Counseling Psychology Program August 27 & 28
‘The Ultimate Closing Ritual’ for 2020-2022 Grads

Warm Greetings to our MA Counseling Psychology Completing Students of 2020, 2021, and 2022,

Over the past two years, we have appreciated participating in ongoing and important conversations with many of you regarding the strong desire, and need, for an opportunity for in-person celebration, ritual, and closing for your cohorts on Pacifica’s campuses. This is a central need for us, too, your faculty and staff, who have been alongside you through these remote, and now concurrent, pandemic times. Given that you were not able to celebrate your Commencement and completion times in person with one another, we deeply acknowledge the importance of such an event for all.

We have continually held a vision of prioritizing making this happen for all of you, and as the pandemic zigged and zagged, it turned into a high stakes example of holding the tension of opposites. Since the concurrent reopening of Pacifica’s campuses earlier this year, we have been in focused conversations of advocacy with institutional administration to affect such an event, and today, we are thrilled to announce that it has been approved and calendared! As such, we officially and warmly invite you, our completing students of 2020, 2021, and 2022, to “The Ultimate Closing Ritual” for the MA Counseling Psychology Program on Saturday, August 27th, on the Ladera Campus.

While final notes and a detailed schedule of activities will be forthcoming, it is important for us to request your RSVP now, so that we can most effectively plan for this celebratory day. Please complete the RSVP form per the link below no later than Friday, May 27th:

The Ultimate Closing Ritual Student RSVP

To help provide a scope and some interim details for our special day in the meantime, please do note the following:

• The Counseling Psychology Department looks forward to hosting you, our 2020, 2021, and 2022 completing students on the Ladera Campus for the day on Saturday, August 27th. Our time together will include space for cohort rituals, connecting formally and informally with your faculty and staff, exploring the campus, marking of milestones and thresholds, and opportunities for scheduled activities throughout the day.
• A nourishing lunch will be provided for all on campus, as we generally would enjoy on our Thesis Presentation Day celebration. Gluten free and vegan options will be available.
• Due to both the number of attendees, and adherence with Pacifica’s current pandemic protocols, the following should be carefully noted:
  • All attendees will be asked to follow Pacifica’s current vaccination guidelines, providing proof of vaccination, and completing a daily health check upon arrival to campus.
  • All attendees will be asked to follow Pacifica’s current masking protocols.
  • Lodging on the Ladera Campus will not be available for this event.
  • As guests (including children) are not currently allowed on campus, only registered attendees for the event (completing students from 2020, 2021, and 2022) will be able to be on campus for the day.

Your Counseling Psychology faculty and staff are greatly looking forward to this meaningful time with you and will be working thoughtfully to finalize the event details in the coming weeks. If you or your cohort has any specific ideas or requests about potential ritual time, or activities, please do let us know and we will do our best to include and accommodate requests as best we can. We have also worked hard to include contact information for all completing students of 2020, 2021, and 2022 here, but we encourage you to share this invitation with anyone who may need it. We also encourage all to keep an eye on your my.pacifica.edu email accounts, where updates and additional details will be sent.

Please do complete your RSVP no later than Friday, May 27th, and we look forward to welcoming you and honoring you on Saturday, August 27, for The Ultimate Closing Ritual!

Warmly,

Matthew, Jemma, and the Counseling Psychology Department Team

Jemma Elliot, MA, LMFT, LPCC
Counseling Psychology Department
Department Co-Chair
Core Faculty

Pacifica Graduate Institute
jelliot@pacifica.edu