RGU alumna Gretchen shares why she decided to study a master’s in Applied Psychology after a career in the third sector, and her experience at RGU.

Finding my path to psychology

I grew up in New England, USA and pursued my undergraduate degree in Asian Studies with a focus on Japan. After teaching basic Japanese in an elementary school in the states, I worked as an Assistant English Language Teacher in rural Japan for the Japanese Ministry of Education where I met my Scottish partner.

Relocating to London, the charitable sector seemed to be calling me and I found myself working in the third sector providing substance use outreach as a practitioner and project manager to targeted and hard to reach groups of individuals. On the side, I volunteered with the Samaritans and learned a great deal from the wonderful volunteers there. When my partner’s role took us abroad, I worked as a coordinator for a mental health charity in Brussels. Where was this all leading?

I have always been fascinated about what makes us human and individual: from how we behave to how we perceive the world and the meaning we give to our experiences and relationships. The human experience unites us all yet is still such a subjective and personal experience.

I came to psychology a bit later in life, having worked in the education and the third sector. After working with vulnerable individuals in a substance use service in London, I saw how psychology could help individuals make sense of their experiences and allow space for a hopeful future. Formally studying psychology had always been in the back of my mind as something I wanted to pursue, it was simply finding the right time to do it.

Studying a master’s in Applied Psychology at RGU

Applying to a master’s level of study at a later stage in life was the biggest challenge. The self-doubt was very real, mixed in with a heavy dose of imposter syndrome. Wondering if I’d be able to cope after so many years since my undergrad kept me awake some nights, but I needn’t have fretted.

The School of Applied Social Sciences at RGU is home to a warm, friendly, and experienced staff team. Whilst study was largely self-directed and online, tutors were readily available for questions, meetings and hosted a great series of career evenings with outside psychology professionals sharing their experiences.

Any reservations I had about beginning my study were quickly resolved and I put this down to the cohesive nature of the teaching team. When our family suffered a bereavement, I felt well supported and deeply appreciated the sensitivity from the Course Leader & my supervisor.

My career progression after RGU

After graduating from RGU, I joined the NHS as an Assistant Psychologist for a large health board in Scotland. Working one-to-one with individuals, facilitating groups and applying research skills in regular service evaluations and audits has been a wonderful experience.

Currently, I am a NHS trainee on the Psychological Therapies in Primary Care MSc, jointly delivered by the University of Stirling & University of Dundee. Looking forward to the next steps and thankful for my solid foundation from RGU!

Gretchen Keay

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