"

Dr. Charlene Belu

Alumni Profile: Dr. Charlene Belu Currently, an assistant professor in clinical psychology. Education experience: B.A. in psychology at MacEwan University. 2021, Ph.D. in clinical psychology at University of New Brunswick. Career timeline: 2011-2014, child and youth care worker. 2012-2013, director of volunteer services at a sexual assault center. 2013-2014, research assistant. 2021, postdoctoral fellow at Dalhousie University. Currently, an assistant professor in clinical psychology. What made you choose this path? I grew up with family in the helping profession, so I always knew that I was interested in helping others. I began my undergraduate degree with the intention of becoming a clinical psychologist with a focus on clinical practice, but fell in love with research during my Honours thesis. This excellent research experience with my supervisor, Dr. Lynne Honey, was life changing for me. It was at this point I realized that my true heart's desire was to have a career that heavily involved research, and I applied to grad schools in clinical psychology with the intention of becoming an Academic. Do you have advice for students interested in pursuing a similar path? I feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by excellent mentors throughout my psychology career who provided me the support and insight I needed to achieve my dreams. Surround yourself with excellent mentors who value you, foster your love for research, and keep that flame alive through the journey. I would also encourage students to find research topics that make them feel excited. It makes the work so much more exciting. What has been the biggest challenge on your career path so far, and how have you navigated it? The largest challenge on my career path was leaving my family and friends. Prior to grad school, I had spent my entire life in Edmonton, so the move to Fredericton for grad school meant leaving everyone behind. However, it also meant the start of a new adventure for me, which was really exciting to me. It's also much easier to stay connected to loved ones with video calling and family group messages. What has been the biggest joy on your career path so far? The biggest joy in my career path so far has been the relationships I've fostered with people along the way. I've met a number of incredible mentors, who continue to be role models for me. One of my favourite things to do is dream up new research ideas with my former PhD supervisor, Dr. Lucia O'Sullivan (and send 1,000+ excited emails back and forth about them). I've made really excellent friends through this journey, and I can't imagine my life without them.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

The Canadian Student Guide to Applying Psychology in Varied Career Paths Copyright © 2025 by Copyright is retained by the authors is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book