Great schools and training programs offer learning opportunities that go far beyond the syllabus. We asked some amazing folks from the community to share stories from their educational journey with us.

Andrew Bingman

One of the biggest challenges I had to overcome while training to become a therapist was working through my own perfectionism. As a student, I never left anything to chance. When tasked with giving presentations, I would become so concerned about stumbling over my words or saying the wrong thing that I would write a script in advance and memorize every single word so that I could recite it in class. Read more>>

Laura Hansen

Becoming my first client in graduate school was invaluable. In 2020, I had just passed the board exam and needed to reevaluate my desire to work in a medical clinic during the global pandemic. With my life suddenly upended in many ways, including a pending divorce, I decided to further my education with an advanced degree in Integrative Health and Wellness. This is where I got to receive the personal benefits of health coaching. Read more>>

Dr. Lisa Palmer, DC, MS

I went to the University of Western States (UWS) in Portland, Oregon for my graduate program. Other than being immersed in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, it was the place where I created a foundation for my chiropractic career and future business. My program was the equivalent of a four-year program, but was done in three years because we went year round (without taking summer’s off). One of the reasons I was drawn to UWS had to do with it being evidence-based. I knew I would get a well-rounded education and the differential diagnosis skills that would help me support my patients the best. Read more>>

Hoda Hakimjavadi

Throughout my 4 years of graduate school and 1 year of clinical rotations I had the privilege of working with many great dietitians. The common theme of what I was taught came back to making sure we provide patients with research based nutrition therapy. Today, that really resonates with me given how many fad diets I hear of on the daily. If it’s no backed my research in practice I don’t subscribe to it. Read more>>

Mimi Marie

One of the most impactful concepts that I’ve learned in various my nutrition training over the years that has stuck close to me and is foundational in the work that I do is this: Different people need different things at different times in their lives. We all take trainings, do programs, read books, take classes, look for answers online, etc. because we want specific answers and instructions for how to get better or healthier, how to solve our problems and be successful. Read more>>

Shaudi Adel

I used my time in graduate school laser-focused on working in the “direct practice” concentration, as I knew from the age of 12 that I wanted to pursue therapy as my career. My second year of graduate school, I applied and was accepted into the Mental Health Training Program, which helped me fine-tune my graduate education on being a professional in the mental health field. Read more>>