space for others to do the same. This paved the path for my journey into the field of counseling psychology and sparked a passion in me that has continued to ignite throughout my master’s degree and clinical training. Throughout my childhood adversity, I found strength and direction in my academic endeavors. School was my escape; a place I could thrive in and felt safe to do so. Peers, mentors and professors became my role models; watching them served as a source of guidance in my life. As I continue my academic journey, school has transformed from an escape into an encapsulating experience of liberation and altruism. I have found a sense of purpose in life that provides me with the opportunity to direct my determination towards helping others. My growth-oriented mindset has room to prosper in a field where we are challenged to continuously further our education and maintain self-awareness. As someone who knows the strength and courage it takes to uphold a compassionate heart after enduring tragedy, I feel proud that I am often described as resilient, humble and warm. I once neglected to recognize the strength in my softness but have since realized that my heartfelt empathy and resilience are often my most valuable qualities as a therapist. I have also embodied the vulnerability and courage it takes to be a client. Carl Jung proclaims that the depth of our clinical work is directly related to the therapist’s willingness to explore the depth of their own intrapsychic experiences. I have sought to embody this principle; to brave the depths of my emotions, process my childhood trauma and learn to grow and thrive as a survivor. Enduring the courage and distress as a client myself further contributes to the admiration and respect I uphold for my clients as they brave this process themselves. The insight and catharsis I have personally experienced from therapy and pursuing higher level education has made my journey of becoming a clinical psychologist that much more rewarding. I am often in awe of my clients and the privilege I feel when they trust me to witness the depth of their personhood. It is rare to experience such authentic and raw interactions, and so the opportunity to provide an accepting space to foster such genuine connection is something I truly cherish. . Overall, the encompassing theme of my career and life aspirations continues to be altruistic; to provide a healing relationship, a healing space, and the hope that my client’s growth will extend beyond them towards others. In such a distressing time in history, I find such meaning in pursuing an education and career that seeks to bring healing to the world. Throughout my doctoral studies, I intend to leave a legacy of humility, determination and altruism.

My love and devotion for the field of clinical psychology grew instantaneously once exposed to my first psychology course. For the first time in my life, I gained a sense of self-understanding. Prior to this encounter, I had little knowledge on how to put words or meaning to my childhood experiences. I felt plagued by my past and struggled to navigate the impact of long-term childhood trauma on my sense of self, worldview and relationships. Stumbling upon my passion for mental health provided me with insight and self-compassion to my own experiences. It was as if the lectures personified and walked up to me to say, I get you…you’re not alone. With this knowledge I felt empowered and determined to dedicate myself to personal growth and one day provide a safe space for others to do the same. This paved the path for my journey into the field of counseling psychology and sparked a passion in me that has continued to ignite throughout my master’s degree and clinical training. Upon entering my graduate program, I had no intention of engaging in telehealth therapy; however, it is quite impossible to overlook the impact that COVID-19 had on my clinical training. While navigating my practicum as a clinic manager last year, I had to quickly adjust to a virtual format of learning in a field based on human connection. Our team worked feverishly to convert our quaint, local mental health clinic into a virtual clinic equipped to offer counseling all over California. I found myself worried about my ability to connect with others through a screen or “hold space” during such a chaotic time in history. I began noticing more of a dependency growing within the client-therapist dynamics last year, and to my surprise, connection and vulnerability seemed to develop naturally and quickly. As I began to analyze and reflect on these phenomena, I took into account the vulnerability that accompanies providing therapy from your home into the homes of others. Countless moments come to mind that provided me a unique opportunity to truly see a glimpse into the client’s life; for many it felt as if I was there experiencing it with them. I can recall discovering that I was one client’s only social interaction for months. Many of our sessions felt as if I was sitting with them in the darkness of their unkept bedroom while exploring the depth of their loneliness. I remember guiding a single, grieving mother through a panic attack while watching her young children run back and forth in the background. Most vividly, I can recall the feeling that arose as I sat with the fear my clients expressed for the world, their health, their families and the future…all while experiencing the very same fears and uncertainty myself. Despite being confined to a desktop screen, I strived to create safety, understanding and warmth in each session. My care for my clients fortified a strength in me; I sought to bring my best self to each session and be a source of light in the darkness surrounding our world. Through consultation and experiential learning, the dependency I was observing seemed more and more attributable to COVID-19, social isolation and the vulnerability that accompanied in-home access to therapy. This became fruitful work within the therapeutic dynamic and provided me with the opportunity to further develop my skills and conceptualization through an object relations framework. Together, we explored ways to generalize the growth and new ways of relating they experienced in therapy into their daily lives and relationships. These experiences were enrichened by the genuine bond and human experience we endured together throughout the year of 2020. I hold a deep conviction that the clients I worked with throughout this pandemic will remain pivotal and meaningful in my continued development as a therapist. In a way, I see the therapists of 2020 as the first responders to the emotional impacts COVID-19 has had on humanity; we were challenged to be unwavering sources of calmness and support while balancing on shifting waters ourselves. This experience reinforced the importance of maintaining self-care in this profession and further prepared me for the vulnerable nature that accompanies psychotherapy. My hometown lacked such resources when I began to address my childhood trauma. I hope to acquire the experience and leadership necessary to one day improve the mental health services in my local community through my own private practice. I also aspire to one day open an affordable mental health clinic to provide holistic and attachment approaches to trauma; Furthermore, I have long-term aspirations to publish fiction writings focused on decreasing mental health stigma and providing psychoeducation in an engaging narrative style. Finding normalization among the teachings and insights of my professors, textbooks and fellow survivors offered me hope when I truly needed it most; helping others feel less alone in this way would truly be an honor. Overall, the encompassing theme of my career and life aspirations continues to be altruistic; to provide a healing relationship, a healing space, and the hope that my client’s growth will extend beyond them towards others. In such a distressing time in history, I find such meaning in pursuing an education and career that seeks to bring healing to the world. Throughout my doctoral studies, I intend to leave a legacy of humility, determination and altruism. My journey in this field has helped me nourish my relationship with myself and those around me. A previous mentor once quoted that therapy involves two people growing together, the client and therapist. I have immense gratitude for the insight and skills I have developed that allow me to grow in my role as a wife, sister, friend, and fellow human being.

I have dedicated my academic career and personal growth to further the mental health and wellness of both myself and others. As a therapist and future clinical psychologist, I uphold the conviction that maintaining and flourshing my own mental welless it is my duty to myself and my clients. In many ways, providing psychotherapy adds to my psychological well-being; I thoroughly enjoy being a safe space for others, to facilitate healing relationships, and support them in accessing their inner strengths. In order to maintain the ability to provide such a service, I have to ensure I am also modeling positive self-care, engaging with my social support, and nourishing my inner needs. As a working graduate student, finding time for self-care can be challenging; however, I have found that prioritizing such only furthers my ability to attend to my academic responsibilities as well. I practice trauma-informed yoga regularly, which provides a meditative space that brings. When I am flowing through yoga, my thoughts and emotions no longer cause me distress. I focus on the present, the instructors calm, steady voice, the movements in my body, and practice self-compassion by listening to my physical limits. This 10 year practice has brought about such healing in my life, and allowed me to move through some of the trauma stored in my body. Additionally, I attend therapy regularly. In fact, I believe that every therapist should attend their own therapy. The nature of what we do calls for sound judgement and insight, which can be fostered by exploring yourself with trusted therapist. I have worked with the same therapist for over 2 years and value having a safe space each week to express myself, explore myself, and have an outlet to find solutions to my difficulties. Many therapists are "wounded healers", meaning we enter this profession because we know of, and often endured, our own mental health challenges. My passion for my career stems from my own healing that has stemmed from my determination to maintain my mental wellness and heal. Carl Jung proclaims that the depth of our clinical work is directly related to the therapist’s willingness to explore the depth of their own intrapsychic experiences. I have sought to embody this principle; to brave the depths of my emotions, process my childhood trauma and learn to grow and thrive as a survivor. Enduring the courage and distress as a client myself further contributes to the admiration and respect I uphold for my clients as they brave this process themselves. The insight and catharsis I have personally experienced from therapy and pursuing higher level education has made my journey of becoming a clinical psychologist that much more rewarding. I am often in awe of my clients and the privilege I feel when they trust me to witness the depth of their personhood. It is rare to experience such authentic and raw interactions, and so the opportunity to provide an accepting space to foster such genuine connection is something I truly cherish. To nourish my own soul, relationships, and interests outside of my profession, I engage in creative endeavors often. I love to paint, sculpt pottery, host themed-dinner parties with my friends, and make gifts for my friends in the form of doi-it-yourself projects. I also enjoy spending quality time with my husband and our 3 dogs. We attend a dog-friendly beach monthly which is become our favorite, and most peaceful tradition as a young family.

My love and devotion for the field of clinical psychology grew instantaneously once exposed to my first psychology course. For the first time in my life, I gained a sense of self-understanding. Prior to this encounter, I had little knowledge on how to put words or meaning to my childhood experiences. I felt plagued by my past and struggled to navigate the impact of long-term childhood trauma on my sense of self, worldview and relationships. Stumbling upon my passion for mental health provided me with insight and self-compassion to my own experiences. It was as if the lectures personified and walked up to me to say, I get you…you’re not alone. With this knowledge I felt empowered and determined to dedicate myself to personal growth and one day provide a safe space for others to do the same. This paved the path for my journey into the field of counseling psychology and sparked a passion in me that has continued to ignite throughout my master’s degree and clinical training. Throughout my own childhood adversity, I found strength and direction in my academic endeavors. School was my escape; a place I could thrive in and felt safe to do so. Peers, mentors and professors became my role models; watching them served as a source of guidance in my life. As I continue my academic journey, school has transformed from an escape into an encapsulating experience of liberation and altruism. I have found a sense of purpose in life that provides me with the opportunity to direct my determination towards helping others. My growth-oriented mindset has room to prosper in a field where we are challenged to continuously further our education and maintain self-awareness. This passion inspired me to continue my education while working as an associate marrriage and family therapist; I hoped to further skills to better meet the needs of my clients, better serve diverse populations, and be a source of support throughout the current mental health crisis. As someone who knows the strength and courage it takes to uphold a compassionate heart after enduring tragedy, I feel proud that I am often described as resilient, humble and warm. I once neglected to recognize the strength in my softness but have since realized that my heartfelt empathy and resilience are often my most valuable qualities as a therapist. I have also embodied the vulnerability and courage it takes to be a client. Carl Jung proclaims that the depth of our clinical work is directly related to the therapist’s willingness to explore the depth of their own intrapsychic experiences. I have sought to embody this principle; to brave the depths of my emotions, process my childhood trauma and learn to grow and thrive as a survivor. Enduring the courage and distress as a client myself further contributes to the admiration and respect I uphold for my clients as they brave this process themselves. The insight and catharsis I have personally experienced from therapy and pursuing higher level education has made my journey of becoming a clinical psychologist that much more rewarding. I am often in awe of my clients and the privilege I feel when they trust me to witness the depth of their personhood. It is rare to experience such authentic and raw interactions, and so the opportunity to provide an accepting space to foster such genuine connection is something I truly cherish. Upon entering my graduate program, I had no intention of engaging in telehealth therapy; however, it is quite impossible to overlook the impact that COVID-19 had on my clinical training. While navigating my practicum as a clinic manager last year, I had to quickly adjust to a virtual format of learning in a field based on human connection. Our team worked feverishly to convert our quaint, local mental health clinic into a virtual clinic equipped to offer counseling all over California. I found myself worried about my ability to connect with others through a screen or “hold space” during such a chaotic time in history. I began noticing more of a dependency growing within the client-therapist dynamics last year, and to my surprise, connection and vulnerability seemed to develop naturally and quickly. As I began to analyze and reflect on these phenomena, I took into account the vulnerability that accompanies providing therapy from your home into the homes of others. Countless moments come to mind that provided me a unique opportunity to truly see a glimpse into the client’s life; for many it felt as if I was there experiencing it with them. I can recall discovering that I was one client’s only social interaction for months. Many of our sessions felt as if I was sitting with them in the darkness of their unkept bedroom while exploring the depth of their loneliness. I remember guiding a single, grieving mother through a panic attack while watching her young children run back and forth in the background. Most vividly, I can recall the feeling that arose as I sat with the fear my clients expressed for the world, their health, their families and the future…all while experiencing the very same fears and uncertainty myself. Despite being confined to a desktop screen, I strived to create safety, understanding and warmth in each session. My care for my clients fortified a strength in me; I sought to bring my best self to each session and be a source of light in the darkness surrounding our world. Through consultation and experiential learning, the dependency I was observing seemed more and more attributable to COVID-19, social isolation and the vulnerability that accompanied in-home access to therapy. This became fruitful work within the therapeutic dynamic and provided me with the opportunity to further develop my skills and conceptualization through an object relations framework. Together, we explored ways to generalize the growth and new ways of relating they experienced in therapy into their daily lives and relationships. These experiences were enrichened by the genuine bond and human experience we endured together throughout the year of 2020. I hold a deep conviction that the clients I worked with throughout this pandemic will remain pivotal and meaningful in my continued development as a therapist. In a way, I see the therapists of 2020 as the first responders to the emotional impacts COVID-19 has had on humanity; we were challenged to be unwavering sources of calmness and support while balancing on shifting waters ourselves. This experience reinforced the importance of maintaining self-care in this profession and further prepared me for the vulnerable nature that accompanies psychotherapy. my graduate degree incorporated a multicultural component which encouraged depth and transparency in analyzing our biases, educating ourselves about diverse cultures and engaging in the hard conversations that are needed for growth. This strengthened my conviction that we should approach each client with an open lens, free of assumptions, while remaining cognizant of cultural differences. It is pertinent to remain curious about each client’s phenomenological experience; these sociocultural factors inevitably impact the course and prognosis of therapy and are also required when taking a holistic view of a person. I can recall many moments in session where such discussions provided me with the groundwork to feel comfortable exploring the role of culture, privilege, power dynamics and intersectionality of identity with my clients. A clinical example that resonates is my work with a Latinx, widowed client throughout the peak of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Upon conducting the intake, the client disclosed a distrust for therapists due to feeling invalidated after sharing that their spouse had been killed by a police officer. As the client’s grief became retriggered by media coverage, exploring the role of race and oppression became powerful moments in therapy. These occurrences were enriched by discussions about the role of privilege within the therapeutic dynamic as evidenced by a note of gratitude from my client; “thank you for talking about things most white people would ignore or overlook”. I hope to acquire the experience and leadership necessary to one day improve the mental health services in my local community through my own private practice. Additionally, my current degree will grant me with the eligibility to offer psychological assessments, which is extremely limited in my hometown as well. I hope to provide affordable access to assessments to help support those who may not otherwise have access to such a resource. I also aspire to one day open an affordable mental health clinic to provide holistic and attachment approaches to trauma; Furthermore, I have long-term aspirations to publish fiction writings focused on decreasing mental health stigma and providing psychoeducation in an engaging narrative style. Finding normalization among the teachings and insights of my professors, textbooks and fellow survivors offered me hope when I truly needed it most; helping others feel less alone in this way would truly be an honor. Overall, the encompassing theme of my career and life aspirations continues to be altruistic; to provide a healing relationship, a healing space, and the hope that my client’s growth will extend beyond them towards others. In such a distressing time in history, I find such meaning in pursuing an education and career that seeks to bring healing to the world. Throughout my doctoral studies, I intend to leave a legacy of humility, determination and altruism.

My love and devotion for the field of clinical psychology grew instantaneously once exposed to my first psychology course. For the first time in my life, I gained a sense of self-understanding. Prior to this encounter, I had little knowledge on how to put words or meaning to my childhood experiences. I felt plagued by my past and struggled to navigate the impact of long-term childhood trauma on my sense of self, worldview and relationships. Stumbling upon my passion for mental health provided me with insight and self-compassion to my own experiences. It was as if the lectures personified and walked up to me to say, I get you…you’re not alone. With this knowledge I felt empowered and determined to dedicate myself to personal growth and one day provide a safe space for others to do the same. This paved the path for my journey into the field of counseling psychology and sparked a passion in me that has continued to ignite throughout my master’s degree and clinical training. I am currently pursuing my doctorate to gain proficiency in assessments and supportive therapies for Autism and ADHD. I am also passionate about furthering my education in trauma-informed approaches to therapy. I hope that my continued education will allow me to broaden my reach to those who struggle with developmental disabilities in addition to those who are trying to heal from childhood abuse, abusive relationships, neglect, bullying and many other relational wounds that often impact adulthood. I never thought I would attend college, as I had to begin work at age 14 and struggled to find passion as a student while trying to help support my family. I have finally found a greater purpose in life and as a full-time student, I do not have the financial resources to sustain this. One of my favorite therapists, Irv Yalom, wrote about the ripple effect of the healing profession, that our hope as therapists is that our positive impact on others will ripple towards those that interact with them. I have had the privilege of working in this field for 3 years and can honestly say that the honor of sitting across from someone and supporting them on their healing journey has been the most rewarding experience in my life thus far. I believe this scholarship would aid in a ripple effect to the many people I hope to help in my future career. Thank you for your consideration.