Counseling Psychology (PsyD) Curriculum
The PsyD in Counseling Psychology program prepares future psychologists to be globally-conscious and environmentally-aware agents of change with individuals and systems, promoting sustainable health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The Chatham PsyD is distinctive for its focus on promoting sustainable health and well-being, focusing on individuals, families, and communities, informed by the science of psychology. A hallmark of the Chatham PsyD program is its recognition of the complex relationship between the well-being of individuals and the diverse environments touching their lives – families, schools, workplaces, communities, the natural world, and even national and global conditions.
Program Requirements
+ Year One
| PSY708 | Cognitive & Affective Bases of Behavior
This course addresses empirically supported theories of Cognition and Affect and their influence on human behavior. Cognitive understanding of how humans learn, process and retain information and its role in human activities will be examined. Affect will be examined through review of early attachment relationships, emotional regulation, and social-emotional processes. | 3 |
| PSY709 | Intellectual Assessment
This course prepares students to administer tests of cognitive functions. Students will examine theory and clinical assessment of cognitive functioning including basic psychometric principles. Practical experiences are offered in test administration, scoring, interpretation, and professional report writing. | 3 |
| PSY711 | Multicultural & Diversity Issues in Counseling Psych
This course provides an in-depth exploration of cultural differences as they impact the counseling relationship. Identity development theory will be examined, as will multicultural research methods and findings. Finally, the significance of both between-group and within-group differences will be explored for their relative influence on the process of theraputic change. | 3 |
| PSY712 | Advanced Research Design
This course reviews essential concepts in research design and statistics, with an emphasis on ensuring that students are capable of critically evaluating research studies and drawing reasonable conclusions from those studies. Students will have a strong foundation in research design and proficiency in statistics after having completed this course. | 4 |
| PSY714 | Personality Theory and Assessment
This course covers theories of personality and prepares students to administer, score, interpret, and write reports about commonly used instruments for the assessment of personality. Approaches and instruments included will be interviewing techniques, personality inventories, projective tests. | 3 |
| PSY715 | Ethical Issues in Counseling Psychology
This course will focus on providing students wtih the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to perform ethical practice with clients across the full dimension of human experience, using the APA Ethics Guidelines as a foundation. | 3 |
| PSY741 | Pre-Practicum
This course prepares students, and is a pre-requisite, for field placements in settings that provide psychological services. The course reviews the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual and emphasizes integration of basic assessment and intervention activites, as well as ethical and professional issues in psychology. | 3 |
| PSY748 | Practicum I
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 2 |
| PSY746 | Practicum I
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 3 |
| PSY750 | Practicum II | 1 |
| PSY749 | Practicum II
This course is the second field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 2 |
| PSY747 | Practicum II: Counseling Psychology
This course is the second field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 3 |
| PSY804 | Vocational Issues in Counseling Psychology
Theories of vocational choice as well as career decision making, planning and lifelong career development will be addressed. Current issues in the field of vocational counseling will be integrated with well established theories and methods of vocational assessment. | 3 |
| PSY814 | Psychopathology, Resilience, and Evidence-Based Practice
This course addresses theories and research related to psychopathology, as well as the strength-based perspective in counseling psychology. Major approaches to understanding adaptive and maladaptive behavior of individuals, such as psychoanalytical, social constructivist, systemic, and social learning will be discussed. | 3 |
+ Year Two
| PSY707 | Social Psychology
This course provides an overview of historical and current trends in social psychology. Major theories and research findings relating to group dynamics, attitude change, prejudice, and others are presented. Contemporary critiques of the field and the relevance of social psychology to social change and the helping professions are discussed. | 3 |
| PSY710 | Foundations of Psychological Interventions
This course will review basic therapeutic modalities used in psychological interventions. Processes of change are discussed, as well as the role fo evidence-informed practice in interventions with individuals, groups, families, and communites. | 3 |
| PSY809 | Advanced Developmental Psychology
In this course, students critically review classic and contemporary theories and research in developmental psychology. Students describe how the theories and research apply to psychology practice, develp additional research questions to further knowledge in the field, and become familiar with ethical cultural issues related to developmental psychology. | 3 |
| PSY801 | Family-Focused Systemic Interventions
This class focuses on theories and interventions related to conceptualization and improvement of interactions within family systems. A framework of family science and evidence-informed approaches is emphasized. Students will examine general systems theory, family systems interventions, trans-generational theory, modern and post-modern adaptations of family intervention, and multi-systemic approaches. | 3 |
| PSY805 | Group Processes and Interventions
In this class, research on group process and dynamics will be examined from diverse perspectives such as psychodynamic, systemic, social learning, and existential, as applied in group psychotherapy. The specific applications of different types of therapeutic groups will be emphasized. This class will include an experience of group supervision for participants. | 3 |
| PSY807 | Biopsychology
This course focuses on the development of the brain and nervous system, interconnections between the human body's biological systems, and types and mechanisms of psychopharmacological interventions for psychological disorders. | 3 |
| PSY810 | Advanced Data Analysis
This course introduces advanced concepts in data analysis, with an emphasis on ensuring that students are capable of designing research studies and selecting and implementing appropriate methods of data analysis. Students will work on their dissertation proposals in this course. | 4 |
| PSY840 | Practicum III | 1 |
| PSY843 | Practicum III
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 2 |
| PSY841 | Practicum IV | 1 |
| PSY844 | Practicum IV
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 2 |
| PSY847 | Practicum IV: Counseling Psychology
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 3 |
| Portfolio Review Comprehensive Exams | ||
+ Year Three
| PSY706 | History of Psychology
This course focuses on contemporary perspectives and historical and philosophical foundations of counseling psychology. This course emphasizes modern theories and practices of counseling psychology as a social sceince and profession, particularly as related to sustainable health and well-being for individuals, families, and communities. | 3 |
| PSY806 | Supervision and Leadership
This course introduces students to theories, research, roles and activities of supervision and leadership in counseling psychology. The course is both didactic and experiential. For all activities issues of diversity, ethics, and professional practice will be discussed. | 3 |
| PSY815 | Organizations, Communities, and Consultation
This course will address theories and research related to functioning of organizations and communities. The counseling psychologist as consultant will be discussed, along with major principles and strategies for conducting system level assessments, and planning, implementation and evaluation of consultative interventions. | 3 |
| PSY816 | Health Psychology Practice
The course focuses on the interface between psychology and medicine, preparing students to use psychology interventions in the treatment and management of illness and to understand the role of psychologist in the interdisciplinary healthcare team. Theory, research, and practice of health psychology will be presented. | 3 |
| PSY842 | Practicum V | 1 |
| PSY845 | Practicum V
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 2 |
| PSY848 | Practicum V: Counseling Psychology
This course is a field placement in which students obtain training in psychological service provision. They work directly under the supervision of a qualified professional and obtain experience interviewing clients and conducting sessions in group and individual formats. | 3 |
| PSY862 | Dissertation I | 3 |
| PSY863 | Dissertation II | 3 |
| PsyD students are required to complete at least four practicum courses for the degree (minimum of 1200 practicum hours). A fifth practicum course consisting of 1, 2, or 3 credits is available as an elective for students who want to expand skills into a new area or to strengthen existing skills prior to the pre-doctoral internship. | ||
+ Year Four
| PSY871 | Pre-Doctoral Internship 1
The pre-doctoral internship is a year-long field experience for doctoral students who have completed all academic course work, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation proposal. The internship is a full-time supervised clinical experience obtained through a national search and matching process, and is required for the completion of the degree. | 3 |
| PSY872 | Pre-Doctoral Internship 2
The pre-doctoral internship is a year-long field experience for doctoral students who have completed all academic course work, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation proposal. The internship is a full-time supervised clinical experience obtained through a national search and matching process, and is required for the completion of the degree. | 6 |
| PSY873 | Pre-Doctoral Internship 3
The pre-doctoral internship is a year-long field experience for doctoral students who have completed all academic course work, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation proposal. The internship is a full-time supervised clinical experience obtained through a national search and matching process, and is required for the completion of the degree. | 6 |
