Reflection on Personal and Professional Direction Overview During this course, we have read about and discussed the foundations of becoming a doctoral-level psychologist. We have looked at the doctoral process—the steps involved in building thinking, writing, and research skills, the practice involved, and perhaps most importantly, your purpose . One major aspect of a doctoral program is the need to become more self-aware of, more conscious of, and deliberate about the ways in which you think and behave in your personal and professional roles. This assignment asks you to reflect on all of these aspects and to develop your own story, answering the three key questions: Why are you here? What are the primary interests, characteristics, and motivations that have moved you to pursue a doctoral program in psychology? What do you expect to be the value of your doctoral degree—to others, as well as to you? What are you trying to become? How will you develop your own professional identity as a scholar-practitioner and a doctoral-level psychologist? How will you do this? How will you analyze your interactions with other professionals, assess the level of expectation and responsibility of a doctoral-level psychologist, and meet the licensure expectations of roles at that level? Directions Complete the following: Reflect on this course . As preparation for writing, review each of the following aspects of the first three assignments you completed during this course: The research skills needed to complete those assignments. The course readings, especially from your Critical Thinking in Psychology text. The ethical aspects of conducting a research project like the one outlined in those assignments. The summary of your findings from the research you did in the course project. What insights into your specialization topic did you gain from the experience? The insights you have gained about yourself in the discussions and exchanges with your peers in this course. The changes you have experienced in your self-image. Any additional approaches you will need to consider to ensure that you meet the high ethical standards of a professional psychologist. Consider the following : Changes in your thinking and behavior . For each of these aspects, analyze the connection between changes in your thinking and the work you have done in this course. Describe specific examples that illustrate the changes, and explain the relationship between your new thinking or behavior and this doctoral program. Identify and cite at least two specific resources you have encountered in this course that have triggered these changes, and explain the connections. Changes in your approach . Choose a major event earlier in your life. Include the roles of other people who were involved in this event and their relationships with you. Analyze ways in which you might approach that event differently now, considering the new direction that you are taking in your li.