Psych Insight

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Psychology Insight

Issue #1, February 4, 2013

What is Psychology Insight?

Upcoming Events Winter Quarter Movie Outing: Side Effects Come and enjoy this soon to be released psychological thriller! Join us after the movie to discuss with fellow students and professors. Don’t miss out on an intriguing discussion and some pie!

February 16 Car Wash & Pre-Vespers Save the date! Further details regarding where and when will be emailed and posted on the FB page.

March 8

Spring Quarter This year the Psychology Club has decided to bring a treat to the department. In addition to learning about psychology on your own, we wanted to bring a bit of psychology to you.

Each quarter there will be two issues of Psych Insight. Within each issue you can expect to find articles and research

relevant to psychology, interviews with our very own alumni, and dates to remember. Contact us if you are interested in contributing to Psych Insight! Our hope is that you will take interest in Psych Insight and look forward to upcoming issues with interesting information.

WPA This year’s annual WPA convention will be held in Reno April 25-28. By this time you should have signed up and specified which days you will be staying at the hotel for. If you have yet to sign up please do, but understand that because the deadline has passed there may be an extra charge.

April 25-28 “When I look at the world I’m pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic.” –Carl Rogers

Want to be a Member of the Psychology Club?

We would be honored to have you be a part of the Psychology Club. If you are interested in joining, the process is simple. You can either sign up on the membership list with your contact information or contact one of the club officers. Next, pay your membership fee of $20 and voilà; you are a member of the Psychology Club!

Aside from getting an awesome club T-shirt, you will also be notified of club activities to participate in, get discounts on club events, and have the opportunity to attend the annual Western Psychological Association Convention. If you already are a member and have yet to pick up your club T-shirt please do! We’d hate for you to miss out on sporting the latest trend!

Psychology Insight

Issue #1, February 4, 2013

Get to Know Your Psychology Club Officers Megan Smith, President

Ashley Clements, Vice President

Since working for the Boys and Girls club in St. Helena, I have found a passion in working with kids. I would love to further explore this passion and possibly work with children with autism in the future. There is something so beautiful about being in the presence of children. Their innocence and constant joy warms my heart. I only hope I can better the lives of those who need special attention and the comfort of normality.

After PUC I will be attending graduation school.

Although I am unsure of which graduate school, I hope to stay in California and be accepted in a Clinical Psych program.

My career goals have changed every year since I arrived at PUC—from Clinical, to Neuropsychology or Social Psychology, to even Business Marketing.

However, I think I have finally found my calling as a Psychologist for children using animal-assisted therapy. I have always loved working with kids and have a passion for working with animals, so the integration of the two seemed like a dream come true for me. My lifetime goal is to open an animal rescue organization and develop it into a place where at-risk kids can come and interact with animals and receive a life-changing therapeutic experience.

Katie Pope, Treasurer

Carolina Meza, Secretary

I grew up with an elementary school teacher for a mom, so I have always been very comfortable in a school atmosphere. When I came to college I knew I wanted to become a psychologist, and I also knew I wanted to work with kids, so as soon as I learned about School Psychology it was obvious that it was the profession for me. My goal is to receive a Ph. D. in School Psychology so that I may work with elementary age children. The program I am looking into will take about 5-6 years to complete, so I am very happy with my decision to take one year off to travel after I graduate from PUC!

My career goals are to serve the underprivileged communities in mental health. I hope to do my interim in a Latin American country where I will dive into an unfamiliar culture. Then, I would like to start a program in any dominantly Hispanic community that will help recently immigrated adolescents and children become knowledgeable and accustomed to the norms of the American society to be able to succeed in socially and academically.

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Psychology Insight

Issue #1, February 4, 2013

Psychology Alumni, Where are They Now? What do you feel is most difficult about graduate school?

Keeping up with the workload.

What is most rewarding about graduate school?

Realizing you can handle the workload.

What are your career objectives?

I am taking the child and family track and hope to open my own private practice.

What is the key to your success?

Being involved (volunteer) in the community Name: Melinda Joseph Age: 23 Hometown: Riverside, CA Graduate school: Palo Alto University Motto: "Make a conscious effort"

What qualities does PAU (or any university) seek in their graduate students?

High GPA, experience in related area, and especially volunteer work.

Grad School Interview 101 written by Carolina Meza During the interview process, you may not find a way to get rid of the anxiety, but there are ways to prepare yourself for an interview with a graduate school. Take time during summer before senior year to know what path in psychology you want to take. Summer was the only time I had to prepare for the graduate school application process. It is important to polish your resume, write a general personal statement of what heightens your interest, become involved in the area of your interest, and search for schools. Once I had a list of the schools, I looked at their requirements and read the questions they expect you to answer in your personal statement. Dr. Bruce Bainum will help you with all the details in Systematic Issues. Do not be afraid to ask for help from your adviser, my adviser gave me a lot of good pointers.

Pick out your outfit ahead of time (double check with the school what is the attire) and get ahead on all of your reading and homework because that weekend you will not have as much time as you think.

Before the interview, I made sure to read my personal statement I sent Palo Alto University and reviewed my resume. I also took extra copies of my personal statement and resume, which came in handy. In my

experience, the interviewers did not have my packet of information (this rarely occurs). That was not my fault, but having extra copies demonstrated that I was prepared and that I was ready for any situation. When you are waiting to be interviewed, do not be afraid to make friends along the way. Everyone who is there to be interviewed is most likely feeling like you are: worried, nervous, and timid. The admissions staff will notice your friendly efforts. They want to know that you can get along well with others because most graduate schools are about working together in research groups and constantly being with each other.

Be yourself during the interview. Remind yourself that you are there to get to know them and they also want to get to know you. Once you are done, remember to breathe and keep smiling. For future interviews, be sure to learn from your mistakes and do what you noticed went well. Good luck on your endeavors!

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Psychology Insight

Issue #1, February 4, 2013

Successful and Schizophrenic When one thinks of schizophrenia, the typical mental image that is conjured up is a low-functioning individual dealing with extreme mental impairment.

What is unusual to associate with schizophrenia, however, is a successful career, a published book, and a happy marriage. Elyn R. Saks is a chaired professor at the USC School of Law. He also holds a position in the department of psychiatry at UC San Diego medical school and is a faculty member of the New Center for Psychoanalysis. To add to his accomplishments, Saks was awarded the MacArthur Foundation genius grant.

Saks was told that his condition was impossible and that his schizophrenia should have prevented him from accomplishing the many things he did.

In his article, Saks writes “I came to accept that I have schizophrenia and will be in treatment the rest of my life . . . what I refused to accept was my prognosis.” Saks’ unusual level of functionality inspired him to find out if there were others like him.

For his research, he located 20 highly functioning schizophrenics in the L.A. area who led successful lives as graduate students, managers, technicians, and professionals, including a doctor, lawyer, and psychologist. Although all suffered from mild delusions or hallucinatory behavior, Saks found that they had developed techniques to keep their schizophrenia at bay.

Some combatted their hallucinations through reality checks and learned to

Psychology Insight PUC Psychology Club One Angwin Ave Angwin, CA 94508

summarized by Ashley Clements

“blow off” the derogatory voices in their head. Two other keys to success were work and a belief in God. Saks explains how, although schizophrenia is a challenging illness, people diagnosed with it should be seen for their strengths, not just their symptoms: “the seeds of creative thinking may sometimes be found in mental illness, and people underestimate the power of the human brain to adapt and to create.” As one of Saks’ study participants said, “Every person has a unique gift or unique self to bring to the world.” We should not exclude the mentally ill.

Saks, Elyn R., “Successful and Schizophrenic.” New York Times- Opinion / Sunday Review; January 25, 2013:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/schizophre nic-not-stupid.html