Having always been a keen observer and a sensitive and empathetic person, Karishma Bajaj’s career path to psychology is not surprising. Her mom had been a licensed professional counselor (LPC)
Behavioral Health Sciences
For many, just the thought of changing their career path can be both scary—no matter which stage in their career they might be.
“Even though I was relatively early in my career, the thought
Our field is ever-changing. As we gain new insights, the study and practice of abnormal psychology remains mysterious, dynamic and complex, reluctantly disclosing its secrets.
Corporate social responsibility has become a major buzzword in today's business sector, seen as a key to a positive public image and the ability to attract and keep quality employees. This trend
Gabi Galvin’s career push came from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was working for Twentyeight Health, “a mission-driven womxn’s health organization with the goal of increasing
From day one, Amy Paulson has experienced trauma. Abandoned shortly after being born in Seoul, South Korea, Amy was then adopted by a family in America months later.
Erin Richerson may have started her career as a teacher, but it was during a life-changing experience abroad that she began to rethink her initial plan.
An educational mission trip to Kenya
When she finally decided to pursue graduate school for psychology, Lisell Perez-Rogers turned to UC Berkeley Extension's Post-Baccalaureate Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions for
“I have always felt drawn to helping people,” says Post-Baccalaureate Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions graduate Sam Kushner. Helping people—in the form of providing exceptional
Do you visualize your own career opportunities as a beautiful landscape, complete with green meadows and valleys, winding streams and roads? A new adventure around every bend? Mountains in the
With a projected job-growth rate of 13 percent through 2026, it is no wonder that Medical Records and Health Information Technicians are experiencing a boom in educational offerings and
Therese Becker’s passion for helping others through counseling dates back to high school: “When I was a senior, we had an assignment in which we had to think about what we wanted to do in life.
“Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the most studied psychotherapy that we have,” says Behavioral Health Sciences instructor Michael Tompkins, Ph.D., ABPP. Along with its empirical approach to
Growing up in a first-generation, low-income immigrant family, Sooeun (Tiffany) Kim faced firsthand struggles and challenges due to social inequality. Her family had had difficulty with
Since 1994, more than 600 local public social-services managers have received Berkeley-quality education in order to become leaders in the Bay Area through a fascinating opportunity called
Jensine Sneeden does not let geography hinder her career choices.
In 2012, Jensine earned a B.A. from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York, where she majored in government and
Donna Smith was only four years old when she had a life-saving surgery to repair a complex congenital heart defect—and her parents’ health insurance saved them from any resulting financial
Since 2005, Melanie’s professional mission is to guide health care organizations on better utilizing technology and data to deliver higher-quality care at a lower cost. She’s done this through a
In 2012, Ryan Barrett decided to go back to school. A variety of professional and personal factors led him to this career change. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a
On October 26, 2017, President Donald Trump declared the opioid epidemic "a national public health emergency" under federal law. As a result, agencies had a 90-day window—which has been extended
Cara Sperry was about five years into her job as a vocational trainer at Computer Technologies Program in Berkeley, when her brother, a U.S. citizen, suffered a fall while living in South Korea.
When Robin Andrae and her siblings had to make decisions about their parents’ end-of-life care, they found themselves faced with puzzling questions and hard decisions. Nobody could agree on
Want to learn more about the growing field of health advocacy?
Why would you need a second opinion to make the right decision for you or a family member, especially coming from someone who is not your physician? But what if it is someone who knows the ins and
Drama, drama, drama. When I was watching Mad Men, all of the characters seemed to be swirling in the drama that surrounded their lives.
Addiction is a health condition. While prevention is ideal, if a person does develop a substance use disorder, treatment is critical. People with this chronic condition need continued support
According to the latest Surgeon General’s Report released in 2016, 20.8 million people aged 12 and older in the United States had a substance use disorder in 2015. How many of those 20.8 million
Before you can transform the lives of others while on payroll, you can make an impact and gain experience in your field as an intern or a volunteer. The coursework in our Post-Baccalaureate
Are you a boy or a girl or neither?
How would you answer that seemingly simple question? Could you answer that question? Not many of us understand how neuroscience and the
Coping with stress is something that both plants and animals experience, according to the late UC Berkeley philosophy Professor Emeritus Wallace Matson. It is not uncommon. Alleviating stress on
UC Berkeley Extension’s Professional Program in the Study of Loss and Grief helps current therapists and those interested in becoming counselors understand current issues in the field.
Dr. H. Westley Clark, executive professor of public health at Santa Clara University and former director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in Washington, DC, addresses prescription
When you skim through the course evaluations for Richard Sprott, Ph.D., you see phrases such as "great course, great teacher." He's "fantastic." He is "an amazing lecturer who made going to class
"My knowledge of the disease of substance abuse disorders was limited, especially regarding the aspects of how it affected my brain's neurological system, my liver enzymes, my lungs and all my
Beginning June 9, 2016, California's terminally ill residents will have more control over how they choose to live their final moments. The End of Life Option Act—ABX2 15, California's version of
It took almost 25 years for a Dying With Dignity law to be passed in California. View the historical timeline of what was to be the End of Life Option Act.
David Presti, Ph.D., is an interesting guy. His areas of expertise include drugs’ effects on the brain, the treatment of addiction, and the scientific study of the mind and consciousness.
Location, location, location—that’s not always a requirement when you’re looking at schools to further your education. Living hundreds or even thousands of miles away from Berkeley, you can still
In five years, Pamela Rosecrance will be completing her final year in residence at the University of Tennessee Ph.D. program (where she was recently admitted to) and preparing for a clinical
Mark Langton's years as a journalist left him with many great memories, both as an entertainment columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and as a theater critic for the Marin Independent Journal
No stranger to UC Berkeley Extension—he has taken classes to earn CEUs—John Edwards found that the Professional Program in Eating and Weight Disorders was a natural fit to better serve his clients
Poring through numbers to prove causes and correlations as a psychological-health researcher at UCSF and UC Berkeley, Colin Fyfe began to miss the one-on-one communication that is part and parcel
Not content with easing into retirement by sitting, reading or watching TV, Ed Shockley has done some soul-searching as to "what's next."
UC Berkeley Extension instructor Christina Villarreal brings her extensive knowledge in evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to the classroom.
For Corey Datz-Greenberg, making a career change from union organizer to psychologist isn't that much of a mind-shift.
Students in the Post-Baccalaureate Program for Counseling and Psychology Professions have been admitted to a variety of schools, including but not limited to...
Re-entering the health care field after six years as a stay-at-home mom, Susan Dugan looks to the Certificate Program in Health Advocacy to supplement her Master of Social Work and Master of
Stephanie Laila Tuxen Bisgaard draws on her experience as a clinical psychologist in Copenhagen, Denmark, to enhance the lively discussions in her Counseling and Psychology courses at Extension.