When I decided to return to student life to pursue a masters degree, I was looking for something unconventional. I was burned out by my ungraduate experience, one dominated by a single activity: cramming my brain full of facts and producing my "knowledge" on exams. Was there any other type of education out there? Although I chose Psychology as my subject matter focus, more than anything I wanted an educational experience that gave me space to explore who I was as a person: from my personal and cultural values to my mission in life. I knew that whatever career path I chose, getting grounded...
My experience at Meridian has been unparalleled. As a fourth-year student in the Psychology PhD program, I feel I have had the pleasure of getting to know the curriculum, staff and faculty, and spirit of the school quite well. I cannot imagine developing the proficiency I have by way of any other program. The term "transformation" has become something of a buzzword in the Bay Area lexicon, and I have participated in a few such programs. However, in my experience the staff and faculty have demonstrated superior capacities as healers and teachers, and bring credibility, weight, and dignity...
My education from Meridian University (PhD 2003, formerly Inst. of Imaginal Studies) has been priceless in terms of how it has continued to ripple forward as an informative holding container for my work, in my personal life, and in providing effective tools for navigating our current cultural and environmental challenges. It was a soul-enriching education and I am confident that the University continues to be self-reflexive for its own health and continued development for years to come!
I graduated Meridian in 2015 with my PhD. I came into Meridian as Advanced Standing having completed my Masters at a different university. I left the previous graduate school because I felt the curriculum was limiting, and the experiences they were "guiding" were not safely contained. Coming to Meridian was a breath of fresh air. Academically I was challenged on all fronts. Once I wrote a paper that was not up to par. Instead of simply giving me a low grade, they made me rewrite it because they wanted to make sure I understood the concepts. They cared. I learned theory from...
I went to Meridian University. I enrolled in their doctorate program but decided to graduate early with a Masters in Counseling Psych. Not sure if you still have that flexibility there but that really worked for me. I was chomping at the bit to become a therapist for realz and to leave all the studying and writing papers behind. The curriculum and the emphasis on experiential learning was spot on/excellent. For sure you have to learn some academic stuff to become a therapist but really the rubber meets the road in your willingness to explore your self and your relationships with others...
I got my MA in Psychology from Meridian - mostly online, but there are twice a year sessions in the Bay Area. It's a mix of in-person classes, video calls, and writing papers and written discussions in forums. I loved the faculty - they are all well educated, some are truly brilliant. There's a core group of faculty that teach some of the main courses, some of them are better teachers than others, but they all clearly care about the school, which you know that is rare if you've been to grad school. Overall, I'd say if you are interested in transformative learning, somatics, transpersonal...
I graduated from Meridian - a few pros/cons: Pros: 1., There are very few schools that offer the type of psychology programs that Meridian does. (somatics/depth/etc.) 2. Great faculty - they are experts in the subjects they teach and easy to reach. 3. Online format is great if you have a full-time job and family like me. Cons: 1. It's a small graduate school - so if you are looking for a big campus with a ton of resources for students, this isn't your best option. 2. They don't have an onsite program that meets two or three times a week. There is an onsite program, but it doesn't meet weekly.
My studies at Meridian University gave me not only the capacities to understand systems but also the skill set necessary to design new structures and ways to collaborate.
Years after completing my doctorate, the education I received at Meridian continues to offer me guiding principles, as well as deepened capacities for self-awareness and tolerance, which I draw upon each and every day; my education feels like a living organism that continues to ripple forth. Furthermore, the power of Meridian's learning community structure catalyzed me to bring my psychological training into the political realm, towards work I never imagined myself doing: the healing of my own, local community.
As an older student with an advanced degree from a traditional institution, I sought an interactive, experientially oriented Ph.D. program. Meridian's gifted faculty delivered an evocative curriculum, exceeding my expectations, providing me with the canvas on which a deeply transformative experience was created. The initiatory nature of my educational journey at Meridian not only broadened my therapeutic skills, but it also deepened my personal capacities. As I finish my clinical hours toward my licensure as psychologist, I draw on my training on a daily basis. The program provided me with...
Meridian provides an extraordinary curriculum that has benefited me both personally and professionally. Community learning was completely transformative, catalyzing capacities in me which were previously undeveloped. Because of Meridian’s excellence, my education did not stop at graduation. I have bone knowledge and wisdom that continues to inform, guide, and inspire me in my work as a psychotherapist and educator. I am excited for anyone choosing Meridian for their graduate education because I know they will receive a rigorous yet meaningful education and expansive understanding of...
After being an established Marriage and Family Therapist I had a deeper knowing that something was missing. I wanted to do soul work within the context of community. My cohort life at Meridian provided the opportunity for my desires to manifest. The program’s curriculum, which emphasizes expression through ritual, imagination, and creativity within the complexities and challenges of community-making, invited the awakening of my soul. I engaged in relationships in ways I had not known in my family. This experience has opened my heart, freed my spirit, supported my growth, and allowed me to...
As a graduate of Institute of Imaginal Studies, now Meridian University, I received an education that allows me to be a psychological practitioner with deep integrity. I learned about myself as much as I did about depth psychology. This could be the number one aspect that differentiates Meridian from other schools, and separates out those students who flourish at Meridian and those who don't. What I learned at this school is with me every day when I sit with my clients and especially when I sit with difficult clients. I was encouraged by faculty to explore the difficult parts of myself and...
OK, first of all, I am a graduate from Meridian University (formerly the Institute of Imaginal Studies), so I am well-qualified to place this review. I chose this school based on my desire to become a licensed MFT and practice the craft of healing, so I enrolled in the MA. in Counseling Psychology program. I attended weekend classes with a cohort for two and a half years. The experience was one of the best gifts I have ever received, and definitely one of the best decisions I ever made. I did not graduate with my cohort because I fell behind in my coursework. It was over the next two years...
Take a moment to imagine the most meaningful educational experience possible. Then, like me, imagine embarking on the life changing journey of going to Meridian. Engaging in the educational process at Meridian provided me the invaluable opportunity to enhance my willingness to participate in daily life as both a learner and a teacher. In a unique and compelling fashion, Meridian’s staff and faculty mentor students towards developing those capacities necessary to become a powerful and effective psychological practitioner who can serve the larger community with compassion and respect...
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.
The school’s cohort learning model has deeply affirmed my sense that transformative learning is dependent on community; and the school’s emphasis on cultural leadership has enabled me to bridge my work in organizations with my yearning to support social change. Mary Oliver’s line — ‘One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began’ — applies to me as a result of my experience here. The combination of theory, a learning cohort, and faculty who embody the teachings, created an environment in which I transformed my capacity to experience life and to practice my vocation. I went to ‘great’..
The Meridian experience was about more than just getting a degree. It was an invitation to explore and connect deeply with what matters most in this world, and to get grounded in the fundamentals of what it means to be alive as a human being. By answering this call to adventure, I found much more than an education. I found myself.