Art History Evolves Into Mental Health
Maya Teich didn’t always envision a future in mental health. In fact, her academic and early professional life pointed in a very different direction, one rooted in creativity and the arts.
“I went to Bard College in upstate New York and studied art history,” she shares. “I have some artists in my family. I’ve made art my whole life, so this seemed like a great way to have a rigorous academic experience merge with my love for art.”
After graduating in 2020 into an uncertain job market, Maya gained experience through internships and eventually landed a three-year role at a nonprofit arts organization. “I was doing programming and communications, and I really loved the mission of the organization,” she says.
But during that time, something began to shift. “I began to realize that I wanted to interact with the art world more for my own personal joy and expression and not necessarily as a career,” she reflects.
That realization sparked a deeper question: What kind of work would feel both meaningful and sustainable long term?
“As I see it, art history and clinical psychology have a lot in common,” Maya says. “Understanding why an artist has made a piece of work requires investigating factors at different system levels, as well as the subjective experience of the person. I knew that I wanted to be in a career where I could work directly with people. I came to the decision that I wanted to work with individuals in a clinical way and eventually get licensed to be a therapist.”
There was just one problem: She didn’t have a background in psychology. “I knew that I had a huge gap in my academic experience and my overall knowledge of psychology,” she says. “If I was going to apply to graduate school, I knew I needed to learn more about the subject area.”
That’s where our Post-Baccalaureate Program in Psychology comes into play. She had a friend who recently completed the program—checkmark number one. And that she could complete the program fully online for ultimate flexibility—checkmark number two.
I ended up doing seven classes that fit what the different schools that I was considering applying to required. The curriculum perfectly aligned!
Building a Strong Foundation
Through the program, Maya tailored her coursework to align with graduate school expectations.
“I ended up doing seven classes that fit what the different schools that I was considering applying to required,” Maya says. “The curriculum perfectly aligned!"
Those classes included:
Developmental Psychology Across the Lifespan
Seminar on the Graduate Application Process
Counseling and Psychotherapy as a Career Option
Research Methods in Psychology
Beyond checking boxes for applications, the experience offered something even more valuable: confirmation. “Completing the courses provided me with the opportunity to gauge whether my suspected interest was true in practice,” Maya enthuses. “It made me feel like I was on the right path.”
The flexibility of the program also allowed her to explore different learning formats. “I did both fixed-date and asynchronous classes,” Maya recalls. “I see the benefits of both, so I think it’s great that those options are offered.”
In addition to the modality, the coursework stood out to her for its depth and practical application.
“I really loved the developmental psychology and personality courses,” she says. “They allowed you to develop your arguments and understanding; it wasn’t just a 20-question quiz.”
She especially appreciated the emphasis on real-world thinking. “The case studies allowed us to utilize our knowledge rather than just memorize information,” she explains. “That’s always really helpful to get the material into your mind.”
Instructor engagement also made a lasting impression.
“Their responses were very detailed,” she says. “It was nice to get personalized feedback rather than just a grade. It was also really nice to read my fellow students’ responses and digest their perspectives; many times, after reading another student’s entry, I would think about the subject in a different way or consider factors I hadn’t thought of previously. Classmates also recommended books or cited articles, additional resources to dive deeper.”
Doing the UC Berkeley Extension program was a really big accomplishment that helped me get into Smith. It’s so helpful to have this foundation going into an M.S.W. program. Getting into Smith—and just an overall feeling of being prepared—means a lot.
Seeing Her Hard Work Pay Off
The impact of our program became clear when Maya began applying to graduate school.
“I think completing this post-bacc program made a really huge difference in my application,” she says. “I didn’t graduate with a degree in psychology, so this was a great way to show my dedication to the field, as well as my ability to succeed in an intensive program.”
Rounding out her application was the ability to show hands-on experience as a behavioral technician and volunteer work.
Her efforts paid off. Maya was accepted into the prestigious Master of Social Work program at Smith College.
“I’m very happy I got in,” Maya enthuses. “Doing the UC Berkeley Extension program was a really big accomplishment that helped me get into Smith. It’s so helpful to have this foundation going into an M.S.W. program. Getting into Smith—and just an overall feeling of being prepared—means a lot.”
Looking ahead, Maya is excited and open about a career after Smith. “I know I want to work with adults, but I don’t know exactly what type of therapeutic approach or setting,” she muses. “Smith’s M.S.W. program will be really helpful for me to figure out what exact population I want to work with.”
For now, she’s embracing the possibilities.“I’m pretty open as of right now—the sky’s the limit.”
