Brad D'Orazio, MS, LMFT

What I’m doing now:
I graduated from Edgewood College with a BA in Psychology and a Spanish minor in 2001, and continued on to receive a master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Edgewood College as well.  I co-own a private practice called Marriage & Family Solutions, LLC in Madison. We provide psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families and additionally I offer these services in Spanish.  We accept insurance and medical assistance payments, in addition to offering a very reasonable sliding fee scale for those wanting to pay out of pocket.
 
How I decided on a Psychology major:
Originally when starting at Edgewood, I thought I would be a business major. However, after taking my Psychology 101 class, I knew that psychology was the area that I wanted to focus on.  The professor was passionate about her own private practice and the work that she was doing.  Peter Fabian was the biggest influence for me to continue on to graduate school in the Marriage & Family Therapy program at Edgewood College.
 
It wasn't until I actually started my internship during graduate school that I began to think I could use my bilingual skills to help others. Once I started to market my services, I found out that there is a huge need for Spanish-speaking therapists in the Madison area, and I was able to fulfill a niche.  
 
What was the most important thing you learned at Edgewood that you’ve been able to apply in your work?
The most important thing I learned at Edgewood as an undergrad that has helped me today is the introduction to systems therapy and systemic thinking.  This gave me a great base of knowledge that I built on in graduate school.  I use that concept in every facet of my life, not just in my job as a therapist.
 
What Psychology majors can do to prepare for their careers:
To be successful as a therapist you need to be able to market yourself as having a particular skill set that sets you apart from others, and earning a minor in a particular area may help do that. For example, therapists with a minor in Ethnic Studies, or Art Therapy, or Religious Studies may be able to market themselves to a particular segment of the population. Even a Business or Accounting minor can be very helpful when running your own private practice, as I've found out first hand.
 
I would encourage current Edgewood undergrads to use any internship or practicum opportunities to figure out which area in psychology interests them most.  There are opportunities for students to learn more about counseling, teaching, research, or any other area of interest. 
 
On the same note, working in any type of environment that requires a psychological background will benefit anyone after graduation.  Graduate schools often require volunteer hours or experience working in particular settings.  Or, if a student does not want to pursue graduate school, they can get an idea about what career path they might want to try.

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