Student Stories and Experiences

Resources

The Latest Video Interviews

Piret J. | Meridian Student Profile

Hear from open enrollment course registrant Piret Jeedas about her experience taking a few different courses and how she has applied what she learned in her career and life. Sharing the space with international students and hearing their stories, as well as reflecting together on faculty questions, has given her many perspectives and led her to inquire more within herself.

Daniel F. | Meridian Student Profile

Hear from Meridian student, Daniel Fecher, about how he has applied transformative learning in his life. He has felt challenged and supported throughout his program and dissertation process. He has also found balance and flexibility in his courses and empathy and professionalism among his classmates.

Student Testimonials

Read key takeaways from Meridian graduate students about their educational experience and why they chose Meridian's curriculum, faculty, community, and learning platform.

—Mardi Storm

M.A. in Counseling Psychology

This endeavor, although one of the most challenging of my life, has supported me in the development of my capacities that has allowed me to grow leaps and bounds...The course work, the transformational learning experience, and my dissertation process, along with the support of the professors, faculty, and staff, has empowered and enabled me to be the best that I can be, so that I may continue to support and be of service to human beings in need. I am deeply grateful

—Caroline Cárdenas

Ph.D. in Psychology

I did not find a better partner for that journey that I was on. It was speaking the language and opening the doors to all of these other people speaking the same language, too. Honestly, that's been one of the largest experiences for me. It was like an instant, ancient and present community.

—Angela Taylor

Ph.D. in Psychology

The capacity of left-right brain integration has really developed for me here, so that I can give imaginative answers that are also grounded in left hemisphere sensibilities like linguistic and analytical sensibilities. Meridian has really helped me bridge the imaginal and analytical. I'm actually feeling, for the first time in my life, genuine success. There's a sense that my vocation- my calling and what I'm meant to do here on this planet- has now aligned with how I make money and take care of myself. That coming together was really, really blissful. What more could you ask for? Meridian has been central to that.

—Brian T.

Ph.D. in Psychology

I remember my first week in at Meridian, we jumped right into the art of Psychotherapy and I was blown away by that. I deeply value that kind of education because I think it really gets into your bones. When I think about working with individuals, I can’t imagine relying on an education that would do it any other way. I know that the capacities that have been cultivated within me as a result of this experiential, transformational learning have really served my needs personally, and I feel more confident about how I take that into the world and working with clients.

—Sloan B.

Ph.D. in Psychology

Thirty years ago I became a Marriage and Family Therapist. Decades later, seasoned by life experiences, I returned to graduate school to deepen my own journey. I found a program at Meridian that integrated, within its academic requirements, challenges that engendered a richer and more expansive level of beingness to my life and work. The psychology program at Meridian is truly a transformative program.

—Rich McCuthchan

Ph.D., M.F.T, Psychotherapist in Private Practice

My main goal in my career is to work in the diabetes and mental health fields, find that overlap, and do some heart-centered diabetes work. One thing that stands out about the faculty at Meridian is the amount of presence and space that they hold in our courses. Being at Meridian feels like swimming in a school of fish with other people that are all sort of going the same direction as I am, even though we all have our specialties, and I think that space has been very valuable to my creative process and my work and what I’m passionate about.

—Mandy J.

M.A. in Counseling Psychology

I love the assignments, the readings, the exercises and group discussions, and the dialogue with the faculty and my classmates and some guest lecturers. I love all those experiences. I think it is very valuable and eye-opening as well as touching the depth of my heart. I feel like studying at Meridian and using the format of transformative learning is really another level of learning. The whole process is a holistic process for me to become a better person and leader for the world or community I live within. Here, I feel like the faculty are all human. Even in the class, the feedback they give us- I would say they are really like our guardian angels leading us in the process of learning. Just like the faculty, I love my fellow classmates as well because they are from different walks of life, have age differences, are doing different work, and have different experiences in life. It's like a 'we study together, let's grow together, let's learn together': I like this atmosphere and environment that Meridian has built.

—Claire L.

Ph.D. in Psychology

The transformative experience here feels like a safe walk, like you're walking with a friend who just cares and wants to see you get to the other side because they've been there and they know how wonderful it is. So, it feels like a real, sweet, gentle invitation. Organically over the time I've been here, my family relationships have just come even more alive... The aspect of the shared learning that's happening is so rich. I find myself in awe most of the time for the depth of knowledge and experience that's in the space with me. There are just some really heartfelt folks here that seem to get, at a deep level, that it's about humanity; it's about really being here for ourselves and others in a way that we all thrive. The teachers in general, I found to be amazing individuals. The work they're doing in the world inspires me.

—Evelyn S.

Ph.D. in Psychology

Since starting Meridian, my life has changed. I have more clarity in my intention, thinking, and everything. Because I come from a different culture, I have not had experiences with students from such a big diversity and I’ve learned a lot from them. My experience with transformative learning is quite scary. There have been a couple of times I have actually gone out of my comfort zone. I thought it was scary, but at the same time, I really enjoyed the process. I think in the experience at Meridian, you have to keep looking into yourself.

—Fran S.

EdD in Organizational Leadership

I think Meridian’s platform is amazing. It’s self-paced and online, but you do get a lot of contact with the faculty and with your peers. The faculty are so supportive and very attuned to your needs and interests. They know how to bring out things you’re afraid to admit at first. The peers are so supportive. Every time we have zoom classes or the intensives, it’s just totally life-changing. Meridian taught me a lot about myself. It was a big step in knowing who I am as a person and how I can bring this person into my professional career in the future.

—Vanessa N.

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

I'm definitely more grounded in myself. I know more who I am because I know if I want to show up more powerful and more purposeful in my professional life, I need to be more authentic. Through this course, I am more okay with the ebb and flow of things and more recognizable when authenticity shows up in the other person and myself, and we have that special moment. I'm so much more empathetic. One thing I'm amazed by is that we got students from all over the world. I got to meet a lot of people seriously very different than me. They bring so much diversity to the classroom and make the collective energy so much more powerful, and a miracle happens sometimes. I can definitely see it's the faculty's calling to do what they're doing. It's a loving, opening, deep listening space they created for all of us to grow if you choose to.