MSPP Student Life

This Just In!

2008-05-15T02:25:42Z

This video just came out and everyone's excited!

kate.

Two Years Down, Two To Go...

2008-04-29T15:23:54Z

Just got back from my long road trip and bam! It's already the end of semester. Most of my classes are stacked on Tuesdays which means, by the end of today, most of my courses will be done for the year. That said, I'm definitely not out of the woods in terms of coursework- I have a handful of large papers and one more presentation to prepare in the coming week. It will be crazy, but I'll get through, and in about 10 more days all loose ends will be tied...

This morning, as I realized I was driving in for my last Tuesday of classes this semester, it really hit me that I'm at the end of the second year of my training already! Time has done strange things since I started grad school. On the one hand, it has gone very fast- it feels like just yesterday that I was starting my orientation in the summer before my first year. On the other hand, I feel so different from when I started that it sometimes feels like a lot more than two years have gone by. There have been some huge changes in my personal life but I think it's the whole 'developing professional self' thing that has really astounded me. To me, this has included (in no particular order)...

- Professional Confidence- this category is huge and encompasses new feelings of competence doing the in-the-trenches work of a psychologist, appreciation of what there is still to learn (and trusting that I'll figure it out when the time comes), a sense of professional identity and a loose understanding of long-term career aspirations.

- Personal Confidence- harder to articulate, but something feels different, more complete and secure. Perhaps it's just the sense of 'at last I've found the career I want,' and the attendant satisfaction and feelings of resolution, after so much time spent searching and preparing.

- Public speaking- always scary, but much less painful.

- How I think- In some really basic way, my thinking itself has shifted since I started my training. Some might say I "think like a psychologist," but I don't think that's entirely it. I think there is an enhanced critical thinking, curiosity and openness that people learn in all kinds of doctoral trainings- it's not exclusive to psychologists. That said, surely there is something about being trained as a psychologist that gives it a unique flavor- perhaps a mix of:
    scientific rigor
    healthy skepticism
    tolerance for uncertainty, nuance, subtlety
    listening skills
    open-heartedness
    respect for individual experience
    enhanced self-understanding.

- Writing- I've always been reasonably confident as a writer, but even moreso now after doing so much of it in the last two years! It's weird, nobody officially re-sets the bar, rings a bell and tells you to start writing at the 'graduate level' (vs. the undergraduate level), but somehow it happens. I think, in part, it's from the required readings becoming more complex and sophisticated, and the natural tendency to mimic that voice when doing my own writing.

Just a few of the articulable changes over the last few years...
kate.

World Population - 6.65 billion; Degrees of Separation - 0

2008-04-22T10:53:37Z

This spring break I will be spending three luxurious days in Brookline, MA working at my field placement site. But, before I do that, I actually got to have a little vacation. I almost freaked out the first two days and constantly asked what day it was because it turns out that my mind I slowly shifted into assigning days to the week exclusively based on what my current activity is. (Monday - placement-->supervision-->therapy (yes we all need it); Tuesday - class-->class-->class-->class-->class; Wednesday - placement; Thursday - placement --> meetings; Friday - rest, entirely rest, and nothing but rest, so help me God...) However, overall it has been very rewarding and much needed. For example, it seems that my body is working through some of the more superficial but persistent aspects of being sick simply due to frequent naps and hearty home-cooked meals. Truly, this has been five days of diligent resistance to anything professionally related.

Well, except that on Sunday in the high mountains of NW Connecticut (just south of the Berkshires on the Massachusetts/New York border) I happened to be in a small (perhaps 40 at full attendance) church for their morning worship. Afterward I got to talking to a few parishioners. Again, let me stress that is in a no cell-phone reception, high altitude, small town, smaller congregation, that I have never been to before in my life. Turns out that one parishioner was a young woman just back from four years of work in Africa. She graduated my year from college (the college that was my first choice but I declined at the last minute) and knows many of my friends from high school who attended there. I also met a man who used to live in a small New York town where I attended camp for three years during high school. He now writes the town's one quarterly paper. His wife is a jewelry maker who was a practicing clinical psychologist in my home town (NYC so I know it is not as shocking as all the rest) for 20 years. Turns out she is a close friend of the woman who is my step-father's godmother (loosely speaking) which is how I ended up in the mountains in the first place.

So now, I have developed a contact with an accomplished NY private practice therapist that will certainly be of help if and when I decide to move back to the city and establish a career. I did not belabor the networking. After all, I am on vacation from all things professional. But, I did make the contact and plan to nurture it heavily as soon as I get back to Boston. I have to admit, though, the awe I have in just how the small the world is. I have to admit, also, the eeriness I feel in the recognition that I can run into a potential contact, employer, colleague, or client in even the most remote places. I didn't let it phase me - much - but it reminds me the importance of the professional self in all aspects of my life. I confess that sometimes I feel rebellious against the idea of committing myself fully to this idea. But, with the number f clients who have shown up at my church, as acquaintances of acquaintances, or who just linger on the corner of friends' blocks, this is a lesson that the universe seems intent on hammering into me one way or the other!

Peace,
adwoa

The scope of our profession; The reality of our competence

2008-04-22T00:07:54Z

Please forgive me if this is an uncomfortable subject to read about but it is the repeated and unsolicited focus of much of my professional growth these days. As such, I write about it only from my perspective, but certainly with the fervent belief that it should be a more explicit part of our dialog with one another as professionals.

Last fall there were a couple of ethnically charged hate crimes on the Columbia campus (one toward a Black professor and one toward a Jewish professor - both women), both in the psychology department. One was far more publicized than the other, though the two clearly built off of each other in regards to the pain and discouragement they radiated through the department and through the school... and through my life.

As an Black (Caribbean/American) woman going through years and years of education in New England, the notion of race has become more and more prevalent for me. Frankly, more than I would like to acknowledge since I enjoy robust friendships and professional relationships almost entirely with people who are not of my cultural background. As I get older, my sentiment about all of this is rapidly shifted from first gear - 'what's the big deal'?'- to third gear - 'why aren't we doing more to address this obvious shortcoming in ourselves and our profession - to stall - 'oh my goodness I don't want to deal with this angst anymore!' The issue of my racial difference has come up professionally and personally this year in ways that seem beyond what I can hold within myself. The responses I get when I talk about it then with my peers- either complete unawareness, rationalizations, or complete helpless at what any of us can do about it - have been no less discouraging. The problem is systemic, pervasive, and so under our radars that it is easy to doubt even our own personal experiences if we are not being alert to how we have been socialized to ignore it.

For most of my life, these issues have fit into two categories - personal frustration and sociological musing. I have not imagined that this level of consideration would be a large part of my work as an individual psychotherapist. Of course I expected that in working with clients of various cultural backgrounds, the issue of culture might come up. But I did not pause to think about the ways that culture would not ever be mentioned but still permeate every aspect of the discussion. Nor had I considered how the legacy of social systems in the country might also impact the very tools we use as psychologists to connect with and understand our patients and ourselves.

Here are some examples (again, there may be an uncomfortable feeling reading further):
1) I have had two Caucasian clients each tell me that I should understand where they are coming from (both in conversations where they were chastising me for not giving them what they felt they needed) 'because you are Black and should get what it's like to feel persecuted.' One said so in a room of other people in a comment that equated my skin color to a physical disability.

2) I have had someone I very deeply trust in a community I very deeply trust, reach out before receiving permission to feel a burn scar I've recently gotten because 'I have never seen a burn on African-American skin before.'

3) I have worked in all White staffs and had supervisors sigh relief and say that they were grateful that I was there when minorities have come to assess our site, because they were having a hard time explaining the racial homogeneity of the workplace.

4) I have had conversations in class about the merits of racially diverse cards for projective tests. Actually, this conversation was very robust and valid points were made all around. But, I was surprised by the number of people who felt, out of hand, that cards that 'look like you' may be relevant in assessing social acclimation but not is determining emotional development. I think an argument can be made for this, but the idea that many people believed it without argument gave me pause.

5) I have led psychotherapy groups in which Black and other minority clients were deemed 'awkward', 'inappropriate', 'rebel-rousers' purely on the basis of the mannerisms with which they speak and present themselves - by both staff and patients.

6) As I previously insinuated, I have observed the impact on intellectual safety of friends at Columbia in the wake of these hate-crimes. This has been particularly true if their research was on topics of diversity or if they had come to feel that such contempt only occurred in back allies perpetrated by the 'unenlightened.'

Interestingly, I have no particular answer or animosity about any of these examples. I do have a lot of pain about it. Personally I feel like a lot of my history of racial pain will be carried mostly in isolation. But as a profession, I also wonder at the impact of these sorts of situations on the guardedness, assumptions, and interpersonal foibles of our clients and ourselves, throughout any given therapeutic relationship. I mean, what were the changes, if any, in my care of the two patients mentioned above when they made their statements about my race, both of which made me very angry, defensive, and placid in the moment. For that matter, what is the general impact on my empathy of the fact that I think most people will not understand the experiences I am trying to articulate? I wonder about women who have dealt with trauma and are tentatively pondering interpersonal trust - how do they feel to then be subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) ostracized by the group of women in which they are meant to receive healing? I wonder how much research is stifled by fear of retaliation like that at Columbia. I wonder how many test subjects are somehow misrepresented because of homogeneous batteries that subconsciously trigger defensiveness (think of stereotype threat) rather than resiliency.

I imagine I could go on and on about this.

The school is doing what is required by APA regulations, and even more, to confront these issues. Cross Cultural Counseling is taught by a woman with a humbling passion for equality and education across racial, SES, gender spectrum, and sexual orientation lines. The few minority professors in the school speak about their lives and experiences unapologetically and with insight whenever appropriate; they are generally well received by students, faculty, and administrators in this vulnerable assertiveness. They inspire others of us to timidly begin to do the same in regards to our respective minority experiences. The international film series, the Spanish discussion table, the doctoral projects of students... All of these begin the discussion.

Yet, when I fill out course evaluations, for most I write that 'addresses issues of diversity in the field' is either below average or N/A. Further, I find that we stumble and then back down many times as we try to find language for these issues in impromptu conversations about testing, therapeutic rapport, personality disorder diagnostics, and so on. Perhaps I should not speak for others. I will just say that sometimes I back down. And I do so because it is exhausting to be on the same soapbox all the time. It is lonely. It is vulnerable. (I can say with confidence that my discomfort at writing points 1 and 2 above is at least as much as what it might be to read them. So much so that I did not feel I could mention them in a fairly close-knit cohort when they were directly applicable to class discussion.) And it is paranoia-making. (Did that seriously happen the way I remember it?) I am a fairly outspoken person so when I notice myself backing away from a discussion, I wonder how many others are as well.

What I really think about the whole topic at this moment in my life is somewhat fatalistic. I won't indulge it here. What I will say instead is that this realm of interpersonal nuance that I had once thought only important on a societal and sociological level, is vital to our one-on-one work as therapists. It is a part of our training that classes could probably insist on more, especially in the more subtle forms that I named above. But, for that to happen, professors and students need to be more comfortable being awkward with each other as we stumble through such conversations. Additionally, I feel more and more that this is a level of our training that happens only when we force ourselves to open our eyes wider than our comfort zones in our clinical work and begin to ask questions of those interactions to which we believe we already have the answers. This requires, also, supervisors who can challenge us in that way without assuming that they can teach us anything other than how to be humble and vulnerable as we walk around in this murky water. Frankly, I think it requires a higher proportion of minorities (of all types, not just racial) in the building so that people don't feel like they are standing alone or that they run the risk of unintentionally insulting someone who has no understanding ally with whom to process.

All of this (and here my fatalism rears its ugly head) takes time, courage, diligence, and grace on the part of everyone from students to staff, faculty, and administrators as we attempt to build the perpetually elusive community strong and sensitive enough to make the mistakes that promote progress. I wonder if we have it in us.

I don't always feel strong enough to do it. I really never feel knowledgeable enough to do it. But perhaps as we write, read, and reflect together, we will begin to develop more curiosity and more skill - I sincerely hope for our school community and I fervently pray so for our profession.

Peace,
adwoa

Daring to "Look Dumb"

2008-04-11T22:19:41Z

We talked about these ideas last night in my neuropsych class and it really got me thinking. The general American public conceptualizes intelligence as a natural-born ability rather than something that can be grown and expanded over time- and are preoccupied with the question "am I smart enough?"- and limit themselves enormously by avoiding things that their self-perception says they are "bad" at. Classic examples: "I can't draw" or "I can't do math." While I think it is true that some people have natural abilities and disabilities, I also think a lot more can be done to enhance our skills than most people ever try because of fears "looking dumb" or "being a failure." Carol Dweck has done lots of interesting work on this general theme, motivation and theories of intelligence, as well as looking at how much better people tend to perform after being praised for their efforts rather than 'inborn' traits.

For more information (videos, references, etc.):
http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/dweck.shtml

http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~dweck/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck

Praise for Intelligence Can Undermine Children's Motivation and Performance (journal article)

kate.

MSPP Follies

2008-04-08T14:11:22Z

The annual Follies were Friday night. This is a community 'open mic' style event that consists primarily of comedy skits about MSPP life performed by students and faculty. God, there are some very funny and very talented people at this school! Skits tend to revolve around campus events and changes (e.g., building expansion), doc project issues, 'in-jokes' about coursework, etc. Also, people can bring in paintings, photos, quilts, etc. to show in a gallery area. This year, I had fun directing and performing in a skit, and showing some photography and a painting.

It's always really fun (and funny!) and is a nice, informal coming-together for the school as a whole. There's also a warm, fuzzy belongingness that comes with 'getting' all the school-related jokes. A lot of people bring a partner, family or outside friend, only to quickly realize that they are not enjoying it nearly as much as those directly involved with the school! Some students choose not to go and I think it's really a missed opportunity- I look forward to it each year. It's nice to socialize with classmates and teachers outside of class and to see everyone's hidden talents.

kate.

Funding Your Education: Article Link

2008-03-23T03:25:20Z

Here's a good article about funding grad school from APA's January 08 GradPSYCH magazine:

SING FOR YOUR STIPEND
Students fund their education through music, prose and other creative pursuits.

"... While most psychology graduate students offset loans through research and teaching assistantships, [some] students pad their grad funding away from the ivory tower. In addition to paying the bills, performing arts and creative writing give them a needed break from academia—and sometimes enrich these grad students’ education in surprising ways."

Read full article here:
http://gradpsych.apags.org/jan08/stipend.html

Might start getting you thinking of creative ways to fund your schooling! The APA/APAGS sites always have a lot of good articles- definitely worth surfing around if you haven't yet.

I think one of the best choices I made was to spend a year before starting grad school doing a massage therapy training and getting licensed in Massachusetts. I work very part-time, mostly on Saturdays, not more than 3-4 hours a week (and sometimes none). It works well for me- the scheduling is flexible and the hourly pay is significantly better than anything else I'd be qualified to do. Still, I primarily live on massive student loans- the massage work just gives me pocket cash and a little feeling of security.

Reading this article motivated me take an informal poll recently asking current MSPP about how they fund their education and get living expenses. I'll be organizing the results soon and posting them on the blog, but if you want the short answer, it's LOANS! Just about everybody (who responded to my poll) cited receiving some kind of supplementary loan to help with living expenses, though many also did mention family support. More detailed results coming soon...

kate.

Pause. Go. Stop.

2008-03-18T16:45:12Z

I spoke to my mother yesterday about the fact that I NEED a break. At the moment that I spoke to her, I was delivering this news as a very stern statement of fact rather than a malaised lament.

The truth is that a break is, in fact, on the way. It is only the third week of March but we are, at this point, only five classes away from the end of the term. Who could ask for a better break than that? Well, I can, and, fortunately, the school obliges. In just under a month, we have a "spring break" just one week before the end of the term!

Last year I thought this was the most ridiculous concept thing I'd ever encountered. Now, in the thick of trying to design a doctoral project, complete a string of theory courses, and make the 'smooth' transition from practicum level of care to internship readiness, I find that this innovation of vacation right before the end is truly brilliant. Any faults aside, for this reason alone, the school should be canonized. This year I am trying ardently to go someplace exotic - the Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica...

It occurs to me that I will not likely have someone to go with. But, at this point, I am eager for a week by myself. What a funny thing for someone to say when she is half way through a degree preparing her to talk to people every day for the rest of her working life. Yet I do not perceive a contradiction here. I have noticed that someone about working with others has allowed me to connect with a certain silent place within myself. And, conversely, remembering that silent part of myself makes me better at my work. And then I remember, though the break is at the end of the academic semester, it is a solid month and a half before the end of my placement year. So, yes, I think I will joyfully take the pause, grab a book, and just lay on a beach somewhere (hopefully) in solitude. Hopefully, thereafter I will be ready to finish this last segment of my work at this site well.

adwoa

The Untold Lessons

2008-03-04T14:22:05Z

For the last few days I have wanted to write something about the nature of the application process. Certainly many of you are preparing to come to campus in the next weeks to interview at MSPP. Also, for students, this is the end of the first round of applications for field placements. This is clearly a season filled both with the anxiety of being evaluated and the excitement of redefining and expressing oneself, worth at least some reflection. Let me come back to that...

The truth is that as I have attempted to find words for the complexity of what the last several weeks have been like for me as an applicant or what it was like to apply to school, the same thought comes up for me again and again: I am sick! My body is run down; I am fatigued; and like a house guest who has lingered too long, the brisk air and gleaming snow have transitioned from being serene aspects of winter to frustrating attacks on my health.

This is a real part of being a student at least as much as it is a real part of being human. But managing the many aspects of professional, academic, and personal life makes it all the more palpable. I feel that there would be something disingenuous in writing about the student experience, my student experience, if it did not include the bitter truth that sometimes the need to pause and focus on self-care is the single highest priority in the process. There is a sense of both humiliation and gratitude when one's body says STOP! I think about school work and about clients. I think of the many responsibilities of my role as a student, as well as the many rewards of it, and being sick demands I figure out how to pause long enough to heal.

This is a message I reflexively deliver to my patients on a d-a-i-l-y basis. I say this to them in earnest, informing them that refusing to care for the self and heal is far from a noble self-sacrifice; it is exhausting and ultimately distracts them from being fully present to their relationships, their jobs, their lives. Sometimes they role their eyes and insinuate that I am not being realistic in assessing just how difficult it would be for them to put even one of their obligations on hold for the purpose of rejuvenation. Others nod and smile even while I can see their eyes glazing over as the words roll out of their minds. I find this frustrating. Yet I have to confess that over the past four weeks, I have responded to friends, supervisors and professors who have sternly offered me the same advice with the same level of defiance. I know this is a part of why I am still sick. Even still, I struggle to feel comfortable taking a break, asking for a few sick days, or taking an extension.

Graduate students (as represented by myself and my friends who similarly ignore their own advice in this realm) often fall into this trap. I think that new psychologists and other mental health providers struggle with this dynamic throughout the early parts of their careers. Our work is with people who rely on us to support us and who may, in fact, harbor resentment in those moments when we cannot. But, as I say to my patients, succumbing to that level of "self-sacrifice" when one really needs a break, has consequences of alienation and distracting from the long-term needs of ourselves as people AND as providers. In my case, a clear example is how the fall-out of illness has kept me from writing here as much as I'd like to. :-( I have to chuckle to myself because as I write this, I suddenly have the idea that asking for an extension at least once or missing just one obligation should be requirements for graduation! They are a part of the training that we often take for granted. For example, we discuss the anxiety of seeing a client we feel we might not be able to help. But we do not allow ourselves to explore or even acknowledge the anxiety we have about not being able to do everything at all times, even though this latter anxiety often has more consistent bearing on what we take on. There are whole fields of psychological study on caring for the caregiver and as students and budding clinicians it is worthwhile, in my opinion, to take early heed of these domains of professional growth.

Now that I've written all that, I do feel that it is somehow a statement about the application process. There year there were many interviews, one after the others. In my case, most of these were added to my normal responsibilities rather than balancing and making compromise with them. In other words, rather than a day off from placement to have a handful of interviews, I just had them on my day of rest. How easy it is to sacrifice our rejuvenating spaces without even realizing it! The process really was wonderful in all the ways I insinuated in the first paragraph. It was also intrusive and I didn't think to create new spaces for rest and self-care while I went through it. Coming out the other side, I am joyfully looking forward to an excellent community mental health placement for the fall but also anxiously wondering when I will stop being sick.

For everyone still somewhere in the middle of their own application processes: I encourage you to enjoy them! Bring your deepest self and take pleasure in the wonderful opportunity to share that with a captive audience. (Even in my most nervous moments this is what I really do believe about interviews.) I'll look forward to seeing many of you on the campus in the next couple of weeks. :-) But in the middle of the nerve-racking traveling, dressing up, sharing and waiting, and sharing and waiting, and sharing and waiting, I also offer you a challenge. Do you know where you'll get your rest and rejuvenation? If not, I encourage you to find time for yourself and cling to it proudly. Think of it as a practice in professional ethics! I will too.

Much health, luck, and peace in the coming weeks!
Adwoa

Why MSPP...

2008-02-24T02:26:49Z

I suppose many of you prospective students are out there trying to decide if MSPP is truly the right place for you... let me tell you a few of the things that stood out for me when making my choice, and some of the things that continue to stand out now that I've been here for almost two years... (in no particular order):

1. The students are very bright, friendly and easygoing. They are committed to their schoolwork and especially excited to talk about their field placements. When I came for my interview day, I was very happy to hear how competent everybody seemed to feel in their work. Now, only two years into my training, I feel similarly. Professional development occurs on a steep, ascending curve. It is fantastic.

2. The field placement/internship is central to the training- perhaps even more central than the coursework itself. We get tons of clinical experience each year! Although I knew the number of hours we'd be expected to be at our placements, I don't think I realized just how much time it really was until I started the work. It's been very valuable and I know I'll graduate with my PsyD feeling much more clinically competent than people coming out of a lot of other doctoral programs where there is only one or two years of internship.

3. The faculty are excited about what they teach and want to share that enthusiasm with students. The majority of them (maybe even all of them!?) still do clinical work and for some reason this is important to me. They know how to teach their material in a way that makes it practical and useful for real-time work with clients. And students, for our part, ask lots of questions about the clinical relevance of the material being covered, and faculty are always receptive and thoughtful in their answers.

4. I felt immediately comfortable in the building. I could tell that the kitchen and seating area was well-used and had hosted its share of impromptu, thoughtful and inspiring conversations. It feels like the 'hub' of the community and was warm and welcoming.

5. Being in Boston means having rigorous training opportunities at hospitals, universities, community health centers, etc., that have national and sometimes international reputations for their quality, depth and rigor.

**
These are the things that come immediately to mind, but I'm sure there are others... I'll add as they come to my mind- and feel free to comment and ask questions about things I haven't mentioned- I'm here to help!

kate.

Vacation!

2008-02-24T01:54:41Z

Spring semester at MSPP is kind of funny- we have two weeklong breaks, one in February and one in April. These are set up to match the majority of local public school vacations (I assume because of faculty/staff/students with school age children). It's nice to have the time off- it gives me more opportunities to either catch up or get ahead on my homework!- but it can also feel a bit disjointed. Not complaining, though! Although I still have to go to my field placement this week, I've also enjoyed a few nice days of decadent rest, sleeping in, and recharging for the next dash to April vacation...

kate.

Getting Back on the Horse...

2008-02-18T03:51:14Z

In spite of Friday's misery (see my last post), I managed to get back on the horse and have two great interviews on Monday. The secret? Complete and utter exhaustion. I slept only a few short hours on Sunday night and apparently lack of sleep has a way of disinhibiting me. I was talkative, easy going, perhaps a *tad* circumstantial, but hey... it seems to have worked. (We'll see soon enough- both sites will be making offers by the end of February.)

Two more interviews scheduled in the coming weeks, and another site still not heard from. Will this ever end?!

kate.

Self-Talk for Coping with Interviews

2008-02-02T00:04:58Z

It's getting to be that time of year where I feel like EVERYBODY but me has a field placement for next year. Of course this is NOT true- lots of field sites don't even have deadlines until the first few weeks of February- but sometime late in January there starts to be a steady stream of people accepting offers for next year. Overheard conversations, announcements in meetings and clinical seminar, etc... every time I hear someone's good news about their placement, my toe starts tapping a little faster in anticipation of the day that I'll get mine. I'm telling you, it never comes soon enough!

My site search is going well: I have four interviews so far, including at two of my 'top choice' sites. I'll be spending a lot of time in February dressed in full professional regalia (pants suit, anyone?), being uber-articulate, familiarizing myself with my 'strengths' and 'weaknesses' as a professional, carrying around hard copies of my resume... It will be tiring but it's also energizing and fun in a twisted way. It's exciting to be out meeting people, seeing different field sites, talking about psychology and clinical work with established professionals... I try not to think of it as trying to impress or 'sell' myself to people, but just as opportunities to go out and meet interesting people who, by the way, might want to give me an internship.

I've been talking with some fellow students about how we handle interviews and I've noticed a diverse spread of coping methods used. We all tried to name some of the self-talk we use to manage our anxiety on the day of the interview. Here is a smattering of my informal poll (which may be useful to all you prospective students preparing for interviews at graduate programs!):

-- "I don't want this job, I don't want to work here, this place is lame."
-- "They need me more than I need them."
-- "I already have this job, they just don't know it yet!"
-- "Icandoit Icandoit Icandoit."

Any you'd like to add from your own experience?

kate.

Seems I'm not the only one wondering about multi-tasking...

2008-01-27T01:39:05Z

(link to original story)

Associated Press - January 23, 2008 4:14 PM ET

BOSTON (AP) - House lawmakers have approved a bill banning drivers from talking or texting on cell phones while behind the wheel.
Police would be able to pull over drivers they see talking on cell phones or sending text messages.
Adult drivers would face $100 fines for the first offense and $500 for a third offense. Those with junior operator licenses would face fines and the suspension of their licenses.
Hands-free headsets would be exempt.
The renewed push for a ban follows the death last month of a 13-year-old boy in Taunton by a man who allegedly lost control of his SUV while text messaging.
Taunton Democrat James Fagan opposed it, saying it's a giveaway to insurance companies that will impose surcharges on violators.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

-- kate --

Multitasking: Come On, You Know You Wanna...

2008-01-21T02:17:00Z

One of my teachers told us last week that she has embarked on a New Years resolution to stop multitasking. She is allowing certain kinds- e.g., 'mindless' tasks like folding laundry while on the phone- but trying to get rid of those more insidious moments of... oh, I don't know... writing a blog and a cover letter and watching a YouTube video while perpetually scanning to see if the number of new email messages has changed... or driving and eating... talking on the phone and trying to skim an article... oh, yes, I am guilty. I think I have become somewhat addicted to the fast pace, the excess mental stimulation is sort of like a drug, and perhaps I've bought in to the notion that one can actually be more productive and efficient this way. And, as a time-starved grad student, productivity and efficiency are very important!

However, being the geek that I am (and one currently taking a neuropsych class), I googled a little bit on the topic (most likely while also eating dinner and composing some assignment or another) and discovered that multitasking is actually a horrific waste of time. You are both less productive AND less efficient, and your memory suffers because you aren't encoding things as thoroughly when your attention is split. I particularly like the notion of "fragging your brain"- as a girl who has had to de-frag her hard drive in order to get her desktop computer back to functioning, it seems an apt analogy.

Thankfully, even though I get addicted to the frenetic multitasking energy, I also have a fairly good-sized toolbox of skills that help counteract it by cultivating mindfulness. Like a good scientist, it would probably be best to start by noticing when I'm multitasking. Awareness is a powerful thing. Then, I can start analyzing and deciding if any particular episode is (a) necessary and/or (b) impinging on my productivity and efficiency by slowing me down even as my heart rate is quickening and/or (c) draining my enjoyment of life by making me lose sight of the little joys in any given moment. I think I'll start keeping track, and will report back on future results...

kate.

Articles:
Are you fragging your brain with a multitasking traffic jam???

Multitasking is Counterproductive

New Data on the Problem of Multitasking

Go Pats!

2008-01-20T23:28:08Z

Oh, even MORE exciting that site searches, the Patriots are in the Superbowl. Now, if my home team Giants win the next game I suppose the Superbowl will really be worth watching!!!

~adwoa

Ahhhhhhh

2008-01-20T23:25:57Z

I handed in my first internship application this week. I feel good about the packet I sent out but I also know that fewer than 10% of those who applied this this particular site will actually be interns there next year. This is the part of the year that feels most stressful to me. Somehow, at the beginning of a new semester, in the middle of my current fieldwork, I have to find the time and creativity to stand out in the crowd. And I hate waiting! In that way, this is much like the grad school application process in the first place. But, MSPP takes some of the edge off because every student is guaranteed a placement and the field placement office works hard to place people at sites that are a good match for their skills and interests. So, while I know already that I will likely not get accepted, or even interviewed, at every site to which I have applied, I do know that I will be doing some amazing. Now that my first application has been received at its site, I also find anxiety and stress balanced by a surge of excitement and anticipation.

At the end of the second year, students at MSPP transition from the practicum to the internship year of training. The distinction, in some ways, is fairly subtly. The training at MSPP and at the sites with which it partners, is intense and practicum students do some pretty significant work in their first and second years. However, as a general rule, the practicum years are devoted to the acquisition of general skills and the mastery of basic competencies. In contrast, internship years assume successful development of these skills and allows students more client contact, more independent work, and more specific training within various psychological disciplines. The sites I am applying to for this first year of internship range from forensic sites to family work to hospitals to community mental health. Though the process is stressful, the thought of doing internship work in any of these areas is thrilling. The thought, also of being trusted to do this work as someone who has already moved beyond a basic level of competence is also awe-inspiring. Plus, the reality is that many of our colleagues in other programs will have C.V.s that show training work in one or two areas. My resume will show at least FOUR! This application process is part of me looking at the total picture of my resume and having the opportunity to pick sites that will make me look compelling to a whole range of jobs after graduation.

I confess that I am in a bit of a lull at the moment. After the push to get the first application out, I am experiencing a slight drought of motivation to do the next one and the next one and the next one. However, writing this post is helping me get energized. I am beginning to look forward to writing the rest of my letters and getting to envision the attributes I have now to offer various sites as well as the many things they have to offer me. Hopefully I'll have something excited to report to you soon...

I'll keep you posted!

Peace,
adwoa

"Site Slump"

2008-01-13T04:04:09Z

My field placement supervisor gathered all of the trainees into her office this week for an intervention. She has noticed that students tend to get tired and distracted around this time of year, a phenomenon she has dubbed "site slump." Many factors contribute to this: thinking ahead and applying for internships for the following year, being distracted by starting a new semester, the long cold dreary neverending winter... can you tell I'm not a winter person? I always get a little seasonal-affective this time of year and need to be extra careful to nurture myself, get enough sleep, and get outside in the sun for as long as possible whenever it dares come out. Another 5-10" of snow is coming on Monday, but this weekend has been lovely and I'm trying to make the most of it.

Seasonal issues aside, I'm not feeling too 'slumpy' right now at my site. I think it helps that the work is all short-term, so there's always fresh faces around, new clients to get to know, etc... keeps me on my toes. Also, the fact that I'm working with my favorite population (older adults) keeps me motivated. I know some of the other students are feeling it, though...

Last year, I noticed that my slump happened at the end of year. The semester ends in early May but many of the field placements go well into June (a few even go for 12 months). I just had this feeling like, if the semester was over, I should be done with my field work, too! I was impatient for summer vacation to start and eager to move on. Even though I enjoyed my site, those last few weeks were tedious. This year, my field placement goes all the way until June 28th, and I'll know to watch out for my lagging energy come early May. Hopefully, my supervisor and I will be able to work together to nip my personal brand of 'site slump' in the bud. Having some meta-awareness of these kinds of training issues and yearly rhythms helps make the process more comfortable, fluid, and predictable, and I'm happy to have a supervisor who 'gets it' and wants to be supportive.

kate.

An Interview with a School Psychology student

2008-01-11T05:24:12Z

I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Dunn, a second year student in the school psychology program at MSPP. Below are some of his paraphrased remarks about MSPP... ~adwoa

Why did you choose to consider the School Psychology program?
I actually do not have any background in school psychology or working in schools. I did study psychology as an undergraduate at BU but then I worked as a substance abuse counselor in a methadone clinic in the South Bronx, working with heroin addicts. I probably did that work for about two years. After that I worked in a community mental health clinic in Manhattan doing intakes and triage. I became interested in school psychology as I saw how children were impacted by the problems that adults have. For example, children in families with addictions were involved with DSS, had behavioral and developmental delays, etc. I wanted to learn more about that. Also, I felt frustrated working with adults who were already in rigid patterns. I thought youth had more hope, even though it can sometimes be sad to see children struggling with more issues than the average adult.

Given that it was not your background, what did you do to prepare yourself for the program?
Besides my general psychological background I did not have any specific experience with children when I applied. I do come from a family with a large number of kids and being the oldest, I have always had big brother responsibilities that provided a natural connection to work with kids. I suppose it also helps to be a “kid at heart.”

Can you share something about the structure of the program?
The program is based on both classroom and field work. We take four or five courses a semester as well as two summer courses each year. After the first year there are comprehensive exams and then you get a MA in school psychology. After the second year you get the CAGS [certificate of advanced graduate study.] Then, in the third year you would work full time as an intern to get enough hours to be licensed.

Do you do fieldwork before that third year?
Yes. I work now in three schools in the Boston Public School system. Last year I was assigned to shadow a school psychologist in the BPS system. In the BPS system, school psychologists are not assigned to just one school. They move between two or three schools in the system and as an intern I travel with the psychologist through those schools. In the first year of the program, you do more observation but as you move into the second year, you take on more clinical responsibility. At the moment, I work in two elementary and one middle school.

What responsibilities do you have in your internship? What do you see as the role of a school psychologist?
Right now there are three main types of counseling in schools. Guidance counselors seem to do a lot more of the academic and social work. Adjustment counselors address behavioral and counseling issues. School psychologists perform testing. However, the neat thing about the program at MSPP is that it trains us to do all of those things. The model here is not just intervention based, which is what most people think of when they hear ‘school psychologist.’ This program also focuses on intervention, systems, and more holistic approaches. So, graduating from this program, I feel like I would have the skills to do all of the tasks thought of as ‘counseling’ or ‘psychological’ in schools.

It has actually been an interesting experience trying to implement some of those strategies in the placement. At some times it feels like schools are resistant to paying for, considering, or working on preventative issues. They really want us to test. So, in some ways we are learning how to share and market the cutting edge of the field to schools who struggle with so many other restraints. At times that feels frustrating when I want an administrator to consider a new perspective. At other times, though, it is incredibly exciting and innovative. In any case, it has taught me a lot about the dynamics of the field, as well as preparing me to market myself to the different needs of different school districts.

As a new program in the school, how does the social network feel? How do you experience relationships with other programs?
In the first year it felt hard to know where to fit in. The school has such a strong doctoral program and we were just starting out so it was hard to know how to make connections. But, I have been pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie I feel with people in the other programs. It is a great opportunity to build networks within a professional field that is often divided. Hopefully the friends and connections I make now will help me provide more integrated care and referrals down the road. And it is good now to feel welcomed by the community. On the other hand, the bumps in the road at the beginning allowed the school psychology students to develop a strong cohort and I think the relationships I have within this program are particularly strong because we understand what the other is going through and provide support in those issues.

It sounds like the program is pretty rigorous and fast paced. Do you find time for activities outside of school work?
I do various small projects within the school and also serve as a student rep to the SCC [student government]. I attend faculty meetings and do other tasks as part of that role. In addition, I have a second job outside of the program that has nothing to do with psychology. I know that it sounds like a lot but it allows me to feel like I am someone with more than just homework and clients as a life.

Do you see any points of growth for the program moving forward?
I think the program is pretty impressive. Some of the ways that it feels like it could grow are also points of opportunity for me as a student. For example, I feel like I have the opportunity to shape a program and a field in the way I wouldn’t in an older program. My opinion really matters in shaping the program and that is very empowering. I also have direct access to professors and the director of the program so that shaping is often fairly rapid. Also, as I said, there can sometimes be a very rigid understanding of what a school psychologist does, at least in the BPS. It can be frustrating to be learning so many valuable and logical theories and practices in a climate where people only want you to test. But, that is not really a problem with the program. On the contrary, it makes me more versatile and articulate as a clinician. Honestly, I cannot think of any reason not to recommend this program. It certainly requires flexibility, responsibility, organization, and maturity but that is true of graduate work in general. Here, the rewards for that investment are great – academically, clinically. And professionally!

We're Back

2008-01-08T14:37:48Z

This is the first week of classes in the second semester. Over the weekend I experienced a bit of rebellion about this fact. But when I walked into the building this morning I felt a sudden surge of hope and anticipation. For one thing, I am excited for my classes this semester and rounding out the theory component of the program. I am also excited and intrigued by the many changes in our building as it has almost doubled in size! I'm sure the many new nooks will keep me wide-eyed for the next several weeks.

Mostly, though, I am excited to see the familiar faces of my peers. For me one of the program's greatest strengths is its community. The implications of being back in contact with that community are far reaching. It reconnects me with the network of people who support my work at my site. It also sustains me through conversations I will have with peers who understand what it's like to be 'in the field'. Certainly, not all of my friends can understand that!!! Some of it is just the visceral feeling of being back in my surrogate 'home'. Whatever the case, it feels very very good and peaceful to be back!

~Adwoa

Preparing for the Next Round

2008-01-06T01:34:20Z

Spring semester starts on Monday. Where, oh where, did this break go? And while I'm at it, where did the fall semester go? And, if I may, where has the last year-and-a-half gone?! I remember being told during orientation (at the beginning of first year) that grad school would go really fast... but this is ridiculous.

I think part of what makes it go by so fast is that we're always planning for the next step. We're registering for spring semester in the middle of fall, we're applying for our next field placement before the current one is even half over, we're looking towards the next year of classes before we're done with this one... so, in a way, we're always at least one step ahead of ourselves. Though one might expect this could make time drag, in actuality it makes it feel like it's moving at warp speed.

I always feel excited in the days before a new semester starts, even when my break feels like its been too short. I start checking to see which classes have posted their syllabi online; I organize my bookshelf and make room for the next load of textbooks; I write the days/times of my classes on my day planner for the coming months. I go into 'compulsively organized' mode. It's good to feel organized and on top of things at least once per semester!

There is also a lot of excitement about the course material itself. I chose this field for a reason: I have a broad, sweeping interest in all things psychology! Yes, I have had some classes in the past that were real duds, but on paper at least, all the courses look interesting and potentially valuable. I'm also still tremendously grateful at the chance to be in grad school at all. I'm excited to expand my knowledge and discover new tools to use with clients. I'm eager to see which classes prove interesting, which teachers engaging, which readings compelling... wondering if any given class will be a defining moment in my training, if somehow I will discover a passion or interest I didn't know I had. So, even as I soak up these last few days of rest, there is a little part of me tapping its foot and checking its watch waiting for 3pm on Monday (the time of my first class)...

Kate.

In the blink of an eye

2007-12-27T15:33:52Z

Two weeks ago today my grandmother called me as I was just leaving my internship, presumably to ask about my upcoming flight to visit her. When I picked up the phone she exclaimed, "I'm so sad; in just over two weeks I'll be saying goodbye and putting you on a plane back to Boston!" We both had a hearty laugh at the idea as I playfully consoled her that at least I would be spending two weeks with her first. Yet, as I begin to pack my bags for that plane ride back, I am astonished at how fast this trip has gone. It literally has been no more than the blink of an eye.

Truthfully, this last semester felt the same way. Weeks seemed to be flying by as I got absorbed in my clinical work, classes, papers, and the litany of other things there were to do. But somehow I expected that the vacation would go a bit slower. I imagined that each precious moment would extend for hours on end and by the time I was preparing to come home, I would be rested and ready to jump headlong into second semester.

I have certainly had fun. But I have also done work, finishing up some final papers and working on my field placement site search. Still, as I prepare to come home, I realize I haven't done nearly enough to feel 'ready to jump headlong into second semester.' I actually woke up in a little panic about it yesterday. But since then I have calmed myself down. Afterall, isn't this why I booked a return flight for a week before classes started? And as I've already mentioned, the rest was VERY much needed. So, I make no apologies for the countless hours of cards, cooking, and comradary. It's been wonderful! And once it's over I will get back to the work at hand.

I promise!

~Adwoa

Tis the season...

2007-12-24T15:52:45Z

...for way-too-short holiday breaks and burdensome internship site searches! This time of year can be really hectic and crazy; the holiday break seems to end before you know it, and then you really need to get on top of your site applications. As I recall, last January disappeared in a blur of cover letters and CV drafts...

I don't think I realized, as a prospective student, that I'd have this kind of grueling application process to go through every year (I think I hoped getting into grad school was the last of the grueling application processes!); I knew I'd have to do this site search thing, but I didn't have a clear understanding of what it meant. So, in an effort to educate you prospective students out there, here's the basics of what you have to look forward to:

Every year, starting around November, you have to go through MSPP's site listings (conveniently, they are on an online database and can be searched from anywhere with internet) and choose 5 or 6 of the sites where you would most like to do our internship for the following academic year. The list has to be approved by your advisor then it is submitted to the Field Placement office. Concurrent to this, you also need to be asking around for references from teachers and current supervisors. After the sites are chosen and approved, send those cover letters and resumes ASAP, then wait to hear who wants to interview you. Yeah, you aren't guaranteed any interviews by the way. Thankfully, if you don't get any good hits in the first round of applications, you can send a second round a few months later. I don't know what the stats are, but I think most people do find a match in the first round.

But let's backtrack... for me, the most exhausting and frustrating part is the choosing of the 'top 5' sites. It requires a lot of thought and pre-planning and should really be done with a mind for your 'four year plan' of the sites you want for future placements-- as well as what you want to do with your actual career. It's a lot to think about and can be overwhelming for folks such as myself who read every site listing and say "oooh, that sounds cool too." Narrowing the options to sites that sound interesting, that are applicable to my interests, appropriate to my overall 'plan' of study, and that I think I have shot at getting an interview at (!), is a tall order. Also, you really need to be in a good frame of mind to do the search. I know I am getting tired and should take a break when all the sites start looking really, really great or really, really awful!

I have narrowed my choices to seven and I expect to make my final list in the next few days... yes, I'm afraid I'll be mulling this over in the back of my mind over my Christmas dinner. Grad school is indeed inescapable... but I'll make it a point to enjoy my break, too, and have plenty of downtime; gotta grab it while I can get it!

Cheers,
Kate.

Interview with a Counseling Psychology Student

2007-12-18T16:13:35Z

I recently interviewed Karen Stufflebeam, one of MSPP's Counseling Psychology students about her experiences with the program. Read on...
Kate.

1. What is your educational background?

I went to a public high school (Oak Hill High School) in Sabattus, Maine. I then went to the University of Maine at Orono for my undergrad. I acheived my B.A. in Psychology in three years. Since I graduated early, I decided to work in the field for a year to gain experience. I ended up working full time in a residential unit for 13-18 year old boys with anger management problems.

2. Any brief thoughts on why you think counseling psychology is the right profession for you?

I originally applied to the Psy.D. program, but then decided that there were a lot of fundamental skills that I wanted to experience prior to getting my Psy.D. The Masters program offers a lot of the basic skills a counselor needs, and also provides a strong foundation in order to grow from. I'm only one semester into the program, and I've already learned more and feel more knowledgeable than I did when I left my undergrad.

3. What was the MSPP application process like for you? Any tips for prospective students?

The application process was very easy. I didn't wait until the deadline to turn my application in and I called the administration office just to be sure they got my application. I heard back from the school pretty quickly about an interview date.

4. What do you wish somebody told you before you enrolled at MSPP?

"Don't judge a book by its cover." The building is somewhat intimidating, but if people only knew the wealth of knowledge that was on the inside! The teachers are so incredibly knowledgeable of their fields of study and have so much to offer. It's an honor to learn from them.

5. Do you feel a sense of community with your classmates? What is 'campus life' like?

I definitely feel a sense of community with my classmates. We all warmed up to each other fairly quickly, and we've definitely hung out socially. The great thing about MSPP is that you walk into the building and you get to say hi to everyone you see, because everyone knows everyone! This may be intimidating for someone coming from a large college, but it's definitely a good thing: at least you have plenty of sources if you need help with something!

6. What do you like the most about MSPP's counseling psych program?

The thing I like most about the counseling program is that it truly prepares you to be the best counselor you can be. Whether it's learning how to tolerate silence in a session or learning the in depth fundamentals of psychodynamics, a counseling psych student will leave MSPP with a firm grasp on all the essential skills one needs to be a great counselor.

7. How did you decide that MSPP's counseling psych program was the one for you?

Well, there were several things that played into my decision. First of all, when I met the professors on my interview day, I was immediately impressed with what they had to offer. I just couldn't imagine any other school having so many professors who were so knowledgeable and so passionate about the field of psychology. Second of all, the program was designed to give students the knowledge and skills they need to be a great counselor, and I didn't get that impression from other Masters programs. Thirdly, I wanted to remain in New England, but be more in the city (coming from Maine there aren't too many big cities). MSPP is around so many things that there's plenty to do in your off time, but it's not directly in Boston, so you don't feel crowded and you still have some privacy.

8. What should students expect in terms of workload? Tips?

This may sound simple, but something I always tell myself is "This is graduate school." It is no surprise that there is a lot of reading, a lot of hard tests to take, and a lot of long papers to write. But, the most important thing is not the grade you get on the paper, it's how well you can apply your knowledge when you're sitting across from a client! So, I always remind myself that although the workload is heavy, it's all beneficial, because the workload is going to equip me better for when I'm sitting across from a client. Some tips... is ALL about time management! If you have a two hour break between classes, take half an hour to eat, and start writing a paper for the other hour and a half. You're going to thank yourself when you get to go to bed that much earlier! Graduate school is all about perfecting your craft and dedicating yourself to it for an intense two years. I work 30 hours a week, plus school full-time, plus 14 hours a week at my internship. I go to bed no later than 10:00PM every night (when I'm not working). All you have to do is prioritize and dedicate yourself to the work, and everything else will fall into place.

9. What do you hope to do with your degree? General professional goals?

My professional goals consist of wanting to work with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder patients using Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. One of the amazing professors we have at MSPP is an OCD specialist who does home-based therapy, and she is giving me great guidance for my future career. She also has a Masters, and is doing EXACTLY what she wants to do with it, and is coincidently doing exactly what I want to do with it!

10. Any other thoughts for prospective students about MSPP's counseling psych program?

Some other thoughts... First of all, really assess if graduate school is for you. Take some time to think about what graduate school can offer, and if it's what you really want. It would be horrible to get here and realize that this isn't what you really want. If graduate school is something you want, then MSPP is definitely the place you want to get your degree! Even though this is the first year of the Counseling Psych program, I am completely happy with how things are going, and I feel so much more skilled after only one semester of being in the program! I can only imagine how I'll feel after two years here! I really can't speak highly enough of the professors and how much they have to offer. It's truly an honor to be learning from them.

The Core of All Good Graduate Work - REST

2007-12-13T04:26:48Z

Yesterday was the last day of classes. I have handed in all of my work, said goodbye to my clients for the year, decided on placements to applied to and drafted first rounds of my cover letters. OK, aside from the fact that classes ended yesterday, none of that is actually true. One large paper still looms, internship continues through the end of this week for me, and placements... well, I have only reached the tip of the iceberg on those.

I have, however, taken a deep breath of fresh air.

Though many of the normal responsibilities from the past several months continue on, I think it is important for me to acknowledge that in some significant way, I have come to the end of an arduous and exhausting semester. In clinical seminar yesterday we sat around the table eating gourmet snacks provided by our professor. As we reflected on our semester intermittently between bites, our professor looked around the room and asked us what we were doing to take care of ourselves before next semester. One woman said that she planned on getting a manicure and massage. Another noted that she was excited for some friends to visit this weekend. One woman said she planned to work, work, work because that is how she makes money and financial stability is a part of self-care that can get neglected as a student. I reflected peacefully that I will be leaving for Florida on Saturday to spend the holidays with my grandmother, like I have for the past decade. Our professor insisted that each member of the class provide an answer to the question and for some the feat proved harder than it did for others. However, after fifteen minutes, we all had a response.

In the end, I imagine that the specific responses were far less important than just having a response at all. Graduate work is hard; psychological work emotionally, physically, and mentally taxing. Therefore, I really believe that in some ways the source of success in this career is knowing how to take a break. It seems almost counterintuitive to think of rest as both a foundational prerequisite and a complexly evolving 'skill' of graduate training. We are, after all, conditioned to believe that those who succeed are those who are driven beyond any need for self-indulgent considerations. For me nothing could be farther from the truth. I would burn out without a break. I would miss the opportunity to let new material and new experiences sink below my intellect into my very sense of self. I would also set a very poor example for many of my patients who do not know how to set boundaries or take breaks in their own lives and are paying dearly for it. For me, taking a break is the humble acknowledgment that some things will be beyond what I can accomplish and the recharging source that allows me to try anyway.

There are so many ways to take a break! The next two weeks of unadulterated ME time is an obvious example. So are the retreats from work I took once a week, every week, throughout the semester. However, so is one colleague's choice to work over the holiday or another's choice to do volunteer work during some of the few and precious free hours in her semester weeks. While some of these choices seem illogical, they all allow us to celebrate ourselves as more than 'just students' or 'just psychologists'. It seems both appropriate and freeing to imagine myself as more than a psychologist and taking breaks, or volunteering, or working connects me and my peers with a part of our humanity that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. However, not only does rest from my role as a psychologist keep me sane, it also keeps me good at my job. It keeps me passionate, aware of the world outside my 'ivy tower', and connected to the humanity I share with my clients. For these reasons and so many more I cannot say emphatically enough how grateful I am for the rest I have commandeered during the semester, the non-psychological roles I have developed for myself and the next two weeks!!!!!!

I can remember what this time felt like two years ago when I was knee-deep in reading and rereading, editing and reediting grad school applications. Perhaps we could all use an excuse for moments of rest over the next few weeks. May we all get it!

~adwoa