Dr. Bernadette and son Andrew!

Ron and I find it hard to believe that Andrew, our almost 19-year-old son who was born in Saudi Arabia, is already getting ready for his second year in college as a tentative math and science major.  Andrew was only 5 months old when Ron’s contract ran out and we came back to teach in the US.  It was the right time for me to be here, because I was offered a tenure tract position teaching English and English as a Second Language at Los Angeles City College, a community college in Hollywood.

I also had the opportunity to teach French there until the most recent reduction in force due to budget constraints and lack of student demand. It was then that I decided to go back to graduate school to study Clinical Psychology while continuing to teach a full-load and a half. Needless to say, I stopped sleeping and started to indulge myself in “instant gratifications,” which have not been very good for my weight. These bad habits have stayed on as I have been working on collecting the 3,000 hours of internship I need before I can take the licensing exams. It will probably take me at least another year and a half to become a licensed psychotherapist.  Meanwhile, I have also been training to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, a person who can help trauma victims become better. Once licensed, I hope to start a part-time practice while I continue teaching.

 Dr. Bernadette and husband Ron!

Nous avons du mal a croire, Ron et moi, que notre fils qui est ne en Arabie Saoudite a deja presque dix-neuf ans et s’apprete a commencer sa deuxieme annee a l’universite en math et science biologique. Andrew n’avait que cinq mois quand nous sommes rentres aux Etats-Unis a la fin du contrat de Ron. C’etait le moment propice pour moi puisque j’ai eu la bonne fortune d’etre engagee comme professeur d’anglais dans  un institut d’etudes superieures de deux ans qui s’appelle Los Angeles City College et qui se trouve a Hollywood. J’ai eu l’opportunite d’y enseigner le francais aussi, mais malheureusement j’ai perdu ce travail supplementaire a cause de la derniere crise budgetaire et du manque de demande. C’etait alors que j’ai decide de reprendre kes etudes superieures en psychologie tout en continuant d’enseigner a temps complet aussi bien qu’a temps partiel. Inutile de dire que je ne dormais plus et que je me permettais un peu trop de “gratifications instantanees”, ce qui n’a pas du tout arrange ma ligne.  Depuis, ces mauvaises habitudes sont restees en moi pendant que j’essaie de completer les trois mille heures d’internat qu’il me faut avant de pouvoir passer mon certificate de  psychotherapie.  Il me faudra sans doute encore un an et demie au moins avant de pouvoir ouvrir mon propre cabinet. Apres,  je compte rester dans l’enseignement pendant que je pratique ma nouvelle carriere en prive. Comme l’on dit,  j’ai du pain sur la planche.

(Congratuation Dr. Bernadette, very nice family!)