Solving Puzzles: From Theory to Praxis - Yuthika Sathyanarayanan

Hello! My name is Yuthika Sathyanarayanan (she/her). I am a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Psychology and Biology and minoring in Social and Economic Justice. My interest in psychology and psychiatry began in middle school, when I started to learn more about human behavior and recent clinical psychology research. However, this interest in psychology probably stemmed from a much younger age, a time when I was a kid watching detective and spy shows, reading Sherlock and Nancy Drew and watching X-Files. The study of human nature and behavior has always interested me in an investigative manner. No matter what subspecialty of psychology, the study of human behavior can feel like a puzzle waiting to be solved.  

This interest in psychology carried me through much of my academic career. I developed an interest in the clinical and medical applications of psychology, which inspired me to pursue psychiatry. I joined the UNC Anxiety and Stress Lab under the guidance of Dr. Abramowitz. As a research assistant, I participated in a study related to relationship OCD aiming to create a new measure for relationship OCD as an experimenter and study coordinator. I am also participating in a study focused on the impacts of introspective exposure treatment, which studies the fear of bodily sensations related to fear and stress. I’m also undergoing an independent research project at the Cohen Lab through the BrainMAP study, studying the differences in ADHD and typically developing children and their propensity for risk taking, and whether or not these differences are modulated by socioeconomic status. Through these projects, I was able to gain insight into the experimental and research procedures that go into developing new therapies and psychological measures. I gained a great appreciation for the effort that goes into studying novel aspects of psychology and using this information to create measures and treatments options. However, I also wanted to explore the other side of the puzzle. How might these things that we are researching be applied in practice?

As a Gil Intern, I work for two different private psychological practices around the Triangle Area: New Spark Therapy, under the mentorship of Dr. Mina Ratkalkar, and Walder Psychology, under the mentorship of Dr. Sophia Walder-Hoge. At Walder Psychology, I work to compile and create educational resources for Dr. Walder-Hoge’s therapy patients. This has ranged from creating a handout about ADHD stimulant medication to researching local DBT and mindfulness centers in the patient’s area. I have also been able to shadow some of Dr. Walder-Hoge’s psychological testing sessions. These experiences have allowed me to see what the things I’ve learned in class and how they translate into a clinical setting. I’ve seen neuropsychological tests such as the WISC and the WIAT administered in a research setting, so seeing how administration varies in a clinical setting was eye opening. While we may have learned about DBT or CBT as a singular therapy practice, looking through therapy resources to sort for future patients and hearing how each DBT or CBT resource can address different needs for different people has solidified that the therapies we research in theory take on a life of their own outside of the academic setting. 

At New Spark Therapy, I do similar work with compiling resources for Dr. Ratkalkar’s patients. In contrast to Walder Psychology, where I compiled most of my research for ADHD patients, or child and adolescent patients, much of my research and resource collection for New Spark Therapy is geared towards Dr. Ratkalkar’s relationship and sex therapy patients. This is an aspect of psychology that we learn little about in college and I have had very little experience in going into this internship, so getting the opportunity to learn more about sex and relationship therapy was very insightful. One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on during this internship are the literature reviews and criminal/school record reviews I conducted for forensic assessments and expert testimonies. I researched violence recidivism rates, the Good Lives Model, the Risk Need Responsivity Model, and the negative impacts of placing adolescents in adult correctional facilities. I also looked through stacks of school evaluation reports and past criminal records. All of this information can be used when constructing briefs or expert testimonies in court as a forensic psychologist, and piecing together the story with all this information felt like putting together a puzzle. Many people might have an idea of forensic psychology as a criminal profiler, or a detective themselves. What I’ve discovered through my work is that the role of a forensic psychologist or psychiatrist is to focus on the treatment of the individual themselves, and work towards rehabilitation and finding solutions, something that I am excited to explore in the future. 

Through my internship, I’ve reaffirmed my passion for clinical and forensic psychology. The idea of seeing how we can turn studies and research into practical therapies and treatments in multiple domains, whether it be child and family therapy, neuropsychological assessment, sex therapy, or forensic assessments, is exciting, and I can’t wait to see the ways I can turn the things I’ve learned from this internship into praxis in the future. I would like to thank Dr. Steven Buzinski, Emily Dolegowski, and Richie Gray for supporting my professional development in the Gil Internship, as well as Dr. Mina Ratkalkar and Dr. Sophia Walder-Hoge for being my mentors and guiding me through my varied interests through this internship.