Alum Corner with Maria Timm

After graduating from the Vancouver Waldorf School, I attended Capilano College (now Capilano University). I enjoyed my time there and would encourage anyone to start at a small college rather than a big university right after high school. You get small class sizes and teachers who love to teach at the undergraduate level. I initially debated between majoring in English, Anthropology, Psychology, and Biology—everything seemed so interesting! In the end, I had a very inspiring Psychology instructor who became a mentor and helped me decide on psychology as my path.

I transferred to UVic to participate in their Psychology Co-op program, combining study and related work experience. However, after two semesters, I transferred to UBC. After graduating from UBC with a major in Psychology, I began looking at graduate schools in clinical psychology. I was told the admissions process was highly competitive and that volunteering in a lab would improve my chances. I volunteered in labs and geared my activities towards eventual entrance into a Clinical Psychology master’s program. However, while my time in a clinical psychology lab heightened my interest in research, it also raised questions about the field’s pathology-oriented approach to human struggles. I felt disheartened by certain aspects of clinical psychology because it seemed to emphasize the clinical syndromes or what was “wrong.”

I realized I was searching for a more comprehensive approach to managing emotional distress. In the fall of my final year of undergrad, I began volunteering at the Vancouver Crisis Centre. I wanted to explore other approaches to helping, test my emotional resilience in a mental health setting, and genuinely help people in distress. My very first call was a high-risk suicide call, and I knew right away that this was the kind of work I was truly inspired to do.

I enjoyed volunteering at the Crisis Centre so much that I approached the director to ask what education I would need to do this professionally. He told me to pursue a master’s in clinical psychology. While I waited to get into UBC’s program, I went to Quito, Ecuador, and volunteered in an orphanage for three months—an experience I still often think back on today. After returning to Vancouver, I worked for an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as an Intake Counsellor, which provided a great introduction to counselling work. I was lucky to work with experienced counsellors before and during graduate school.

My research for my master’s degree at UBC focused on building rapport with suicidal youth using online mediums. I graduated from UBC’s MA Counselling program in May 2011 and became a Registered Clinical Counsellor a few months later. I presented my research at the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention national conference in October 2011. Despite the serious topic, this conference was rewarding and encouraged me to keep doing research and networking with professionals.

I now work full-time as a counsellor at Douglas College, supporting students with personal or academic concerns and advocating for them in appeals. I also teach a Human Development class and work as relief staff at the Crisis Centre—something I only dreamed of doing as a volunteer years ago. I value the connections I make with clients and the unique stories and strengths they bring to each session. I learn a lot from my clients and enjoy facilitating workshops on stress management and academic success. I’m also grateful for supportive coworkers who keep the environment light-hearted, even when dealing with serious issues. My work has made me sensitive to the fact that everyone is fighting one battle or another—a perspective that has influenced many aspects of my life.

I’ve been on the phone with people who are a step away from jumping off a bridge, and I like to think that I provided hope in a dark place for at least one person. If I’ve helped even one person in that moment, I consider that a true success in life.

Waldorf education prepared me very well for graduate school. My thesis didn’t feel daunting because I was already familiar with sticking to a single topic for a year or more. The small classes and emphasis on group participation and public speaking at Waldorf were similar to the graduate school environment. Staying with the same people for twelve years prepared me well for the work world. It taught me how to work harmoniously with different personalities over an extended period—skills essential in any workplace. Adapting to undergraduate life was initially challenging since reading textbooks and answering multiple-choice questions were foreign to me. However, once I figured out “the system,” I did well. Waldorf also helped me think creatively and make connections between concepts—a skill that was incredibly useful in constructing my research proposal. Research is all about linking phenomena creatively and then writing about them! I even found a way to connect counselling and cooking in my blog, The Counselor’s Kitchen.

Editor’s Note: Maria Timm now has her Ph.D. in Psychology and shares that her fondest memories of VWS include Elaine MacKee’s art class and the Grade 12 Projects. She also enjoyed the hiking trips.

Interview by Michelle Gibson, for Development, April 2012 

The Vancouver Waldorf School provides an experiential, age-appropriate approach to education based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner that inspires students to love learning, to be creative, open-minded, and compassionate. With a curriculum that integrates all academics with the arts and social learning, Waldorf Education develops not only the left and right hemispheres of the brain but the whole human being. A child’s social, emotional, physical and intellectual development is considered equally, supporting a conscious unfolding of the individuality within each student. Waldorf graduates possess capacities for empathy and clear, creative and independent thinking that enables them to carry out a chosen course of action with moral courage and social responsibility.