Professional Development Plan

“Never stop learning, changing, and growing to become a better person,

but appreciate who you already are and how far you’ve come.” -
personal credo, Julie Y. Bunnak

Learned skills:
Throughout this past year, I have learned to value the therapeutic alliance in
practice. Mock sessions conducted throughout the various residencies has helped
me to build upon the skillsets necessary to build rapport with clients. Through
building trust, the utilization of attending skills, both verbal and non-verbal cues,
taking into consideration multi-cultural concerns, establishing congruence with
client, positive regard, and empathy, I have learned to strengthen my love for the
humanistic approach. I have also garnered a great appreciation for psychological
testing and would like to develop proficiency in this area.
Strengths:
Building rapport with clients, empathy to understand motivation and
perspective of client, open-minded, appreciation in leaving the client to feel
hopeful and positive for future at the end of sessions.
Weakness:
Lacking applied knowledge in the field, would like to gain experience in
working with clients and people. Can be a little too emphatic the interpretation of
psychological reports.
Goals:
To continue to learn and expand my knowledge in the field. Develop
proficiency in other psychotherapies; other than humanistic. Work with clients in
an effective and helpful manner; furthering technique and strategies in the process.
Learning from supervisors, colleagues, and crucial feedback from instructors.
Specific Objectives (short term):
 June 14-28: pass the PRE and last residency
  July 9, 19: get practicum documents in before this date, ensure
supervisor completes documentation
 October: start practicum
Specific Objectives (long term):
 Obtain licensure after graduation, obtain experience while working
with Forgiveness Program, work or volunteer to work with animals
and people in a therapeutic setting/service animals/become an
Emotional Service Animal (ESA) therapist or doctor (Little Angels
Service Dogs), develop own practice, published mental health
author.
Criteria:
 Complete PRE, continue with classes, obtain experience in
practicum, work on Capstone project, Dissertation project,
graduation, pass EPPP, obtain further experience in the field
through work and study.
Contribution of Degree to Career:
Along with opening doors to opportunities that may not normally be
available to an individual without the degree, the PsyD also offers the
student and future professional the knowledge necessary to forge ahead
confidently in their career endeavors. The knowledge obtained from the
Capella University PsyD program has inspired me to pull forth strengths
from abilities that I never knew I had. Prior to this program, I
wholeheartedly thought that my psychotherapeutic technique of choice
was the cognitive-behavioral approach. As an empirically sound and
evidence-based approach, CBT is widely used by a variety of
psychological professionals in the field. However, the encouraging
experiences and inspiring instructor feedback from residency has helped
me open my mind to embrace other alternatives. Since the first
residency, I have found my motivation in the Rogerian client-centered
approach. Not only does it feel more natural for me to use, but the
approach has really altered my own perspective with how to approach
other people on a daily basis. Not only have I learned to just “listen” to
people without having to utter a single word, but I can really “hear”
what is being said; not only verbally, but also through non-verbal means.
The program has taught me that in finding my own niche, I can remain
authentic, open-minded, utilize greater “listening skills”, maintain
positivity, empathy, and continue to help others to the best of my ability.
Forging ahead into my career, I will continue to strive for excellence in
the field; learning and adapting to new psychotherapeutic techniques,
but I will continue to carve out my own “niche” in life. Forever thankful,
to the Capella PsyD program and the inspirational instructors.

Julie Y. Bunnak, Capella University PsyD student.