Why I Chose The Clinical Psychology Psyd Program

After careful consideration, I chose to apply to the PsyD Clinical Psychology program at Alliant International University. There were multiple factors that influenced my decision. I wanted to apply to a program that I thought would broaden my knowledge and give me the professional experience and training I need to begin mya career as a clinical psychologist.

One of the main factors that captured my attention was how the program focuses education and training on a practitioner-scholar model. The program emphasizes that students are able to start applying their studies to clinical work atin the beginning of the program. This was an extremely motivational factor in my decision to apply to the program. The most effective learning environment for me is when I can take the theories and research I have studied and apply it directly to clinical work. This will aid me in being able to effectively problem solve in a setting with clients who are experiencing mental health difficulties.

Furthermore, I look forward to being involved with the community and addressing issues that are present amongst them. The university’sies approach to diversity was another deciding factor. The importance the university places on having a culturally diverse population of students is extremely crucial. It is immensely beneficial to submerse students in a diverse population so that views can be shared amongst everyone, therefore creating an environment that broadens our cognitive thinking. Welcoming diversity creates a setting where students are able to freely express themselves, their ideas, and allows for students to be exposed to diverse experiences they may not have been exposed to before. This can help expand my knowledge on different cultures and be able to effectively interact with members of the community who come from various backgrounds. In practice, clinicians will be working with clients of a diverse population and exposure from a culturally diverse university can be beneficial to me as a prospective student and clinician.

During my time as an undergraduate, I have developed a specific interest in criminal behavior. the effects of mental illness on incarceration. There is substantial research and understanding of criminal behavior and the factors that cause such behavior. Often, incarcerated individuals will report having depression, anxiety, personality disorders or other various mental health difficulties. Correctional facilities have higher prevalence rates of mental health disorders than the general population. I aim to focus on howHow can we apply the understanding of criminal behavior to decrease rates of incarceration of individuals with mental disorders? This is the applied clinical problem I aim to focus on in my studies to provide effective treatment plans and rehabilitation to individuals with mental health difficulties who are incarcerated. . Depending on the individual and their needs, will depend on the treatment plan they should receive. With an effective treatment plan, incarcerated individuals with mental health disorders can be relieved of their mental suffering and will decrease their chances of reoffending.

One treatment plan that may be effective to many incarcerated individuals is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This treatment model focuses on cognitive processes stem from behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. CBT focuses on changing individual’s way of thinking in order to overcome problems. Behaviorism is another approach that can be applied to an effective treatment plan for incarcerated individuals. This theory states that actions are determined by life experiences. Behavioral therapy can help change unhealthy and self-destructive behaviors in individuals. It focuses on how behavior is learned and seeks to replace behaviors that are causing problems using the principles of conditioning. The different forms of conditioning that may cause abnormal or normal behavior include operant, classical, and modeling. Treatment with this approach relies on the principles of conditioning to understand how behaviors change in response to the environment.

What I have found from my studies and research is that criminal behavior is often correlated with a mental disorder. I find it extremely fascinating that individuals with mental disorders are likely to become incarcerated. I hope to focus on what can be done to prevent and treat individuals with mental disorders, so they are not susceptible to becoming incarcerated. Something instead about how individuals with mental disorders may need rehabilitation rather than incarceration. Something about police, etc. identifying it’s a mental issue outside of their control in the moment, and more properly addressing that issue in the moment.

Recently, I conducted a study where I examined the effects of mental illness on incarceration. Specifically, I looked at the presence of lifetime antisocial personality disorder as a predictor of incarceration. Results revealed that individuals having a lifetime antisocial personality disorder, had a higher outcome of becoming incarcerated at some point in their life. However, there is no single variable that causes someone to commit a crime. The integrated model of crime suggests that early indicators, developmental processes, maintenance factors, and antecedents are all variables of why an individual would commit a crime.