As I reflect upon the journey that brought me to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, I recognize that the common themes of curiosity, compassion, ambition, and grit have marked my path.ar I have never been content to take the easy road or even just stay the course, but rather I have always looked for something to challenge me and feed my insatiable curiosity for knowledge. In high school, I had a terrible fear of speaking in front of others, so I signed up for classes in public speaking, forensics, and debate. In college, I was thirsty for academic challenges, so I joined the Honors College, took on a double minor, and joined a research lab – all while working full time to support my tuition. Such a workload would be daunting to many, but …show more content…
Throughout my undergraduate career, I have worked 30 or more hours a week with individuals diagnosed with major depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and mid-to end-stage dementia of every type. In my roles as a community living trainer and as a certified nurse aide, I provided direct care and assisted in implementing life-style changes to help manage symptoms using methods such as dietary changes, encouraging pro-social behaviors, and encouraging activities that improve self-esteem and autonomy. This type of direct care sparked my interest in applied research aimed at improving the quality of life for these individuals. All of the patients and clients I worked with were primarily being treated with medications and few were receiving professional psychological treatment. Over the course of these past years, I realized the desperate need for therapeutic treatments and interventions to improve the well being of individuals affected by serious and degenerative diseases. Some of these individuals were financially independent well into their 90s and others were entirely dependent on state funding as early as their 40s. Working through the challenges of individuals of low SES who also needed extensive care, I learned that research and education disseminate from the top down. Improving …show more content…
Her project involved interviewing older adults who had recently moved into a continuing care retirement community (CCRC). We asked them how they viewed their futures—what goals do they have? What images do they have of their selves in the future? What do they fear? How do they perceive their remaining years of life? The doctoral student and I coded the participants’ responses to the interview questions with reference to the literature within social psychology on “possible selves”—a concept that has important theoretical and practical implications. Possible selves refer both to people’s hoped-for and feared selves and is studied across a wide variety of populations. Being a part of this project unfurled a growing interest in researching health behaviors in this marginalized, elderly population. As any researcher can attest, coding and data analyses can be tedious. It is a testament to my dedication to the science that for me, this is the height of excitement in research. While research can be mentally taxing, it is also the culmination of months, or even years, of work and dedication. Research findings occasionally strengthen an initial hypothesis, but more often than not they lead to more questions and open the doors for more research. For this reason, my faculty advisor and I decided to continue the study with an honors
Fast forward my future to what psychologist Erik Erikson identifies as the Late Adulthood (55- 65 to Death) stage of life in his Stages of Psychosocial Development. There are two options as one reflects on their lives and they include: Integrity vs. Despair. I hope through the choices I make that I am in the Integrity department of happiness and content, feeling a sense of fulfillment and meaning and that I have made a contribution to life. Of course, there may be disappointments in life and we don’t know what the future holds and although I am nervous and anxious of where I will be in the next three months and in the next thirty years, I am also optimistic and excited to see what the future has in store for me.
My vision as a practitioner scholar in the field of psychology lies in clinical counseling. As a clinical counselor
My interest in pursuing a doctorate degree in counseling psychology has been influenced by a combination of life experiences and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Though the path which has led me to this destination is complex, the journey has provided me with the clarity and insight necessary to understand human behavior from a holistic perspective. As I approach the completion of my masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, I am faced with the unsettling realization that I have more questions than I do answers. This has fueled my innate desire and motivation to continue challenging myself by attaining a doctorate degree from the University of North Texas.
I believe that psychology is an excellent field of specialty. I desire a program that affords me the opportunity to learn and train in a well structured environment with professors that not only love to teach, but that will push me past my limits and into a greater knowledge and success. I am not only in need of a wonderful fit for my education, but I do need the best fit for the family that I am raising. As I am furthering my education to become a skilled professional, an advocate, and in some senses, an educator, I need a program that opens the possibility to bring together both my personal and professional aspirations into an undivided fulfilling career.
Clinical psychology aims to understand, treat and prevent psychological distress and dysfunction thus to encourage good health, good adaptive thinking and a healthy lifestyle. People working in this field research into mental dysfunction suffered by the patients, assess their cognitive state of mind and perform psychotherapy to decrease the psychological symptoms and/ or the underlying causes.
In conclusion, I have discussed the psychosocial, biological and nursing theories of aging that most align and best explain my personal views of successful aging. I have also identified the changing demographics of the older adult population that is now and soon will be seeking healthcare, and the influences and demands it will have on healthcare professionals in the future.
Although I chose not to pursue a career in health psychology, I find that the fields of psychology that appeals to include families, children, and parents who are struggling to maintain control and are in need of guidance, which include the following:
A career in clinical psychology is one that will be promising for anyone seeking to pursue this career. A clinical psychologists’ educational training is a dead-ringer for success, if completed with a doctorate. A doctorate for a clinical psychologist is the best way to get ahead and have the upper hand in this field. A clinical psychologist’s salary is one that will be growing steadily along with the number of growing demands for psychologists. Anyone who chooses to pursue clinical psychology, that fits the profile for the job, will be set and secure. Clinical psychology is a bright career that I hope to someday enter into, following the pathway that my research has yielded; with that, I may begin my journey.
The elderly represents a large amount of the population in our society and continues to grow each day. As the population grows, it is important to meet the demands and resolve the challenges that we encounter in regards to the overall quality of health and well-being of the elderly. Mental health of the elderly is a major issue but majority of the time goes unnoticed and untreated by caregivers and loved ones. About 20 percent of adults 55 and older are suffering from some type of mental health disorder, and one in three elderly adults do not receive any type of treatment (The State of Mental Health, 2008). Those suffering from mental illness are hesitant to seek out help or any type of treatment because of the stigma, services and cost for care that then comes with mental health disorders. Mental health issues that affect elderly include dementia, delirium, and psychosis. Some of the most common conditions include anxiety, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mental health is essential to the
Older adults are a very knowledgeable population and have had a lot of life experiences. As people age, things start to change physically, mentally, and socially. It’s important to understand the process of aging, so that older adults can be taken care of properly. I interviewed P.R. who is a 71-year-old male that lives alone in his home. P.R. is a retired coal miner, and is currently living off his social security and savings. He lives close to both his daughter and son, who frequently help him out with things that are needed. P.R. was able to give me a lot of insight about specific challenges that he has experienced in his life that is associated with aging. I will be discussing challenges that P.R experienced physically, mentally,
My interest in Psychology began in 2012, when I had the opportunity to research on my own about the subject. After I embarked on an introductory course in Psychology to relieve the boredom of working in a call centre, I then was motivated to continue with my studies. After securing my Higher and HNC in Social Science – I continued with the HND.
Many people associate the field of gerontology with negative stereotypes. Some of these harsh labels comprise of the deterrence of strong odors during incontinence, the physically demanding challenges caring for dependent seniors, and the grueling dedication of caring for someone with dementia. In a study conducted to gather reasons why nursing students opt out of a career in gerontological nursing, the authors determined that the media paints an undesirable picture, clinical placements were unfavorable, there was a dissuasion from fellow students, new graduates, and other nurses, working conditions were unattractive, there was a shortage of experienced gerontological instructors, and a deficiency in curriculum (Neville, Dickie, & Goetz, 2014). In addition, some may overlook caring for the geriatric population due to a fear of investing heart and soul without immediate gratification of a change in health or someone who is close to death’s door. Unlike the opposite end of the spectrum of celebrating the joy and miracles of life in birth, the menacing shadows of darkness loom over threatening
Before I took this class, I wrote about the fear I faced in relation to the loss of independence that will come with ageing. After taking this class, I am still dreading this loss of independence, but am encouraged to do as much as I can for myself, for as long as I can. I take comfort in the types of long term care options that are available. Before this class I assumed that all long-term care would almost completely strip the resident of
As I gradually make my way through this semester, I have come to realize that I am called to go into Psychology. I love watching people and trying to figure out why they act the way that they do. I, also, love knowing that I have finally figured out what careers I want to pursue. I want to become either a clinical or counseling psychologist, which both have the same requirements for everything – majors , classes, ect. So, I do not have to decide right off the bat on which career I want to pursue. Since I am planning on majoring in Psychology, I decide to do some research on my own, as well as go to a major’s fair hosted at the IU Southeast campus.
The complexities of the human mind, how it works, why it works, and why it deviates sometimes, were the factors that drew me towards the field of psychology. I was born in India and as I was growing up I realized that psychological problems were not discussed in public. The mystery and intrigue surrounding the disorders further instilled in me the need to understand them in detail. As I continue my academic journey I wish to delve into the depths of Clinical Psychology in order to understand psychopathology better and use my knowledge and skills to create customized intervention plans and to facilitate a harmonious living environment.