Counseling MS MFT Personal Statement

MFT Personal Statement for Graduate School

My interests in Psychology and passion for dedicating my life to Mental Health Counselling began with “An Introduction to Psychology” at Palomar College, a course that I completed while still a senior at Escondido Charter High School. As I learned more and more about the function of the brain, the role of genetics, and the impact of the social and physical environment that we reside, I began to analyze my own human interactions on a daily basis, I was fascinated by the depth that I found in my study of Psychology; thus, this became my undergraduate major. Now, I seek to make Psychology my profession by earning the XXXX Degree in XXXX at XXXX University. The program is my first choice for graduate school because of its sheer excellence and the convenience of the location which will enable me to devote the maximum amount of time to my studies as a graduate student.

My parents did not want me to pursue a career in Psychology. Traditional Asian-immigrant parents, they are the kind of people who have more respect for a career in Finance and they tried to push me in this direction. I stood my ground because I want to spend my life with the human mind, helping people who suffer to improve their mental health and their lives, not spend my days in front of a computer screen crunching numbers for a paycheck. My parents wanted me to become a banker or an economic analyst so that I would be financially secure for the future. Money cannot buy happiness, however, and I choose the career that provides me with passion and a sense of human fulfillment. I relish the growing recognition in our society of the importance of mental health as in integral part of holistic well-being, greater appreciation for self-awareness and actualization. Nothing excites me as much as learning about cultural impacts on human relations, multiculturalism and societal issues, etc. I love learning, grow in emotional and well as intellectual intelligence, and preparing to give of myself helping those who face serious mental health challenges. 

Throughout my three-and-a-half years of study as a double major in Psychology and Economics at Pepperdine University, I enjoyed every class that I had to the fullest, especially my Psychology classes. For my study of lifespan development, I had the special privilege of studying the behaviors of elementary school children on a weekly basis and writing a detailed report on the application of Piaget’s cognitive theory based on ages, Kohlberg’s six moral stages, Erikson’s theory of industry versus inferiority, and more. In psychological testing and assessment, I received detailed training on the most commonly used types of psychological tests and their implications, the importance of confidentiality and ethical sensitivity, and using SPSS for data analysis. In my psychology and religion course as well as social psychology, I became equipped with a much better understanding how society, culture, and religion plays a substantial impact on self and group identities, personality development, and changing perceptions concerning family and marital relationships. In my study of counseling theories and techniques course, I began to develop my special engagement with and passion for family therapies and I came to better appreciate the importance of choosing a suitable approach that fits the client and their circumstances. The more I learned in this area of Counseling Psychology, the more I became determined to ultimately pursue MFT licensure in the future.

To gain experience in research in my chosen field, I worked as a research assistant at Pepperdine University for 8 months. My duties included helping to collect data, working on an article for submission to The Journal of Positive Psychology, and coordinating events for a student focus-group. such as Waves Weekend, greater Los Angeles alumni discussion, Spring 2017, and Washington D.C. alumni gathering in the summer. I was responsible for coordinating for sponsorship, conducting and delivering pre- and post- event surveys, analyzing and reporting the survey data, and checking in with the alumni office of Pepperdine University regarding participation rates of the alumni. Together with Professors Don Thompson and Cindy Miller-Perrin, this project focused on Pepperdine alumni from 30 to 40 years-old, in an effort to shed light on the lifestyles of these alumni and the extent to which it was determined by religion or religious faith. During my time at Pepperdine University, I was also part of Alpha Kappa Psi, a worldwide business fraternity that provided me with opportunities to fundraise for the homeless and elementary school supplies. I also volunteered with America Reads, a national literacy campaign, helping out with the teaching of English at a Chinese elementary school. These experiences helped me to excel as an undergraduate student of Psychology.

Upon my graduation, I accepted a position as a project associate for a real estate development company, SCG America Inc., where I fulfilled leadership roles working with teams, learning and practicing project management concepts and acquiring human resource management skills. I helped out in the HR Department, interviewing new employees, writing, executing office procedures, and testing marketing strategies for company-owned restaurants. This position enable me to further appreciate the complex ways that the study of Psychology has for the workplace. When my colleagues appeared to be nearing an emotional breakdown dealing with unsatisfied customers, I offered to listen and helped to resolve the issue. Now, I look forward to the way that my full immersion experience in counseling strategies and the skills as a graduate student will enable me make an even greater contribution to the maintenance of a conflict-free, low stress, workplace. I hope very much to be accepted into the M.S. in Traditional Counseling Program at California State University Fullerton, in pursuit of a career helping people in a scientific, emotionally secure, and controlled environment. 

Born and raised in Shanghai, China, I have been in the USA since I came here for high school at the age of 16. Up until that time I read many novels about America and was ready to take the plunge out of sheer curiosity. Born a lefty, my parents insisted that I should learn to use the right hand instead because of the importance of social conformity in China. To me, the logic was untenable and the little fighter inside me decided to stand up for herself. Despite the pressure, I kept the left-hand ability and self-acquired right-hand ability by the age of 10. I played piano for more than 10 years and was professionally trained in Chinese vocal music and R&B in the U.S. Musicals, school choirs, and gospel choirs have also helped me to better appreciate group effort and the importance of communicating well with team members. Another qualification that I bring to the study of Psychology is that I also have experience at overcoming an eating disorder. This has helped me to appreciate on a personal level how Psychology can heal and empower; and how the work and social service of the Psychologist is a noble exercise.

I have stood up well to challenges. As an exchange student starting my freshman year at a public high school in Plainwell, a small town in Michigan, I was one out of only three Asians in the entire town, the only girl, and the only one who was not a native speaker of English. While this was great for my assimilation, especially in terms of the English language. At first, it had many of the characteristics of a nightmare. No one talked to me for a whole week at school which had never before hosted an international student. With the unconditional support of my local American host family, I began to talk to people with my funny English, joined the choir, and gradually learned to fully enjoy everything around me. I believe that strength accompanies is built through growth and self-understanding, turning failures into challenges. One prominent motivation for me in choosing to pursue my Master’s Degree in Counseling was the fact that I suffered as a result of my parent’s marital problems and issues. Thus, helping individuals to deal successfully with their marital issues appears to me a win-win situation, insofar as the children at least potentially benefit from such intervention, whether or not the marriage survives.

In my own case, for example, I do not remember ever having seen my parents show love to one another. From my earliest years, I remember them tense, angry, always arguing. As I grew, they made me the messenger or go-between for the two of them so that they could interact without having to see each other. When in therapy to conquer my own eating disorder, I became aware of how it was related to my parents’ constant hostility. I felt cheated. When I would visit my girlfriend and her family, I couldn’t help but wonder, “why can’t I have a sweet, loving family like hers?” One day, my mom told me that if it were not for me they would’ve divorced a long time ago. That moment of truth struck me. Then 17, I felt the crushing weight of her manipulation and resolved to help other young people locked in such an abusive situation. Studying Psychology was a natural choice and I began in high school, where I also introduced myself to the subject of Marriage and Family Counseling (MFT).

Once I began to savor the sweet taste of gaining weight in a short period of time, I began to feel addicted to checking the scale every morning and motivated to continue to gain. Then, I felt the true power of Psychology. I finally freed myself from life in a distorted mental state housed in a grossly underweight body. The body image and eating disorders psychology course gave me a wakeup call that led me to the school counseling center for help. Each session felt like a safe haven behind a closed door where I was able to figure out the roots of my problem by understanding its origins and I was able to fully restore my healthy self-image. During my recovery, I continued to self-reflect on how and what worked and I am keen to help new generations of young people experiencing eating disorders because of trauma, shame, social withdrawal, cultural ideal body images, and/or family dynamics. 

I see my greatest strength as curiosity for learning, both about our past and our tech-equipped generation of today, learning from the past spurring our advancement into the future. and the past that awaits our absorption and advancement. I give my all, from professional training in singing and playing the piano, to national typing competitions, learning to write with both hands, to earning double majors for my Bachelor Degree. Currently, I am studying towards certificates in project management and digital marketing, areas that will also help me to understand the needs and resources of the counseling profession.

My longtime engagement with the performing arts built my self- confidence and steadiness in front of large crowds. As the director for my company’s annual Christmas party, I managed the staff decorating the ballroom, sequenced and rehearsed events with all the attendees, coordinated with third-party DJ and lighting company, and performed stage control during the entire event.

I am now very adaptable and see this as of critical importance insofar as every new client is a new environment for both the therapist and the client. Adapting to the client quickly will make the process smoother for both of them and strengthen the bond thereby facilitating successful outcomes to the therapeutic experience. I look forward as my career progresses to increasingly tailoring my practices based on different communities and demographics, making my practice as culturally appropriate as possible.

I also like to think that I am persistent, as I demonstrated with respect to music; I have also been dogged in the construction of my social media portfolio which enables me to share my positive energy with the rest of the world. I write travel and food blogs, produce short films, and participate in music videos. I also work to enhance my consciousness and find increasing levels of balance and harmony in my life. I am also straightforward and most passionate, particularly with respect to my professional aspirations.

What I see as especially central to the Counseling profession, is the imperative of doing all that we can to assist each client in a holistic fashion in accordance with the needs of everyone. Hopefully, this will result in a restructuring of feelings, as a result of story-telling and sharing and the employment of a logic that empowers the client to resolve their issues by their own initiative and effort, using the tools that we help them to discover, lighting up pathways in the dark. Counselors provide knowledge, patience, warmth, understanding, and guidance in the quest for empowerment through self-management based on counseling therapy, group and individual. After completing the M.S. Degree in your distinguished Traditional Counseling Program at CSUF and gaining experience as a professional mental health counselor with a focus on MFT, my long-term plan includes returning to graduate school and putting everything that I have learned until that point – as an experienced practitioner as well as student – to work towards excellence as a doctoral student. At this stage, I am not sure whether I will emphasize education or practice at the doctoral level. For now, I want to focus nearly exclusively on counseling practices

Now a 24-year-old international student who enjoys California sunshine, the freedom of personal expression in American culture, and an awakening passion in counseling psychology, I see myself in 10 years as a family lover with a husband, children, and pets, a therapist or a professor in Psychology who continues exploring healthy and practical solutions to stress, relationship difficulties and mental disorders, and a life enthusiast who treasures every small and big moment of joy.

I also long to help immigrants who suffer from the special mental health challenges that so often accompany the immigrant experience, loneliness, stress resulting from language barriers, problematic relationships due to cohabitation, prejudice targeting minorities, as well as culture shock. With increasing numbers of Asian immigrants in the United States, vast opportunities of service exist for professionals trained to attend to their spiritual and emotional needs at the service of recovering and maintaining their well-being. An Asian myself, I am able to relate to and think creatively about the Asian tendency towards disguising things from public view and the overriding and often overbearing pressure that results from an overemphasis on the importance of social appearance. Asians all too often put on masks in public and tell themselves “Everything will be ok as long as I continue studying or working hard,” even though they are suffering.

With the wide use of social media in the digital world, people are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the fear of missing out, the impact of distorted beauty concepts and often frivolous and ultimately unsatisfying lifestyles. Technological development raises concerns on the mental well-being of average Internet users. Are we more connected with the rest of the world with the information that we are exposed to everyday? Are we better at communication with people around us with the use of these additional tools? Is our mental and emotional well-being enhanced by the Internet? I see these questions as of central importance in counseling psychology today.

I anticipate expanding my own presence and level of engagement with practice and networking in our digital world, in both traditional and novel ways. I see great opportunity in social platforms such as blogs, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter for people to learn to differ and say no to what is behind all the beautiful posts that are airbrushed and tailored to a standard that intrigues normal people into buying things and ideas that they do not need. As a blogger myself, I hope to use my influence to promote the importance of mental well-being in a fun, friendly, and easy-to-digest way. I am certain that the long term, positive impact on the society as a whole is worth my effort. Thus, I could not be more excited about the prospect of giving my all to the study of research counseling methods that are suitable for today’s younger generation. I want very much to devote my professional lifetime to helping to raise  public interest in mental health, encourage-self talks and open talks with therapists, and eventually have a positive impact on the general society.

I want to build a central research focus as a counseling professional in MFT, dealing with extended as well as nuclear families in need of therapeutic support. My own sojourn makes me a natural for the study of eating disorders and I look forward to contributing to research in this area, particularly as these disorders seem to be affecting younger people in increasing numbers.

My passion for counseling psychology will only grow stronger and encourage me to be a better individual and a team leader who empowers decision making skills, stress management, trauma coping, relationship strategies, and promotes, holistic, general, mental well-being. 

Counseling MS MFT Personal Statement