LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION —
Prof. Ralph Mosher
Dec. 4, 1985, Boston University
I am pleased to support Aureet Hassan's application for a pre-doctoral internship. I have known Aureet for 4 years - as a senior at Boston University and as her advisor in the program in counseling psychology. Her intellectual ability and academic achievements are absolutely first rank. She has a fine, subtle mind and excellent analytical capacity; her academic work is searching, thorough and original. She is clearly in the top 5 per cent of her class scholastically, and that in a highly selective program.
Aureet epitomizes the scholar-practitioner this program aims to develop. She has begun work on her dissertation topic, is actively interested in publishing and will make substantial theoretical contributions in the future to this field. I have already asked her to assist Dr. John Whiteley of the University of California and me in a longitudinal follow-up of character development and moral action of the Sierra project subjects. And that is not a research opportunity I proffer lightly; it bespeaks my confidence in this young woman's talents. Obviously, I believe that Aureet has a bright professional future in counseling psychology, as a professor and/or practitioner. I might add that the evaluations of her clinical work have been similarly and consistently positive.
Howard Levy, MD
Sept. 4, 1985, Harvard Medical School
For the academic year 1984-85, I have met with Ms. Aureet Hassan in weekly supervisory sessions. In this context, we have reviewed, in considerable depth, Ms. Hassan's evaluations of new clients, her work with long and short-term psychotherapy cases, and her general understanding of the issues of psychotherapy.
In assessing Ms. Hassan's qualifications as a psychotherapist, I can recommend her most highly. She is a bright, energetic woman who has approached her work this year with enthusiasm and dedication. She worked warmly and comfortably with most clients, and was very open to exploring whatever difficulties came up in the process of therapy. She carried this approach through to her staff and supervisory relationships, confronting the occasional areas of difficulty and working toward a productive resolution of any misunderstanding and friction.
In short, Ms. Hassan is a woman who possesses considerable native talent, and a dedication and enthusiasm for her work. Even more important, she is able to face areas of difficulty, resolve them, and use her experience to continue her growth. I expect her to be a fine therapist and staff member.
Ellen Kaplovitz
Aug. 15, 1984, School-Within-a-School,
Brookline High School
Aureet Bar-Yam Hassan was a doctoral student in counseling psychology who came from Boston University to spend the 1983-84 school year as a counseling intern for School Within a School (SWS), the democratic program at Brookline High School. Aureet was a counseling intern who had been an SWS student many years before (SWS is fourteen years old). Her historical perspective added a special dimension to her internship. She actively participated in the democratic decision-making structure of the school.
Being a counseling intern in SWS means that Aureet had to be mature, independent and capable of earning trust from teen-agers on her own. Because I was so busy, Aureet had to strike up an acquaintance with prospective clients and develop therapeutic relationships on her own. Many of our young people traditionally avoid direct intervention and placement to a counselor. Aureet got to know most of the one hundred students and she successfully developed therapeutic relationships with a number of them, in some cases succeeding where most others had failed. For these, she was available for crisis intervention and ongoing therapeutic contact.
Aureet's ability as a therapist in a one-to-one situation was apparent from the beginning of the year. She had integrated her courses in psychology with a firm non-jargon understanding of human nature and adolescent development. She was conscientious and persevering, without being overbearing. She knew when to push and when to let up. She was there for her clients in a real sense. She also knew when and how to terminate. The only and slight difficulty Aureet had was her initial adjustment to SWS, because she had originally been a student in the school.
The range of Aureet's clients was a wide one. She worked all year with a shy young man whose serious speech impediment kept him from making close friends and from thinking beyond the next day. Aureet began to work with him in career planning. She was the only therapist to remain in a relationship with him for any length of time. During the year, he changed into a more outgoing, more talkative person who made some close friends and who was ready to leave high school for the real world. Aureet worked equally well with a lovable yet calamity-prone and scatter-brained young woman who needed permission and help in growing up because of her home situation. Aureet was able to unravel the complexities of her life to help her define her needs and learn new behavior patterns. A third client turned out to be one of the most difficult and complex cases in my experience. Aureet was again able to maintain a relationship with this young woman through bizarre behavior, court cases, two hospitalizations and disturbing family problems.
Aureet knew when to seek supervision or information about a student's background. She sought out a supervisory relationship with a guidance counselor in the main school and also worked with clients from the main high school in order to round out her experiences.
Aureet acted in many other roles, although I am emphasizing her special talents in one-to-one relationships. She worked at least one day a week in the high school Career Center, doing vocational and college counseling. She attended the SWS staff meetings where she participated as an equal, and often was helpful to staff members. She was honest, forthright, yet sensitive to the needs of the school and the kids.
Aureet gave of her free time to attend many SWS functions, including two overnights on weekends. She worked with the Teacher Evaluation Committee, helping the students evaluate their teachers. Her dependability and ability to lead as well as to take direction were most apparent to me when a series of personal misfortunes kept me out of school for days at a time. Aureet stepped in and functioned as the Coordinator which would have been impossible if she were not accepted and respected by the SWS community.
I highly recommend Aureet Bar-Yam Hassan. Aureet is clearly a talented and capable therapist, a creative and independent worker with adolescents, and a fine person.
Dr. David Kantor
March 16, 1984, Kantor Family Institute,
Inc. Cambridge, MA
I have known Aureet Hassan for two years and she ranks among the top of the large number of students I have employed over a twenty year period. She originally joined my staff as my research assistant, becoming part of a team of six researchers. Due to her strong sense of responsibility and commitment, (beyond the requirements of the job), as well as her demonstrated competencies, she soon established herself as the unofficial team leader. Her gift for concise thought as well as her ability to quickly analyze, articulate, and find solutions to a number of problems proved invaluable to the project. Aureet's warmth, sensitivity, and facility for interacting with different types of people enabled her to develop close relationships with staff members. Due to her outstanding performance she was recommended and employed as temporary administrator during the summer months. Despite the difficulty of the position and the absence of both center directors Aureet performed an admirable and efficient job. She is competent in handling all kinds of emergencies and her ability to enter into any situation and quickly learn what is needed is clearly an asset. Aureet is highly motivated, eager to learn, and works well with others.
She has all the makings of an excellent clinician -- a substantial grounding in theory, a gift for analytical thought, good communication skills, the ability to use the expertise of others properly, and sincere concern for the well being of others.
Denny Reidy, M.S.
July 14, 1982, Developmental Services for
Children, San Jose, California
Aureet Hassan has worked for our agency, Developmental Services for Children, in the capacity of Residential Counselor. She worked at our house that served a co-ed population, ranging in age from 9 - 17 years. These are clients that are coming from extremely dysfunctional family backgrounds, causing emotional and behavioral problems, resulting in incarceration into the juvenile justice system.
As a Residential Counselor, Aureet was adept in the use of behavior therapy techniques and communication skills, and able to form close and supportive relationships with the residents. Aureet was involved in the development of clinical case plans and contributed to the design of the overall clinical program. In doing this she showed her knowledge and skills in the principles of learning theory.
Aureet helped to maintain a positive nurturing environment. She facilitated growth and learning in various areas, such as: interpersonal awareness and communication skills, life-management skills, health care and nutrition, and general knowledge of the world and life. Some of this was done through individual and group counseling.
Aureet was also involved in the process of screening and determining the appropriateness of referred clients for the residential program. She maintained daily logs used in recording and evaluating the progress of clients and also was responsible for quarterly progress reports on clients.
Besides all her clinical work, Aureet also aided in maintaining the household for these six children. By this, I mean, she fulfilled the needs of the children in such areas as: coordinating medical and dental appointments, assisting in the area of educational needs and general upkeep of the residence. She was responsible for budgeting and maintaining a record of weekly household expenses. Aureet also planned and implemented various recreational activities and outings.
Aureet is a very responsible individual and works well with her peers and supervisors. She is able to develop warm and trusting relationships with both clients and associates. Aureet brings with her a positive attitude and extreme talent. She is eager to expand her knowledge and is able to listen to constructive criticism.
I wish her success in her future and highly recommend her for any position which she might pursue.
Prof. Oliva Espin
May 28, 1981, Boston University
....Sixty-eight students from a variety of disciplines were registered for this course during Fall semester 1980. All of them, except Aureet were graduate students.
In spite of her being the only undergraduate student in the course, Aureet obtained the highest grade. Her contributions to the discussions and the quality of her written work were outstanding.
I believe that Aureet is extremely intelligent, knowledgeable and responsible in her work. Her work in MH801 as well as all my contacts with her testify to her intellectual capacity and professional commitment. She will be a valuable addition to any place of employment or graduate program she chooses.
