你是说法医心理学不是我唯一的选择?

As many of you can relate, I came from a research-heavy undergraduate program. 我主修心理学和犯罪学/刑事司法双学位, 并参与了各种研究机会. As such, my faculty stressed, highly, that my future track was research. They told me that my only option was to get a master’s degree in criminal psychology or forensic psychology. If I wanted to further my education even more, I would then pursue a PhD. 那么，你问我做了什么? I applied to five forensic psychology degree programs and planned to get my PhD, 就像那些教授鼓励的那样. 直到我向鉴证科申请 & 法律心理学专业 at Roger Williams University (RWU) that I found I was on the completely wrong career path!

规划我的未来

Roger Williams was among my top three choices for graduate schools for their Forensic & 法律心理学专业. 我非常努力地写了我的意向书, and I thoughtfully chose who would write my letters of recommendation. I did my internship at a county jail in Colorado when I was getting my bachelor’s degree. I worked with the counselors in the jail to provide short-term, crisis intervention for the inmates. 我进行了自杀风险评估, 阴影治疗, and conducted various assessments for inmates during their intake process. 我找到了我梦想中的工作! As such, one of my letters of recommendation was my supervisor from this jail. 我谈到了这种激情, as well as my interest in becoming a licensed counselor in my letter of intent to Roger Williams University. I then experienced something that I don’t think would happen at any other graduate program…

"I experienced something that I don't think would happen at any other graduate program."

新方向

When I received my decision letter from RWU, I was absolutely heartbroken; I got waitlisted. 大约20分钟后, 我接到研究生招生主任的电话, 马库斯Hanscom. He introduced himself and told me that he doesn’t think I applied to the right program. Marcus expressed that he felt my interests were best suited for the Forensic Mental Health Counseling Program (FMHC) at RWU, 我的回应是, “那是什么?”?“当然可以。, 来自我的本科院校, I was never taught about the clinical options for forensic or criminal psychology, 我也没有充分了解心理学博士项目. I was always told that PsyD programs were a joke and that the only legitimate doctoral degree in this field was a PhD. Marcus explained that this FMHC program would be a clinical program, 我将获得60个学分, 包括200小时的实习和600小时的实习, that would set me up to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) upon completion of the program. 大家可以想象, I felt many different emotions; I was excited that there was a program that fit my interests, but I also felt stressed and scared because if I chose this program, 我会改变我曾经设想过的未来教育计划.

探索临床机会和许可

When Marcus approached me with this offer, I did not know what to do. I loved doing research and I did not know if I was ready to give all of it up to pursue a clinical track. 然而，我找到了一个折中办法. 虽然罗杰·威廉的FMHC项目不提供研究, 我仍然可以和我的本科团队一起做研究. I have been able to find time to do both things that I love: research and clinical work in the field. 如果我选择了法医心理学这条路, I would have missed out on the opportunities of 培训 to be a licensed mental health counselor with the forensic population, 有机会在教养机构练习心理治疗, and opportunity to meet all the licensed requirements needed to take my licensing exam post-graduation. It was important in my decision to come to this program to educate myself on other, 无偏见的, 意见. 当然, 我的本科教授要求我做研究并获得博士学位, 因为这是他们为自己选择的道路. But after speaking to professors/professionals in the clinical field, 很明显，获得心理学博士学位并不是开玩笑. In fact, it is what I am eagerly awaiting to achieve because it is so clinical-based.

了解你所有的选择

如果你能从中得到什么, 我想让你了解你所有的选择, not just the ones made apparent to you by your potentially biased professors, 同行, 等. If I hadn't spoken to Marcus and fully educated myself on the different pathways to reach my career goal, 我会不理智地选择别人为我选择的领域. You are your best advocate, and only you know what you want and what is best for you. 跟随自己的心, 跟随你的直觉, and gather all the information you need to make your decisions for any future endeavors you choose to embark on.

Rachel Candelaria是M的一名学生.A. Forensic Mental Health Counseling program at Roger Williams University. 你可以在 rcandelaria@sh-fyz.com. 
 

喜欢这篇文章? 查看我们的 播客的谈话 with Rachel about her experience as a Forensic Mental Health Counseling student and her internship with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.