1

Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Robert JensenBA Psychology, 2010

Personal Statement

In life I have made many transitions. I have continued to grow, develop and, become something that I consider better than I was before. My goal is to continue this journey of intellectual development and self-discovery throughout my life. The path that my life has taken has seen me as a confused high school graduate, a submariner, a lost veteran, and now as a father and college student with a clear direction and goals for my life. Everyone’s life goes through stages and major changes as they grow and mature. The changes I have made at several of the major stages in my life have been considerable, and have transformed me nearly completely each time. After each of the major transitions the man I became was almost completely unrecognizable compared to the man I had been. Every decision I have ever made, ever mistake, and every triumph has made me who I am today.

The Navy was a major source of self-esteem for me. It was in the Navy that I learned to challenge what I had previously imposed on myself. It was there that I learned to push myself beyond any limits and achieve things I previously thought impossible. Leaving the Navy I was lost. I had expected to spend my entire life serving as a sailor, and then in an instant that was taken away from me after an accident. That period was a very confusing time, and the first few months were some of the lowest months of my life. I had lost my career, and after living a highly structured and directed life I found myself once again lacking any form of direction. I found that direction though when I went back to school. I also found a passion in me for helping others. I have never felt as strong a sense of a perfect fit as I did when I first entered a medical clinic and started helping the patients there. It was the clinic that got me involved in the substance abuse treatment field, and although I may not wish to.

make substance abuse treatment the focus of my career it will always have a place in my future which is why I continue towards licensure as a chemical dependency professional. It was my entry into the substance abuse treatment field that ultimately ignited the spark of interest in psychology for me.

I look at everything in my life as a learning experience. Even if all you learn in any situation is what not to do you have still learned something important. My daughter is a daily source for some of the most important lessons I have every learned, as well as a daily source of motivation to push myself to achieve only the best in my life. It is amazing how this one year old has taught me the importance of responsibilities I never saw myself having. It is also amazing how she has taught me to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. Through her I have learned that sometimes the simplest things are the most important or entertaining.

As I progress through my education and into my career I will continue to be passionate about helping and serving others. I hope to return the gifts I have received during my education to the community at large. I hope to be able to assist others in finding their fit in the world, finding the meaning that gives them a reason to continue. I eagerly look forward to watching clients as they become what they seek to be and discover there potential. I owe much to the institutions that provided me with my education, the companies that helped guide me along my path, and the clients who have helped to solidify my resolve to be in this industry, and once I have graduated I hope to be able to start paying that debt off.

Resume

Robert Jensen18806 58th ST E, Bonney Lake, WA 983911-253-830-4119 | robert,j10@live.com

Education

BA Psychology concentration Substance AbuseArgosy University – Expected completion December 2010 Magna Cum LaudeDeans List – (Summer 2009, Fall 2009) Honors – (Spring 2010, Summer 2010, Fall

2010)

General Education TransferHighline Community College - 2007 – 2008

Diploma Medical AssistantEverest College - 2006 – 2007Graduated with a 3.9 GPA

Credentials and other experience and educationCDPT #C0182035 | Health Care Assistant #HC60190571 | HIPPA training |

HIV/AIDS Training OSHA Training | Veteran U.S Navy Submarine service | Formerly held Top Secret

Securityclearance with SIOP access | Formerly part of PRP program

Work History

CDPT | Medical Assistant | Creative Change Counseling | August 2010 – Current

CDPTProvided Assessments, Individual, Group, and Family counseling for court ordered

or voluntaryEntry and treatment in a substance abuse recovery program as well as case

management andAdministrative duties.Medical AssistantAssisted in establishing a medical clinic, the policies, and administrative

procedures. Served as the Lead MA ensuring smooth operation of the medical clinic, and

scheduling.Assisted with simple medical procedures.

Joy P. Ruiz-Molleston, MD | Medical Assistant | 2007 – March 2010Assisted with simple medical procedures such as venipuncture, vitals, wound

cleaning, bandaging, spirometry, EKG, injections, medication administration, scheduling, and charting.

Worked with a Licensed CDP to provide assessments and interventions, and finding appropriate counseling and meetings for patients voluntarily entering into medical treatment for opioid dependence.

Experienced working with patients in all stages of addiction through recovery, and mental health medication management.

Reflection

Argosy University has done an exemplary job of preparing me for study in the field of psychology. The program’s design exposed me to the material to a greater degree than I think any traditional school would have. The blended format, while receiving much criticism from some students, was exceptional in preparation for graduate school. The need for self study, and motivation will certainly serve me well as I continue on to my masters. Argosy has also provided me with something that I think will serve me to a far greater degree than the approach they used to cover the material, and that is motivation and openness.

I have not always been the most motivated, especially when it comes to learning, but the inspiration I have received from the instructors, and the required reading for classes to explore in more depth some of the theories and concepts has become a major driving force for me. In the all to rare moments during my undergraduate education that I had time to come up and breathe I actually found myself diving into other books on psychology and philosophy with a level of interest I haven’t seen from myself before. The encouragement I received from instructors and from student reactions to my work has helped me to overcome a great sense of self doubt.

I have also been inspired by my interactions with students, and instructors, as well as engaging with the material to consider perspectives and concepts that I had never even thought of previously. It was those interactions that led me to what I consider to be some of the most rewarding self-studies I have ever engaged in. It is the openness I had been inspired to develop that has allowed me to explore of side of myself I had never recognized.

Overall Argosy as a whole, the instructors, the students, and even the material in the course work has inspired me to grow and become something much better than I have ever been. I feel as if I have been prepared not only for a career in psychology, but also for life itself.

Cognitive Abilities

Sally - The case study for sally was a tragic one, but it was one that provided me with the opportunity to show my developing skills not just in the cognitive area, but like most of the papers here provided me with a chance to show some skill in multiple areas.

Peter’s Termination - This was the final project for peter. Written as a counselor providing a report. I really enjoyed the assignments with Peter. As with many of the 8 week case studies Peter’s life was a train wreck, though this one held together and throughout the course we could actually see Peter respond to treatment and begin a healthy optimistic lifestyle.

Research Skills

Unfortunately much of the work I had done was lost including much of the work that showed how my skills with research developed over the three years it took to gain my bachelor’s. These three assignments include two literature reviews and a research proposal which I hope shows at least the point I currently am at

Research ProposalAn Examination of Holistic Treatment of

Substance AbuseAddiction: The Misunderstood Cry for Help

Communication Skills

An Examination of Holistic Treatment of Substance Abuse (literaturereviewpresentationpsy250).- While I am still uncomfortable giving presentations to groups I felt that this presentation provided some really good information. It also inspired the final research project I did.

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

Case Study - This was an interesting paper written for a philosophy class. The goal was to take a somewhat recent current event and apply different philosophical approaches to ethics and morality, as well as to engage with that event forming my own opinion. The formatting is not the best but it was how the instructor asked it to be.

Self Advocacy - The purpose of the assignment was to help potential students with disabilities prepare to be self-advocates and to ensure they receive the assistance needed to have the oppurtunity to excell in whatever they decide.

Foundations of Psychology

Re-SocializationPrenatal Migraines and Contralateral

These three assignments together show understanding of the fundamentals in all areas of psychology.

Applied Psychology

Ultimate/Actual - As little love as I felt for Industrial Organizational Psychology I thought I would never look at the work again. Then I was asked to find some work that illustrated my abilities with applied psychology. Its hard to imagine something more perfect for applied psychology than Industrial Organizational Psych work.

Revising Peter - The assignments involving peter were written from the perspective of a counselor submitting reports and developing treatment plans. The entire Peter series taught me a lot over the 8 weeks of that course.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Harvey’s Sober Return to the Family - This PowerPoint was written early on in my career and I have since had philosophical shifts in regard to the treatment of substance abuse however much of the material here is still relevant to my beliefs. The important part however is that I am able to apply what I had learned to help Harvey understand what needs to be done as he returns to the family that his alcoholism had destroyed.

My Future in Learning

I hope to never stop learning. One thing that has been impressed upon me in my time with Argosy is that you must never stop learning and growing. I have opened my mind to the possibility of new experiences and perspectives. One of the hardest things to do was to open myself up and allow myself to become influenced and react to experiences I had never been exposed to or considered, and it is my sincere hope that the openness I now have remains with me through the end of my days.

Everything in life can teach me a lesson. This is something I have learned from my daughter. While I am grateful for all that I know I strive to approach the rest of my life in the way that she does now. Watching her at any second she is awake you can see how even the smallest things that we would normally not pay attention to teach her some lesson. That is how I see myself viewing life now. I hope to be able to be present with myself learning from even the smallest things in life and enjoying myself all the more because of it.

Contact Me

Thank you for viewing my ePortfolio.

For further information, please contact me at the e-

mail address below. Robert.j10@live.com