Silvana Agterberg

Silvana Agterberg earned a Master of Arts in Psychology in 2018, and, following graduation, she pursued a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (health emphasis) at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY.

“My experiences in the psychology MA program have shaped my trajectory as both a researcher and clinician. Through the program, I was provided the opportunity to work as a research assistant for the Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders (SUCD) program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health centre, a teaching assistant for the Psychology of Addictions and Health Psychology courses, and to complete a summer practicum conducting research for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).”

Do you have a favourite memory of the MA program at Carleton? A favourite course? A favourite psychology professor that had a big impact?

My experiences in the psychology MA program have shaped my trajectory as both a researcher and clinician. Through the program, I was provided the opportunity to work as a research assistant for the Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders (SUCD) program at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health centre, a teaching assistant for the Psychology of Addictions and Health Psychology courses, and to complete a summer practicum conducting research for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). Together, these opportunities provided me an important stepping stone in the pursuit of my eventual goal of becoming a clinical psychology with an emphasis on substance use and addictive behaviors. My favourite course in the MA program was pro-sem (professional seminar), where various researchers in psychology and related fields shared their research with students and faculty. My favourite professor at Carleton was actually one of the profs I TA’s for, named Dr. John Weekes. He taught the Psychology of Addictions course at Carleton for several years  before leaving in 2018 to serve as the Director of Research and Academics at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. John was one of the most passionate, engaging, and dedicated professors I have encountered to this day, and has been a huge inspiration to me.

What did you do after your MA?

Right after completing my MA at Carleton, I moved to NYC to pursue my PhD in Clinical Psychology with a heath emphasis and minor in addiction at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology (Yeshiva University. I am currently in my second year of the program. Here, I am part of the Smoking and Nicotine Dependence Research Laboratory, and my research interests emphasize gender, substance use, and stigma. In addition, I am a student therapist at my program’s on-campus community psychotherapy clinic, while simultaneously completing a clinical placement on an inpatient unit for women at the New York Presbyterian Hospital where I provide individual and group psychotherapy for perinatal and reproductive age women with a variety of psychological diagnoses.

Do you have any advice for any students thinking of doing a MA in Psychology at Carleton?

One piece of advice I have for people considering the MA program at Carleton is this: don’t let the research and statistics emphases scare you! It’s really not that bad… and it can actually be extremely interesting and rewarding. The faculty and staff are fantastic and supportive. In addition, the relatively low course load (especially compared to undergrad) allows you really focus on gaining experiences, knowledge, and skills that you feel are meaningful and beneficial to your desired career path.