GRAD SCHOOL APPLICATIONS —Doctoral degree program at Boston University
Aureet Bar-Yam Hassan, February, 1983
Personal Statement
I have always been fascinated with the human mind, the developmental forces that shape it, and the elements that combine to promote mental health. Consequently, I have directed my efforts into three major areas. First, I have concentrated on developing my counseling skills through studies, training, and experience with a variety of populations. Second, I have devoted efforts toward increasing my understanding of developmental theory and its implication for clinical practice. Third, I have searched for ways to integrate theoretical knowledge with clinical skills in order to apply this to the planning of prevention and intervention programs. I have been particularly interested in programs for adolescents and young adults as well as in the theories and research involving this phase of development. The transitional nature of this phase of life is intriguing for me in terms of its unique potential for implementing preventive measures and effecting change.
In my work with adolescents and young adults I have frequently found that many of their problems and crises result from difficulties in the sphere of interpersonal relationships, deficiency in socio-emotional development, and inadequacies in the social milieu. I feel that my involvement in in-depth research in this realm would greatly facilitate my clinical understanding and effectiveness. Research delineating specific social skills and factors that contribute to interpersonal competence could enhance the potential for designing intervention programs which facilitate growth in these areas.
Furthermore, as a result of my cross-cultural experiences, particularly that of living on a kibbutz in Israel, I am cognizant of the paucity of social support systems and community resource development in our society. I believe that the availability of functional community resources and social support greatly affects the ability of people to cope with life stresses, prevent mental illness, and promote optimal growth. As a result I am interested in research on topics such as the role of social support in preventing mental illness, and work on the process by which social support networks can be effectively developed.
Educational Background
Two aspects of my pre-college experiences have contributed greatly to my interest. I spent a number of years growing up on a Kibbutz in Israel which provided me with a significant cross-cultural perspective, as well as many valuable enriching personal experiences. Upon returning to the United States I completed my secondary education in a unique experiment in alternative education called "School-Within a-School". This program was developed under consultation with Boston University and Harvard Psychologists in an attempt to implement Kohlberg's theories on moral development and create a democratic socially responsible sense of community.
The focus of my undergraduate experience at Boston University was in a program called "Humanistic Education and Human Services". This program allowed me the flexibility to augment my course work in psychological theory with graduate courses in counseling psychology, as well as to pursue the implementation and application of theoretical knowledge in field experience and internships in educational and clinical settings. Some specific areas that I have researched through independent study have been preventive programs for adolescents; Kibbutz child-rearing and its effects on mental health; adolescent suicide and its dynamics; the vital attributes of the effective counselor and counseling theories.
In my current graduate studies toward a masters degree at Harvard, I opted to orient myself towards enhancing my understanding of developmental theory. I feel that my exposure to Harvard's excellent program in Human Development-Life Span Social and Personality Development will further stimulate my work toward a doctorate in Counseling Psychology. The strong theoretical base will be useful in developing my research interests as well as in my preparation for clinical practice.
Professional and Research Experience
Some valuable experiences I had as an undergraduate included: volunteering as a counseling Aid in an alcohol recovery home; working as a senior camp counselor and supervising junior counselors; teaching at Lexington High School's alternative program as a pre-service trainee; counseling students in conjunction with their guidance counselor. In addition, I received important professional training and experience in my two year employment as a women's reproductive health counselor. This included telephone crisis counseling, individual and group counseling, as well as providing information and education in reproductive health and women's issues. I hope to have further opportunities to continue addressing the needs and the specific developmental issues of women.
Another area which has contributed greatly to both my professional experience and my understanding of developmental processes has been my work, during the last two years, with cult victims and their families. I have found that the issues faced by ex-cultists, in their post-cult rehabilitation, are remarkably similar to adolescent developmental tasks, such as identity formation and object relations; only in the ex-cultist they appear in a more condensed form. This presents interesting possibilities for research which also has bearing on understanding normal adolescence. Beyond my direct work with post-cult rehabilitation I have also assisted as co-counselor in cult exit interventions, including family counseling. I have researched and disseminated information on mind control and the psychology of persuasion, as well as assisted in the development of training workshops for families of cult victims and interested professionals. I also have been employed as a residential counselor in a co-ed group home servicing adolescent juvenile delinquents from extremely dysfunctional families. This work was multi-faceted and included all elements of providing services and care for the youngsters. I found the work stimulating and challenging. It also illuminated for me many of the current inequities and inadequacies of the care-giving system as well as reinforced many of my aforementioned interests.
Finally, during the current year I have been working as a research assistant to the family therapist, Dr. David Kantor, and have experienced a profound excitement being a part of an evolving research project. We are in the process of developing a therapeutic process form that can be used both to provide feedback to supervisors and therapists, as well as to gather information on therapists' perceptions, on the therapeutic process, and on the outcome of therapy. The data collected will then be used for a variety of research purposes.
I look forward to the opportunity of pursuing my research interests and developing my clinical skills in the Counseling Psychology Program at Boston University.
