"I believe that there need to be more therapists who share lived experiences with people from my community. I realize that if that is something I want to see in the world, then I need to be the one to actually make that change." Just a few months into her time at the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program, Pearl Penumaka already has a strong idea of what impact she wants to have on the mental health field.
Beth Greivel, LMFT, LPCC, recently became a core faculty member with the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program. Greivel teaches Counseling Theories and Techniques, Couples Counseling, Sexual Development and Health, and Diagnosis and Empirically Supported Treatments, and serves as the Mentoring Program Coordinator. She sat down with the Wright Institute's Dalton Green to discuss her time as a student at the Wright Institute, her work for LGBTQQIA+ rights in the behavioral health field, and her plans for the future.
Dalton Green: You started here at the Counseling Psychology Program as a student in 2012. What was your career before that?
In this excellent TED Talk, Wright Institute Clinical Psychology alumni Emily Anhalt, PsyD, shares why everyone should give therapy a try. "I learned how powerful it is to have a trained, objective person to help you understand the most beautifully complicated thing there is - your own mind."
On January 14, representatives from over 40 community-based agencies came from around the Bay Area to visit the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program campus. The agency representatives met with over 70 Counseling Psychology students, each of whom are in the process of applying for practicum placements.
While first-year students have done plenty of research on which sites they would consider, most had not yet had opportunities to meet any representatives in person. "It's a good opportunity to see faces and get a feel for the personalities we'll be working with," said first-year student Anna Tyrer-Vasell. "A lot of agencies seem similar on paper, so you can't really get a sense of who they are without meeting the people themselves."
The Wright Institute hosted a day-long event for applicants who identify as first-generation college students and/or people of color to explore degree options in the psychology field, meet students and faculty, and ask questions about graduate school. We were lucky to spend the day with such strong prospective students!
This event was hosted as part of the Wright Institute Pipeline to Advanced Degrees. We look forward to hosting additional events in the future to support students from underrepresented groups as they explore their options.
Click here to learn more about the Wright Institute's Master of Counseling Psychology program.
Click here to learn more about the Wright Institute's Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program.
After two years in the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program, Joe Latuga is about to graduate and move on to the next challenge. "The last two years have been such a journey for me, both personally and professionally," he says. "My experience has reaffirmed my decision to come back to school, and I'm sad that it's almost over!"
Jeanette Lopez-Urbina, LCSW, recently became a core faculty member with the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program. Lopez-Urbina teaches Community Mental Health, Family Therapy II, Family Violence & Protection, and Professional Development Seminar, and serves on the program's diversity committee. She sat down with the Wright Institute's Dalton Green to discuss her career, what she enjoys about teaching, the importance of diverse representation in psychology, and her plans for the future.
In the 11 months since graduating from the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program, Alonso Medrano has had no problems keeping busy. On top of raising his three children with his wife, Maria, Medrano spent time at Napa County Department of Children's Mental Health and Mentis before settling at Camille Creek Community School.
"I get the summers off at Camille Creek, which has been nice. Having time where I'm not working has really allowed me to realize how quickly life picks up," says Medrano, who lives in Napa County. "It was just a year ago that I graduated, and this summer I've been able to reflect on all the adjustments I've made in my life recently."
Wright Institute Clinical Psychology Adjunct Faculty member Patricia Zurita Ona, PsyD, is releasing a new workbook based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). The ACT Workbook, to be released in December, teaches teens with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) "new skills to handle the stream of pesky obsessions" that show up in their mind.
Zurita Ona dedicates this workbook to all the teens she's worked with. They are "the best consultants I have ever had," says Zurita Ona. "With this workbook, I hope to make ACT and ERP less mysterious and more accessible."
Zurita Ona continues:
There are countless teens that wake up every day struggling with disturbing thoughts. Despite all the research we have on ERP, many teens still end up not receiving proper care.
On Tuesday, July 7, seven distinguished alumni returned to the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program campus for the Summer 2019 Alumni Forum. Jason Shepherd (Class of 2009), Caiti Crum (2010), Ian Vianu (2014), Beth Greivel (2015), Hazel Zetino (2016), JJ Medina (2017), and Krystal Jacobs (2017) served as panelists, while Field Placement Director Stuart Lee moderated the discussion.
Each of the seven alumni imparted valuable advice for the dozens of current and incoming students in attendance. The graduates discussed the licensure process, their time at practicum, the intricacies of the counseling profession, some of their professional experiences since graduating, and issues of identity in therapy.
