Her Story
About Rachael
I've been studying psychology for about 10 years, starting from my undergraduate studies, and I'm just finishing up my doctorate now. Currently, I'm a doctoral intern at the University of Idaho, where I'm completing my 2,500 clinical hours in one year, which is required at the doctoral level. In this role, I provide a range of services to students including individual counseling, group counseling, psychological assessment, and biofeedback, which involves working with the nervous system. My main areas of expertise include working with the student population on their transition to college and helping them through mental health difficulties with mood disorders like anxiety and depression. As a former student athlete myself, I also work with student athletes on mental performance skills and the integration of how mental health and physical health can affect physical performance, whether on the field, the track, the pool, or wherever they compete. I'm graduating this August with my doctorate in clinical psychology and my master's in Sport and Performance Psychology, both from California Baptist University. Looking ahead, I'm hoping to open my own practice and work with athletes in the future, combining my clinical psychology expertise with my specialized training in sport and performance psychology.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rachael
01What do you attribute your success to?
I definitely attribute my success to the important people in my life that have supported me throughout this journey. I think just my determination to be able to provide support has been crucial, because there was a time where I wasn't receiving the support that I think would have been beneficial. That's a big part of the reason why I'm so passionate about what I do, because I know sometimes there can be barriers to accessibility. If I can limit those barriers in some way or form, then I would like to be able to do so. I think that's kind of always my guiding light - it's always bigger than me, and that helps keep perspective.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would probably say that there's always gonna be people that doubt you. But as long as you're confident in yourself, and steadfast in your goals, then you can be the person who decides if the doors to opportunities are open or closed.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think one of the biggest challenges is the use of AI. We're seeing a lot of people utilize AI as a form of therapist. We're also seeing a lot of people use social media as a way to self-diagnose - they see something online that they might resonate with, and they think it's an indication of a diagnosis. I think that's one of the biggest challenges, but I think also, in light of that, one of the biggest opportunities is that the one-on-one relationship that you build with an in-person therapist is never gonna be replaced by AI, because the personal relationship is so special. It's encouraging that, despite where society is going right now, I don't think therapy will be going anywhere.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think compassion is really huge, as well as empathy. I might not have similar personal experiences as someone, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to understand it and be curious about it. Those are probably two really big values that are not only important for me in my professional work, but also personal work, because there's gonna be times where you're engaging with someone, maybe just in casual conversation, and compassion and empathy are gonna be really important to foster meaningful relationships.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.