Autobiography

Process of applying for internship requires writing four essays. Here is one of mine, written for the autobiographical section. Please don't copy. All writings are copyrighted, and cannot be used with out my expressed written permission, for either personal or professional use.

“It is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life."~Evelyn Underhill

My journey to becoming a psychologist has been indirect. Raised in a small town, I was not introduced to psychology as a profession. Yet, my family and rural community instilled a love of knowledge and an appreciation for people’s stories. Living in beautiful East Tennessee, I developed a love for the outdoors and longed to understand how all types of systems (i.e. biological, social) work together to create something bigger than their individual parts.

In college, I was drawn to the fields of medicine, sociology, literature, and ministry. Each of these elicited my passions in unique ways, yet felt incomplete. I sought out diverse experiences, desiring a vocation that would unify my interests and talents. I spent one summer coordinating youth mission trips and found another piece to my puzzle--working with adolescents. Yet, I still had no clear idea of the final picture.

My roommate then introduced me to her major: psychology. I was intrigued but unfamiliar, and so I obtained a summer internship working at a therapeutic foster care agency. The clients captured me with their heartbreaking stories, and I was energized by the opportunity to contribute to change in their lives. I had found the key piece to the puzzle of my vocation. I began researching graduate schools and completed the prerequisites for admission during my senior year. Following graduation, I was a counselor on the child and adolescent unit of an inpatient hospital. I learned a vast amount about mental illness and adolescents. This experience confirmed my calling to psychology and allowed me to contemplate the impact of my professional life on my spouse and our marriage.

Given the newness of our marriage and the distance we would likely move, I decided to pursue a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. Although it was not what I expected, this time was one of transformative growth that initiated holistic self-examination, both emotional and relational. For so long achievement had defined such a large part of my worth. As an M.A. student, I developed a more balanced view, valuing both personal growth and professional achievement. This process was essential to my becoming an empathic and effective therapist who brings her authentic self into the therapy room. I was challenged to embrace my sensitivity and passion, and yet to manage emotions well. I realized that in addition to doing therapy, I wanted to supervise trainees, do extensive psychological testing, and perform administrative duties, thus, I applied to the Doctor of Psychology program at .

There are many other experiences that are key to the person, and hence the professional, who I am becoming: my rural background and its interactions with psychology and my current life in the Chicago suburbs, key mentoring relationships, and a group of women professionals who have deeply impacted my view of myself as both female and therapist. I look forward to further opportunities to share more of how each of these experiences has impacted my sense of a vocational calling to serve others with my psychological training