Click to learn more about the Wright Institute鈥檚 Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program.
Click here to learn more about the Wright Institute鈥檚 Master of Counseling Psychology program.
Chetna Mehta, a 2017 graduate of the Wright Institute's Master's in Counseling Psychology program, has combined her passions for art, spirituality and psychology to devise a personalized style of healing.
"I call myself a mystic because I am spiritual in my approach to mental health," Chetna explained. "I am a mixed-media artist, so I founded a brand that incorporates affirmation, spiritual study and evidence-based psychological techniques to create sacred spaces for creative and community-oriented healing."
While attending the Wright Institute, Chetna started crafting affirmations for herself to help manage the stress of graduate school and the recent presidential election. "I would draw visual affirmations to tell myself what I longed to hear. As I shared these art pieces, I learned that they resonated with people," Chetna said, adding that she started a with these visual affirmations.
If you or someone you know are seeking support for domestic violence or other family struggles, call the Family Paths 24-hour Parent Support & Resource Hotline at 800-829-3777 or the La Casa de las Madres 24-hour Crisis Support Hotline at 877-\0xAD503-1850.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in four Americans is directly affected by family violence, and sexual harassment and assault are common (as was highlighted by the recent ). At the Wright Institute, we believe that a strong Marriage and Family Therapist must have a solid understanding of how to attend to and support clients who are impacted by domestic violence.
Read Dr. del Prado's biography .
Congratulations to Dr. Alicia del Prado for being selected as the winner of the 2017 Okura Community Leadership Award! The Okura Community Leadership Award recognizes exemplary leadership and community service that benefits the field of Asian American Psychology and Asian American communities. Dr. del Prado received the award in Las Vegas at the annual AAPA Convention.
See Dr. Chen's professional biography here.
Shayna Quilty (SQ): How did you first hear about the Wright Institute, and what inspires you to stay?
Stephanie Chen (SC): I鈥檓 a newbie. I was searching for another opportunity to teach and increase my teaching capacity. Dr. Torrez was a classmate of mine in graduate school, so I talked with her and it made me even more interested in the Wright Institute. The school has a great reputation, and I fell in love with the students, faculty, and administration after I taught my first class in the fall of 2015.
Lucy Moore, a second-year student in the Wright Institute's Counseling Psychology Master's Program, is completing her field placement at the in Concord, CA. The organization is the only LGBTQ+ community organization providing mental health services to teenagers and adults in all of Contra Costa County. It offers support to local high schools' Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) as well as one-on-one mentoring and internal referrals to case management, counseling and therapy.
"I am excited to work here because there is definitely not enough support for the LGBTQ community here because there is less resistance to hetero-normativity in Contra Costa County compared to Oakland and San Francisco," Moore said.
to read about a conference presentation that Dr. Rubio gave recently.
Shayna Quilty (SQ): How did you first hear about the Wright Institute?
Ritchie Rubio (RR): My family had been moving around in the US and internationally, and then we came back to the Bay Area. I was really keen on establishing myself as an academic more than a clinician because it鈥檚 harder to balance being a clinician with my family. A mutual friend suggested that I contact my close friend, Dr. Torrez, who was teaching at the Wright Institute. We were classmates in our doctoral program, along with Dr. Chen. Dr. Torrez let Milena [Esherick, PsyD] know I was interested in teaching at the Wright Institute. The Counseling Psychology program is in sync with my interests in multiculturalism, social justice, and wellness. I started teaching one class, and gradually became a core faculty member, and came on board full time in January 2017.
See Taquelia's professional biography here.
Shayna Quilty (SQ): Congratulations on becoming a Core Faculty Member! What drew you to the Wright Institute, and what makes you stay?
Taquelia Washington (TW): Thank you! I believe in synchronicity. Most of my career has worked this way. I was supervising a Wright Institute student who was doing their practicum at an organization where I have a contract position. The student shared with me that the school was looking to hire more instructors. Upon researching and learning more, I was drawn to interview and teach Multicultural Awareness and Sensitivity (MAS) as an adjunct instructor.
See Dr. Clarke's professional biography here.
Shayna Quilty (SQ): Congratulations on being invited to join the Full-Time Faculty! What drew you to the Wright Institute, and what makes you stay?
Mary Clarke (MC): Thank you! What drew me is a friend of a friend. A close friend/colleague and I taught a course together a couple of years ago. I fell in love with the atmosphere, curriculum, and the size of the cohorts. The faculty have collaborative relationships; they show a lot of care and dedication to their work, and I felt that people were excited to have me in their community. I definitely felt welcomed.
SQ: When you think back on your time at the Wright, what鈥檚 a moment that stands out to you?
MC: Going to the first Core Faculty meeting and the first orientation that I attended. I felt proud to be invited to join such a quality group of professionals.
Read about Dr. Ritchie Rubio here.
and are co-hosting the Regional CANS Reflection and Focus Group in Oakland today. Facilitators will lead a discussion to share regional learning around best practices and common challenges in implementing CANS in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (or CANS) is an outcome measure used to assess for overall psychological, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children and youth.
Dr. Ritchie Rubio, full time faculty member for the Counseling Psychology Program at the Wright Institute, will be presenting his work on data reflection in the Child, Youth, and Families system of care of San Francisco.
