(used with permission)

Though I entered college intending to pursue a degree in literature and writing, I quickly discovered that my true passion lay in the field of psychology. I loved learning theories of human motivations, behaviors and cognitions, and applying them to the world around me. I have always been an observant, analytical individual, and my psychology courses at Kalamazoo College gave me the necessary tools to broaden my perceptions and insight. I was also drawn to the multi-faceted, constantly evolving nature of psychology. For every behavioral phenomenon, there are multiple, sometimes contradictory, explanations; research into these phenomena informs our understanding and application of psychological concepts and spawns new theories for empirical testing. I am passionate about engaging in this vibrant community of dedicated investigators and practitioners. It was also during college that I became invested in women’s issues, including gender dynamics in educational settings, as well as women’s leadership and communication styles, which led me to complete a concentration in women’s studies. I believe my passions for understanding the individual, creating and sharing knowledge in a professional community, and investigating women’s unique experience of the world may best be pursued in the field of Counseling Psychology.

My studies at Kalamazoo College provided me with a strong background in psychological theory, research methods, and clinical application. An interviewing and narrative analysis class really piqued my interest, and this fascination with self-presentation led me to choose a narrative research topic for my senior thesis. I conducted independent field research, interviewing female exotic dancers, and analyzed their identity constructions using social-role theory as well as theories of narrative resistance and emotional labor. Conducting this research, I developed excellent rapport-building and interviewing tactics. Additionally, this thesis allowed me to analyze sexuality and power from a unique female perspective, giving the women I interviewed a voice largely silenced in previous literature. I received honors on my thesis, as well as honors in psychology.

Rather than continue on to graduate school immediately, I pursued clinical experience with drug-abusing, emotionally disturbed teenagers at a wilderness therapy program. As a senior field instructor for Aspen Achievement Academy, I worked with a staff team to implement intervention strategies with students aimed at behavioral modification, empowerment, more effective communication, and greater self-understanding. I also worked with parents in this capacity, offering insight into their child’s problem behaviors and emotional turmoil in a family context. I found this clinical work incredibly inspiring and personally fulfilling; it was a true privilege and a constant challenge to create a supportive environment wherein I could confront students with their thinking errors or ineffective coping strategies and stand by them as they made self-discoveries. While at Aspen Academy, I received training in motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive therapy, as well as group management, conflict resolution, and de-escalation strategies. I also developed the creative problem-solving techniques, flexibility and openness essential to managing staff and students in the wilderness.

I could not have done this type of work without engaging in my own personal and professional growth; teaching effective coping skills in an unpredictable, uncontrollable environment required me to possess those skills and role-model them for my students. Towards this goal, Aspen Academy requires field instructors to engage in weekly feedback sessions. I value this culture of honesty and helping one another to become more personally insightful and more effective professionals. I began teaching these skills to future instructors on three staff trainings, and subsequently mentoring new staff in the field. I am deeply passionate about my work at Aspen Academy, both professionally as a counselor and mentor for adolescents and staff, and personally as a life-changing experience.

Following three years of clinical work, I pursued more extensive experience in empirical research at the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital. There I primarily worked on three addiction studies: a treatment-focused fMRI study testing the effectiveness of injectable naltrexone on alcohol-dependent individuals, an inpatient study of the effectiveness of electroacupuncture on opiate dependence, and an fMRI study investigating impulsivity and brain functioning in HIV positive individuals with and without cocaine dependence. I gained skills in recruitment, clinical interviewing, subject follow-up, phlebotomy and data management. I also received training in behavioral research design, including fMRI and laboratory research. With guidance from the principal investigator, I have assisted in data analysis and co-authored one conference presentation to date. I will likely co-author several more presentations and publications related to these three studies in the near future.

I am committed to pursuing a career in counseling psychology as a scientist-practitioner. Foremost, I endeavor to advance psychological science in innovative and unique ways. Concurrently, I seek to expand my clinical repertoire to gain the skills necessary to become an effective therapist. I aspire to meet these goals with enthusiasm and a never-ending engagement in personal and professional growth. Specifically, my interests lie in identity formation including narrative self-presentation, and in intervention and treatment techniques for high-risk adolescents and families. I am also particularly interested in women’s issues, including domestic violence and sexual abuse, though I have not yet had an opportunity to pursue these interests in a clinical or research setting.

(Insert paragraph on specific faculty members at each university with whom I would enjoy working.)

As a student at (university), I would bring a rigorous academic background, experience in research and clinical settings, a strong work ethic, and, above all, a passionate desire to learn and contribute to the Counseling Psychology program.