I want to be able to help others

My name is Jacob and I am a junior at Seattle Pacific University. When first enrolled at SPU I wanted to be an engineer because I had a love of math and architecture, but my journey in college allowed me to access my true desire for my career in psychology. I have always been told by my church community that I had a natural ability to listen well and since church is such a big part of my life I listened to their advice and started to pursue a BA in psychology. I am hoping to get my LMFT and work with children. Part of what led me to this is probably the fact that my mother and her siblings suffered abuse. I think the impact of this has trickled down in the family. I want to be able to help others going through the same thing.

My brother is off in college and is just married, so now I guess I have a sister too. My mother and father are together, and I would say my mother has shaped my personality a lot. She is hypercritical, controlling, and preachy which have all transferred to me in some way. I catch myself being hypercritical of my dad, but I remind myself not to do that because it is not a characteristic I want to have. I also enjoy being in control and it was a hard life lesson for me to realize I am not in control of everything; I am only in control of my own actions and not circumstances or how others act (which is probably why I am so scared of dying because I can’t control it). I can also be preachy like my mom, because I was raised in the Christian tradition and I hold those morals and values as my standard for all people even if they aren’t part of that faith. Although I have these characteristics that may be perceived as negative, I am also caring and communicative which I feel people tend to overlook about me. I can’t stand when jokes come at the expense of others and I always try to make sure that those around me are doing okay and if they are not then I offer my assistance.

I try my best to be there for others and to live every day to its fullest. I am lucky to have my church, my family, my friends, and my girlfriend in my life to support me and to help me grow.