Joshua Rathburn noticed a gap between what we say about empathy and how we actually behave. That dissonance sparked a quiet determination: understand minds so you can meet people where they are. After a brief stop in business and a start at Penn State Fayette, he found his place in the Psychology program at PennWest California, aiming for a future in counseling and therapy.

Early on, Joshua is already practicing application. In Theories of Psychotherapy with Dr. Timbo, classes include experiential work with an “identified patient,” forcing students to translate frameworks into real conversation: Which approach fits this person? What signals show comfort, discomfort, or change? The exercise makes a simple truth unavoidable—methods are tools; the client is the map.

Outside class, Joshua stays rooted in community through New Life Cal Catholic, balancing study with service and habit-building—journaling, reflection, and steady practice. He thinks a lot about technology’s pull: how AI can be an aid or a substitute, and what’s lost if reflection gets outsourced. His mantra is simple: use it or lose it—skills, empathy, agency.

Joshua measures progress not by grades alone but by how he shows up for others—inside a session, in a residence hall, or around a family table. He wants to be the counselor who listens deeply, adapts well, and keeps learning. It’s the kind of growth that thrives in a program designed for applied learning and real-world practice across PennWest.