Chinna Annamalai
PsyD in Clinical Psychology
CSPP at Alliant International University, San Francisco
Q: What do you like about your clinical psychology program so far?
A: As an Indian American, I immigrated to this country as a child, and I experienced a lot of different things growing up in between two cultures. I was really curious to see how that might unfold in the world of psychology. Alliant is really supportive and welcoming to students of color and it has a large representation of diversity as well. Not only in the subjects that are taught, but also in the diversity of their professors. It feels like a more well-rounded education in terms of issues that psychologists may face in the field today and also helps address any disparities or things that minority populations might be facing in the field of psychology.
Q: Can you talk about why you chose Alliant over other schools?
A: I earned a master's in counseling psychology, and I enjoyed the education so much that I wanted to go further with my training and learn more nuanced experiences, especially in terms of assessment, so that is what drew me to the doctoral program at CSPP. That and the long-standing reputation Alliant has in California and that they've been a school of professional psychology for over 50 years. A lot of professionals that I met out in the fields were Alliant alumni so that was also a big draw for me to come to this extraordinary university.
Q: What has Alliant done to help support you in the program?
A: I had a lot of life changes occurring when I started the program. I became a mother in my first year of the program and everybody was on board to help me. My faculty advisor, the program director, even the student advisor – they were all willing to redo my whole schedule to help me stay on track and be in alignment with my new life change. It was a supportive community that made me feel like they'd be with me for the long haul.
Q: Did anything surprise you about the program?
A: Finding a family of other parents who are graduate students and being able to share our struggles and challenges at having to balance these two worlds. This helped inform areas of research that I was truly passionate about because once I became a mother, I started focusing more on the psychological aspects of child development. It blended beautifully into my dissertation which is about Indian American parental practices. I also developed some life-long professional and personal relationships which will go a long way in my psychology career.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering a clinical psychology program at Alliant?
A: The program caters to exploring your personal therapeutic style, the values in your personal passions, and how you want to serve the community, so having that in mind is important. Also, understand that this is a quite rigorous program that's really going to draw out your strengths and make you a better, more well-rounded clinician. And finally, be open to the experience and really just be yourself, because there is definitely room for your personal voice. This is a field where I've felt that to be true unlike other professions.