Ariel Angelichio
The Montgazette Contributor
I hope to be a child psychologist. Working in the field of psychology has always been a dream of mine. What would make my career perfect would be working with children who suffer with mental health problems. Also, learning about psychology has always been interesting to me, especially here at Montgomery County Community College.
First, I love psychology because I love learning about it. I love the field and how complex it can be. You can work almost anywhere with a degree in psychology from a school to a prison. Taking courses at the college for psychology is great, and I only have two left after this spring semester. Classes are always interesting and the professors share personal stories that make me even more eager to start my career someday. My favorite class so far has been Abnormal Psychology with Professor Kathleen Nash.
Secondly, I want to be a psychologist because of my own struggles. When I was younger, I suffered from severe depression and anxiety. A psychologist helped me cope and solve the issues at my lowest points in life. They put me on a prescription regime that helped me get back to being myself again. This made me realize that that’s what I would love to do for someone else, help them get their life back in control.
Thirdly, I wish to work with children. I am great with them and I can relate to a lot of children’s issues dealing with mental health because I have been there. Through all of it, life wasn’t easy for me growing up, dealing with abandonment issues, physical abuse, and even mental abuse. My parents were always in and out of my life, at times I wouldn’t see them for months, even years. I had nobody to talk to, or vent my feelings to without being judged or yelled at by someone in my family. I was always told to “suck it up”, or “stop being a cry baby, Ariel.”
Eventually, I learned that I needed help on my own, and not from someone close to me. I needed an outsider’s view on things, I had fallen apart. I first went to a mental health clinic when I was fourteen, and I stayed there a few times after that. They gave me the help I needed, at Horsham Clinic, and I was always better when I returned. Finally, in 2014, I felt complete and whole again when I came out. I knew that was the last time I would allow myself to stoop that low, and I was strong enough to face the world head on all by myself.
Therapy was my next step in life. After coming out of Horsham Clinic, I voluntarily went to therapy. The therapist soon learned that my family was a major component in my mental health, and we had therapists come to our house twice a week for the next eight months. This helped us enormously and today we have functioned much better as a family.
As a result, I hope to become a child psychologist. I will do anything to fulfil this dream of mine. Going to school for so long and putting all of my effort into something I love and not achieving my goal is not an option for me. I will help children someday soon.
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