Running head: PERSONAL STATEMENT

MA/CAGS School Psychology Portfolio

Personal Statement

Kelsey Evans

William James College

PERSONAL STATEMENT 2

Philosophy of School Psychology and Theoretical Orientation

Over the past three years, I have seen how vastly the role of the school psychologist can

vary. Though the primary responsibilities of each of my supervisors have been quite different, it

is clear that the foundational skills of being a school psychologist were continually present in

each setting. More apparent this year is the necessity of forming professional and mutually

respectful relationships with other school personnel including administrators, teachers, and

secretarial staff. Because the school psychologist possesses a unique lens as one of the few, if not

the only, mental health professional in the building, her perspective may differ from others,

making it more critical to create strong, collaborative relationships from the start.

In general, the school psychologist has a distinct role within the school, with a wide range

of responsibilities. The school psychologist often addresses the needs of the school, alongside

the individual needs of students, teachers, and parents. Counseling, consultation, and assessment

are major parts of a school psychologists’ work, but often do not encompass the entirety of her

responsibilities. My current view of a school psychologist’s day is much more dynamic than it

once was. The training of a school psychologist spans many domains to ensure that she can

effectively treat and respond to a variety of situations. Throughout my three training years, the

importance of cultural responsiveness, relationship-building, effective crisis intervention, general

problem-solving, and collaboration has been demonstrated and deeply instilled in my approach.

In my work as a school psychologist, I hope to continually meet the students at the level

they are at and recognize that progress takes time. I hope to always improve my therapeutic

approach and assessment skills. As I launch into my early career, I intend on utilizing the

foundational skills I have acquired in my training to further develop my personal approach. The

work of a school psychologist can have a lasting impact on the students she works with.
PERSONAL STATEMENT 3

As a student of William James College, I have been trained to be equally well-rounded

under the practitioner-scholar model. Through the combination of classroom instruction at

William James College and the field experience gained as both a practicum student and intern, I

have been afforded the opportunity of learning about and utilizing various professional

psychology positions of practice. In considering which theoretical orientation I most align with,

I truly believe that there are positive, beneficial aspects of each model. With that, my approach

is best represented by an integrative therapy model, characterized by carefully selected methods,

theories, and interventions to best serve a particular student and situation. Most prominently, I

utilize cognitive-behavioral and ecological models. With an emphasis on experiential education,

the school psychology program has provided intensive training both in the classroom and in the

field of school psychology, allowing for the simultaneous acquisition and application of

instruction. Under this model, I have gained over 900 hours of supervised practicum experience

and over 1200 hours of supervised internship experience.

Cognitive behavioral therapy suggests that a person’s thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors are

responsible for his or her presenting problem. Cognitive behavioral therapy is often effective in

educating individuals in the identification of unhealthy or unhelpful thoughts or patterns in order

to alter those thoughts in the future. Personally, I find the collaborative nature of this model to

be incredibly helpful in schools. Cognitive behavioral therapy is founded on the collaborative

effort of the therapist and client, or school psychologist and student, in which the student

identifies a desired goal that the school psychologist helps him or her work toward. Inherently, a

therapeutic relationship is established, allowing the student to feel heard, validated, and

encouraged; a relationship that is not always present for students in the school setting. The

ecological model, on the other hand, considers the interaction and impact of various
PERSONAL STATEMENT 4

environmental aspects on the student’s growth and development, from his or her closest

relationships to his or her social and cultural values, with an assumption that these environmental

factors change over time.

Professional Growth and Career Plans

Gaining field experience as a practicum student and intern in various school settings has

proven to be invaluable in my training. Considering my personal growth from the start of the

program to today, I am confident in my knowledge and abilities as I begin a career as a school

psychologist. At the start of my school psychology graduate program, I was cautious in my work

as a practicum student. Through each semester, I gained confidence and language that has

helped me advocate for students and speak professionally with parents and school staff.

Throughout my three training years, I have maintained a level of professionalism that I will

continue to develop as a school psychologist in the field. I have become more comfortable

approaching difficult conversations and speaking with parents. However, I hope to gain

confidence and comfortability to effectively convey my thoughts and concerns or the results of

an evaluation, for example. As I launch into my early career, I intend to further apply the unique

perspective of a school psychologist to my everyday interactions. At some point, I’d like to

implement school- or systems-wide change and continually encourage a positive school climate.

In the future, I would like to become licensed as an educational psychologist to expand

my repertoire of skills. By doing so, I will be provided with additional supervision to enhance

my approach and knowledge while working in schools. Earning my license as an educational

psychologist would also allow me to practice outside of the school setting.

Strengths and Areas of Interest

PERSONAL STATEMENT 5

Reflecting on my experiences as a school psychologist in training, I have received

feedback that has helped me identify my areas of strength. Overall, I am understanding and

nonjudgmental; two qualities that have served me well thus far in my experience. I have

improved in developing my own voice, which has allowed me to demonstrate greater support for

the students and teachers I work with. Through practice, I have become more comfortable with

utilizing certain counseling techniques and asking deeper questions. In addition, my patience

and calmness have helped in situations with heightened emotions.

Considering the experiences of my field placements and my previous work experience, I

am very interested in working with students with vision and hearing impairments. With some

basic sign language knowledge acquired through my work with the deafblind population, I would

love to further explore this area of need within the school psychologist role.

Summary of Professional Development and Plans for Future

I have had several opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, and in-service

trainings to enhance my knowledge and skills. Specifically, I have attended events targeting

brief counseling, substance abuse in schools, and adverse childhood experiences. Dr. John

Desrochers presented on the topic of Brief Counseling Strategies for Improved Student

Outcomes, emphasizing the importance of student buy-in. Additionally, I attended a

professional development opportunity titled Addressing Substance Abuse in Schools: What Can

We Do?, in which Dr. Dan Jacobs spoke candidly about the continuing substance abuse concerns

that adolescents face. I completed a two-part online training in Cognitive Behavioral

Intervention for Trauma in School and most recently, I have been a part of a monthly book

discussion at my internship site focused around the book, Building Resilience in Students
PERSONAL STATEMENT 6

Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Whole-Staff Approach by Victoria Romero,

Ricky Robertson, and Amber Warner.

Involvement in Leadership, Community Service, and Volunteer Activities

Throughout my three years as a school psychology graduate student, I served as a

teaching assistant for three graduate-level courses: Instructional Assessment, Psychoeducational

Assessment, and Social-Emotional Assessment. As a teaching assistant, I was responsible for

grading various cognitive measures and editing psychoeducational evaluations as well as

conducting proficiency exams for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition

(WISC-V). I assisted first- and second-year graduate students by answering specific school

psychology-related questions and offering individual one-on-one meetings to further support the

material taught in their classes. Through these experiences, I have realized how critical it is to be

succinct and reader-friendly, particularly when writing psychoeducational evaluations. It has

also allowed me to learn various assessment measures in great detail. Further, I gained valuable

communication and collaboration experience while working with graduate professors. On

several occasions throughout my years at William James College, I assisted with open houses

and interview days for incoming students.