Introducing Joe Blessed

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by Joe Blessed, Apr 12, 2009.

Loading...
  1. Joe Blessed

    Joe Blessed New Member

    Welcome to Degreeinfo.com. Reading the posts in this forum has served as a challenge, orientation and source of motivation and inspiration for me.

    I was born and raised in Mexico to two Christian rural school missionary teachers. Since very young, my parents instilled in me the love for learning with a practical and service oriented purpose; yet, they sent me to school a little bit late (more mature): almost eight years old. I now see their wisdom, as I have never stopped loving the process of seeking practical and elevating knowledge. After graduating from a technical high school with a diploma in business administration (yes, I had the opportunity to take courses in organizational psychology, organizational communication, human resource management, accounting, micro- and macroeconomics and management science at the high school level), I have pursued the following degrees:

    Foreign (evaluated by both ECE and IERF, and deemed equivalent to regionally accredited degrees in the United States):
    •B.A. in Theology/Pastoral Counseling (GPA: 3.81), Montemorelos University
    oAdditional 63 semester credits in Music Education (GPA: 3.63)
    oAdditional 32 semester credits in Educational Psychology (GPA: 4.0).
    •M.S. in Family Relations [Marriage and Family Therapy and Family Life Education] (GPA: 4.0), Montemorelos University
    oMaster’s thesis: “Correlation between Parents’ Age and Educational Level and Incidence and Severity of Child Abuse.”

    Regionally Accredited:
    •B.S. in Liberal Studies, Areas of Emphasis: Psychology and Spanish (Summa Cum Laude), Excelsior College

    Nationally Accredited:
    •M.B.A. (GPA: 3.77), California Coast University

    California State Approved:
    •M.S. in Psychology (GPA: 4.0), California Coast University
    •Psy.D. (GPA: 4.0), California Coast University
    •Ph.D. in Business Management (in process), California Coast University

    When I came to the United States in 1997, I did not speak English, nor did I have access to the financial resources to pursue a regionally accredited doctorate. I was glad to find that California Coast University (CCU) was an institution that I could afford paying out of pocket and where I could complete the coursework at my own pace (with dictionary in hand) at the same time as I was trying to learn English. I’m yet to set foot in an actual classroom to receive formal instruction in the United States. Instead, I have enjoyed greatly the experience of combining work with the steady and continuous process of learning English and studying psychology and business (besides the better joys of being a husband and a father), all from home except for work.

    I have frequently read in this forum the discussions around the merits of pursuing degrees from universities like CCU. I’ll be the first one to recognize their limitations. On the other hand, equipped with these degrees and being wise in finding a niche of professional expertise and practice, besides God’s blessing and a strong work ethic, has helped me have a pretty decent and enjoyable life with my family. Would I do it again? In the same circumstances and with the same limited resources of the past, definitely yes. Had I been able to speak English and had I been a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen at that time, and able to apply for loans and scholarships, I would have not hesitated to pursue an APA-accredited Psy.D. or Ph.D., or at least a regionally accredited one. I’m 39 years old now and knowing myself, I believe that as soon as my children, ages 6 and 3, grow a little bit more, I will try to pursue an accredited doctorate. For now, I’ll continue enjoying the stress-free process of learning at home, afforded by my pursuit of CCU’s Ph.D.

    For the last 12 years, I have worked in the area of professional counseling in California. CCU’s psychology degrees have allowed me to register with the board of psychology as a psychological assistant. Do I believe that clients/patients of a psychologist trained only at CCU and practicing solo are perfectly safe? I would question that. I had to seek for my clinical training and for the development of my clinical skills by myself (no practicum or internship at CCU), and that on top of a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy with internship from Mexico. Ethically and morally, I have felt that my clients/patients have been safe because I have always worked under the clinical supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist. During the last eight years, I have been the director of a pain management program. I’m surrounded by, and direct administratively, three psychologists, one psychiatrist and three other physicians, besides a physical therapist, four fitness trainers and two rehabilitation counselors. Besides working on CCU’s Ph.D. in Business Management, I’m preparing for passing the EPPP (psych board’s) in order to become a licensed psychologist in California. And yes, after a total of 15 years doing professional counseling under continuous clinical supervision, I believe that my clients/patients will be safe with me.

    In addition to the degrees listed above, I hold the following certifications:
    •Certified Professional Life Coach, American Association of Christian Counselors
    •Certified Sexual Addictions Specialist, American Association of Christian Counselors
    •Certified Family Wellness Instructor, Family Wellness Associates
    •Certified Family Life Educator, Montemorelos University
    •Certified Family Health Promoter, Montemorelos University

    Given my experience with distance education and the fact that it is my hobby and one of my passions, I humbly offer to help as much as I can those who ask in this forum.
     
  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Welcome to the site, Joe; you have a very diverse and interesting resume!!
     
  3. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Welcome Joe! I like your background. It is good to see your CCU degree (and others) has served you well.

    Abner :)
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Hi Joe - It's great to have you here at degreeinfo. I'm sure your contributions will be helpful to many of our members.
     
  5. raristud

    raristud Member

    It is a blessing to have you as a member. Welcome
     
  6. Mandy

    Mandy Guest

    Introduction

    I am 24 and live in Mandy (sometimes) cornwall in the southwest of england. i have joined the forum to talk to
    like minded people and to explore the et/ufo/space subject as much as possible and to get my head round and go someway
    towards understanding and questioning (not in a bad way) my experiences.
     
  7. Joe Blessed

    Joe Blessed New Member

    Thank you guys for your warm words welcoming me to this forum.
     

Share This Page