would it be helpful to mention my own therapy in my personal statement?

[SonyaB]

My undergrad degree was not psychology, and I haven't really worked in the field of psychology. But I have been in therapy for years, including cognitive, behavioral & psychoanalysis. Do you guys think I should mention my own therapy? Or does that just make me sound neurotic? (Ok, I am neurotic and I think most psychologists are too)

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[schoolpsych1]

I dont' know personally, but I've read more than once, not to do that. That said, I agree, it does seem a lot of people in Psych, whether at MA-MD level, are working on themselves also.

 

[KillerDiller]

Not sure what type of programs you're applying for, but I'd wager that mentioning your experiences in therapy would be inappropriate.

 

[Prsstnt]

Depending on what they ask for in the personal statement, I would discuss personal growth (based entirely on relevance). Even so, I would go easy on the details - # of years or orientations tried.
I would refer to these in the actual interview IF it appears relevant to the question AND keep it brief.

That said, it is an important part of self-growth to explore therapy for self. It is required by some programs and recommended by most.

 

[Psykd4Life]

I was advised to not do this. If you feel that this is the only experience that has attracted you to psychology, then it is important to discuss it, but choose your words carefully. It's important to keep in mind that the personal statement will be read by people you probably have never met before.

 

[nl2008]

I was told by more than one professor that this is one of the "kisses of death" when applying! I would strongly advise against it. Graduate programs want to know that you are interested in psychology, but not there to learn about your own psychological health. I would leave personal accounts of therapy out as they can be seen as inappropriate at TMI (too much information!)

 

[PsyDr]

objectively, you have (i am guessing) a limited education and no experience in the field.

admissions are going to want to know why you are choosing a completely unknown (to you) field. you would be wise to come up with an answer.


being a patient is an incredibly different experience than being a treatment provider.

 

[AryaStark]

Unless you want to waste thousands of dollars (in applications, transcripts, travel, etc) do NOT EVER discuss your therapy in a statement of purpose OR an interview. You don't want to give the schools ANY reason to wonder if you will be able to deal with graduate school. I personally think it will be important for every psychologist to SEE a psychologist, but don't mention anything o the sort at the very beginning. If it's between you (who has openly talked about their treatment) and someone equal qualifications, who hasn't talked about their personal psychological issues, 9 times out of 10, schools will pick the other person.

 

[knowing]

Unless you want to waste thousands of dollars (in applications, transcripts, travel, etc) do NOT EVER discuss your therapy in a statement of purpose OR an interview. You don't want to give the schools ANY reason to wonder if you will be able to deal with graduate school. I personally think it will be important for every psychologist to SEE a psychologist, but don't mention anything o the sort at the very beginning. If it's between you (who has openly talked about their treatment) and someone equal qualifications, who hasn't talked about their personal psychological issues, 9 times out of 10, schools will pick the other person.

I totally agree with AryaStark..... Do not mention psychological problems or therapy regarding yourself. You are the one with the answers not the problems. This being said use your own therapy experience to help others but keep it to yourself.

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

No.

 

[socialcog]

Unless you want to waste thousands of dollars (in applications, transcripts, travel, etc) do NOT EVER discuss your therapy in a statement of purpose OR an interview. You don't want to give the schools ANY reason to wonder if you will be able to deal with graduate school. I personally think it will be important for every psychologist to SEE a psychologist, but don't mention anything o the sort at the very beginning. If it's between you (who has openly talked about their treatment) and someone equal qualifications, who hasn't talked about their personal psychological issues, 9 times out of 10, schools will pick the other person.

+1.

I was told repeatedly by current students and faculty to try to write with a professional, business-like tone. Your audience will be a groups of scientists and while some of them may see patients in private practice, they want to see your ability to convey your thoughts without a lot of effusive, overly emotionally valanced self-disclosure.

One faculty asked me, quite rhetorically, "If this were a job interview, would you convey your strengths? or your weaknesses?"

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

No.

 

[cara susanna]

What kind of programs are you applying to? It sounds like you have little to no research experience.

I would advise taking classes in psych before applying to grad school in it, or at least making sure that you do well on the Psych Subject GRE.

 

[Neuropsych2be]

I would strongly recommend that you avoid discussing this in your statement of purpose. It will do nothing to help your application and can only hurt you. It will come across as something of a "boundary violation." Think of approaching applying to grad school as you would job interview at IBM or GE. Psychology departments can be rather staid and conservative places that are interested in your ability to be a psychologist not your therapy experiences. As I am fond of saying psychologists are far more than therapists.

 

[JockNerd]

I'm going to join the chorus of "no." The personal statement is really not the place for that kind of disclosure.

Also, from your post, I agree with others that it doesn't sound like you have the experience necessary to do well in the application process. Most of the board posters who are in grad school have completed a significant amount of research, and this is the strongest factor in admittance to most programs.

I suppose it depends on where you're intending to apply, though.

 

[SonyaB]

I'm thinking of the PhD programs. I am taking psych classes at a junior college--I don't want to waste money getting another bachelor's. I should be able to finish about 15 psych credit hours by this fall with A's, and I will take the GRE sub this fall. I do have a good GRE score (99%/97%) and years of research experiences in science, maths and statistics. If I couldn't find any psych research position by this fall, what do you guys think my chances would be to get into a clinical PhD program?

What kind of programs are you applying to? It sounds like you have little to no research experience.

I would advise taking classes in psych before applying to grad school in it, or at least making sure that you do well on the Psych Subject GRE.

 

[SonyaB]

That said, I agree, it does seem a lot of people in Psych, whether at MA-MD level, are working on themselves also.

In her first book The Drama of the Gifted Child, Alice Miller asserts that all mental health professionals have an insecure mother.

 

[JockNerd]

That said, I agree, it does seem a lot of people in Psych, whether at MA-MD level, are working on themselves also.

This is different, though. I think everyone who's doing therapy should have done or being doing some therapy. I'm not having sessions now, but I have in the past, and it helped me to know how to resolve things that come up via countertransference. I actually only know one person who's in my program, giving therapy, who never had therapy, and he leaks all over the place because of it.

By all means get therapy, I think; there's just no reason to go plaster it on billboards.

 

[CheetahGirl]

I'm thinking of the PhD programs. I am taking psych classes at a junior college--I don't want to waste money getting another bachelor's. I should be able to finish about 15 psych credit hours by this fall with A's, and I will take the GRE sub this fall. I do have a good GRE score (99%/97%) and years of research experiences in science, maths and statistics. If I couldn't find any psych research position by this fall, what do you guys think my chances would be to get into a clinical PhD program?

Before you go any further, contact PhD programs that you're interested in and make sure they will accept Junior College courses for their admissions criteria. Most people I know get postbaccalaureate or masters degrees if they were not undergrads in psych.

And volunteer! I'm a big proponent for volunteer programs: suicide hotlines, hospital programs, mental health programs, domestic violence programs.

 

[cara susanna]

I'm thinking of the PhD programs. I am taking psych classes at a junior college--I don't want to waste money getting another bachelor's. I should be able to finish about 15 psych credit hours by this fall with A's, and I will take the GRE sub this fall. I do have a good GRE score (99%/97%) and years of research experiences in science, maths and statistics. If I couldn't find any psych research position by this fall, what do you guys think my chances would be to get into a clinical PhD program?

I'm not trying to crush your dreams, really I'm not, but I'm not sure what your chances are without any psych research experience. It's great that you have some in other areas, but I think grad programs want to know that you can do psych research. You're going to be up against people who probably have years of experience in not only psych research, but also research in the area your hopeful-advisor is interested in. They may also question how you can want to focus on one specific area without any experence. If I'm wrong, I hope someone here will correct me.

Fortunately, research experience is correctable. You can either volunteer as an RA, try to get a paid job (though those are tough to get right now), or do a Masters first. A Masters may be good since you didn't major in the area.

That said, I am terribly jealous of your GRE score.

 

[ADDICTED2STATS]

I'm thinking of the PhD programs. I am taking psych classes at a junior college--I don't want to waste money getting another bachelor's. I should be able to finish about 15 psych credit hours by this fall with A's, and I will take the GRE sub this fall. I do have a good GRE score (99%/97%) and years of research experiences in science, maths and statistics. If I couldn't find any psych research position by this fall, what do you guys think my chances would be to get into a clinical PhD program?

I was in a very similiar position. My undergrad was not in psych, I had been out of school for quite some time, my GRE scores were very high (I think this can go a long way... although the research shows it shouldn't), and to be quite honest I had no psychology research experience; in fact no research experience period (although I really love research now). I had 4 psychology classes under my belt when I applied to grad school and was actually given offers by every school I applied to (although, only one was clinical).

Yet, here I am in my final (well pre-internship) year in a well respected Clin Psych Ph.D. program. I think it's important to be a thinker and to find a good match with a faculty member. You've always got a chance. Emphasize your strengths, be outgoing, let them see who you are. If they don't like it then you wouldn't have been happy there anyway.

Are you primarily interested in research? If so, why not do something where your science/math/stats background would be put to better use (e.g., Quantitative Psychology/ Psychometrician)?

 

[SonyaB]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I'm interested in both research and clinical work, and I hope I can land in a less quantitative concentration. I spent too much time on computers in my previous positions, and I simply cannot imagine a life full of SAS programming. Plus that'd hurt my already bad vision.

I was in a very similiar position. My undergrad was not in psych, I had been out of school for quite some time, my GRE scores were very high (I think this can go a long way... although the research shows it shouldn't), and to be quite honest I had no psychology research experience; in fact no research experience period (although I really love research now). I had 4 psychology classes under my belt when I applied to grad school and was actually given offers by every school I applied to (although, only one was clinical).

Yet, here I am in my final (well pre-internship) year in a well respected Clin Psych Ph.D. program. I think it's important to be a thinker and to find a good match with a faculty member. You've always got a chance. Emphasize your strengths, be outgoing, let them see who you are. If they don't like it then you wouldn't have been happy there anyway.

Are you primarily interested in research? If so, why not do something where your science/math/stats background would be put to better use (e.g., Quantitative Psychology/ Psychometrician)?