Therapist Doubles as Asylum Advocate
Sahil Sharma, a third-year student in the 91精品鈥檚 , is spending his training year developing not only his clinical and assessment skills, but also learning to compose asylum evaluations for many of his clients. Placed at , a relatively new Bay Area nonprofit founded by a graduate of the Counseling Psychology program, Sahil works with people who were forced to flee their countries of origin.
鈥淥ur clients include refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of human trafficking and other atrocities,鈥 he explained. 鈥淎t my placement, we provide free mental health services and work closely with local legal agencies to provide asylum evaluations for court to help our clients remain legally in the country.鈥
As his clients鈥 therapist and advocate, Sahil鈥檚 role is distinct from that of an expert witness but still potentially extremely influential.