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James Thomas

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Finalist

General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Songwriting
  • Music Production
  • Camping

Reading

  • Fantasy
  • Academic
  • Classics
  • Cookbooks
  • Psychology
  • Self-Help
  • Spirituality
  • Religion
  • Literary Fiction

I read books multiple times a week.

Bio

I am a graduate student in the MA in Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University Los Angeles, specializing in Addiction and Recovery, with an expected graduation of Winter 2026. I came to this field through personal experience with addiction and recovery; I have been in continuous sobriety for more than nine years. That foundation shapes both my clinical perspective and my commitment to this work. I currently hold two clinical roles: as an MFT Trainee at The Gooden Center, where I provide individual and family therapy in a residential treatment setting, and as a Recovery Specialist at Seeking Integrity, where I facilitate process groups and support clients navigating compulsive sexual behavioral issues. My clinical training has unfolded alongside direct, sustained work in addiction treatment, and I bring lived knowledge of recovery into both contexts. My professional interests center on young adult men, trauma-informed care, and the role of social justice in mental health practice. I am particularly drawn to the cultural and relational forces which prevent people from seeking support including shame, constrained emotional expression, and inadequate access to care. My goal is to build a practice that addresses these barriers directly, grounded in both clinical rigor and personal understanding of what the recovery process actually demands.

Education

Antioch University-Los Angeles

Master's degree program

2022 – 2023

Majors:
  • Psychology, Other
  • Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology

CUNY City College

Bachelor's degree program

2009 – 2012

Majors:
  • Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
  • Music

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Medical school interest:
No

Career

  • Marriage and Family Therapy Trainee

    Mental Health Care · The Gooden Center

    Jan 2025 – Present

  • Recovery Specialist

    Mental Health Care · Seeking Integrity

    Jan 2024 – Present

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Counseling
Dream career goals:
Program Director, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
Lost Dreams Awaken Scholarship
Recovery is a practice I return to every day. It is the decision, renewed daily, to live with honesty rather than avoidance, with accountability rather than shame. I have been in continuous recovery for over nine years. Initially, I had hoped to be free from substances, focused on what would be removed from my life. Little did I know how much I would receive through subtraction. I have a meaningful career. Relationships grounded in trust. A richness to my experience of life that is difficult to quantify. This journey led me to graduate school. I am completing an MA in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles, specializing in Addiction and Recovery, while working as an MFT Trainee and Recovery Specialist — providing individual therapy and facilitating groups for clients navigating addiction and recovery. I sit across from people who are where I once was. I know what it costs to ask for help, and what it makes possible when you do. Recovery means a life of service. The Twelve Step tradition holds that what we receive, we are obligated to pass forward. Graduate school is an extension of that obligation an investment in my capacity to give back with greater skill and competence. Every unit I complete moves me closer to offering others what was once offered to me: a space to be honest, to be witnessed, and to begin again. Recovery gave me my life. This is how I intend to give it back.
James Thomas Student Profile | Bold.org