I vividly remember immigrating to the United States with my parents.

As my then youthful
mother hastily ran across the windy international tarmac at the airport with my rambunctious two
year-old brother and me, only four, I remember feeling a strong sense of responsibility to be my
mother's helper. Deeply driven by their spirituality, pride in their Korean heritage and a
remarkable work ethic, my parents left their familiar culture to start a new life in America, "the
land of opportunity" as my father would often say. However, in spite of the opportunities,
America in the 1960's lacked the political correctness towards multiculturalism that I as an adult,
or my own Amer-Asian children have come to know in the present. We learned to speak English
as quickly as possible to assimilate to this new culture. Academic excellence was also stressed as
a pathway to assimilation, so I worked very diligently in school. However, I was also motivated
in my academic pursuits by an insatiable love of learning, which along with my natural-born
curiosity for understanding people, and compassion for helping those in need, led to my career
decisions in psychology.

Although I arrived as a freshman at Northwestern University as an undecided major, I quickly

found that psychology was an ideal fit to who I was as a person. Crossing into adulthood with
my own life's questions, I found a profound sense of satisfaction in the intellectual growth and
personal insights gained through psychological theories and research. For example, I recognized
how our family’s “radical assimilation” affected my sense of identity, and I began to reconnect
my identity to my Asian roots and find pride in my heritage. By senior year, I knew I wanted to
help others find answers to their life’s questions.

One wedding, three children and a marriage and family therapist license later, I found myself
juggling the commitments of a private practice, in between gatherings with family and friends,
classroom visits and swim meets with my children, and the occasional date with my husband. I
was fulfilled in my personal life, but felt a growing desire to further develop my clinical skills,
and better understand the foundations of my clinical work through research. Thus, it was clear to
me that the next step for me professionally was to obtain my doctoral degree in clinical
psychology. With the support of my husband and now aged yet profoundly proud parents, I put
my private practice on hold and returned to the university.

My doctoral studies have been fueled by the love of learning, curiosity and compassion that led
me to choose psychology as a profession more than two decades ago. While I still have a sense
of youthful optimistic determination and energy, I now possess thoughtful discernment and a
diversity of perspectives that have developed over the years. My life journey has been
tremendously rewarding thus far, and I am excited about the new paths I will travel as I continue
in this profession as a clinical psychologist.

(500 words)
2. Please describe your theoretical orientation and how this influences your approach to
case conceptualization and intervention. You may use de-identified case material to
illustrate your points if you choose.
ADULT SITES: Northwestern, VA’s, Alexian, U of C

The theoretical approach guiding my clinical work is best described as integrationist with an
emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice. I am committed to a thorough and ongoing
assessment of current presenting problems and potential contributing factors, and a thoughtful
consideration of the unique combination of strengths and resources of each client in developing
an individualized treatment plan.

My intervention choices are primarily cognitive-behavioral: I draw from a number of CBT

approaches, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and
behavioral skills training and problem-solving. In addition, I have received training in
progressive muscle relaxation, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, and
exposure with response prevention, including interoceptive exposure, which I now incorporate
into my clinical work.

Although I am influenced mainly by cognitive-behavioral theories, I also rely on other theories,

such as systemic and developmental, especially in my case conceptualization and treatment
planning. For example, I use a solution-focused approach to guide the development of therapy
goals, asking clients what their lives were like before the problem began or when the problem is
not occurring. I also consider the individual needs of my client to tailor my interventions in a
developmentally sensitive manner. Non-specific factors, such as developing a strong therapeutic
alliance, and instilling a sense of hope for change are also important therapeutic elements. I have
found that this aspect of my clinical style not only allows my clients to feel understood and
accepted, but also facilitates their hopeful engagement in prescribed interventions.

A case that outlines my typical approach to working with adult clients involves a 35 year-old
Caucasian male who had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year triggered by a
work-related situation. He was presenting with residual depressive symptoms, which were
interfering with his ability to re-engage in his work. My goals for the initial session were to
establish trust and rapport, gather information towards an initial case conceptualization, instill
hope for change by normalizing his difficulties, and elicit feedback about the session and
expectations for therapy. We worked collaboratively to set therapeutic goals, and focused first on
behavioral activation-based interventions to help him fulfill work-related responsibilities and
regain a sense of mastery, followed by cognitive restructuring to equip him to respond more
adaptively to work related stressors in the future.
ADULT SITES (with child rotations): UW-Madison, UIC

The theoretical approach guiding my clinical work is best described as integrationist with an
emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice. I am committed to a thorough and ongoing
assessment of current presenting problems and potential contributing factors, and a thoughtful
consideration of the unique combination of strengths and resources of each client in developing
an individualized treatment plan. When working with children and adolescents, I believe it is
essential to work in collaboration with the parents. A clear discussion of parental expectations
for change when establishing therapeutic goals is vital. In addition, I often work with parents in
changing ineffective parenting strategies, and take a behavioral parent skills training approach.

My intervention choices are primarily cognitive-behavioral: I draw from a number of CBT

approaches, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and
behavioral skills training and problem-solving. In addition, I have received training in
progressive muscle relaxation, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, and
exposure with response prevention, including interoceptive exposure, which I now incorporate
into my clinical work.

Although I am influenced mainly by cognitive-behavioral theories, I also rely on other theories,

such as systemic and developmental, especially in my case conceptualization and treatment
planning. For example, I use a solution-focused approach to guide the development of therapy
goals, asking clients what their lives were like before the problem began or when the problem is
not occurring. I also consider the individual needs of my client to tailor my interventions in a
developmentally sensitive manner, such as using play-based assessment and therapy when
working with young children. Non-specific factors, such as developing a strong therapeutic
alliance, and instilling hope for change are also important therapeutic elements. I have found that
this aspect of my clinical style not only allows my clients to feel understood and accepted, but
also facilitates their hopeful engagement in prescribed interventions.

A case that outlines my typical approach to working with adult clients involves a 35 year-old
Caucasian male who had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year triggered by a
work-related situation. He was presenting with residual depressive symptoms, which were
interfering with his ability to re-engage in his work. My goals for the initial session were to
establish trust and rapport, gather information towards an initial case conceptualization, instill
hope for change by normalizing his difficulties, and elicit feedback about the session and
expectations for therapy. We worked collaboratively to set therapeutic goals, and focused first on
behavioral activation-based interventions to help him fulfill work-related responsibilities and
regain a sense of mastery, followed by cognitive restructuring to equip him to respond more
adaptively to work related stressors in the future. (474 words)
ADULT SITES: University Counseling Centers

The theoretical approach guiding my clinical work is best described as integrationist with an
emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice. I am committed to a thorough and ongoing
assessment of current presenting problems and potential contributing factors, and a thoughtful
consideration of the unique combination of strengths and resources of each client in developing
an individualized treatment plan.

My intervention choices are primarily cognitive-behavioral: I draw from a number of CBT

approaches, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and
behavioral skills training and problem-solving. In addition, I have received training in
progressive muscle relaxation, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, and
exposure with response prevention, including interoceptive exposure, which I now incorporate
into my clinical work.

Although I am influenced mainly by cognitive-behavioral theories, I also rely on other theories,

such as systemic and developmental, especially in my case conceptualization and treatment
planning. For example, I use a solution-focused approach to guide the development of therapy
goals, asking clients what their lives were like before the problem began or when the problem is
not occurring. I also consider the individual needs of my client to tailor my interventions in a
developmentally sensitive manner. Non-specific factors, such as developing a strong therapeutic
alliance, and instilling a sense of hope for change are also important therapeutic elements. I have
found that this aspect of my clinical style not only allows my clients to feel understood and
accepted, but also facilitates their hopeful engagement in prescribed interventions.

A case that outlines my typical approach to working with a client involves a freshman student
presenting with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts related to difficulties in the adjustment
to college. At the initial session, I conducted a risk assessment, and determined that she was not
at imminent risk of harming herself, and that she had many personal and interpersonal resources
from which to draw. In particular, she described a supportive network of family and friends back
home, and stated that she was going home every weekend. Using a CBT approach, I explained
the connections between behaviors, thoughts and feelings, and suggested that she could have
more control over her distressing emotions. Using a solution-focused approach, we discussed
the times on campus when she felt positive and connected, and we worked collaboratively to set
therapy goals related to changing her behaviors and thinking habits that led her to feel depressed,
anxious, and disconnected from others on campus. We used cognitive restructuring tools to
monitor and replace distorted thoughts and beliefs. Within two months, she was able to make the
changes needed for a successful transition to college life.

(432 words)
GENERAL SITES: Illinois Masonic, TriCounty, Southlake, CACTC

The theoretical approach guiding my clinical work is best described as integrationist with an
emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice. I am committed to a thorough and ongoing
assessment of current presenting problems and potential contributing factors, and a thoughtful
consideration of the unique combination of strengths and resources of each client in developing
an individualized treatment plan. Overall, my goals for the initial session are to establish trust
and rapport, gather information to formulate my initial case conceptualization, and instill hope
for change. In subsequent sessions, I work collaboratively with my clients to set therapeutic
goals with informed consent, implement interventions including homework assignments, and
review progress regularly, modifying my case conceptualization as necessary. Non-specific
factors, such as developing a strong therapeutic alliance, and instilling a sense of hope for change
are also important therapeutic elements. I have found that this aspect of my clinical style not only
allows my clients to feel understood and accepted, but also facilitates their hopeful engagement
in prescribed interventions.

When working with children and adolescents, I believe it is essential to work in collaboration
with the parents. A clear discussion of parental expectations for change when establishing
therapeutic goals is vital. In addition, I often work with parents in changing ineffective parenting
strategies, and take a behavioral parent skills training approach. Also, whenever possible, I aim
to work collaboratively with the parents and other service providers to implement interventions,
as well as to create an environment that can maximize the potential for the child to maintain
changes.

My intervention choices are primarily cognitive-behavioral: I draw from a number of CBT

approaches, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and
behavioral skills training and problem-solving. In addition, I have received training in
progressive muscle relaxation, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, and
exposure with response prevention, including interoceptive exposure, which I now incorporate
into my clinical work. In addition, when working with children, I utilize play-based assessment
and therapy to address skills deficits and elicit change in cognitive processes that lead to
problematic behaviors.

Although I am influenced mainly by cognitive-behavioral theories, I also rely on other theories,

such as systemic and developmental, especially in my case conceptualization and treatment
planning. For example, I use a solution-focused approach to guide the development of therapy
goals, asking clients what their lives were like before the problem began or when the problem is
not occurring. I also consider the individual needs of my client to tailor my interventions in a
developmentally sensitive manner. For example, when conducting an assessment for a 4-year old
child for autism, I worked with respect for parental authority with the child’s mother, who
herself had developmental delays. However, I also made extra efforts to collaborate with support
sources in the mother’s life to corroborate her reports of the child’s functioning and provide
support in implementing treatment recommendations. (504 words)
CHILD SITES: Jewish Child and Family, Allendale, Rush

The theoretical approach guiding my clinical work is best described as integrationist with an
emphasis on the use of evidence-based practice. I am committed to a thorough and ongoing
assessment of current presenting problems and potential contributing factors, and a thoughtful
consideration of the unique combination of strengths and resources of each client in developing
an individualized treatment plan. When working with children and adolescents, I believe it is
essential to work in collaboration with the parents. Especially when working with children, I
consider the therapeutic alliance with the parent to be as important as that with the child. A clear
discussion of parental expectations for change when establishing therapeutic goals is vital. In
addition, I often work with parents in changing ineffective parenting strategies, and take a
behavioral parent skills training approach.

My intervention choices are primarily cognitive-behavioral: I draw from a number of CBT

approaches, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and
behavioral skills training and problem-solving. In addition, I have received training in
progressive muscle relaxation, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, and
exposure with response prevention, including interoceptive exposure, which I now incorporate
into my clinical work. In addition, when working with children, I utilize play-based assessment
and therapy to address skills deficits and elicit change in cognitive processes that lead to
problematic behaviors.

Although I am influenced mainly by cognitive-behavioral theories, I also draw from other

approaches, such as systemic and developmental, especially in my case conceptualization and
treatment planning. For example, I use a solution-focused approach to guide the development of
therapy goals, asking clients what their lives were like before the problem began or when the
problem is not occurring. I also consider the individual needs of my client to tailor my
interventions in a developmentally sensitive manner. For example, when conducting an
assessment for a 4-year old child for autism, I worked with respect for parental authority with the
child’s mother, who herself had developmental delays. However, I also made extra efforts to
collaborate with support sources in the mother’s life to corroborate her reports of the child’s
functioning and provide support in implementing treatment recommendations.

Non-specific factors, such as developing a strong therapeutic alliance, and instilling a sense of
hope for change are also important therapeutic elements. I have found that this aspect of my
clinical style not only allows my clients to feel understood and accepted, but also facilitates their
hopeful engagement in prescribed interventions. For example, when co-leading a group for
parents of preschoolers with ODD, a critical issue was trying to help participants engage in the
process of learning parenting skills. The use of empathic listening of their frustrations and wishes
for “a magic pill” while providing psychoeducation on the role of contingencies that maintain
oppositional behavior helped to foster a shift in perspective, and motivation for personal change
in their own parenting skills. (475 words)
3. Please describe your experience and training in work with diverse populations.
Your discussion should display explicitly the manner in which multicultural / diversity
issues influence your clinical practice and case conceptualization.

My current perspectives on working with diverse populations are informed by my personal life
experiences, and further shaped by clinical work experiences, and formal training.

My personal experience as an Asian-American growing up in a White, middle-class environment has led

to valuable lessons in multicultural issues. One of the most salient lessons involves my lack of proficiency
in the Korean language. When my family immigrated to the United States, my parents stressed the
importance of assimilating to this new culture and did not encourage us to continue to speak the Korean
language. Because my parents’ first language continued to be Korean, the communication barrier that
resulted from my loss of the language had many implications on my interactions with my parents and
extended family, and my growing sense of identity. It was not until young adulthood that I came to a
greater understanding of the losses involved in this communication barrier, and other cultural and ethnic
identity issues in my life. This experience, among other personal lessons, has fostered a greater awareness
of cultural issues in clients of other minorities.

My clinical experience includes work with a wide range of clientele, from racial and ethnic minorities and
those of low socioeconomic status (SES) at community mental health agencies and an urban medical
center, to a diverse undergraduate student population in a university counseling center, to those of a
higher SES in my private practice. In addition, I have worked with clients of different religions and
sexual orientation, as well as a wide age range. In my clinical work, I strive to understand the presenting
problem from the perspective of the clients, including the how issues related to their racial/ethnic/cultural
background may have influenced the development of their presenting problem, or how they may
influence their response to treatment. In addition, I strive to work collaboratively with my clients to set
treatment goals that are consistent with their personal and cultural values.

Formal training in diversity issues was offered through coursework and practicum experiences in my
doctoral program. Individual projects in a class on multicultural issues, allowed students to research and
present on various “minority groups” and offered broad exposure to the various issues that could be
important in working with clients from various backgrounds. In addition, awareness of diversity issues
were interwoven in other courses, as the faculty emphasized the importance of laying aside assumptions
borne out of our own cultural framework, and seeking to understand our clients within their cultural
framework.

One of the most valuable lessons about working with diversity came from discussions that I had with a
fellow student. She suggested that working with a “diverse population” often implies working with
clients from a “minority” group, whereas working within a “diversity framework” involves learning to
work with people who are different from you. This distinction has helped to shape a broader
understanding of diversity, and I now consciously work within this diversity framework as I interact with
clients who are different from me in any way.

(499 words)
4. Please describe your research experience and interests.

What allows someone to experience adversity and not only survive but thrive? Stories I have
heard over the years in my personal life, such as my mother’s hopeful stance toward life in spite
of the loss of her father in childhood to martyrdom, laid the foundation for my growing desire to
understand risk and resilience in the development of psychopathology. The privilege of working
with clients to overcome life obstacles and learn to lead meaningful lives in spite of painful life
experiences, helped to foster this desire further and led to the development of my current
program of research.

My various research projects are related to my overall goal of understanding individual

differences in the process of stress adaptation and their relation to the development of
psychopathology. My dissertation prospectively examined the effects of stress, attributional
style, and parental support as risk and resilience factors in the development of depressive
symptoms with a sample of over 500 middle school students. The results indicate that girls with
low parental support and a pessimistic attributional style were more vulnerable to increases in
depressive symptoms. For boys, low parental support and a pessimistic attributional style led to
increases in depressive symptoms, but only in times of stress (Rueger & Malecki, submitted,
2008). I plan to follow up on these students in late adolescence and beyond, to further understand
the developmental course of depression into adulthood.

Related, I have taken the opportunity as a research assistant for my advisor to focus on gender
differences in the relationship between social support and a wider range of adjustment indices
(Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, in press; Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, accepted pending
revisions, 2008). Also, through my experience as the primary consultant in a school-wide
assessment of bullying, I have become interested in peer victimization as an important stressor
and risk factor to the development of depression and anxiety. This school-wide assessment
provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about collaborating with the educational system,
and using research in the service of clinical interventions addressing social-emotional learning
standards. I completed a 60-page report of results for the school administrators, and am currently
preparing two manuscripts for publication based on this extant data (Demaray, Malecki,
Davidson, & Rueger, in prep, 2008; Rueger, Malecki, Demaray, in prep, 2008).

A third area of interest, measurement issues, is borne out of my clinical appreciation for accurate
assessment. I conducted two studies to validate the measure of attributional style that would be
used in my dissertation project (Rueger, Haines, & Malecki, submitted, 2008; Rueger & Malecki,
2007). I have also had the opportunity to join the research of my mentors and utilize my
statistical skills in other psychometric investigations (Malecki, Demaray, & Rueger, 2008;
Rueger, McNamara, & King, 2008), and a meta-analysis of parental affect (Rueger, Lovejoy,
Katz, & Risser, 2008).

Ultimately, I would like to use my research skills in pursuit of providing the highest quality of
clinical care, which both informs and is informed by research.

(496 words)
4. Please describe your research experience and interests.

RESEARCH-ORIENTED SITES: Northwestern, VA’s, UIC, UW Madison, U of C, Rush?

The connecting theme for my current research interests and experience is developmental
psychopathology. More specifically, I am interested in understanding individual differences in
the process of stress adaptation and their relation to the development of psychopathology.

My dissertation prospectively examined the effects of stress, attributional style, and parental
support as risk and resilience factors in the development of depressive symptoms with a sample
of over 500 middle school students. The results indicate that girls with low self-esteem and a
pessimistic attributional style were more vulnerable to increases in depressive symptoms in the
face of stress. For boys, low parental support and a pessimistic attributional style led to increases
in depressive symptoms, but only in times of stress. A manuscript based on these results is
currently under review (Rueger & Malecki, 2008). I chose to begin this investigation with a
focus on this developmental time period because of the documented increase in depressive
symptoms during adolescence. I hope to follow up on these students in late adolescence and
beyond, to further understand the developmental course of psychopathology into adulthood.

Related, I have taken the opportunity as a research assistant for my advisor to focus on gender
differences in the relationship between social support and a wider range of adjustment indices
(Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, in press; Rueger, Malecki, & Demaray, accepted with revisions,
2008). Also, through my experience as the primary consultant in a school-wide assessment of
bullying while a research assistant, I have become interested in peer victimization as an
important stressor and risk factor to the development of depression and anxiety. This school-
wide assessment provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about collaborating with the
educational system, and using research in the service of clinical interventions addressing social-
emotional learning standards. I completed a 60-page report of results for the school
administrators, and am currently preparing two manuscripts for publication based on this extant
data (Demaray, Malecki, Davidson, & Rueger, 2008; Rueger, Malecki, Demaray, & Davidson,
2008).

Another research interest, measurement issues, is borne out of my clinical appreciation for
accurate assessment, and has grown as I have had the opportunity to assess the psychometric
soundness of numerous research instruments. For example, I conducted two studies to validate
the measure of attributional style that would be used in my dissertation project. A manuscript
based on my thesis, which involved a sample of 5th and 6th graders, is currently published
(Rueger & Malecki, 2007). A collaboration with the original developer of the measure allowed
an evaluation of this measure in a dual sample of 3rd-4th and 6th-7th graders, and this manuscript is
currently under review (Rueger, Haines, & Malecki, 2008). I have also had the opportunity to
join the research of my mentors and utilize my statistical skills in other psychometric
investigations (Malecki, Demaray, & Rueger, 2008; Rueger, McNamara, and King, 2008), and a
meta-analysis of parental affect (Rueger, Lovejoy, Katz, & Risser, 2008). (483 words)

Ultimately, I would like to…