Masters in Counseling: Statement of Purpose

In a world emerging from a global pandemic and with uncertainty growing in the minds of the human populace, the future stability of our society and the mental health of individuals are at risk of decay and complete collapse. We live in a time where each mind wanders alone in search of meaning, without a role model, moral code, or sense of identity to aspire to. Instead, we blindly enter into cycles of never-ending suffering. With no sign of hope, the void that we subjectively experience in our hearts becomes the final resting place for all aspirations and dreams.

If we were to make an objective observation across the board on the societies that once unified and brought about culture, customs, and a vision of the future, we would come to the conclusion that they have largely grown disconnected and become dispersed. Intimate relationships, family structures, and communal gatherings are at an all-time low. This, in turn, has left us without a unified purpose, a longing desire to be part of a cause greater than ourselves, further accelerating the divisions and tensions growing in society.

As a lifelong resident of the Pomona Valley area and someone who continually works within youth and adult organizations in the greater Los Angeles area, I can see firsthand the state of decay and division that this community suffers through. With this area as a whole having people of different socioeconomic, ethnic, and ideological backgrounds, it's important to take on a multicultural perspective and take into consideration each individual's lived experience. Despite our differences, the overall prevailing issues that occur on all individual and communal levels are ones of disillusionment with one’s own condition, a growing sense of loneliness and alienation, and a lack of purpose that drives to inspire.

Consciously aware of the condition in which the members of this community live through, my purpose has always been to build stronger community connections and to provide resources, services, and a sense of belongingness to members of the Pomona Valley area. My professional goals are to have a career serving as a mental health provider with the official title of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in a private practice setting while also being a community leader; building organizations that provide resources and opportunities to improve the general health and wellbeing of the public. I intend to provide therapy and counseling to those who seek to resolve and improve their mental health condition, diagnosing those with ailments that are pervasive in their everyday condition while exploring the possible solutions and remedies to achieving a higher quality of life. Creating mental health organizations that provide services and disseminate information to specific demographics to target issues inhibiting the general public's prosperity.

While researching and evaluating the different counseling programs across both the Cal State system and other institutions in the state of California, the California State University of San Bernardino Counseling Program was by far the most appealing and aligned the most with my goals. I am choosing this particular program because of the curriculum that it provides and the focus on helping its students with a direct path to being licensed as a clinical counselor. Classes like Crisis and Trauma Counseling, in which we learn the theoretical foundations and approaches to crisis intervention and the treatment of the effects of trauma; Diagnosis, where we learn principles of the diagnostic process; and Advanced Counseling, where we practice counseling in a classroom setting and with clients through a supervisor to help mentor the student. I found these, just to name a few, to be the most interesting and would be great sources of information and experience when applied in the professional field.

Given my professional aspirations and educational goals, I would also be using the knowledge and experience I gained from pursuing a life of psychology, martial arts, and personal development. As a graduate from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona with my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, I intend to use my education to help the members of the Pomona Valley community. Along with the general discipline of psychology influencing my field of experience, I also had a particular fascination with the existentialists, psychoanalysts, and the humanities, which will supplement the basis of counseling I wish to provide.

For the last three years, I've also worked as a Program Manager at 10th Planet Covina, a martial arts gym in the San Gabriel Valley. One role I play at the gym is coaching jiu jitsu and kickboxing classes to our youth and adult programs. Along with providing sports-related coaching to students, I also provide counseling and leadership to the clients I serve as a secondary indirect service. Whether it is guidance or having conversations about one's own adversity, I always make the effort to be an oasis to those who experience suffering or go through hardships.

Martial arts is, on the one hand, skill acquisition, and on the other hand, self-understanding and exploration, both of which can be extremely challenging and painful at times. Being able to provide guidance in both pursuits is one that I have much gratitude and pleasure in doing, hoping to further spread and grow the passion that is martial arts to others.

Along with being an instructor, I also manage the backend business tasks such as marketing, customer acquisition, and sales. With our program only continuing to grow in numbers and satisfaction, I know that the applied leadership and program curriculum have produced more than sufficient results. In a world that so desperately needs leadership and guidance, I intend to serve as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with compassion, community, and a vision for the future.