Paul C. McGinnis, LMFT, ‘03
Paul has recently opened his own private practice in Austin, and is excited to offer advice to other students/alumni interested in the psychotherapy field. Read more about Paul's journey here!
Where did life lead you after graduating St. Andrew's?
Right after SAS I left for college. At first I went to Whittier College, but it wasn’t right for me, so after my freshman year, I transferred to Pitzer College, which I loved. I moved back to Austin last year after attending graduate school at Pepperdine University, where I received my Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology. After many months of jumping through inter-state licensing hoops, I am excited to announce the opening of my own private practice in psychotherapy. I'm happy to offer professional services to the SAS community, as well as answer any questions current students/recent alumni might have about the process of becoming a licensed therapist. Check out my website for more info: www.therapywithpaul.com
Can you identify some skills you learned at St. Andrew's that are helping you in your life?
High school taught me about how to relate to other people and how to form long lasting relationships. I use the social skills that St. Andrew’s helped teach me in my day to day work and personal life.
Can you name a teacher or class you took that had a lasting impact on you?
Darryl Borges was by far my most influential teacher. Sure, he taught me Spanish, but the thing he really gave me was his faith and trust (in spite of my not so infrequent classroom antics). Darryl has such a knack for seeing the good in people and I'm forever grateful to him for seeing the good in me.
Do you have a favorite St. Andrew's tradition?
I feel like the default answer would be to make fun of the bagpipes, but I’ll spare you.
What advice would you give a St. Andrew's senior as they prepare to graduate?
My advice would be to take your time in figuring out what you want to do. Try different things, have new experiences, travel as much as possible, and pay close attention to anything that you care so much about that it makes you lose track of time — because it might just be what you are meant to do.
