Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (PsyD): Mission
As part of its mission Chatham University "prepares its students to excel in their professions and to be engaged, environmentally responsible, globally conscious, life-long learners, and citizen leaders for democracy." In keeping with this mission statement, the PsyD in Counseling Psychology program prepares future psychologists to be globally-conscious and environmentally-aware agents of change. 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. Chatham PsyD faculty are committed to the process of training competent and ethical psychologists who engage in prevention and intervention activities with diverse populations in a rapidly changing health care environment.
Program Philosophies
Chatham University’s PsyD in Counseling Psychology program has adopted the unifying philosophical themes of counseling psychology as developed by Gelso and Fretz (2001)1 and the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs, with the addition of a philosophy related to the promotion of healthy and sustainable communities. Program objectives and competencies are derived from the following themes:
- A focus on working within a developmental framework across a wide range of psychological functioning.
- A focus on assets and strengths, regardless of level of functioning.
- The inclusion of relatively brief counseling approaches.
- An emphasis on person-environment interactions, rather than an exclusive focus on either person or environment.
- An emphasis on prevention, including psycho-educational interventions.
- An emphasis on the educational and vocational lives of individuals.
- A strong commitment to attending to issues of culture, race, and ethnicity, as well as other areas of individual diversity such as gender, age, ability, socioeconomic status and sexual orientation.
- Evaluation and improvement through critical thinking and a commitment to the scientific approach.
- An emphasis on promoting healthy and sustainable communities.
1 Gelso, C., & Fretz, B. (2001). Counseling psychology (2nd ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt.