Letter from the Editor ……. page 2 Credits …………………...….page 3 Table of Contents Graduate Corner Choosing a Graduate School By: Sara Babad.…………………...………...page 35 So You Want to be a Clinical Researcher? By: Samuel Salomon…………………..….page 37 Interview with a Graduate Student: Kevonte M. Mitchell By: Irena Pergjika………………………......page 39 Poetry Corner Saddest Reflection By: Rodshel Ustayev……………...……….page 56 Therapist’s Corner A Neuropsychological Case Study: Test Your Diag- nostic Skills………………………………………………..page 42 Diagnose a TV Character: Michael Scott from The Office By: Zaki Akam…………………………….….page 43 Movie Review A Beautiful Mind: A Plot Analysis through the Lens of Schizophrenia By: Miriam Feintuch……………………….page 45 Personal Reflections Meltdown on the Subway Train By: Yaakov Bressler…………………...…..page 48 Achy Breaky Heart By: Albert A. Mitta……………………..….page 51 Diary of a Sufferer By: Rivkah Rosenberger…………...…...page 52 Articles Psychological Trauma Bullying: The Cruel and Dangerous Harassment By: Amanda Lanter …………………………..page 4 The Psychoanalysis of a Tyrant By: Rodshel Ustayev ………………………..page 9 War and Its Psychological Impact on Children By: Isabella Poloes ……………………...…….page 11 Hurricane Sandy: A Social psychologist’s Point of View By: George Abadeer ………………………...page 13 Depression By: Irena Pergjika ………………………...….page 15 Self in Society Effect of Sibling Relationship on Childhood Develop- ment By: Amanda Stavruch………………….…...page 17 Introverts VS. Extroverts By: Judy Tan………………………………….….page 23 The Psyche of Being a Bulldog By: Geena Bell…………………………………..page 25 Experimental Research Effects of Alcohol Withdrawal on Brain Reward Function and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Rats By: Joey Bukai……………………………..…..page 27
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Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor ……. page 2
Credits …………………...….page 3
Table of Contents
Graduate Corner Choosing a Graduate School
By: Sara Babad.…………………...………...page 35
So You Want to be a Clinical Researcher?
By: Samuel Salomon…………………..….page 37
Interview with a Graduate Student: Kevonte M. Mitchell
By: Irena Pergjika………………………......page 39
Poetry Corner Saddest Reflection
By: Rodshel Ustayev……………...……….page 56
Therapist’s Corner A Neuropsychological Case Study: Test Your Diag-
nostic Skills………………………………………………..page 42
Diagnose a TV Character: Michael Scott from The Office
By: Zaki Akam…………………………….….page 43
Movie Review A Beautiful Mind: A Plot Analysis through the Lens
of Schizophrenia
By: Miriam Feintuch……………………….page 45
Personal Reflections Meltdown on the Subway Train
By: Yaakov Bressler…………………...…..page 48
Achy Breaky Heart
By: Albert A. Mitta……………………..….page 51
Diary of a Sufferer
By: Rivkah Rosenberger…………...…...page 52
Articles Psychological Trauma
Bullying: The Cruel and Dangerous Harassment
By: Amanda Lanter …………………………..page 4
The Psychoanalysis of a Tyrant
By: Rodshel Ustayev ………………………..page 9
War and Its Psychological Impact on Children
By: Isabella Poloes ……………………...…….page 11
Hurricane Sandy: A Social psychologist’s Point of
View
By: George Abadeer ………………………...page 13
Depression
By: Irena Pergjika ………………………...….page 15
Self in Society
Effect of Sibling Relationship on Childhood Develop-
ment
By: Amanda Stavruch………………….…...page 17
Introverts VS. Extroverts
By: Judy Tan………………………………….….page 23
The Psyche of Being a Bulldog
By: Geena Bell…………………………………..page 25
Experimental Research
Effects of Alcohol Withdrawal on Brain Reward
Function and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Rats
By: Joey Bukai……………………………..…..page 27
Letter from the Editor
Page 2
Dear Readers,
Trauma, a blow to the psyche—a shattering of what we thought we knew with the painful realization that we
are human and therefore vulnerable. A realization that life is unfair and that people can be cruel.
In this issue, some of our articles explore the different forms of trauma—from bullying to Hurricane Sandy—
to the trauma children who are raised amidst armed conflict experience—our writers inform us of the psycho-
logical, social, and political effects of trauma.
While no one should ever have to undergo trauma of any kind, it is often the resulting pain and brokenness
that serves as the impetus for growth. A renewed strength, a deeper awareness about life and an increased
empathy for others emerges.
If you are ever broken, rebuild; if wounded, heal. The scars are there to remind you that no matter what you
have been through, you are alive. So, dream big, love, and be kind.
This is the third issue of Lying on the Couch. The threefold growth over the past year is beautiful. We are
glad students are taking to these pages as we thought they should. We have many more writers from different
disciplines and backgrounds who offer a unique and interdisciplinary perspective to psychology—from an
article on the psychology of sports to an article exploring the psychoanalytic underpinnings of politics—we
marvel at how psychology underlies everything.
Eclectic submissions line these pages such as a neuropsychological case study, the diary of a young man who
suffers from a mental illness and an article where a student diagnoses a popular TV character, Michael Scott,
from The Office.
Featured in this issue is "the Graduate Corner” which gives you inside information regarding graduate pro-
grams, the application process, and the ins and outs of graduate school.
Lastly, our cover addresses the different paths one can take in psychology. It is difficult to make a decision
with all the different pros and cons; but, again, follow your dreams, follow your passion. As Steve Jobs said,
"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to
"My MBTI Personality Type - MBTI Basics - Extraversion or
Introversion." My MBTI Personality Type - MBTI Basics - Ex-
traversion or Introversion. The Myers Briggs Foundation, n.d.
Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
“Interacting with large groups of people does not automatically
make one an extrovert. .”
Page 25
Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is ninety
percent mental. The other half is physical." For
those who don’t know, Yogi Berra was a major
league baseball player for the New York Yankees.
I think the famous aforementioned “Yogi-issm” is
applicable to every sport one can think of.
Now of course a major leaguer doesn’t
have to worry about such things as writing papers,
taking tests, or giving presentations like college
students. Imagine having to be preoccupied about
these things as well as playing a sport for one’s
college. A major league player just has to do one
thing, and that one thing is to perform well.
As a member of the Women’s Brooklyn Col-
lege Softball Team and as a liberal arts major, I can
attest to the fact that there’s a large psychological fac-
tor in playing a sport at a college level.
When a non-athlete observes a sporting event
such as a tennis match or a basketball game at a higher
level, it is difficult for them to truly appreciate the
physiological and psychological components that are
involved within an athlete performing a sport. Analo-
gous to Chess, an athlete must be two to three steps
literally and figuratively, ahead of their opponent. One
has to anticipate where to throw the ball to them or
how fast the runner is and which base to throw to. It’s
safe to say (pun intended) that athletes are dependent
on their ability to react to a stimulus in a minimal
Volume 2, Issue 1
The Psyche of Being a Bulldog
By: Geena Bell
Page 26
Lying on the Couch
amount of time (also known as reaction time).
Multitasking is an important element while playing
any sport. An athlete must be cognizant of what is
occurring at all times. Being able to do these things
simultaneously is vital and we have our frontal
lobe, specifically our orbitofrontal cortex to thank
for this.
Playing a sport is of a dual nature, having a
physical aspect (such as eye and hand coordina-
tion) and a psychological (mental) aspect. This
psychological aspect is just as, if not more im-
portant than it’s physical counterpart. Without our
parietal lobe (or “dorsal lobe”) we would have no
sense of sensory perception. Not only would our
judgments be impaired, an athlete would have no
awareness of their bodies. (Not to mention our oc-
cipital lobe, which allows us to see the actual ball!)
One would think that the mindset of an ath-
lete who plays on a team sport can be considered
somewhat different that that of an athlete who
plays an individual sport. Obviously, a more col-
lectivist approach exists within a team sport. Put-
ting on the same uninform as nine other people and
looking as part of a team makes a person feel im-
portant and have a sense of belonging. Not to men-
tion the fact that looking uniform and organized
can be intimidating to the other team. Appearance
plays a major role in athletics as well. Putting on
our uniforms with “Brooklyn” written across our
chest makes one feel proud of their school and
confident. As we know from Gestalt Psychology,
“the whole is greater than its parts.” A team is the
sum of its athletes, be it talent-wise or even person-
ality-wise. Likewise, a team is greater than just
each of its individual players. The strength of one
player is another player’s weakness. Each player
“The mind of an athlete at
the college level is constantly
in motion.”
on a team complements the next.
Although it may sound cliché, we must realize
that as college athletes, scholastics takes priority
over sports (as much as I hate to admit it). Sadly, I
know that my years of competitive fastpitch softball
are winding down. However, the competitive psyche
that I have retained from playing sports has helped me
in various ways. I feel that an athlete learns to be dis-
ciplined and to work hard, and eat right, and knows
that nothing comes easily. “You reap what you sow.”
For a college athlete, practice at 6:30 at night is
something to look forward to after a long day of
school. It’s nice to be able to give one’s “mind” a rest
and just forget about tomorrow's psychology test for
several hours. Don’t forget about those endorphins
too! Adrenaline (epinephrine) is secreted by the adren-
al medulla gland into the bloodstream , making an ath-
lete feel excited as they play.
In psychology, we are often taught about
memory, be it short term or long term memory. In
sports, when an athlete makes a mistake they are en-
couraged to let it go, or shake it off. Of course, making
a mistake that results in giving up the game winning
point, I would say, is a little hard to forget.
The mind of an athlete at the college level (or
higher) is constantly in motion. Being an athlete, play-
ing a sport entails much more than just being physical-
ly fit (although that is tremendously important as
well). I think athletes, especially young college ath-
letes, can learn a great deal from past players such as
Yogi Berra. This Yankee great was a real athlete who
had not only brawn, but brains as well.
In September of 2012, Brooklyn College
opened their new athletic field. Come watch your
Brooklyn Bulldogs compete on their brand new field!
See you there!
GO BULLDOGS!!
Page 27
Lying on the Couch
By: Joey Bukai
Introduction:
Alcohol addiction is a chronic disorder
characterized by the recurrent, uncontrollable con-
sumption of alcohol, development of tolerance,
symptoms of withdrawal, and relapse after periods
of withdrawal. Withdrawal from chronic and ex-
cessive alcohol consumption in humans is marked
by physical symptoms that include sweating, in-
creased heart rate, tremors, and fever, as well as by
emotional symptoms, including anxiety and de-
pression. Most symptoms are caused by an in-
creased presence of excitatory Glutamate neuro-
transmitters in the brain. The increased presence of
these excitatory neurotransmitters causes sensitivi-
ty in neurons relative to GABA neurotransmitters,
which inhibit the firing of neurons. The brain pro-
duces more Glutamate during alcohol withdrawal
in an effort to lessen the inhibitory effect of GABA
neurotransmitters, an effect consistently enhanced
during chronic alcohol consumption.
Rogers et al (1979) have utilized animal
models to more closely examine the negative ef-
fects associated with alcohol withdrawal. Findings
reveal that discontinuing exposure to addictive al-
cohol vapor causes elevations in brain-reward
thresholds in a discrete-trial intracranial self-
stimulation conducted on rats. In Intracranial self-
stimulation (ICSS), electrodes are implanted into
or near the nucleus accumbens, the area of the
brain responsible for initiating feelings of pleasure.
The rats in the study were able to activate the elec-
trodes through operation of an apparatus. The ap-
proximate number of Microamperes required to
induce responses which activate the electrodes is
called the brain-reward threshold. Elevations in the
brain-reward-threshold indicate a deficit in brain-
reward function. This deficit can be attributed to the
chronic stimulation of Dopamine receptors in the
brain activated by alcohol, known for producing feel-
ings of euphoria, as the brain develops a tolerance to
stimulation of the receptors.
The aforementioned study, however, only pro-
vides information about rats exposed to a vapor diet
of alcohol, and this study sought to examine the ef-
fects of withdrawal from a chronic liquid alcohol diet
on brain-reward function. Beside the neurobiological
effects illustrated, the emotional symptoms of with-
drawal have been shown to persist for as long as 10
years. Therefore the current study also sought to in-
vestigate this effect in rats exposed to a liquid alcohol
diet.
Materials and Methods:
Male Winstar rats were used in this experi-
ment in accordance with the NIH guidelines regarding
the principles of animal care. They were pair-matched
by weight to control for differences in weight, and
The Effects of Alcohol Withdrawal on Brain-Reward Function and
Anxiety-Like Behavior in Rats
Daria Rylkova, Hina P. Shah, Elysia Small and Adrie W. Bruinzeel
Page 28
Lying on the Couch
were fed equal amounts of calories whether they
were on the alcohol or the control diet in order to
control for variations in calorie consumption.
Brain-reward thresholds were tested for in
the experiment through the discrete-trial ICSS
threshold procedure. The procedure consisted of a
series of stimulations of varying current intensities
that were issued to test for responses by rats to re-
activate similar shocks. Thresholds for the proce-
dure were defined as the current intensity at which
the rat responded approximately 50% of the time.
Above this threshold intensity the rat would re-
spond and reactivate the stimulus more frequently,
and below it the rat would respond less frequently.
Response latencies were defined as the amount of
time it took a rat to respond, when it did.
The emotional symptoms of alcohol with-
drawal as exhibited by anxiety were examined us-
ing an elevated plus maze, an apparatus that con-
sisted of 4 “arms” produced by intersecting two
platforms just wide enough for a rat to walk on.
Two arms were walled and two arms were “open”.
The tested rat would be placed in the center, and
the number of entries - along with length of stay -
were recorded. “Anxious” rats would spend less
time on the open arms because rats feel more com-
fortable in walled spaces while less anxious rats
would stay longer.
In the first experiment, after all the rats
were trained on the ICSS procedure, the control
rats received the liquid control diet for 12 weeks
and the alcohol rats were gradually introduced to a
liquid alcohol diet of 6.2% (v/v) for the same
amount of time. However, at the end of weeks 3, 4,
5, and 12, all of the rats were put on the control diet
and ICSS thresholds with response latencies were as-
sessed. All rats were then tested on the ICSS proce-
dure again after the 12 week diet and response laten-
cies were recorded.
In the second experiment, the liquid diets were
maintained the same way, but there were no with-
drawal periods during the 12 weeks. Additionally,
ICSS thresholds and response latencies were tested
for after the 12 weeks from 6-72 hours when all rats
were on the control diet. All rats were tested in the
elevated plus maze during this period.
In the third experiment, the control rats re-
ceived the liquid control diet for 12 weeks and the
alcohol rats were gradually introduced to a liquid al-
cohol diet of 10.0% (v/v) for the same amount of
time. ICSS thresholds and response latencies were
assessed throughout the 12 weeks in order to monitor
changes in brain-reward function, and also after the
weeks from 6-72 hours when all rats were on the con-
trol diet. All rats were tested in the elevated plus maze
during this period. In order to investigate the effects
of history of alcohol addiction on the sensitivity to a
stressor, half of each group of rats was confined to a
small container and half wasn’t. After the restraint
stress was administered, all rats were tested in the ele-
vated plus maze. Following the elevated plus maze
tests, the alcohol liquid diet was reintroduced for
eight more weeks, after which it was withdrawn and
ICSS thresholds with response latencies were as-
sessed.
Results:
Experiment 1:
The first figure illustrates the average ICSS thresholds
for both the alcohol group and the control group.
. “Withdrawal from chronic and excessive alcohol consumption in humans is
marked by physical symptoms that include sweating, increased heart rate, tremors,
and fever, as well as by emotional symptoms, including anxiety and depression.”
Page 29
These thresholds, as the title indicates, mark the
“baseline” from which the brain-reward function of
the rats was examined in the following ICSS tests.
Elevated ICSS thresholds are indicative of de-
creased brain-reward function, as higher current
intensities are required to activate the reward path-
way in the rats’ brains in a pleasurable manner. In
this figure, it is apparent that the introduction of
liquid diets caused a slight but significant increase
in brain-reward thresholds. Overall, however, there
was no significant difference between the thresh-
olds of the two groups.
The second figure illustrates that there was
no significant difference between the response la-
tencies of the 2 groups as well. The third & fourth
figures respectively show after the withdrawal pe-
riod that brain-reward thresholds weren’t even
slightly different except for the last withdrawal pe-
riod and that response latencies remained similar.
Experiment #2:
The first figure shows that 12 hours after
withdrawal from the 12 weeks sustained liquid al-
cohol diet (6.2%), brain-reward thresholds of the
alcohol rats were nearly 20% higher than they were
the day before, as opposed to the control rats
whose thresholds stayed the same. This effect how-
ever, lessened with time. The second figures
demonstrates no difference in latencies (in %).
Experiment #3:
The first figure of this experiment depicts
the descent of brain reward-thresholds over the 12
week liquid diet (10.0%) period, yet shows that the
alcohol rats had significantly higher thresholds rel-
ative to the control rats. The second figure illus-
trates a similar trend with the response latencies.
The third and fourth figures respectively show that
reward thresholds and response latencies for the
alcohol rats were nearly 30% than those of the con-
trol rats. It is also apparent that the effect lasted
longer than it did in the first experiment. The fifth
histogram depicts the percentage of open arm entries,
time spent there, and number of unprotected/protected
head dips during the elevated plus maze test. The al-
cohol rats had a significantly lower percentage of all
The first figure illustrates the average ICSS thresholds for both the alcohol group and the control group. These thresholds, as the title indicates, mark the “baseline” from which the brain-reward function of the rats was examined in the following ICSS tests. Elevated ICSS thresholds are indicative of decreased brain-reward function, as higher current intensities are required to activate the reward pathway in the
rats’ brains in a pleasurable manner. In this figure, it is apparent that the introduction of liquid diets caused a slight but significant increase in brain-
reward thresholds Overall, however, there was no significant difference between the thresholds of the
Volume 2, Issue 1
Page 30
Lying on the Couch
variables, especially when exposed to restraint
stress as illustrated in the sixth histogram. The fi-
nal figure shows an extreme, 40% difference be-
tween the thresholds of the alcohol rats after the 20
weeks of 10.0 % alcohol diet and a smaller differ-
ence when it came to response latencies.
Discussion:
The aim of the three experiments was to
investigate the effect of alcohol concentration in a
liquid diet and its duration of exposure on brain-
reward function and anxiety-like behavior. It was
found that withdrawal from the alcohol diets
caused a deficit in brain-reward function. Yet, this
result was present in relation to alcohol concentra-
tion and duration of administration. It is also wor-
thy to note that continual withdrawals may potenti-
ate anxiety-like behavior as demonstrated by Over-
street and colleagues, but apparently not in brain-
reward function as evidenced by figure three of the
first experiment.
In the first experiment, the alcohol group rats
were ultimately exposed to an intermittent 6.2% alco-
hol diet, and their ICSS thresholds were only margin-
ally (<10%) higher after the last withdrawal period,
indicating that a deficit in brain-reward function starts
to become apparent after prolonged exposure to an
alcohol liquid diet.
In the second experiment, the alcohol rats
were fed the same diet, but this time consistently for
the full 12-week period. As a result, the alcohol-fed
rats displayed a nearly twofold increase (<19%) in
percent elevation of brain-reward thresholds over the
control group 12 hours after withdrawal. However,
this deficit in brain-reward function almost disap-
peared over the following days, which suggests that
even with prolonged exposure to alcohol, brain-
The second figure illustrates that there was no significant difference between the re-
sponse latencies of the 2 groups as well.
The third & fourth figures respectively show after the withdrawal peri-
od that brain-reward thresholds weren’t even slightly different except for the
last withdrawal period and that response latencies remained similar.
Page 31
Volume 2, Issue 1
1. The first figure shows that 12 hours after
withdrawal from the 12 weeks sustained
liquid alcohol diet (6.2%), brain-reward
thresholds of the alcohol rats were nearly
20% higher than they were the day be-
fore, as opposed to the control rats whose
thresholds stayed the same. This effect
however, lessened with time.
2. The second figures demonstrates no dif-
ference in latencies (in %).
The first figure of this experiment depicts the de-
scent of brain reward-thresholds over the 12
week liquid diet (10.0%) period, yet shows that
the alcohol rats had significantly higher thresh-
olds relative to the control.
The second figure illustrates a similar trend with
the response latencies.
Page 32
The fifth histogram depicts the percent- age of open arm entries, time spent there, and num-ber of unprotected/protected head dips during the elevated plus maze test. The alcohol rats had a significant-ly lower percentage of all variables, especially when exposed to restraint stress as illustrated in the sixth histo-gram.
Figure 6
The third and fourth figures respectively show that reward thresholds and response latencies for the alcohol rats
were nearly 30% than those of the control rats. It is also apparent that the effect lasted longer than it did in the first
experiment.
Page 33
Volume 2, Issue 1
Lying on the Couch
reward function returns to normalcy over a short
amount of time. Response latencies and anxiety
levels were measured, but no real differences be-
tween the groups were observed.
The third experiment sought to examine the
effect of alcohol concentration on brain-reward
deficit through the administration of a 10.0% alco-
hol liquid diet, and it was found that severe deficits
developed in the alcohol-fed rats as opposed to the
control rats (Figure 1 in Exp. 3). Also, the differ-
ence between the two groups became markedly
steeper the longer the diet lasted, with the alcohol
rats exhibiting thresholds nearly 30% higher than
the control rats after 12 weeks, and almost 40%
higher after 20. These two findings indicate that
both duration of exposure and concentration of al-
cohol content in a liquid diet contribute to deficits
in brain-reward function, which can be explained
due to the constant and excessive stimulation of
Dopamine receptors in the brain. The alcohol rats
also displayed increased anxiety-lie behavior, and
even after they were withdrawn from the alcohol
diet for a while, showed increased sensitivity to
stressors. This can be explained by brain memory
which links stress to addiction in order to maintain
the addiction. Lastly, although the response laten-
cies did change markedly in the third experiment,
they weren’t related to reward thresholds, as some-
times thresholds were elevated while latencies were
not. The elevated latencies might also be due to the
sedative effects of constant alcohol consumption.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate that withdrawal from
prolonged exposure to an increased concentration of
10.0% (v/v) alcohol in a liquid diet leads to signifi-
cant deficit in brain-reward function, and immediate
and protracted anxiety-like behavior in rats. When the
concentration was lower (6.2%), the deficit in reward
was less pronounced and anxiety was barely in-
creased.
Works Cited:
Adrie Bruijnzeel, et al. "Deficit In Brain Reward Function And Acute And Protracted Anxiety-Like Behavior After Discontinuation Of A Chronic Alcohol Liquid Diet In Rats." Psychopharmacology 203.3
(2009): 629-640. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 May 2013.
Overstreet, David H., Darin J. Knapp, and George R. Breese. "Pharmacological Modulation Of Repeated Ethanol Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior Differs In Alcohol-Preferring P And Sprague–Dawley Rats." Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior 81.1
(2005): 122-130. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 May 2013.
Rogers J, Wiener SG, Bloom FE (1979) Long-term ethanol ad-
ministration methods for rats: advantages of inhalation over intu-
bation or liquid diets. Behav Neural Biol 27:466–486
Page 34
Page 35
Introductory Thoughts: For those of you who are interested in a ca-
reer in psychology, the following brief overview
might be helpful. It’s heavily based on Professor
Miles’ bi-annual talk on graduate school options,
but I’ve noticed that even people who attended the
talk are still in need of clarification concerning the
graduate application process.
There are two aspects to the
field of psychology: research and appli-
cation. Put differently, it’s both the pro-
gressive research and the clinical aspect
of applying that research to patient care,
which constitutes the discipline. Within
the research domain, the topics of re-
search are extensive and varied. Some
that come to mind are creativity, cogni-
tion, behavior, emotion, memory, pathology, per-
ception, and many more. If you’re interested in the
research aspect, you would be spending your career
in a lab, generating and testing hypotheses. The
clinical component has many options as well; you
can work in a hospital, prison, school, or in a pri-
vate practice. Some graduate programs focus exclu-
sively on one aspect and some on both, to varying
degrees.
A Breakdown of the Broad Categories of Schooling Available:
What follows is a spectrum of programs
ranging from pure research to pure clinical work:
PhD Programs
PhD Programs are research-based and mul-
tifaceted. PhD students are expected to work in a
research lab, doing their own independent projects
that culminate in a dissertation which is presented
to a board. Only after
properly defending one’s dissertation can a student
“graduate” a PhD program. PhD programs also in-
clude a clinical component, but to varying degrees.
Some are equally focused on both research and pa-
tient care, but others hardly focus on the latter at
all. If you’re interested in attending a PhD pro-
gram, you will need to do a lot of research to find
the one that’s best for you. These pro-
grams typically take between 6 and 7
years to complete. Upon completion,
you are a Doctor of Psychology.
This does not mean that you are
a licensed psychologist who can see pa-
tients; it means you are qualified to con-
duct research. In order to become a psy-
chologist who can own a private prac-
tice, you would have to sit for the licens-
ing exam. If you passed, you would then be a psy-
chologist and a researcher. People often do not re-
alize that these are two entirely separate things.
So, what if you want to sit for the licensing
exam, but are not interested in the research aspect
at all. Can you just take the exam?
The simple answer is, no. The test is only
administered to those who are deemed to have had
adequate exposure to and possess knowledge of
practical psychology. So what can you do to quali-
fy and prepare yourself for the exam without hav-
ing to get a PhD? Fear not, for you have many op-
tions!
.PsyD Programs
The PsyD program was created to put a
stronger emphasis on clinical work than most PhD
programs have. To this end, PsyD programs are
shorter than PhD programs (only 5 years) and are
Lying on the Couch
Choosing a Graduate School By: Sara Babad
Page 36
heavily research-based, although there is some re-
search component. You are required to do an exten-
sive amount of supervised clinical work, but you do
not need to defend a dissertation on original re-
search if you get a PsyD. Additionally, you can sit
for the licensing exam and become a licensed psy-
chologist. If you’re interested in working with peo-
ple and not research, this is an excellent option. You
won’t get to have the title of doctor, but that’s the
only difference between PhD and PsyD when it
comes to being a psychologist. This option does in-
clude some research, so if you absolutely hate the
idea of research, read on because there are options
for you too!
MHC Programs
A Masters in Mental Health Counseling
(MHC) is a 2 year (roughly 60 credits) program that
focuses only on clinical work. You graduate with a
Masters in Mental Health Counseling, but are then
required to do 1-2 years of supervised work. After
that, you can prepare for the licensing exam that
would allow you to be a clinician who can own a
private practice and see patients. Clinically, there is
nothing a PhD or PsyD can do that a MHC can’t.
The drawback to this program is that you are not a
doctor of psychology. Also, you are not as well
trained to work with severely pathological popula-
tions as you would be if you were in a PsyD or PhD
program. Instead, you would mostly work with pa-
tients who have anxiety or depression.
MSW Programs
The third option for those interested in a ca-
reer in psychology is to become a licensed Social
Worker (LSW). It is comprised of a 2 year (45 cred-
its) Masters program, plus 1 year of supervised
work. After completion of courses, you sit for an
exam and can become a licensed social worker.
These programs are much easier to get into that
PhD, PsyD, or MHC programs. The drawbacks to
this kind of program are that you’re not a doctor, and
you aren’t going to be working with people who have
serious mental disorders. You will probably not even
be working with people with anxiety and depression.
You would be a caseworker dealing mostly with so-
cial issues, like foster care, adoption, and poverty.
However, this is only a technicality. If you’re very
good at what you do, people won’t really notice the
alphabet soup after your name (but don’t quote me on
that).
Concluding Thoughts: I hope this has been helpful in informing you
of your options. I’m an undergraduate student just
like you and therefore don’t know everything, but
this information has been helpful to me. It’s not all
there is to know though, so be sure to do more re-
search of your own.
There’s just one thing you need to keep in
mind. Before you start applying to graduate schools,
be it one with masters, PsyD, PhD, or social work
programs, it’s important to know what you are look-
ing to do after graduate school. Students often forget
that graduate school is only a means to an end, not an
end unto itself. The goal of graduate school is not to
be in graduate school for the rest of your life. The
goal is to prepare yourself for a career that will inter-
est and excite you. When you’re looking into pro-
grams, you need to ask yourself what you want to do
and if that particular program will help get you there.
To conclude, it’s important to consider where you
want to go after graduate school before you even ap-
ply.
—————————————————————
Special thanks to Professor Miles for her bi-annual
discussion on graduate school options and to Profes-
sor Hainline for her guidance.
Volume 2, Issue 1
Page 37
Hello, my name is Samuel Salamon. I’m a
first-time contributor to Lying on the Couch, and a
long time (in student years) affiliate of our beloved
Brooklyn College. I graduated from Brooklyn Col-
lege in the February of 2013, with a Bachelor of Arts
in psychology. I have gone through the trials and
tribulations that are specially afforded to us students,
with the aim of attaining a doctoral degree in clinical
psychology. Now that I am closer to the end of the
application process, I have decided to reflect on the
admissions process as a whole in an effort to better
guide those who wish to pursue this particular spe-
cialization in the near future.
Before delving into the details of the process,
it is important to reflect on several important mat-
ters: 1) Do you really want to pursue a doctoral de-
gree in clinical psychology? I know that sounds
basic and trivial, but I think everyone would benefit
from giving a matter of such magnitude the courtesy
of serious thought. 2) Okay, so you want to pursue a
doctoral degree in psychology, but which sort of de-
gree is best suited for you? Are you strictly interest-
ed in applied clinical psychology, in which case a
PsyD may be more fitting? Or perhaps you are inter-
ested in both the research and applied components of
clinical psychology, in which
case the PhD route may be your best option? This
question too is important to reflect upon. 3) Lastly,
do you know which areas of practice and/or re-
search you are interested in pursuing? While this
question may be less pressing than the previous
two, it nonetheless needs to be determined before
the application process begins (for reasons that will
be specified later).
Okay, it’s time to take a breather. I perfectly
understand what it’s like to face these questions
head-on, and I also know of the anxiety that may
follow from the mere thought of these questions
alone. Hang in there. You’ll be fine.
Are you ready?
Let’s continue. Assuming that you are now
settled in which type of clinical program you would
like to attend (if any), you now have to consider the
supplementary materials that are necessary to have
on-hand for the application process. First and fore-
most, you must set aside for yourself a sizable
amount of time to study for the GRE general test,
and if applicable, the subject test as well (testing
requirements vary from program to program, so be
sure to ascertain this information as soon as you
know which programs you are interested in attend-
ing). The GRE’s should not be taken lightly, so
please plan accordingly.
The next annoyance that is critical to the ap-
plication process is the crafting of a well thought-
out and refined personal statement. One of the de-
tails that is not very well known before constructing
a personal statement is the necessity to research the
faculty profiles of the faculty members of the pro-
gram you would like to attend. This is especially
important when applying to PhD programs, as most
of them function on a mentorship model with a fac-
Lying on the Couch
So You Want to Be a Clinical Researcher/Psychologist? By: Samuel Salamon
ulty member who has similar clinical interests (PsyD
programs are far less oriented toward mentorship
models of training, so this bit is not very important if
that is your chosen route). It is also a prospective stu-
dent pro-tip to contact faculty members via email di-
rectly before writing your personal statement. This
way, you can determine as to whether your desired
mentor is accepting any students for your incoming
semester (again, a point more relevant for PhD pro-
grams than PsyD programs). If a professor that you
would like to work with is accepting students, then
be sure mention their names in your personal state-
ment. However, if it so happens that there are no fac-
ulty members who share your interests (or if there
are, but they are not accepting new students), then
you may want to seriously consider looking into oth-
er programs.
The final annoyance is finding three profes-
sors/research advisors/clinical supervisors to write
letters of recommendation for you. This should be
done as soon as possible, since the last thing you
want is a pissed-off professor who is pressed for time
to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
Be cordial. Provide your recommenders with all the
proper materials they may need, such as pre-
addressed envelopes (if the institution you are apply-
ing to still requires physical submissions, **cough**,
Yeshiva University), your CV, and even an unofficial
copy of your transcript(s). Also, be sure that the per-
sons you choose to request these letters from know
you in a relatively personal capacity, and can attest to
your ability to become a good clinician, researcher,
or both (program pending).
Okay, now for the easy (-ier) stuff. The final
component of the application process is to always
keep on top of your transcripts, online applications
(don’t forget your usernames and passwords!), and
GRE scores. Unfortunately, sending transcripts and
GRE scores can be costly, especially on top of appli-
cation fees. But alas, this is a necessary evil … or so
we’re told. This pretty much summarizes a large por-
tion of the process, but be sure to be wary of the
quirky requirements of some programs. On occasion,
you will encounter a program that requires infor-
mation or materials that aren’t required by others,
such as the need for two transcripts from every at-
tended institution (I don’t really understand this poli-
cy – perhaps they anticipate losing at least one copy
somewhere down the line), or the submission of other
program-specific documentation.
I do hope that this article serves to help my
fellow aspiring researchers and clinicians. If you
have any questions, or are interested in a template for