Coming from a developing country where the mental health field is still relatively young, I have witnessed a mental

health system that is heavily biochemical oriented and depends entirely on the use of medication to rescue the patients from psychological distress. Furthermore the treatment of mental illness has been entirely decided by the therapist. The patients subjective experiences, wishes and dreams have been altogether disregarded. This, in turn, creates stigma and prejudice against individuals who experience symptoms of mental distress. Aghast at this injustice, I became convinced that a more humane, comprehensive and effective approach to the understanding of mental illness is imperative. From this conviction grew my ambition of evaluating the effect of the existing mental health care system on the individuals they claim to help. I have sought to develop the toughness and obstinacy to satisfy my ambition: against fierce international competition I won a fully-funded scholarship to read Psychology at university of Westminster and earned a first class honours degree. During my time at university, the Critical Psychology was the module that called out to me the most. Not only because it fascinated me with the way it challenges the status quo, it also gave me the strength and the ability to question taken-for-granted assumptions, seeking for an alternative way of thinking that would bring social justice to the disadvantaged. Believing in the reflexive nature of the Critical Movement, I exercise the habit of critically looking at my own underlying belief and value as a researcher. I challenged myself by examining the most taken-for-granted conclusions, one of which was demonstrated by my final year presentation analysing the traditional research supporting the claim that pornography has a direct negative effect on attitude towards women. I successfully pointed out how such research, even with good intentions in mind, utilised a reductionist approach hence became a convenient mean of directing the problem into the discourse of pornography, dodging broader question about society, culture and individual responsibility. The presentation sparked heated debates and new ideas in the classroom and was graded as first class by the module leader despite the original concern that the topic was too controversial. I am passionate about the topic and have sought to extend my knowledge beyond what is taught at my undergraduate study. Being a member of the Radical Psychology Network and the Hearing Network movement, I am connected with ideas, debates and news about the critical movement all around the world. I have attended training courses about topics such as hearing voices and paranoia and workshops that would enable me to utilise such knowledge for the practical application such as clean language and brief therapy. Furthermore my current work as a Recovery Support Worker for Community Options has given me the opportunity to put such knowledge in practice: For example I utilise optimistic language and open questions in my

engagement with the service users as a part of the person-centred approach to promote the service user involvement movement. Fighting for social justice and equality has always been my mission in life. Spending a year working at a charity whose value is to give young people the chance to change the world through helping school children to break through the cycle of underachievement and low aspiration; I am drawn to tasks which aim to promote this idealism. Moreover my sense of community and my appreciation toward cultural differences were further enhanced while assisted London Citizen with various campaigns, working with people from many different social and ethnic groups all over London in order to bring the community together to tackle issues such as housing, unemployment and street safety. Having dedicated my skills and knowledge working at a charity organisation for young people as a part of the civic engagement team, I spent my time engaging with young volunteers and organising community projects such as revitalising community spaces and schools. I am inspired by new ideas and never ceased to create ideas that would give young people the opportunity to contribute more to the community. My recent achievement was the Season of Giving Service Day attracting the young people dedicating their time, skills and compassion to the community during the holiday season. The day involves giving presents to homeless, revitalising a day care center and making stuffed animals for children. I also enjoy public speaking, presenting information and providing training regarding psychological knowledge and practice. I recently delivered a talk for the TEDxSOAS event on the power of an open mind and how it enhances the quality of communication in front of an audience of 200 people. I was also one of the co-ordinator of the Young Hero Program- for City Year London, worked on presentation on The Anatomy of Peace aiming to teach secondary school children to be aware of their emotions and how their perceptions of the problems are affected during overwhelming emotions such as fear and anger. I am interested in applying for the MSc Critical social Psychology and Community Psychology program because it will equip me with a more in-depth knowledge to satisfy my ambition: to connect myself with the community, to empower people in need and challenge the existing system of power. As much as Im interested in the critical theories, I hope to be able to bring this movement to Vietnam and to give voice to people who have experienced the malign effect of an unchallenged system of mainstream psychology.