The program is a broad-based model of training framed by three
overriding goals: (1) to foster the development of clinical
skills; (2) to foster the development of clinical research skills;
(3) to foster an appreciation of the integration of research and
clinical practice.
The program prepares graduates to:
Demonstrate clinical skills
- Conduct psychodiagnostic interviews and formulate diagnostic
impressions of clients of different ages and backgrounds presenting
with a range of psychopathology.
- Write formal intake reports based on the interviews,
incorporating this information.
- Perform intellectual and personality assessments with
individuals of different ages and backgrounds.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the history, structure, and clinical
use of various psychological tests used in contemporary clinical
practice.
- Demonstrate competency in administration, interpretation, and
report writing of psychological tests and measures.
- Demonstrate skills in psychological interventions in both
psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches to treatment
applied to a range of client populations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of psychopathology and ability to apply
that knowledge in clinical practice.
- Demonstrate an understanding of professional issues and role
expectations, including ethical, legal, and quality assurance
principles, across a variety of client populations.
Demonstrate clinical research
skills
- Demonstrate competencies in basic and multivariate statistics
and psychological measurement and scaling.
- Demonstrate ability to critique contemporary research in
clinical psychology.
- Develop and carry out original research in psychology as
preparation for future roles as independent investigators.
Integrate theory and practice
- Demonstrate knowledge of the scientific underpinnings of
clinical practice, including the biological bases of behavior,
cognitive and affective bases of psychology, and social and
developmental bases of behavior.
- Demonstrate ability to integrate theory and practice in the
development of independent research proposals.
- Demonstrate ability to integrate issues of diversity into
research and clinical training.
- Demonstrate ability to apply an evidence-based approach to
intervention and assessment practices.
Advance the Vincentian Mission
- Provide services to the poor and underprivileged, as part of
our mission as a Catholic learning institution.
- Complete four years of clinic practicum training in our
community-based psychological services center, supplemented by two
years of formal clinical externship in multiethnic settings in the
surrounding community.
Demonstrate proficiency at the doctoral
level
- Produce oral and written presentations of original research
proposals.
- Develop, implement, and defend two original research projects:
a Master’s thesis and a doctoral dissertation.
- Demonstrate competency in conceptualizing and implementing
therapeutic interventions from cognitive behavioral and
psychodynamic therapeutic orientations in clinical practicum
work.
- Complete at least one year of formally supervised clinical
practice in both cognitive behavior therapy and psychodynamic
therapy during the course of clinic practicum training.
- Apply psychological concepts and principles to assessment and
intervention during externship and internship training
experiences.
- Develop close working relationships with mentors and
supervisors who represent the scientist-practitioner model of
clinical training.