Blog 13: 10 Hours Mentorship Check-In

“The exchange of knowledge is what creates a bond between the mentor and the student.”

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

Throughout the course of senior year I have been completing my senior mentorship hours with Dr. Maureen Burney at Chino Mental Health Associates located at 13751 Roswell Ave # A, Chino, CA 91710.

2.   Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?

The person who called in was my mentor, clinical/health psychologist Dr. Maureen Burney. I would consider her an expert since she achieved a doctorate in clinical and health psychology and has accumulated over 30 years of experience in practice within the mental health field. In addition to this she has worked in various locations including the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center as a supervisor of the Crisis Intervention Team, Pitzer College as a research assistant, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health as a Masters Level Practicum, and the Behavioral Medicine Unit of La Palma Hospital.

3.   How many  hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).

In total I have completed a total of 57 hours including my 10 summer mentorship hours.

4.   Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.

What I have completed with my mentor have been various tasks experiences in the psychology field including creating evaluations and predictions of different patients, working on business management (independent practitioners) and lastly on small projects of investigation towards informing the public on the importance of knowledge on mental health.

I believe that my mentor and I have a strong bond that has been reflected in the way that I have presented my knowledge on my topic of suicide prevention. Dr. Burney has been a great mentor not only for senior project but for other important aspects in following a field in psychology. She assisted me with applying to private schools that specialize in psychology and pushed me to look at myself so that I could better other people.

For my next hours my mentor and I plan on working on a new project of creating a video channel on informing the public - possibly with PSAs or with short educational films.

Blog 2 - Summer Mentorship

The human brain is  like a maze, it shifts in many directions and the only way to navigate through it would be to dive right in.  

1. List the contact name, phone number, and organization of the person with whom you volunteered.

My mentor is named Maureen Burney, Ph.D.

• (909)247-9630
• Chino Mental Health Associates - Counseling and Mediation Center

2. What qualified this person as an expert in your topic choice?     

My mentor, Dr. Burney has years of experience in different areas within psychology, ranging from university research, to working with disturbed children, and presently as a psychologist with a specialty in clinical and health psychology which is all detailed below.

Dr. Burney, began her educational career in Pitzer College where she received her BA in Psychology with an emphasis on Physiological Psychology with Highest Honors. Afterwards Dr. Burney attended the California School of Professional Psychology in Los Angeles where she achieved her M.A. then her Ph.D. in Clinical and Health Psychology.

From there she moved onto working as the Supervisor of the Crisis Intervention Team at the Los Angeles Suicide and Prevention Center. As time progressed she moved herself into various jobs to gain experience in different aspects of psychology. She went onto working as a Senior Research Assistant and as the Physiological Psychology Laboratory Supervisor at Pitzer College. She moved onto working in the LA County Department of Mental Health as a Masters Level Practicum, and moved onto being the senior program specialist and counselor at La Palma Hospital. She spent some time as a Psychologist at UCR and now finds herself as the Director of her individual practice as a psychologist at Chino Mental Health Associates.

Resume Linked Here.

3. List three questions for further exploration now that you've completed your summer hours.   

In what ways does an individual committing suicide affect those they are aware of?

Why is reaching the crux of a patient useful in helping them solve their issues?

How does the physical presence of a psychologist affect the growth of a patient, versus having sessions over the phone?

The photo above is of the desk in which I performed most of my hours with various tasks of printing client statements and looking into past office records. 

4. What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

From the time that I have spent with my mentor so far, the most important thing that I have gained so far would have to be the concept that the more an individual allows themselves to experiment, the easier it will be for an individual to find their passion. Although this concept is not necessarily tied into the topic of psychology, it has given me some hindsight for my future.

My mentor has told me many stories of how she finally decided that being a psychologist is what she wanted to do with her life. In college she spent time in many different locations working in branches of psychology and traveling, while simultaneously getting one step closer to her true passion. As one becomes more willing to experiment, more doors open, and that is  

Ultimately, learning to take advantage of new experiences has been the most important thing I have gained so far, because it is motivating me to grow as an individual.

5. What is your senior project topic going to be?  How did mentorship help you make your decision?  Please explain.

The topic which my senior project will be based upon, is psychology. My mentorship has assisted me in making my decision because speaking with my mentor alone has given me the opportunity to understand how much of a difference one person can make in the life of another, and their loved ones.

When one person suffers from emotional or mental distress, then they begin to slowly have a trickling effect upon their family members, friends, peers and even co-workers. Different illnesses cause distinct reactions, and when one is able to work with a patient in such a manner, you are able to touch the lives of many, and that is what I would like to do with my life.

Summer Hours Linked Here