Practicum

For my practicum, I worked as a research assistant at the Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Lab for Winter and Spring 2021. Through this opportunity, I was able to explore different approaches to counseling therapy by watching, transcribing, and coding therapy sessions from the clinic. Regularly, I listened to therapy sessions and transcribed them word for word, so that they were available for researchers to use in various studies at MPCRL. Also, twice a week, I met with a group of three other research assistants along with our clinic coordinator, to watch and code a therapy session for the MPCRL's Action Study. In this current study, researchers at MPCRL are exploring how therapists suggest different action-related interventions to their clients and the clients' response to them; this research is new and interesting because action isn't a typical approach used by psychodynamic therapists, who are more concerned with self-reflection rather than a behavioral focus. During our coding sessions, my fellow research assistants and I noted different action occurrences within the session and came to a consensus on the action event summary, type of action used, and client's responsiveness. I've greatly enjoyed working with other students and researchers to analyze the complicated and dynamic relationships between therapists and their clients. My time at MPCRL has served as a fun and educational introduction to the world of counseling psychology, a topic that I hope to further explore at UMD and beyond.

At MPCRL, I learned many different skills that will be useful for my future academic and career plans. One skill, in particular, is behavioral coding. Before working as a research assistant, I had no experience getting data from analyzing the behavior and responses of individuals seeking therapy. It was an informative process that opened my eyes to how psychologists are able to take arbitrary and ambiguous situations in a therapy session and find a way to quantify and categorize behaviors from them. Also, I learned a lot about helping skills in clinical psychology. These techniques are widely studied by aspiring psychologists and involve using skills such as direct guidance or feedback to provide clients with quality care. In order to help clients reflect on life events or other circumstances that are causing them distress in their everyday lives, it is imperative that therapists know how to appropriately use these skills to guide the client's into a deeper understanding of themselves and their environments. Within the Action study, I studied, specifically, how therapists used various counseling skills to prompt their clients to do some sort of action that would create positive change in their lives. Finally, I learned about the general importance and mechanisms of research within psychology. MPCRL taught me about the importance of making unbiased, explorative research that provides insight to psychologists. Because counseling can be a very subjective topic, it is necessary for researchers to form teams and work with others knowledgeable about the field in order to come to the most appropriate conclusions. Spending time in a team with other research assistants was an amazing experience that allowed me to see that research really is a collaborative process.

In my academic plans moving forward, I can apply my experience at MPCRL very well. This summer, I am planning on taking PSYC433: Basic Helping Skills. This class does an in-depth study of counseling psychology and specific helping skills that therapists use in therapy sessions. Because MPCRL has already created a foundation of knowledge for me to build off of, I will be able to use the information I learned during my practicum to help me in the future. While I still plan to pursue medicine, I believe that is very important and beneficial for me to explore different areas of psychology and become well acquainted with a variety of different interventions. Also, counseling psychology, particularly at MPCRL, takes an interest in special populations such as women and BIPOC individuals. In the future, I hope to work in the medical field, particularly catering to these populations. Generally, MPCRL provided me with an amazing introductory research experience. I plan to use interpersonal skills I learned here, such as teamwork, time management, and more technical skills, such as coding and transcribing, in other research labs in the future.

For the rest of my time at UMD, I plan to continue to take my pre-med classes as well as major requirements for Psychology. I also plan on seeking more research opportunities and continuing research in different areas of study. I will be working MPCRL again in the summer and hope to maintain the important connections I made with individuals at this research clinic. Also, I may possibly apply for the BA/MPP program offered at UMD and specialize in health policy. As someone who is interested in both STEM and policy, I believe this Master's degree would allow me to explore my two key interests and combine them in a meaningful way.

After graduation, I plan on attending medical school where I hope to specialize in women's reproductive health, particularly endocrinology, which involves helping individuals address hormonal issues related to infertility. In my future career, I hope to accommodate low-income individuals, as many fertility resources are unavailable to these women. Overall, I hope to advocate for women's reproductive health and their rights to make decisions about their own bodies. I would like to tie policy into my future plans by working with organizations that lobby for the reproductive rights of women; this is a subject that I'm very passionate about and hope to positively contribute to in my future medical practice.