When Sara Murray M’24 first began studying psychology at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, she did not initially envision a future in military psychology. That changed after hearing Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Tuong Setala, a Navy psychologist and alumna of Saint Mary’s Psy.D. program, speak about her experiences serving as a psychologist in the Navy.
Setala introduced Murray to the breadth of opportunities available within Navy psychology, from outpatient mental health and operational psychology to specialized training opportunities in areas such as child psychology. For Murray, whose clinical interests center on perinatal mental health, child psychology, and supporting military families, the possibility of combining psychological service, advocacy, and military leadership quickly became compelling. Murray is now not only completing her Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology at Saint Mary’s, but is working as a lieutenant and clinical psychology intern at Naval Medical Readiness Training Center San Diego (NMRTC-SD). She is continuing a growing tradition of Saint Mary’s graduates pursuing careers in Navy psychology.
“As a first-generation college student navigating doctoral training, I became really intentional about seeking mentors and training experiences that aligned with both my professional goals and personal values,” Murray said. “One of the things I appreciated most about Saint Mary’s was the ability to build relationships with supportive faculty members and members of the psychology community who encouraged my clinical and research interests.”
During her doctoral training, Sara pursued qualitative dissertation research exploring the experiences of Black mothers with infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As she developed the project, she intentionally sought mentorship from psychologists and faculty members, particularly professionals of color, who could help support both the research process and her broader development as a clinician.
At NMRTC San Diego, Sara’s internship training has provided experience across outpatient mental health, emergency psychiatry, inpatient settings, and operationally-oriented military environments. She noted that the diversity of roles available within Navy psychology has been one of the most meaningful aspects of her training experience.
“One of the things I enjoy most about being a psychologist in the Navy is the ability to work across so many different systems and stages of life,” Sara said. “My long-term interests involve supporting service members and their families, particularly in areas connected to child development, perinatal mental health, and family wellbeing.”
In addition to her clinical work, Sara recently presented research at the Academic Research Competition hosted by NMRTC San Diego. The presentation examined family-related factors associated with suicide risk among active duty service members participating in a clinical trial focused on suicide prevention.
This fall, after completing her internship year, Sara will begin serving at an outpatient clinic in Japan. She hopes to later pursue the Navy’s child psychology fellowship and continue supporting military-connected children and families throughout her career.
Sara is also helping continue Saint Mary’s growing connection to Navy psychology by mentoring current doctoral student William Casserly, who matched with the NMRTC San Diego psychology internship program for the 2026–27 training year.
Reflecting on her own path, Sara hopes future students recognize that careers in psychology can take many forms; including opportunities that combine clinical care, research, leadership, and service.
“There is no one ‘type’ of Navy psychologist,” she said. “That diversity is part of what makes the field so meaningful to me.”
