Pacific Oaks alumna Mindy Doan desire to help others has only increased since she began her career. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Riverside, she worked at a residential care facility for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.
“It was in working with this population that my curiosity in mental health grew,” Mindy explains. “I learned about the complexities of illness and the meaning of “seeing the whole person,” she adds. One year later, she began her first semester at Pacific Oaks College in the M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy: Trauma Specialization program.
The first in her family to attend college at both the undergraduate and graduate level, Pacific Oaks College provided Doan with a flexible schedule that allowed her to study while working full time. “Many times I wanted to quit the MFT path but something inside my stubborn mind nagged me to keep going. I never thought I’d make it this far, but here I am.”
Currently, Doan is working as a Care Coordinator at Corona Regional Medical Center where she provides group therapy and individual sessions to adults with serious mental illness in the Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program. She is less than 350 hours away from completing her Board of Behavioral Sciences hours. After obtaining her license, Doan wants to move into private practice.
In her spare time, Doan volunteers at the Upland Public Library, Mission Hospice, and donates platelets to the American Red Cross.
“I would not be the person I am today without the help of others. I am big on giving my time back to the communities that provided me opportunities for growth,” she added.
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