Student Spotlight: Annie Happel

Even before she was pursuing a degree in counseling psychology, Annie Happel was interested in talking to people about their lives. "I often found that while meeting with clients, I was more interested in learning about their personal lives than their projects," she says.

As a first-year daytime student in the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program, Happel is still sorting through what she wants her career in psychology to be. Due to in-person classes being moved online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has yet to attend a class at the Dwight Way campus. Despite attending all classes so far from her apartment, Happel has jumped into her career change headfirst.

Get to know Mary Clarke, PhD - Full-Time Faculty, Counseling Psychology Program

Mary Clarke, PhD, joined the Counseling Psychology Program faculty in 2017. She spoke with the Wright Institute's Dalton Green about how she became interested in psychology, her favorite courses to teach, and how the mental health field can improve LBGTQIA representation.

Dalton Green (DG): How did you become interested in psychology as a career?

Student Spotlight: Anahat Singh

Wright Institute Clinical Psychology Program student Anahat Singh recently presented at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) conference, winning an award for her poster. Singh's poster, "Survivorship Wellness Group Program: Increasing Gastrointestinal Cancer Survivor Participation and Engagement through Automatic Referrals." was co-authored with Alison Chang, Mikela Barulich, Dianne Shumay, PhD, Margaret Chesney, PhD, and Jamie Cohen, PsyD.

Singh, who is in her fourth year in the program, is writing her dissertation on the experience of depression in survivors of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. "I'm looking to see if psychological flexibility and values-based living are perhaps protective factors against depression," she says. "If so, then how can we use them as preventative modes of therapy, rather than waiting until somebody is already experiencing depression?"

Clinical Services Director Deanna van Ligten Reflects on One Year of the Pandemic

In March of 2020, the Wright Institute Clinic was faced with the decision to close its doors and move its services online. Deanna van Ligten, PsyD, the Wright Institute's Director of Clinical Services, recalls conversations she had early in that month, when so much seemed uncertain. "I remember asking myself, 'do we just have to cancel all of our services this week?'" says van Ligten of the week of March 9, 2020.

Wright Institute Faculty Contribute to AAMFT Leadership Symposium

Two Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program Core Faculty Members, Ulash Dunlap and Kristin Dempsey, contributed to events at the 2021 American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Leadership Symposium in March. This year, the AAMFT held a virtual conference, consisting of a mixture of pre-recorded and live presentations.

David Lin '05, PsyD, elected President-Elect of California Psychological Association

David Lin, PsyD, a 2005 graduate of the Wright Institute Clinical Psychology Program has been elected as President-elect of the California Psychological Association (CPA), the largest state psychological association in the nation.

Lin has spent much of his time since graduating working within the San Mateo County Health system, and currently holds the position of Chief Behavioral Health Officer at Ellipsis Health. Lin's role within San Mateo County Health was to create an integrated primary care behavioral health clinic. This clinic was focused on embedded behavioral health services, partnering with primary care providers and staff to meet the behavioral health needs of both mild and moderate cases.

Alumni Spotlight: Hazel Zetino, Class of 2016

Hazel Zetino, LMFT, graduated from the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program in 2016. She spoke with the Wright Institute's Dalton Green about her career since graduating, the non-profit she founded recently, and how being a student mentor set her up for future leadership roles.

Dalton Green (DG): Where have you been working since you graduated in 2016?

Student Spotlight: Adam Brown

"I think that most of us who are drawn to this field simply want to help people, and do good work for society. That ethos certainly reflects how I want to live my life."

Midway through his second and final year of the Counseling Psychology program, Adam Brown came to the Wright Institute in 2019 after nearly a decade working as a journalist in the diabetes field. Brown, who has lived with Type 1 Diabetes since he was 12 years old, has a passion for helping others who also live with the condition.

"I've always had a love of helping people cope with this chronic disease," Brown says. With an interest in the field of psychology and some encouragement from a few diabetes psychologists he knew, he decided to make a change and pursue a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology. When looking into programs in the Bay Area, the Wright Institute stood out as a good fit.

Counseling Psychology Program Faculty Host "Our Relationship with White Supremacy" Panel Discussion

On January 22nd, the Wright Institute Counseling Psychology Program core faculty hosted "Our relationship with white supremacy: Faculty perspectives from target and non-target membership," a webinar in which faculty shared their experiences with white supremacy with Counseling Psychology program students. Faculty panelists discussed their own experiences with multicultural/diversity courses that they took in their graduate careers, and shared what they learned, what they didn't, and how they continue to engage knowledge, skills and advocacy related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The event was the first in a three-part series; in the following parts, faculty members will discuss the concept of allyship and beloved community, and talk with students about the themes of the series.

Courtney Miller Wins 2020 Alameda County Psychological Association Dissertation Award

This month, Wright Institute Clinical Psychology student Courtney Miller was awarded the 2020 Alameda County Psychological Association (ACPA) Graduate Student Dissertation Award for her dissertation, “Bridging the Gap Between the Altar and the Therapist’s Office.” “I am honored to receive the 2020 ACPA Graduate Student Dissertation Award,” says Miller, “and I am thrilled to be able to use this award to further my research to impact my community.”

Miller’s study, “Bridging the Gap Between the Altar and the Therapist’s Office: A Needs Analysis for a Church-Based Mental Health Program from the Perspective of Pastors and Afican American Young Adult Congregants,” was designed to assess the attitudes, preferences, experiences, and needs for a church-based mental health program.