Shelda Iverson-Borders

My overall graduate experience at Texas Tech has been very positive. I chose to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology for a variety of reasons. First of all, I was excited about getting the chance to develop skills that would allow me to assist others effectively through difficult times. Pursuing this degree also appealed to me because of the many doors it would open for me in the future. Since beginning graduate study in the fall of 2005 I have had several different training experiences, so I am confident that by the time I graduate I will be well-equipped to pursue a variety of career options. A few of my goals for the future include having a psychotherapy practice, and also teaching at the university level.

I grew up in Indiana and completed my undergraduate degree at Anderson University. When I began my search for graduate programs I was drawn to the TTU Counseling Psychology program because of the breadth of the program. This program provides many training opportunities for students to become skilled practitioners, researchers, and teachers. I was also drawn to the program because my research interests were similar to those of Dr. Stephen Cook. Dr. Cook is now my research advisor, and he has allowed me the freedom of pursuing research that is both interesting and meaningful to me. Our research currently involves investigating some of the psychosocial components and coping mechanisms that impact the experience of chronic pain patients. This research has been possible by partnering with Dr. Patrick Randolph, a local psychologist who specializes in pain treatment. Dr. Randolph is also an alumnus of the TTU Counseling Psychology doctoral program. The next step of this research is to investigate some of the religious and non-religious coping mechanisms that chronic pain patients utilize.

Since beginning the graduate program, I have been interested in the idea of applying psychology to medical issues. Clearly my research demonstrates this interest. I have also been able to express this interest through working on the counseling team at the Southwest Cancer Treatment and Research Center. Dr. Susan Hendrick began the counseling team approximately three years ago, and in that time the team has been able to provide support and counseling for many cancer patients and their families. I have enjoyed being a part of this team and getting the chance to provide an additional component of patient care.

My graduate experience has also included training in the administration of intelligence and vocational tests, and working as a therapist in the TTU Psychology Clinic. An additional strength of the Psychology Department at TTU is the level of financial support that is provided to students. I have had a variety of assistantship assignments that include being the assistant to the chair of the general academic campus's Institutional Review Board, serving as a teaching assistant for our department's undergraduate research methods course, being the instructor of record for an upper division psychology course, and working on the administrative side of the TTU Psychology Clinic. These assistantship assignments have not only been financially beneficial, but have also provided me with opportunities to increase my own knowledge and to hone my teaching skills. Basically, they have been a very valuable part of my graduate education. In the spring of 2007 I was honored to receive a departmental graduate teaching award in the category of "Best Teaching Assistant." I was also recently awarded the Health and Social Services Fellowship from Covenant Health System.