Post-Trauma Personal Statement

It was not until a young age that my mother told me she was a victim of sexual assault. A sensitive issue, I was taught that it was impolite to ask about and therefore not to mention it. However, I remained curious about the possible post-traumatic consequences and how they factored into my mother’s life. I strived to understand her past in order to help her. Now, I aim to help others like her. Through my exploration of the various sectors of psychology, I have found trauma therapy the most captivating. After attaining necessary degrees and certification, I aim to provide psychological services to adults who have suffered from various types of trauma. I plan to focus on adults who have a past history of molestation, domestic violence, sexual assault, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I believe,

There, I oversaw and worked on multiple asylum cases, devising preparatory trial paperwork and actively participating in conducted interviews. Communicating with political asylum clients, through a heavy cultural barrier, I developed an eye-opening understanding of the psychological and physical scarring left from issues such as false imprisonment, major depressive disorder, vaginal mutilation, and excessive mental and physical torture. In addition, I gained further experience as an intern for a domestic violence non-profit (Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence), interacting with a diverse population of victims of verbal, physical, and/or child abuse, where I gained an understanding unaccustomed to the general public. By placing major emphasis on being a “survivor,” as opposed to a victim, I acquired a different perspective on treating and evaluating those who’ve undergone trauma. Not only did this contribute to my desire to pursue a career in psychology, but also taught me to remain supportive to those in need of psychiatric aid by not necessarily labeling them