Psychotherapist Says San Francisco Psych Students Must Have Insight, Empathy
San Francisco students thinking of a career in psychology may want to try volunteer work and visit Bay Area campuses offering graduate programs in psychology. That's part of the expert advice from John Prendergast, Ph.D. who, after 23 years as an educator, has settled into private practice in the Bay Area and is about to release his latest book.
What is your background and education?
"I grew up in San Jose, graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in history and received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. I trained master's level counseling students at CIIS for 23 years, where I was an associate professor of psychology. I have recently retired from teaching and have a private psychotherapy practice in San Rafael."
Can you talk briefly about your new book?
"How to Tune In to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself is a groundbreaking synthesis of depth psychology, spirituality, and the latest neuroscience of attunement. It is very accessible for the general reader who is interested in greater authenticity and aliveness."
What career advice can you share to students interested in a career in psychology?
"It is important to be honest about your motives. What is it that you really want? Take your time to sit with this question. If you are interested in helping people to mentally and emotionally heal, it requires that you have a capacity for insight and empathy. Of course, these qualities can develop over time with training and experience.
"It is a good idea to try out some volunteer work to see if this field suits you. It also looks good on your application for graduate school. There is a wealth of graduate programs in the Bay Area to choose from. Visit several campuses and see if you can sit in on some of the classes. Talk to some of the students when you are there. Take your time to familiarize yourself with the different theoretical orientations that each school emphasizes and choose one that is congruent with your values and perspective. Your training is extremely important and is a major investment of time, attention, and financial resources."
Randy Yagi is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. In 2012, he was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University. His work can be found on Examiner.com Examiner.com.