My Personal Statement
by:Azad Moradian M.A.
It’s so
fascinating to look back and realize how much of my present and future
is shaped by my past experiences, and how much of my perception is
either expanded or limited by those events. It’s quite interesting to
realize how much of my understanding of myself and the world, how much
of my goals and ambitions are formed through the bases of my existence;
my mother’s womb, my unidentified homeland, my belittled ethnicity, all
the places I was raised and taught, and the most gripping moments that
have defined who I am today and who I wish to be tomorrow. It is my
history and background, my triumphs and tragedies, my accomplishments
and losses, and the endless checklist of hopes and dreams that never
seem to seize, which has painted the vivid picture that I envision to
be my future.
What I have chosen to study and educate myself
in, what I have chosen to devote my life to is a direct result of the
journey I have paved to be where I am today. Knowing myself as a Kurd,
one out of the thirty-five million people who have no place to call
home, no rights to speak by their sweet mother’s tongue, no chance to
celebrate their rich culture and heritage, has indeed played a big part
in how I have lived my life and how I want to continue to live. In many
ways, too often I was not given a choice, for one never chooses to come
to life and be bashed for being alive, one never chooses to be born and
be sentenced to a life full of fear and prosecution. However, today I
do have a choice, so I choose to dedicate my life to the development of
understanding of the human existence.
Growing up in an
extensive family system with multiple siblings and grandparents,
speaking one language at home, and being forced to study in another at
school, being raised in an era of struggle and war, put down by others
for the mere fact that I am a Kurd, becoming intrigued by political
movements and revolution, I came to see much of the complexity of the
world. Not much fairness is practiced in the chaotic atmosphere of a
third world country, especially in the case of people who have no right
to be known. In an uneducated system, with little resources for
advancement, I was among a growing population of enthusiastic youth,
who were fighting for reform and change. Throughout my childhood a
distinct goal became rooted in me that has since only grown. That goal
is to help my fellow people and have a positive impact in their lives;
to somehow lessen the heavy burden that they must carry. From the early
years of my youth I came to realize that there was much need for the
care of the human mind, for I saw how fragile the human sanity could
be. I witnessed how easily a strong grown man can be emotionally and
mentally paralyzed by the loss of a child, and how dysfunctional a
bombarded society can become. In a land where the fundamental needs of
a human being is not met, where filling an empty stomach is a struggle,
not much thought is given to the mental health. Although it was often
apparent that the essence of the crippled community was in its
inability to cope and overcome grief, not too many allowed to pinpoint
the need for psychological assistance. Perhaps the awareness of such a
need was one of the major reasons why I chose to study psychology. My
own motivation to overcome the continuous traumas and losses of my
early adulthood, gave me a better understanding of how I could make a
difference in my people’s lives.
I joined the political
movement at a very young age and this involvement in politics took me
through a series of life altering events and painful experiences. The
essence behind the political movement was to fight towards human rights
and equality, which fed my desire to help others. The psychological
damage that imprisonment, prosecution, torture and the domination of
fear had on the development of my family and friends were undeniable.
It never escaped me to notice the changes each individual went through
within the process of injustice and how much help they needed to be
able to stand on their feet once again.
I was able to fully
commit myself to my goal in 1989 when I applied for Clinical psychology
in undergraduate school in Iran. Within the process of my education in
clinical psychology I realized that what excites me most is the
investigation, dissection and understanding of the issues surrounding
my people.
As I took courses in developmental psychology,
psychopathology, personality theory and personality disorders, I found
myself more and more stimulated to think and explore my world.
I
had the chance to be educated by some of the best psychology professors
in Iran, which certainly played a part in my advancement. I received
practice in clinical diagnostic methods and pediatric Clinical
psychology at Rozbeh psychiatric hospital, the best psychiatric
hospital in Iran, and this opportunity gave me a well-rounded training
in the areas of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. I received
research training while working at the Institute of Iranian Veteran
Study, and writing honors thesis and subsequent poster presentation
about psychological problems among college student in 1993. My work
with Dr. Ahadi and Dr. Shamlo PhD, currently director of Iranian
psychology Association, helped me develop my observational skills and
learn to classify and define abstract descriptors into concrete
variables.
During the years of 1993- 1996, while studying to
receive my masters in Clinical Psychology, I also worked in the field
as a psychologist assistant and family counselor under supervision.
At the Summer of 1996, the complication of the political atmosphere in
Iran forced us to flee from my country in order to ensure our safety.
During my two-year stay in Azerbaijan as a refugee, I worked with an
international refugee organization for a year, researching the
diversity of culture in the former Soviet Union. Being a refugee gave
me an inside view of the lives of refugee families and the impact of
trauma on their mentality. This experience directed my attention
towards political psychology.
My family and I received political
asylum in Denmark and lived there from December 1997 to July 2000.
During these three years along with learning Danish language and
history, I worked as a counselor with immigrant and refugee families,
assistant school counselor, and coordinator of the immigrant/refugee
program through Danish refugee council. My work experience in Denmark
was able to improve and expand my knowledge of various cultures, and
focused my studies on the psychological aspects of divers cultures.
My
family and I immigrated to the United States in the year 2000 and
within the following year I began work in the Institute for Applied
Behavior Analysis (IABA), a well-known international agency with 24
years experience that provides living support, behavior integration and
behavioral modification services for individuals with mental and
developmental disability. As a case coordinator and senior staff I have
had the opportunity to work directly with clients suffering from many
forms of developmental and mental disabilities.
I was selected to
participate in educational and professional courses through IABA
educational committee to improve my job knowledge; the following are a
few of those courses:
1. Psychological Assessment by Dr. Gary W. Lavigna, PhD and Dr. Thomas J. Willis, PhD,
2.
Augmentative Communication & Visual Support Strategies for
Communications & problem Behavior By Pat Miranda, PhD, University
of British Columbia
3. Challenging Behavior: Emergency Management conference by Dr. LaVigna PhD and Dr. Willis, Ph.D.
4.
Competency Training for working with people with mental and
developmental Disability, including 80 hours educational conference,
workshop and discussion, case study presented by IABA Educational
committee under supervision by Dr. Maryam Abedi Ph.D.
5. Professional Assault Response Training with a three days workshop and discussion directed by Lorry Leak, LCMSW.
In addition to those courses I received courses and training sessions related to my work with Autistic children.
The following is a list of some of the major tasks I carry either independently or under supervision:
• Behavioral assessment, positive future plan assessment
• Behavior modification and behavior intervention program
• In home counseling
• Emergency management through out a 24 hour period for at least twenty-five clients
• Teaching independent living skills
• Teaching emergency skills and community integration plan
• Data collection, data analysis, data graphing and preparing all necessary reports
• Monitoring medication and medical condition
• Work with Psychiatrist/ Physician as a case coordinator to monitor all medical issues.
I was able to work directly with Dr. DeAntonio, director of the adolescence psychiatry, at the UCLA Neuropsychiatry Institute.
Along
side my work at IABA I am also actively involved in the community
through volunteer work. I work with Community Service Institute (CSI)
to help individuals with disabilities integrate into the community, and
with the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). My volunteer work
with The LAUSD provided me with a chance to attend the National
Association Bilingual Education (NABE), the Phoenix conference, as a
representative of PTSA, and gave a lecture on bilingual education among
Iranian families.
I have presented several lectures in Farsi and
Kurdish regarding psychological and cultural issues among immigrant
families in Iranian media. I also had few discussion interviews with a
local radio station regarding the Kurdish psychology on behalf of the
Kurdish American Education Society (KAES), and Kurdish National Congress N. America.
Throughout my eventful
journey I have seen a wide range of human emotion created by beauty,
love and many times cruelty and the brutality of history. My
observations, experiences, and professional work have all directed me
towards the continuation of my education in Clinical psychology and as
a result of my history I have chosen to emphasize in diversity.
COMMENT: For letter section : newarticle@vokradio.com
To Azad Moradian: azad@vokradio.com
