PAU’s master’s in counseling program with an emphasis in clinical mental health was named one of the best accredited master’s in counseling programs in the United States—and one of only two programs in California to receive this honor. The announcement was made by HumanServicesEDU.org which just released its ‘2019 Best Counseling Program’ list.
HumanServicesEDU.org assessed hundreds of schools around the nation to develop the annual list that helps potential students find information about accredited programs and bring recognition to top quality programs.
Palo Alto University Professor Joyce Chu, Ph.D., is a guest co-editor of a special issue of the Asian American Journal of Psychology that is dedicated to the understanding of suicide among Asian Americans. The Journal (2018, Vol. 9, No. 4), which she co-edited with Michigan State University's Frederick T. L. Leong, Ph.D., and Stanford University’s Shashank V. Joshi, M.D., includes a compilation of studies that shed light on the current state of knowledge about suicide in Asian American communities and highlights innovative approaches to suicide prevention and management.
PAU’s Kimberly Balsam, Ph.D., was awarded a prestigious Presidential Citation from the president of the American Psychological Association at the 2019 National Multicultural Conference and Summit held in January in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Balsam, chair of PAU’s Department of Psychology and director of the Center for LGBTQ Evidence-Based Applied Research, received the award in recognition of her leading work on LGBTQ psychology.
Mentoring has been a major theme in the life of Saranya Sundaram, a fourth-year student in PAU’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program. She has mentored youth ages 10 to 17, including those from underserved populations and with truancy issues, as well as her fellow PAU graduate students. Saranya has also been a beneficiary of mentorship throughout her clinical and academic career.
When Kay Lee was a successful investment banker in Hong Kong from 1983 to 2003, she never imagined that she would one day found an orphanage in Fengcheng City, China. Today she is known as “Mama” to 30 children who have been orphaned, abandoned, or handicapped.
Despite the riches and glamour of the investment world, Kay found herself seeking a deeper meaning in life. As she became a person of deep faith, she found a calling to serve the gravely underserved. In 2000, she set up a charity foundation, sold her investment companies, and invested the proceeds in an orphanage.
Reflecting upon the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to express my gratitude to our vital and resilient Palo Alto University community. I am inspired daily by our richly diverse community, commitment to service, and the outstanding work by our students, faculty and alumni to improve lives throughout our community and around the world.
Every year the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) presents one award honoring an outstanding, innovative, or unique counselor education program in the western region. A second award is given honoring excellence in leadership of an officer, committee person, or other leader or major contributor to the WACES professional association.
PAU Distinguished Professor Ricardo F. Muñoz Receives “2018 Outstanding Mentor Award” in Washington D.C. Ceremony
PAU Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology Ricardo F. Muñoz was honored by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) with the “2018 Outstanding Mentor Award” today during a ceremony in Washington D.C. ABCT is the leading society for cognitive behavioral therapy research and practice in America and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016.