Novel Published by Yael Goldstein-Love

Yael Goldstein-Love, a fifth-year student in the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program and a graduate of the Counseling Psychology Program, published a new novel called The Possibilities.

"A new mother ventures into parallel worlds to find her missing child in this mind-bending novel that turns the joys and anxieties of parenthood into an epic quest." Read more about the book and order your own copy here.

People Magazine named it a Pick of the Week and said it was, "A powerful page-turner with deep wisdom." Good Morning America called it, "An original take on motherhood [that] taps into those primal feelings every nurturer feels—and fears."

Student Spotlight: Caitlin Firmage

“In one of the first classes I ever took at the Wright, Dr. Bharier shared the research finding that one of the best and most reliable predictors of outcomes in therapy is the therapeutic alliance or relationship (Bordin, 1979; Duncan and Miller, 2009; Horvath & Symonds, 1991; Martin, Garske, & Davis, 2000),” shared Caitlin Firmage, a student in the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology Program. “During a time when it felt like I had so much to learn and there were so many ways I could make possible mistakes as a new therapist, this discussion grounded me in remembering that, at its core, therapy is about building relationships with our clients based on respect, empathy, warmth, curiosity, and humility in the process.”

Instructor Spotlight: Nathan Greene, PsyD

“Learn to embrace being in a position of not knowing,” shared Nathan Greene, PsyD, a graduate of the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology Program and current Case Conference instructor. “There’s so much pressure in academic settings to show what you know, but as psychologists, we have to get very comfortable with tolerating existing in those murky gray areas of not knowing. That's where we learn the most about ourselves and other people.”

Alumni Spotlight: Caitlin Crum

“Psychology has intrigued me since childhood, and I’ve always been curious to look at people’s identities, interpersonal relatedness, and the challenges that we experience from multiple vantage points,” shared Caitlin Crum, who graduated from the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology Program in 2010.

Caiti was born in New York and grew up in southeastern Wisconsin. “We lived in a rural community and I spent a lot of time running around outside,” she recalled. “We didn’t have any neighbors close by and I had miles of beach and woods to explore.” Caiti was an only child, but developed very close friendships in her childhood with people she now considers her “chosen siblings.” From first through twelfth grade, she attended a rigorous college preparatory school. “The autonomy I developed early on and deep trust and connection with the earth around me were foundational to informing my values and identity,” she shared.

Instituto Familiar de la Raza’s Clinical Internship Program Receives Grant from Kaiser Permanente

"IFR recently received a $75,000 grant from a Kaiser Permanente fund at the East Bay Community Foundation to help increase the clinical trainees’ stipends, provide resources for more clinician supervision, and support culturally based trainings in various modalities and venues...The interns come from institutions including San Francisco State University, U.C. Berkeley, and The Wright Institute for 2 semesters of classes and supervised on-the-job training. Competition is steep to intern at IFR."

Read more here.

Obituary: Dr. Madeline McGinley

Madeline McGinley, a 2001 graduate of the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, passed away on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at her home.

"She worked for The Permanente Medical Group in various locations in the San Francisco Bay Area for 20 years. Madeline had a love of animals, adopting rescues and participating in many events benefiting various charities."

View her complete obituary here.

Obituary: Dr. Karen Postal

Karen Spangenberg Postal, a 1996 graduate of the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, passed away on March 20th, 2023 due to ovarian cancer.

"Dr. Postal was an exceptional clinical neuropsychologist, who valued and refined the art of communicating neuropsychology in clinical practice with her patients and in the forensic arena as an expert witness."

View her complete obituary here.

Alex Del Prete in the News

Alex Del Prete, a doctoral student in the Wright Institute's Clinical Psychology Program, was recently featured in Newswires. Del Prete led a Q&A with author Dorothy E. Roberts sponsored by San Francisco CASA, Homeless Prenatal Program and The Bar Association of San Francisco.

The Q&A explored "how racial bias in the U.S. welfare system leads to a disproportionate number of Black and Native American children taken from their families. In San Francisco County, nearly 46% of foster kids are Black while less than 5% of the city's child population is Black. Meanwhile, the high cost of living in San Francisco means 65% of foster youth are placed outside the Bay Area where more adults can afford to foster, but far from the childrens’ home communities, their schools, and their parents."

Read the full article here.

“Something that I feel really resonates with me at the Wright Institute is the power of community,” shared Erin McQueen, a second year student in the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology Program. “To be in one place with one group of people for a period of time, and to move through that experience together can be really supportive.”

“I have many reasons to be grateful for the work I do,” reflected Dr. Kristin Dempsey, full-time core faculty member in the Wright Institute’s Counseling Psychology Program. “I mostly think about how this work has given me meaning and has allowed me to participate in powerful work throughout my life. Good days or bad, I have always felt anchored in the fact that what I do matters.”

Dr. Dempsey grew up as the youngest of six children in a working class family in Mendocino County, California. Her father, a WWII veteran, worked in the logging industry and her mother stayed home with the children then later worked as a teacher. Dr. Dempsey attended rural public schools in Mendocino County, which suffered from a lack of resources. “I have really good memories,” she shared, “of being in touch with the natural world and going out and playing all day long with friends.”