Concentrations: Psy.D.in Clinical Psychology: Chicago: Clinical Psychology: Programs: The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

The hallmark of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is the Generalist Concentration. This concentration offers students the opportunity to develop a broader base of knowledge regarding alternative theories and interventions, clinical work with diverse populations, and professional responsibilities. Students best suited to the Generalist Concentration seek to:

Broaden their areas of professional interest to develop greater preparation for entry-level clinical practice
Sample from a variety of courses in an effort to explore possible areas of professional interest
Prepare for broad-based professional work; for example, in a rural practice or in community mental health systems
Build additional skills to apply in multidisciplinary clinical settings such as hospitals, wellness centers, and community centers
Prepare for clinical work with underserved populations
Build additional skills to support their plans for current and future scholarship

Through the Generalist Concentration, students can gain additional expertise in teaching, supervision, and administration; learn applied behavior analysis; take a series of courses in trauma, loss, or expressive therapies; develop an additional theoretical area of specialty; or design a unique area of independent study.

There are no specific required courses for the Generalist Concentration; any of the electives listed below can be used to meet the concentration requirement of eight credit hours:

PY427 Statistics I

PY511-513 Independent Study I-III

PY527 Qualitative Methods of Research

PY533 Psychology of Women

PY535 Separation, Loss, and Mourning PY565 Psychotherapy and Spirituality

PY542 Introduction to Expressive Therapies

PY544 Interdisciplinary Arts Studio

PY548 Therapeutic Uses of Dance/Movement in Psychology

PY551 Brief Psychotherapy

PY550 International Perspective on Mental Health I

PY556 Psychology, Creativity, and Community

PY558 Introduction to Drama Therapy

PY568 Trauma Therapy in Clinical Practice

PY570 Applied Neuropsychology

PY586 Supervision

PY588 Learning to Teach

PY5881 Learning to Teach Seminar I

PY5882 Learning to Teach Seminar II

PY595 International Perspective on Mental Health II

Child/Adolescent

The Child/Adolescent Concentration enhances the preparation of students interested in serving the mental health needs of children and adolescents. Throughout the coursework and related practicum experiences, emphasis is placed on developing a conceptual and experiential background in working with children and adolescents representing a wide range of family and cultural lifestyles. The concentration provides students with opportunities to study child and adolescent psychopathology, diagnostic evaluation, and therapeutic interventions.

In addition to working with diverse economic, social, and ethnic/racial populations, students have opportunities to explore a full range of professional experiences through practica, including hospital inpatient and outpatient clinics, community and/or school-based centers, forensic settings, and private practice settings. Students also are able to work with children representing the full-age spectrum, from early childhood through adolescence.

This concentration requires eight hours from the courses listed below:

PY460 Child and Adolescent Neuropsychological Assessment
PY489 Seminar in Pediatric Psychopharmacology
PY539 Introduction to Child and Adolescent Treatment
PY541 Expressive Therapies with Children
PY543 Advanced Play Therapy
PY549 Divorce and Child Custody
PY552 Developmental Disabilities
PY573 Child Trauma
PY574 Play Assessment and Treatment
PY575 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
PY596 Underserved Youth: Cultural Considerations
PY583 Pediatric Health Psychology

The Child and Adolescent Track is an extension of the program’s Child and Adolescent Concentration. Applicants who list Child and Adolescent as their concentration of interest will be considered for this track.

Health Concentration

Health psychology specializes in the application of psychological principles and techniques to the problems of health, especially in a clinical context of working with people whose primary problems are medical in nature. Health psychologists use the base skills of professional psychology to assess the impact of psychosocial factors in the origin and course of many physical conditions, illnesses, and disabilities. They also use a variety of interventions aimed at helping people prevent illness, recover quickly, or live with chronic conditions in a way that maximizes their functional capacities for living. Professional psychology is not just a “mental health” profession; it is a health care profession that can address the whole person, mind, and body.

Students in the Health Concentration gain an overall awareness of the role of professional psychologists as researchers, clinicians, patient-educators, and above all, as members of inter-disciplinary treatment teams that work with a specific disease or other health-related problems. Upon completion of the course sequence, students should be prepared to enter into an advanced practicum or internship opportunity in the field for supervised exposure and experience in treatment of health-related problems.

The following course work is required for this concentration:

PY 540 Wellness, Health, and Prevention
PY 546 Biopsychosocial Aspects of Medical Conditions
PY 564 Applied Stress Management

In addition, students must complete two credit hours from the following courses:

PY 547 Hypnotherapy
PY 557 Substance Abuse
PY 571 Psychology of Aging
PY 582 Perinatal and Neonatal Stress and Adjustment

Multicultural/Community Concentration

The Multicultural/Community Concentration augments basic psychological paradigms by integrating clinical, political, economic and social information that must be considered when working with clients, regardless of their membership in cultural/ethnic groups. Moreover, students are introduced to external factors, such as privilege, power, and worldview that influence the manner in which students, clients, and others express and view their lives and the lives of others.

Students will develop clinical and teaching skills through a series of courses and supervised training that will enhance their ability to be culturally sensitive and aware.

The following course work is requiredor this concentration:

PY 578 Diversity in Clinical Psychology III
PY 580 Cultural and Social Contexts Impacting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Clients
PY 596 Cultural Considerations in Working with Underserved Youth
PY 597 Cultural Considerations in Working with Underserved Adults
PY 598 Cultural and Social Contexts Impacting Females, Males, and the Transgendered
PY 599 Cultural Considerations in Working with International Populations

Forensic Concentration

Forensic Psychology is a rapidly growing field that focuses on the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. The Forensic Concentration course work provides students with basic knowledge regarding psychologists’ roles in the legal system, including employment options in the field, mental health law, and the treatment and evaluation of offenders. Students will also be introduced to testifying as an expert witness and forensic report writing.

Those specializing in this area will be among the highest in demand for the delivery of services to correctional facilities, law enforcement agencies, courts, attorneys, and lawmakers. Organizations, administrations, and development of programs in those organizations will be enhanced by the employment of those trained in the area of forensic psychology.

The following course work is required for this concentration:

PY 510 Introduction to Forensic Psychology
PY 523 Mental Health Law
PY 537 Forensic Documentation, Report Writing, and Testifying

In addition, students must complete one of the following courses:

PY 520 Evaluation and Treatment of the Adult Offender
PY 521 Evaluation and Treatment of the Juvenile Offender

Organizational Psychology Concentration

Clinical psychologists increasingly find themselves assuming consulting management roles within organizational settings, serving as:

Administrators in community agencies, hospitals and managed care organizations
Management consultants to corporations, non-profit agencies, and family firms
Managers of human resources, diversity programs, EAPs, wellness and outplacement programs, and training and organizational development departments within corporations
In addition to clinical skills, these roles require familiarity with organizational and group dynamics, corporate language and culture, business literacy, application of assessment and intervention strategies to organizational issues, and the unique aspects of a consultant role.

The Chicago School’s curriculum in organizational psychology has been designed to provide this training. Ethical and current issues and topics within organizational psychology are addressed. Particular attention is given to individual differences and diversity issues as they relate to organizational structure and processes.

The following course work is required for this concentration:

PY 534 Organizational Behavior
PY 536 Organizational Consulting Skills
PY 538 Mental Health Administration

Students in this concentration have the opportunity to complete an advanced practicum in organizational psychology following completion of the assessment and psychotherapy practica.

School Psychology Concentration

Working within a school system offers psychologists an opportunity to impact learning environments and families’ lives for the better. Through interaction with parents, children, teachers and school administrators, psychologists can help communities and school systems impact the quality and effectiveness of student learning and cognitive development. Psychologists can develop programs to train teachers and parents, develop effective techniques to manage behavior at home and in the classroom, work with students with disabilities or with special talents, and assist schools to prevent and manage crises. The School Psychology Concentration offers the opportunity to learn how to work with students individually and in groups in public and private school settings. This concentration does not meet eligibility requirements to sit for a school psychologist licensure or certification, but will introduce basic issues and intervention approaches for use in school settings and with school aged clients.

The following course work is required for this concentration:

PY 509 Consulting in Schools
PY 516 Effective Educational Models and Literacy
PY 517 Prevention and Crisis Intervention in Schools

Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate

Students may choose to utilize the majority of their elective hours to obtain a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). To complete an ABA certificate, a student must successfully complete the following courses (in addition to required coursework in the Psy.D. program):

PY 403 Theory of Conditioning and Learning
PY 404 Analysis and Treatment of Developmental Disabilities
PY 405 Observation and Measurement
PY 408 Behavioral Consultation in Organizations
PY 493 Advanced Intervention: Behavioral

No practicum is required to earn the certificate; however, to be eligible for national board certification as a behavior analyst, an ABA practicum is required. Given a student's progression through the program, it may be possible to satisfy the Board ABA practicum requirement through a specialized ABA therapy or advanced practicum that also meets graduation requirements for the Clinical Psy.D. program. Students should consult their faculty advisor throughout their program in order to meet board certification requirements.

Share This Page | Printer Friendly

View Prospectus

Need help with this web site?
Maintained by the Webmaster