by Rosana Marzullo-Dove, MA | Sep 19, 2016 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
Regardless of whether graduate school or children became part of your life first, the task of managing them all will reflect upon both how you experienced and successfully completed your program as well as how your children and family experienced it with you.
While you have already thought about your future and the future of your family by committing to completing graduate school while raising children, it is always the right time to be mindful and be connected with the “here and now” – or at least on the immediate task at hand: writing a paper, completing the semester, etc.
The experience of being on task, managing family, and successfully completing the program can be better achieved by following five basic principles…
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by Meagan Layton, PhD | Sep 12, 2016 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Self-Care, Student & Intern Resources
Previously in this series, we introduced burnout and outlined symptoms of burnout to look out for.
In this article, we will discuss strategies that can help you prevent and treat burnout, so that you can continue to excel in your graduate program and future career as a behavioral health professional (or if you found this article and you’re not in the behavioral health field, these burnout tips can help you regardless of your field).
Oftentimes there are environmental factors (e.g., too few resources, too many responsibilities, too little time) that contribute to the experience of burnout; however, these factors are often outside of our control. Fortunately, there are things you can be doing to cope with environmental stressors and manage your response to frustrations.
Ideally, these strategies should be implemented early on to prevent burnout from occurring. However, even if symptoms of burnout have already reared their ugly head, these strategies can help break the cycle of behavior and thinking patterns that can produce and perpetuate the symptoms of burnout.
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by Nicholas Grant, PhD | Aug 29, 2016 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
Graduate training programs in psychology prepare students for successful careers in academia, research and clinical practice; however, not all training programs offer the type of non-academic professional development support that can help students stand out and excel in their training and future careers.
After all, each student has their own personal strengths, and who wouldn’t want to highlight those strengths?
As a graduate student or early career psychologist, one may never think of how to professionally advance outside of successfully completing program requirements, getting the right placement/job, and obtaining a license. The six areas of non-academic tips for success offered below make up a model of related factors that can lead to success in these processes and build professional relationships along the way.
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by Anthony Nedelman | Jun 7, 2016 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Self-Care, Student & Intern Resources
“Being a graduate student is like becoming all of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you’re Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you Doc, and then you’re Happy.” –Ronald Azuma
Grad school is not meant to be a walk in the park. The responsibilities associated with being a grad student involve completing coursework, providing treatment, conducting testing/assessment evaluations, working on research projects, teaching courses, fulfilling practicum requirements, preparing for supervision meetings, writing your thesis, dissertation, and clinical documentation, and involvement in professional organizations (just to name a few).
These tasks are doable. They require a lot of work and time management skills, but they are doable.
But what if you have a spouse at home who expects your time and wonderful attentive nature? You won’t be the only one who’s Grumpy. Being a spouse requires an even greater commitment.
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by Jessica R. Garcia, PsyD, LP | May 17, 2016 | Student & Intern Resources
If you have been following my blog postings for Time2Track, you’ve read about what kind of training programs are available to those of you interested in (and using the term broadly) forensic mental health work. I’ve also discussed the complexities of instituting and maintaining boundaries with forensic clients.
Now, I’m going to break down the forensic practicum placement process in three parts.
Part I (below) will talk about how you might choose and then how you prepare for an interview with a forensic-oriented site. I use the term “forensic-oriented” to be broadly inclusive of any mental health training site for masters or doctoral level trainees that will work in a place where psychology and the law intersect.
Part II will touch on what to do after you’ve accepted your forensic placement offer but before you actually begin your training.
Part III will then address what you might actually get to do as a trainee in a forensic-oriented site.
Now, I’m going to break down the forensic practicum placement process in three parts.
Part I (below) will talk about how you might choose and then how you prepare for an interview with a forensic-oriented site. I use the term “forensic-oriented” to be broadly inclusive of any mental health training site for masters or doctoral level trainees that will work in a place where psychology and the law intersect.
Part II will touch on what to do after you’ve accepted your forensic placement offer but before you actually begin your training.
Part III will then address what you might actually get to do as a trainee in a forensic-oriented site.
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by Giovanna Steinhaus | May 10, 2016 | Student & Intern Resources
Some graduate programs afford students the opportunity to spend their summers back home as opposed to requiring summer courses. Online graduate programs sometimes require students to locate their own training opportunities wherever they are located.
For students coming from larger towns and cities, this can be a promising option. However, for other students like myself, home has more wildlife than people.
After going through the process of finding summer practicum and internship positions in my small hometown multiple times, I have learned some approaches that have aided me in this process despite my initial hesitation.
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by Kyler Shumway, PsyD | Apr 12, 2016 | Lifehacks, Tips & Advice, Student & Intern Resources
Hurry Up and Read This!
Many of us look back on our week and feel astonished that we made it out in one piece. Client work, case management, consultation, assessment, report writing, faculty meetings, student group meetings. Oh, and also class. And life, I suppose.
As grad students, we are in a bit of a bind. Although we need to practice good self-care and make time for rest, we recognize the importance of this period of development. We have infinite opportunities to learn more, do more, and truly maximize our training.
In the spirit of finding and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, I recommend leaning into some time management and organization techniques. The key is to make your schedule as efficient as possible by prioritizing, streamlining, and eliminating certain activities. But first, you need to take a good look at your schedule.
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by Erin Fults, PsyD | Apr 5, 2016 | Student & Intern Resources
Being a psychologist- or counselor-in-training can be isolating. Sure, you are surrounded by supervisors, professors, patients, and peers, but their focus is often on “the now.” These individuals are teaching, testing, and training you on a daily basis, but what about your next steps? What about your professional career, and the specific field you hope to enter?
For pressing questions such as these, it’s helpful to consult a mentor.
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by Annie Varvaryan, PsyD | Mar 29, 2016 | Student & Intern Resources
Have you ever read a research article and thought, “I wish I could meet these authors one day” or “I wish I could be like them”? One way of reaching that dream is by attending research conferences.
With research conferences, students are not only provided with the opportunity to meet with prominent researchers in the field, but also the prospect of learning about information they truly value.
Whether you’re a research conference pro or are contemplating attending your first conference, this article will offer tips on how to prepare and how to get the most out of your conference.
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by Tarra Combs | Mar 14, 2016 | Student & Intern Resources
The Psychology Dissertation: It’s the looming, black cloud over all of our graduate school careers. It’s the one thing we all want to get off of our plates, but also the one thing we do everything in our power to avoid. But there is an underrated, sometimes-forgotten way to prevent a lot of dissertation pain.
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