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Received her Masters in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University in 2006. After graduating, Kate did her training at the Center for Healthy Development (CHD) in Santa Clara, where she worked intensively with abused children, teen domestic violence perpetrators and adults going through high-conflict divorce. Kate is the President of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SCV-CAMFT) and is also a first year candidate at The Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California in San Francisco. She has a busy private practice in Palo Alto where she sees children, couples, families and individual adults. Kate shares how it all began in her own words.
How did you find out about the MA in Counseling Psychology program at SCU and why did you choose to apply and ultimately enroll?
When I decided in 2003 to pursue the MFC license, I conducted research on local schools providing master's degrees in counseling psychology. I chose SCU for many reasons. I was attracted to programs that were part of larger universities because I wanted assurance of the stability of the institution and wanted to know that its faculty were well-supported. I also wanted a part-time program that would fit in to my life as a single mother. Finally, SCU gradates permeate the MFT profession in the Silicon Valley and I wanted to be a part of this dynamic network.
Did your experience in the program match your expectations?
My experience in the program surpassed my expectations. The quality of the faculty was exceptional. And while taking advantage of SCU's broad curriculum, I also found it possible to go deeply into my area of interest (psychoanalytic psychotherapy). I received an excellent theoretical and experiential education which prepared me well for professional life. In addition, I formed close bonds with my classmates. To this day, my SCU classmates form both a solid social and professional network. In addition to all of this, I enjoyed my learning experience at SCU and graduating from the program was thus bitter sweet.
What has been the value of your degree in your current work?
The degree led me to my MFC license. I have a very busy private practice in downtown Palo Alto where I see children, couples, families and individual adults. It has also launched me into current studies as a candidate at The Psychoanalytic Institute of Northern California in San Francisco where I anticipate getting a Certificate in Psychoanalysis as well as a doctorate.
Would you recommend the program to others and if so, why?
I would most definitely recommend the program to prospective students for the reasons listed above. However, becoming and MFT is a very long, arduous process, so I would only recommend it to people who are passionate about the work.