Directly from the admissions handbook for the mental health counseling master’s program: A 1000 word typed psychobiography. The applicant’s psychobiography serves a different purpose than does a resume. Life is a process of maturing, learning, and becoming. It is sometimes joyful, sometimes painful. The psychobiography is the applicant’s own story. It should describe the psychosocial development of the writer. Applicants should examine their early influences, including family, significant others, economic, cultural and ethnic influences, and important personal events. They should reflect on the course of their emotional, intellectual, and personal development during the school years. It might deal with questions such as: How did I cope with problems and stress? What values were instilled, accepted, and rejected? How did I become the person I am? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What do I hope for the future? In addition, how one has made the decision to become a counselor should be discussed.
