A California native, she attended undergraduate school at the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in psychology. “My preference would have been to go directly to graduate school, but my parents wanted me to gain some work experience.” She went into sales for a few years, and then into training and management. When her son and daughter reached their teens a few years ago, she applied to NDNU’s School of Psychology. “It was the most natural thing in the world, both going back to school and now doing the work that I was meant to be doing.”  

Catharine enjoys family life with her son, daughter and partner; taking yoga classes four times a week (“It keeps me grounded”) and traveling locally and to exotic ports of call when she can. “I was in Marrakesh riding on camels with my best friend two weeks before the pandemic lockdown went into effect.” She enjoys bicycling to/from work each day. 

What made you choose NDNU for graduate school? 

I had been doing intake at Clarity Counseling and Wellness for a few years, and everyone I worked with raved about the school; its reputation is outstanding. I met Dr. Marlo, got a feel for the environment and trusted my intuition that this was the right move for me. It also helped that I live so close to the school. 

What was your experience like at NDNU? Are there any teachers or experiences that stand out? 

While I had AHA moments in every class, one session that stands out was Dr. Abramov’s discussion of how Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors work in the brain as part of a course on neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. It was fascinating, and while I love the psychoanalytic principles of the discipline, coming at it from an applied science perspective was especially helpful. And the way that she taught the class made the information immediately understandable and accessible. 

Dr. Marlo had a wonderful way of sharing stories of how she worked with patients which was so helpful. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy class taught by Dr. Leidecke was just great. Every professor I had was actively working with patients and had their hands in what’s really happening at the ground level. 

What I love best about NDNU would have to be the culture and the community. Every professor creates community in every class and in every course. My graduate school experience was very different from undergraduate studies in that I was focused on learning the foundation in the latter. In graduate school, you’re learning yourself by taking everything in, digesting it, processing it and working collaboratively to apply what you’ve learned in a more personal way. You develop very strong relationships with your teachers and classmates as a result. Plus there is mastery of subject content that sticks with you – I have a binder of my notes for every class I took at NDNU, and I refer to it all the time. 

Do you have any advice for people who are considering going back to school? 

When you’re considering a program, consider the people you’ll be around and the environment in which you’ll be learning in more than anything else. That goes for a work environment too.  Where I am, we are always looking out for and supporting one another. In fact, the Notre Dame de Namur community Hallmark – We create community among those with whom we work and with those we serve – really sums it up. 

What’s next for you?

While I will, of course, continue working with patients after I become fully licensed, I relish the opportunity to supervise colleagues who are fresh out of school. I had such wonderful mentors so I want to pay it forward.