School Psychologist Personal Statement

Although I chose not to pursue a career in health psychology, I find that the fields of psychology that appeals to include families, children, and parents who are struggling to maintain control and are in need of guidance, which include the following:

• Child Psychologists - I am very interested in the field of child psychologist, mainly because so many doctors, parents, and school officials only desire that children behave rather than wondering what is making them behave this way. I would love the opportunity to use my knowledge from health psychology, and other complimenting classes to help determine the reasoning behind behavior issues, social ineptness, and emotional needs that children with and without special circumstances deal with on a daily basis. I realize that in order to perform this type of job I have several more years of hard work and dedication ahead. However, I feel that the need is present and in our fast-paced world, it appears to be growing rather than leveling out.

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School Psychologists - I would enjoy being a school psychologist in order to help the children that are struggling academically and emotionally succeed.

There are so many cases of bullying, and suicide in young children that I would enjoy helping before it gets to that level. I would also enjoy helping parent become empowered to becoming their children's ambassadors when dealing with situations that they are unfamiliar but need addressing. This also would be a career path that would require more educational time for myself however as stated above the rewards far outweigh the time

invested.
• School Counselor - In some cases a school will have school psychologists however more often than not the position is held by a school counselor. This position appears to mirror the responsibility of the school psychologists.
• Animal Assisted Therapists - I am newly interested in the use of animal-assisted therapy and don't know as much as I would like to know, however what I do know is the difference it has made in my nephews life. My nephew is autistic and one of the sweetest 10 year olds that I know, however he does struggle with showing emotions. His therapist recently introduced the idea of adding a pet to his life. My sister already had a couple of beagles yet he had shown no interest. As odd, as it may seem they were at the fair and he took to a chicken, which was surprising. The woman was generous enough to indulge William and allow him the opportunity to feed and touch the hen and he was hooked. He now has his own 4 hens that he is in charge of taking care of on a daily basis. It has helped with his affection towards people, his patience when frustrated, and he now has a place to go when he is feeling overwhelmed. This is not to mention the amount of responsibility this has given him while helping to work with his developmental difficulties.
o "Interacting with animals can enhance psychosocial well-being (O'Haire 2010). Documented benefits include reduced stress, lowered heart rate and blood pressure, reduced loneliness and isolation, increased social interaction and connection, and increased socio-emotional functioning (e.g., Friedmann and Son 2009; Wells 2009). The inclusion of animals in therapeutic activities is known as animal-assisted intervention (AAI), which encompasses both animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities." (O'Haire, 2013)
When considering the future of the health care system, the aging population, and health psychology and how it might impact my future career, I really don't see that much of an impact. Children are being born every day, issues with children (behavioral, mental, and emotional) remain a consistent therefore I believe there will be little to no impact on my future career path.