Joelle Fa

I grew up in Sydney, the youngest in a family of four. My family are all involved in different areas of health, and throughout my schooling, while I was a high achiever, for a long time I wasn’t certain about what direction I wanted to take my life. 

I decided to study this Master degree after working for several years with disadvantaged children and families for Wesley Mission. While completing my Honours degree in Psychology, I undertook a placement for Wesley Mission’s volunteer mentoring program called Wesley Aunties and Uncles. After finishing Honours, I was offered a position as a Case Manager with this organisation, and went on to spend two years working with disadvantaged children and families, many of whom were involved in the foster care system. It was during this time that I began to hear the stories of many men and women whose lives had been deeply affected by social and psychological challenges, and while the work that I was doing was valuable, I knew that I wanted to help these people in a more direct way. I wanted to be able to not only sit with them as they endured their psychological burden, but also to help them find a way out and regain control of their lives. I knew then that I had to return to university to complete my Master of Clinical Psychology degree.

I was excited when I first heard about the UTS Master of Clinical Psychology program through friends from my undergraduate degree. I attended a Graduate School of Health information evening to learn more and immediately, I was struck by the genuine and supportive attitude of the staff towards their students and prospective students. I especially loved that the program would be delivered by academic staff who were not only actively involved in their own research, but were also all practicing Clinical Psychologists.  This is a quality unique to the program at UTS. I had no hesitation in applying after that night, and nearly two years later I am very thankful that I did!

There are so many rewarding moments in this degree. One of the most memorable moments for me was the moment I progressed from role plays to meeting my first client and finally, after years of study, being able to begin to put into practice the techniques and skills I had been learning about to help another human being. That was a very humbling and nerve-wracking experience. The greatest privilege has been meeting clients in their deepest time of need, and then helping them to navigate through their situation towards something better. Being able to do that amongst a cohort of incredibly talented, kind and supportive peers is a huge reason why I have gotten this far through. You meet some truly amazing people here, and for that I am so thankful.

Studying Clinical Psychology has really made me appreciate the life I have. Doing the work that we do, we meet some people who have been through incredible challenges and are still battling on somehow. It makes you stop and think and reflect on your own journey and it fills you with gratitude and perspective. I also have gained more insight into myself and I have a better understanding of my own interactions and ways of communication in relationships. This has been a huge part of my growing and maturing over the past year and a half. It is something that those around me have begun to notice and comment on too, which is a testament to how this degree helps you to grow as a professional and as a human being.

As far as assessments go, they are challenging, but manageable. In all honesty, the assessments have taken on a very practical nature (think role plays, demonstrations and presenting on current clients), which is reflective of what we can expect in the real world of clinical psychology.

One guest lecturer that sticks out to me is Jace Cannon-Brookes from the Birchtree Centre of Excellence. She delivered an incredible presentation on domestic violence, and having worked with several women who had lived through this in my time at Wesley Aunties and Uncles, her lecture really moved me. Her use of case studies was also particularly engaging. We gained some really powerful insights into the reality of domestic violence for many women, and learnt how psychologists can help them get away from these destructive situations.

My greatest support in this degree has been my fellow peers. They have been my study partners, celebrators and comforters, and their support has always been readily available. Aside from that, the academic staff have always made themselves available for help if needed.

Currently, I am involved in an excellent placement working with eating disorders and obesity in an outpatient setting, and it has been a fantastic learning experience. I would love to continue to work in this area, as it is something I’ve become passionate about, and will be looking to seek out once I finish this degree.

I still have such varied interests in the field of Clinical Psychology, however, doing this degree has helped me to discover a passion for working with eating disorders. I love the intersection of the medical and the psychological, and my hope would be to work in this field in the future.

My advice for future students: you will have a hundred doubts about whether it is possible, but it is, and it is more than worth it! Don’t be afraid to ask for support, and make the most of your supervisors’ insights and knowledge while you have them. They are invaluable. Undertaking this Masters is somewhat like taking a leap of faith into a very scary, challenging and at times sleep-deprived world, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. To be able to help someone using the skills that you learn in this degree is a huge privilege.

It will be a bittersweet experience when I finish my studies at the UTS GSH. I have met some pretty incredible people here who have taught me valuable life lessons and skills, so I know that through them I’ll stay connected to this place.