91ÊÓƵרÇø

While getting my undergraduate degree in psychology, I discovered the 4PLUS program in counseling. After acceptance, I was able to take a few courses toward an eventual master’s degree in the topic.

I really have to give a lot of credit not just to my interest and personal experiences, but also to the socialization and individualization of grief that occurs within everyone. Funny enough, Professor Schildknecht-Hargett taught one of the first classes I took at 91ÊÓƵרÇø (Social Psychology) as an undergraduate and continues to be my professor as I come closer to finishing the coursework for the thanatology certificate. She’s been wonderful and has expanded my interest even further.

I think learning about the different theories of grief and the individualized experience of it all has been the most transformative.

From this semester, something that has stuck with me has been the Dual Process Model of grief, wherein the individual experiencing grief has both a loss-oriented aspect and a restoration-oriented aspect of themselves that they oscillate between as a measure of maintaining their connection to both sides of their self. In essence, an idealized version of an individual in the model is that one aspect moves forward with life (restorative), while the other maintains a healthy connection to the experienced grief (loss).

I was drawn in through the 4PLUS program. I really enjoyed the professors and the idea of theoretical orientation in counseling, which is what made me stick with it. Even now, I still wonder what my orientation might become as I start to practice.

Whenever I need assistance, I have actually found great use in peer consultation. Seeing the interest and passion my peers are experiencing alongside me, through the knowns and unknowns, is a great tool for gauging my own understanding and esteem about what my practice as a therapist could look like. Beyond this, professors and my advisor have been helpful in helping me think about what I really want to do. I know that whatever work I will be doing, grief will be a part of it, so my experience with the certificate will come into play even generally.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Punchbowl Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii, during a wedding for a family friend. I did so partially because I had an assignment where we had to reflect on symbology and words that we saw on engravings on graves or mausoleums. 

Having previously visited Pearl Harbor on our trip, I was able to see the graves of unknown soldiers who lost their lives during the Second World War. It felt really heavy, and I recounted that in my paper. It was really nice to get positive feedback from Professor Schildknecht-Hargett about how I had definitely gone the furthest for the assignment ever—even though I wasn’t able to get any pictures due to my phone dying during the visit. Definitely a highlight for me!

In all my classes, my professors really stress having a good balance between schoolwork, work and life. Generally, I make sure to have some time to myself at the end of the week to really feel a sense of accomplishment and give myself a break from the work that’s been done—especially with some of the heavier topics. It helps to keep you going, no matter what kind of work you’re doing, to just leave some time for yourself. Even if that time is spent doing nothing, it’s practical for maintaining focus on personal wellness—and as counselors, avoiding burnout with clientele.

Inspired by Elijah’s story? Ready to in your career? Learn more about , including the clinical mental health counseling.