With research interests centering on serving Native American communities in mind, Shyanne shared that one of the most important reasons she knew Fordham’s counseling psychology program was for her is the response she got when she talked about those research interests – basically – “we will help you do that,” and “how can we help you pursue your clinical interests, too?” Other programs she considered told her simply that they didn’t do or support research focused on Native Americans.
Additional factors important to Shyanne were that she be able to pursue a counseling psychology program near her family on the East Coast, that whatever program she chose have a heavy emphasis on multiculturalism, and that the culture of the program be collaborative rather than competitive. During her interview at Fordham, she found all of that and more. “I’m thrilled to be in a program that values diversity, one where I’ll be exposed to working with a broad spectrum of clients,” she said. “My supervisors will have experience with culturally diverse populations and be able to teach me a great deal about working with all types of clients.”
Originally, it was a high school psychology course that sparked Shyanne’s interest in the field, although initially she thought she would pursue her undergraduate education as a first-generation student with a pre-med track in mind. Once in college, Shyanne quickly realized she was most interested in psychology, and determined to obtain her master’s in clinical mental health counseling. It became clear during her master’s studies that much of the existing research in mental health treatment has been done “by and for the use of white people.” Thus, Shyanne decided that although she was intimidated by that fact, she is also excited about doing research and clinical work to help fill that cultural gap in knowledge. She looks at her work as a way to honor Fordham’s commitment to cura personalis, because, she notes, “bringing your whole identify to the educational experience is beneficial for everyone.” She adds, “I also appreciate Fordham’s emphasis on self-care. None of us should lose our own identities; in fact, we should draw upon those identities to inform our work.”
Ultimately, Shyanne is looking forward to the exposure she’ll get to more evidence-based clinical practice, and to getting better versed in clinical techniques through supervision and research grounded in a multicultural perspective. She hopes to do research that will affect public policy, and wants to work on incorporating Native American traditions into mental health counseling settings through evidence-based, culturally-competent treatment and perhaps even teaching in the future.
