Psychology Concentrations

The opportunity to be involved in every aspect of research, including the development, administration, analysis, and dissemination of several faculty-led research projects was instrumental to my learning, growth, and success as an undergraduate student. These unique opportunities were an incredible asset to UNE’s psychology program and added tremendous value to my education.

The department’s biggest strength is without a doubt the faculty members. In addition to being incredibly knowledgeable in their areas of expertise, their approachability in class and during office hours helped facilitate my learning. I have found that the professors in the department are consistently looking for innovative evidence-based approaches to enhance the educational experience of students and foster a challenging yet rewarding atmosphere in the classroom. Many faculty members in the department mentored and guided me through my own professional development and inspired me to pursue an academic career of my own.

Following my graduation from UNE, I worked for two years at the Anxiety Disorders Center, a nationally recognized outpatient clinic at the Institute of Living that specializes in the research and treatment of anxiety and related disorders. While working there, I assisted on multiple research studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, which broadly examined central and peripheral nervous system activity among patients with anxiety and related disorders. In the fall of 2019 I began at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to pursue my Ph.D. in clinical psychology. I will be continuing related lines of research that I conducted at UNE, and will be studying posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-related outcomes among survivors of interpersonal violence. My undergraduate experiences were truly invaluable to my career success to date and I will be forever grateful for the education that I received while at UNE.

I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW), working with youth who have aged out of the foster care system at age 18 to help transition them into adulthood. The focus is on building independent living skills and post-secondary education.

Without my psychology major, I never would have been eligible to get licensed in the State of Maine as an LSW-C, to then go on and receive my LSW. The breadth of knowledge I learned as a Psychology student allowed me to enter the social work field with confidence and also provided me a different perspective than most of my coworkers who were social work majors. I was quickly trusted to take on high-severity child abuse and neglect cases, interfacing with individuals who suffer from mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and severe trauma histories. 

If I hadn’t had the internship experiences I had at UNE and then thereafter, I would not hold my current position working with 18-21 year old foster youth. I was told this after my job interview when I was told I was the best candidate for the job. There were other more seasoned state workers who applied for the job who had many more years experience than myself. Management reported to me they were able to hire me because of my education versus the years of service. Education is everything! Mine was great and I feel so fortunate to have received it! 

Majoring in psychology provided me a solid foundation on which experience in the field of mental health could build upon. I was able to learn and read about matters in the classroom that I now fall back on and utilize on a daily basis in my position. I am so grateful for my time at UNE and how prepared I was upon graduation to enter into my chosen career path. The skills I developed, relationships that were formed, and overall insight into myself as an individual have helped pave the way for a brighter future for myself and my family. 

I truly enjoyed my time at my internship site at Sweetser. I was supported both on-site as well as in the classroom. While I faced challenges, I was able to develop skills that have helped me in my current position as a crisis stabilization counselor in the adult crisis unit. During my internship, I learned a lot about myself as a person and was able to build a strong foundation for myself in this field.

I was also involved in the Reading Comprehension and Cognition Lab. During my time in the lab, I was able to hone my critical thinking skills, learn how to communicate effectively with both my fellow lab partners and my supervisor, as well as develop proper professional etiquette. Additionally, analyzing data improved my attention to detail.

Experiential Education

During my three years at UNE I interned at Biddeford Primary School (BPS) first in a general education classroom, and then in the special education resource room. My internships helped me realize my passion for education. I loved working with students and teachers, but I still wanted psychology to be a part of my future career. I was introduced to the school psychologist by my internship supervisor. After spending some time with her I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in school psychology.

I was also involved in the Reading Cognition and Comprehension lab. We learned how to design and conduct research studies, write proposals for conferences, and present research findings. In my coursework at UNE, I was able to pursue my often-varying interests and always found support and guidance when I needed it.

Why UNE

The skills I learned at UNE have been invaluable to me as I pursue my Ph.D. in School Psychology. My background in research and experiences in schools allowed me to hit the ground running when I arrived. I have been involved in several different research projects, presented at a national conference, and earned my master’s degree in Education. UNE helped me realize my passion for helping children learn and gave me the skills I needed to succeed in a graduate program.

As a double major in Psychology and Business Administration, I had the opportunity to take two complementary perspectives on issues such as motivation in the workplace and research-based decision making. I discovered a passion for applied data analysis in my research methods course, in which I designed a study that found positive effects of exercise on short-term recall. I also gained valuable workplace experience through my internship with Unum, a Fortune 500 company located in Portland, and a consulting project with L.L. Bean. I graduated from UNE with a diverse set of experiences and an inspiration to continue learning.

My psychology background has been integral throughout my MBA program because I was already proficient in the data analysis and critical reading and writing that was required at the graduate level. I graduated this past May and am encouraged that my background at UNE has given me a strong foundation for career success.

Experiential Education

During my time at UNE, I did an internship at Sweetser in the Crisis Unit working with children ages 5–17. When my internship was over, I was offered a job as a youth and family counselor in the crisis unit where I worked for about a year until moving on to digital research. I am grateful that UNE provides internship opportunities for students while they’re in school because it provides on-the-ground experiences that you aren’t able to get in the classroom. For me, it showed me that I did not want to pursue the counseling/therapy track and instead focus on research.

I took a few research classes but the most influential experience I had was working in the Self and Close Relationship Lab. I started in the lab as a freshman and it opened my eyes to another side of psychology I didn’t know was available. While working in the lab I gained extensive experience in all aspects of the research process and currently use much of what I learned in my full-time job. I wouldn’t be on the track I am — on the career path I’m on — if I hadn’t gotten involved in undergraduate research. The number of hours I spent in the lab along with the ability to work one-on-one with Dr. Peterson afforded me so many experiences and learning opportunities that aren’t available through only classes.

Student Success

My first job after I graduated from UNE was at DHHS. I was an assessment worker for the child protective division for the state of Maine. This was one of the best jobs for anyone going into social work. It teaches you about the judicial system and about children’s rights. You encounter people that will test your morals and you have the opportunity to be empathic to people that some might not believe deserve it. You deal with a population of people that will forever be in your heart. This job allowed me to get my social work license in the state of Maine.

After that I got a job in a nursing facility as a social worker, this is where interpersonal skills are so important. I had to support the residence — their families, the staff, and most importantly myself. Being present is a hard task and UNE helped me prepare for that. After being a social worker for 3 years I started to explore master's degree programs and came across a program at Endicott College called Post-Professional Interior Architecture. When working with patients I could tell how much their physical environment affected their wellbeing. I started to pay more attention to how light, color, and space affected people and I started to make the connection that space affects people and their psychological state. I ended up finding my path and blending my love for psychology and wellbeing with my love to create and design. I graduated with my master's and my thesis was on creating an awareness center for the public on human trafficking. To use space to create an experiential space that will affect people and help them understand a topic like that.

I now work at an architectural firm called JSA INC in Portsmouth, N.H. JSA actually designed many buildings on UNE’s campus. I was drawn to this firm and careers to be part of healthcare design and I hope to be able to impact an individual’s positivity in my everyday work but also with my design. Person-centered care is very important to me and it can be influenced by design. So in a way, I have merged all my degrees into one and I am allowing life to lead me down the path where I can help people the most. That is through design.