Soujanya Gade

PhD in Clinical Psychology, neuropsychology emphasis
CSPP at Alliant International University, San Francisco

Q: What inspired you to go into the field of clinical psychology?

A: I've always been interested in development and understanding how people change through their lifespan. It started off with observing kids and being curious as to why they ask the questions they do and why they're interested in the things that they are. That shifted into how we can make changes to achieve better outcomes for kids and adults because I think that there's so much more that can be done with the integration of technology into health care to support people's mental health.

Q: Why did you choose to earn your doctorate at Alliant over other schools? 

A: Because it has the longest history in terms of the professional colleges, and because of their social justice lens. A lot of programs talk about it, but I see that Alliant really is invested in making those changes. And although nobody's perfect and there are always more things that we can do, there's a genuine care for that at Alliant and that really stuck with me when I talked to their faculty. I like that and I've definitely felt that throughout my years here.

Q: How has Alliant helped support you in your program? 

A: Most grad students can probably relate to this, but we tend to take on more than we should. It’s a natural urge that we have to keep doing more and more and there needs to be a balance to make sure that you're learning and attaining the knowledge in a way that's going to stick. It’s also important not to feel overwhelmed so you can really make the changes that you want to for people in the long term.

In my case, I had my child in the first year of the program. The investment from Alliant to make sure that I have that balance while still learning, growing, and advancing in the process of being a PhD student has been so supportive. If I didn't get that support from faculty like Dr. Henn-Haase and the administrative team, I don't think I would be here getting to live my dream of potentially making those changes for people.

Q: What surprised you about the program at Alliant?

A: The genuine care by my supervisors and professors. Even if it's one touch point, there is always great advice and a willingness to make extra time if the students ask. The other surprising thing is the type of students that come here. They are much more collaborative than other grad students I had worked with. There was a lot of competition between students in my master’s program and I think at Alliant, we're very collaborative and we really do help and support each other through the general stresses of school. It’s not “I'm trying to one-up you,” but more, “I'm in the same boat as you so how can I help you,” and I think that's very unique to our program.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who is considering a clinical psychology program?

A: You might be very invested and interested, but it's important to make sure that it's the correct time for you to pursue a doctorate because it is a five-year commitment and life changes a lot during those years. You need to understand what you're going into because the people in your life might stay the same, but you're going to go through a very rigorous change process. Understanding that and going in with the mentality of, “how can I get support while I'm going through this,” is key. Creating a good, strong network of friends within the program to support you during the process is very important.