Clinical Psychology: PsyD, Los Angeles

Field Training

At the predoctoral stage, students’ professional development occurs within the context of both formal coursework and clinical training experiences (i.e., practica) supervised by faculty and professionals in the field. Students develop and acquire clinical skills through professional training experiences in a variety of mental health service settings in the community.

Each student works with their academic advisor and a field training liaison who will assist the student to develop and implement an individualized training plan designed to assure that:  (a) the student receives a solid base of clinical experiences with a variety of clientele and professional role models, and (b) professional training experiences are well-matched to the student’s level of skill and longer-term professional goals (including the successful acquisition of the required full-time APA-accredited or APPIC internship placement).

All first-year  students participate in a practicum that is a collaboration between our OPFT and the Alhambra Unified School District (AUSD). Students with prior clinical experience at the Master’s level provide individual therapy to children and adolescents at elementary and high schools. Students without prior clinical experience at the Master’s level administer evidence-based group curricula to children in elementary school (K-8th grade). In the spring semester of their practicum training, these students interview with AUSD and the primary practicum supervisor to determine readiness to begin providing individual therapy to children and adolescents at the elementary and high schools as well.

In their second and third year practica, students are placed for 15 - 20 hours per week of professional training in diverse agencies in the Los Angeles area. All professional training programs are carefully reviewed and continually monitored by the Los Angeles campus Office of Professional Field Training to assure consistent and high quality training.

Prior to graduation, students are required to complete a full-time APA-accredited or APPIC internship in their fourth year. The internship is a culminating experience that integrates the students’ academic and clinical experiences and prepares them for their professional role as a psychologist. Students become eligible to apply for internship only after achieving post-Proposal status on their clinical dissertation and advancing to doctoral candidacy; students are required to pass the proposal meeting by the end of finals week in the Spring of their second year in order to apply to internship in the fall of the third year. In special cases via faculty advisement and with Program Director approval, students may be allowed to modify their program to five years by adding an extra practicum experience in their fourth year and complete the required full-time APA-accredited/APPIC internship in their fifth year.

Students should be aware that various postdoctoral training positions and some employers (e.g., the Veterans Administration) require that successful applicants have APA-accredited internships. Students have extensive opportunities to discuss with their academic advisors and assigned clinical field training liaisons the various internship options available and to develop a training plan that assures that students’ needs and goals are met.

The majority of affiliated practicum training sites exist within a 40-mile radius of the campus. For their full-time internship experience, many students leave the Los Angeles area in order to gain specialized training at APA-accredited/APPIC internship sites. Full-time APA-accredited/APPIC internships provide a stipend to students during their internship year. Most other internships (e.g., CAPIC) and practicum sites do not offer stipends. Students should not count on training stipends as a means of financing their education.

Research Training

The CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD program trains practitioners to be critical reviewers and consumers of research. Students begin their clinical dissertation development in their second year, and are expected to complete their dissertation by the end of their third year, before the commencement of their full-time APA-accredited/APPIC internship training in their fourth year. Clinical dissertations require mentoring by a Clinical Dissertation Chair (i.e., PsyD program core faculty) and the Dissertation Consultant (i.e., dissertation committee member), and also involve clinical input from and interaction with at least three field consultant-practitioners who are experts on the dissertation topic. Upon thoroughly reviewing and critiquing the professional literature and interviewing experts to gain input on current clinical perspectives, students are expected to demonstrate their abilities to professionally apply and disseminate the knowledge that they have gained to the mental health community. The method by which students demonstrate this competency will be determined by the student’s dissertation committee.

Non-Terminal Master’s Degree Requirements

During the course of the program, students earn a non-terminal Master’s in Clinical Psychology.  The following criteria must all be met for students to have their Master’s degree posted to their transcript: (a) passing of all coursework as outlined in the first two years, including summer coursework and field training (field training is considered to be completed when both student and site final evaluations have been received and recorded with the student earning grades of Credit); (b) in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; (c) passing the Assessment Comprehensive Exam, the Research Comprehensive Exam, and the written component of the Clinical Proficiency Assessment exam; (d) submission of the online Application for Degree and associated fee.  A student who has already earned a Master’s degree from another school may still apply for and receive his/her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from the CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD program at Alliant.

The following criteria must all be met for students to declare advancement to doctoral candidacy: (a) passing of all coursework as outlined in the first two years, including summer coursework and field training; (b) in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0; (c) post-Proposal status as defined by acceptance of the student’s dissertation proposal by their dissertation committee and passing the Proposal Meeting orals; and (d) passing the Assessment Comprehensive Exam, the Research Comprehensive Exam, and the written component of the Clinical Proficiency Assessment exam.  Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy status is recorded on student transcripts and is required for participation in the third-year full-time APA-accredited/APPIC internship rounds. Not attaining advancement to doctoral candidacy in a timely fashion will have serious implications on the student’s remaining academic and training curriculum as well as their financial aid eligibility.  Students can petition to receive their Master’s degree in clinical psychology when they are cleared to advance to doctoral candidacy.

Psychotherapy Requirement

A total of 45 hours of individual psychotherapy with a psychologist licensed in California are required prior to graduation.  This requirement is to complement the coursework and practical training components of the program to provide the student with experiential understanding of the therapeutic process. It is the program’s belief that an understanding of the therapeutic process from the standpoint of the client is a valuable part in the identity formation of the student as a psychologist.

The expectation is that the individual therapy will be once a week for about one year, with a single therapist.  The Program Director must approve and all exceptions (e.g., group, conjoint marital, or family therapy; a compelling demonstrated need to switch therapists).  Students who have prior psychotherapy may fulfill their psychotherapy requirement by submitting documentation of 45 hours of therapy conducted with a licensed psychologist to the Program Director for approval.  The cost of psychotherapy will be met by the student; a list of therapists who have agreed to provide sliding-scale fees to Alliant students may be obtained from the Student Affairs Center.

First Year - Fall

17 units

• PSY 6119 - Intercultural Processes/Human Diversity A (year long class) (3 units)
• PSY 6523 - Advanced Psychopathology (year long class, Emphasis Area Related) (3 units)
• PSY 6529 - Clinical Interviewing (year long class) (3 units)
• PSY 6531 - Ethics and Professional Development A (year long class) (1 unit)
• PSY 6541 - Practicum I (1 unit)
• PSY 7515 - Psychodiagnostic Assessment (year long class) (3 units)

First Year - Spring

17 units

• PSY 6027 - Introduction to Professional Writing (1 unit)
• PSY 6042 - Research and Test Design (PsyD) (3 units)
• PSY 6120 - Intercultural Processes/Human Diversity B (yearlong class) (3 units)
• PSY 6450 - Theories of Personality and Psychotherapy (2 units)
• PSY 6532 - Ethics and Professional Development B (yearlong class) (1 unit)
• PSY 6534 - Advanced Psychopathology B (yearlong class) (3 units)
• PSY 6542 - PsyD Practicum (1 unit)
• PSY 7516 - Psychodiagnostic Assessment (continued) (3 units)

First Year - Summer

6 units

• PSY 6101 - Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior (2 units)
• PSY 6109 - Human Development (2 units)
• PSY 6112 - Social Basis of Behavior (2 units)

Second Year - Fall

11 units

• PSY 6041 - Statistics (PsyD) (3 units)
• PSY 7294 - Clinical Interventions: Adults A (yearlong class) (2 units)
• PSY 7553 - Field-Based Practicum (yearlong class) (2.5 units)
• PSY 7911 - PsyD Proposal Development (yearlong class) (2 units)

Second Year - Spring

11 units

• PSY 6105 - Biological Aspects of Behavior (3 units)
• PSY 7295 - Clinical Interventions: Adults B (yearlong class) (2 units)
• PSY 7554 - Field-Based Practicum (yearlong class) (2 units)
• PSY 7912 - PsyD Proposal Development (yearlong class) (2 units)

Second Year - Summer

6 units

• PSY 7002 - Program Development (2 units)
• PSY 7112 - History and Systems of Psychology (2 units)
• PSY 7115 - Psychopharmacology (2 units)

Third Year - Fall

11 units

• PSY 7605 - Clinical Elective - Practice Seminars (3 units)
• PSY 8453 - Field-based Practicum III (yearlong class) (2 units)
• PSY 8911 - Clinical Dissertation (1 unit)
• PSY 9556 - Professional Roles (2 units)

Third Year - Spring

11 units

• PSY 7605 - Clinical Elective - Practice Seminars (3 units)
• PSY 8120 - Clinical Supervision and Consultation (2 units)
• PSY 8454 - Field-based Practicum III (yearlong class) (2 units)
• PSY 8912 - Clinical Dissertation (1 unit)

Fourth Year - Fall

11 units / 5 units

• PSY 9531 - Full-Time Predoctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology (11 units)

Fourth Year - Spring

11 units / 5 units

• PSY 9532 - Full-Time Predoctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology (11 units)

Fourth Year - Summer

8 units / 5 units

• PSY 9533 - Full-Time Pre-Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology (8 units)

Notes:

Students’ program curriculum may vary from the above layout if they are advised to modify their schedule (e.g., by SERC) to assist in their successful completion of all program requirements.

Required Electives

Over the course of their program, CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD students must take FOUR (4) PSY7605 semester-long Practice Seminar: Clinical Elective courses, or TWO (2) PSY7605 semester-long Practice Seminar: Clinical Electives and ONE (1) PSY9500 yearlong Advanced Clinical Elective course, or TWO (2) PSY9500 Advanced Clinical Elective courses.

Electives with different course numbers (e.g., PSY7607, PSY8500) will not count towards the Clinical Elective requirement, unless a Petition for Academic/ Administrative Exception clearly stating the rationale for taking a different course numbered elective is approved by the Program Director. Approval MUST be obtained PRIOR to registration.

Emphasis Area students (FACE, Health, MCCP) MUST take a minimum of TWO (2) PSY7605 electives offered from their Emphasis Area.

Emphasis area students will receive priority registration for emphasis area electives. MIO students may take any elective, but will not receive priority registration.

PSY9500 year-long electives are not offered by emphasis areas and may not meet emphasis area elective requirements.  Students are encouraged to check with their emphasis area coordinators for further details.

Clinical Dissertation Course Requirements

If the Clinical Dissertation is not completed by the add/drop deadline of the Fall semester of the fourth year, students must enroll in Dissertation Extension EVERY SEMESTER (except in summer) until their dissertation is completed and filed in the library. Students concurrently enrolled in internship must enroll in PSY9945 for 1 unit. Students not enrolled in an internship must enroll in PSY9985 for 3 units until full completion of all dissertation requirements.  Students may only receive financial aid for a total of four (4) semesters in which their only enrollment is in Dissertation Extension.

The successful passing of the CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD Clinical Dissertation Proposal Approval meeting is a requirement for all students to gain clearance for the full-time APA-accredited/APPIC internship application process, and must be met by the beginning of the third-year Fall semester.  Students who are not post-Proposal status by the end of Spring finals week of the year in which they intend to apply for full-time internship will not be allowed to undergo Phase I (first rounds) of the internship application process; this can have serious consequences for advancement to Doctoral Candidacy and/or the rest of their program/training requirements.

Internship Course Enrollment Requirements

The three (3) semester (Fall/Spring/Summer) enrollment requirement for internship is intended to provide students with financial aid over the summer.

If a student’s internship has an end date in MAY, the student should request enrollment in a two (2) semester internship unit model. Please contact the Academic Affairs Center for information.

If a student’s internship has a start date in June, the student should request enrollment in a Summer/Fall/Spring internship unit model. Please contact the Academic Affairs Center for information.

Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements

A minimum of five (5) units enrollment is required in any semester for financial aid eligibility. The program does not guarantee financial aid eligibility in the event of transfer credit awards.  Financial aid will not cover for course units outside of the required CSPP-LA Clinical PsyD curriculum units.

Accurate Registration Requirements

It is the student’s responsibility to register for the accurate course titles, numbers, and units; consistent failure to register accurately may result in referrals to SERC. Proactive communication with academic advisors and Academic Affairs Center staff is highly recommended.

Clinical Health Psychology Emphasis

Clinical health psychology combines the fields of clinical psychology, behavioral medicine, public health, social psychology, disease prevention and health promotion into an applied discipline that investigates underlying mechanisms that connect the mind and body and explain the dynamic interaction between our physical and mental health.  Clinical health psychologists integrate biomedical, psychological, social and spiritual modalities to detect and treat psychological distress, foster behavior change, increase adjustment to acute and chronic illnesses, reduce health and health care disparities, and to promote psychological growth and wellness.  Students in the clinical health psychology emphasis receive the same thorough preparation for clinical and community practice as students in the other emphasis areas, while in addition gaining a foundation of theoretical knowledge and skills necessary to serve a number of professional roles across various community-based, medical and behavioral health care settings. 

In addition to developing the diagnostic, assessment and treatment skills required of all clinical psychologists, Health students learn practical techniques in the areas of cognitive-behavioral, existential, and community-based interventions.   Faculty have expertise in and enjoy mentoring students in areas such as neuropsychological theory and assessment, child/pediatric psychology, LGBT health, women’s health, health and racial disparities, substance abuse treatment and addictions, HIV/AIDS, biofeedback, chronic pain/pain management, loss, grief and bereavement, and resiliency, strength and wellness.  Within and beyond these areas of focus, Health students learn about the sociocultural, demographic, political, and economic forces that underlie health and health-care disparities, and influence risk-taking and health-promoting behaviors and practices within diverse and often underserved communities. 

Training in the areas of behavioral medicine and health psychology prepare students from the clinical health psychology emphasis to explore a variety of opportunities in the rapidly evolving health care system. Early career positions for Clinical Health Psychology graduates have ranged from entering post-doctoral fellowships in various behavioral medicine settings to serving as members of interdisciplinary teams of health care professionals to working in private practice and community mental health settings using a biopsychosocial framework.  Regardless of professional role, graduates from our emphasis area remain dedicated to promoting the mind-body health of children, adolescents, adults, families, and communities within a multicultural and international context.

Recent Clinical Health Psychology electives and dissertation topics include:

• Mind-Body Psychology, Integrative Psychology, and Behavioral Medicine
• Primary Care Psychology (Psychological Consultation in Medical Settings)
• Chronic Pain and Pain Management
• Pediatric Psychology (Working with Children/Adolescents and Families)
• Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Assessment across the Lifespan
• Children with Specific Learning, Emotional/Behavioral Difficulties, Autism Spectrum, and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health
• Substance Abuse Treatment and other Addictions
• HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, other medical conditions (Prevention, Management and/or Psychosocial Outcomes related to …)
• Minority Stress and Health Disparities
• Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth
• Body Image Issues, Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
• Women’s Health and Reproductive Health
• Loss, Grief and Bereavement
• Anxiety, Psychosomatic Disorders and Clinical Biofeedback
• Hypnosis, Guided Imagery, Stress Management, Relaxation Training, Mindful Meditation
• Adjusting to and Living with Chronic Illness/Terminal Illness
• Wellness, Resiliency and Quality of Life Issues
• Complementary Health Practices (e.g., yoga/tai-chi, expressive therapies, body therapies)
• Gender, Multicultural, Socioeconomic, and Political Influences on Health Policy
• Health Policy and System Reform
• Health Promotion and Education
• Spirituality and Psychological and Emotional Health
• Global Health and Illness
• Sports Psychology, Exercise and Nutrition
• Psychopharmacology

Family/Child and Couple Emphasis

Our goal in the Family/child and Couple Emphasis (FACE) is to introduce graduate students to the theory, research, and clinical practice of family and couple psychology. This is accomplished through coursework in which students learn about families, couples, adults, and children from diverse backgrounds. Students are taught to work with families, couples, and individuals from a systemic perspective. Skills are developed in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of relationship systems.

In the first two or three years of the FACE emphasis, students learn how to conceptualize, assess, and interview families and couples. FACE students take four family systems courses. The family psychology course prepares students for an advanced FACE family systems intervention course taken exclusively by FACE students. The Family/child and Couple Emphasis is for students who are dedicated to learning family and couple psychology intervention.

The emphasis area also provides a choice of one of two sets of elective courses as follows:

• Family Therapy: Students may take the following two elective courses: Clinical Interventions with Children and Families and Interventions with Adolescents and Families. Other family therapy elective courses offered periodically are: Child Assessment, Family Violence and Sexual Abuse, Family of Origin Therapy, Advanced Family Therapy, Divorce Theory, Therapy with Alternative Families, and Group Psychotherapy.
• Couple Therapy: Students examine relationship dynamics through either the year-long Integrated Approach to Sex, Intimacy and Relationship Problems course or the one-semester Couple Therapy and Sex Therapy courses. Other couple therapy elective courses offered periodically are Family Violence and Sexual Abuse, Family of Origin Therapy, Advanced Family Therapy, Divorce Theory, and Group Psychotherapy.

Students meet with their FACE academic advisor to determine which other advanced clinical electives and seminars best fit into their plan of study so their career goals are met. Creating a niche entails taking courses as well as networking in the community.

Multicultural Community-Clinical Psychology Emphasis

The Multicultural Community-Clinical Psychology (MCCP) emphasis area was established at the Los Angeles campus in 1990. A synthesis of the previous ethnic minority mental health and community clinical proficiencies, MCCP reflects the state-of-the-art in training philosophy, curriculum, and applied experiences relevant to training clinical psychologists with special competence in multicultural and community psychology. The year-long Intercultural Processes/Human Diversity course required of clinical psychology students in all emphasis areas provides basic competence in multicultural issues. The MCPP emphasis area provides the additional opportunity for students to develop (1) more advanced conceptual and intervention skills relevant to psychotherapy with culturally-diverse populations; (2) competence beyond individual psychopathology that includes conceptualization and intervention with community-level distress and social problems; (3) an understanding of sociopolitical and sociocultural influences on psychological functioning and well-being; (4) skills to develop programs and activities focused on the prevention of psychopathology and social problems; and (5) knowledge of community psychology theory and practice.

The mission of the training is to nurture the development of clinical psychologists who will work to understand, prevent, and reduce psychological and community distress, as well as enhance the psychological well-being of historically underserved, stigmatized, and oppressed groups. In doing this, special attention is paid to the cultural and sociopolitical context of the individuals, families, and communities we serve. Faculty members in the emphasis area are committed to fostering a climate of inclusion, respect for differences, and a sense of community both within and outside of CSPP. Ultimately, faculty members strive to empower individuals and communities and to facilitate personal and social healing.

Through coursework, field experiences and mentorship by our faculty, students learn theory, research, and intervention strategies applicable to working with adults, adolescents, children, families, groups, and communities. Students share the core curriculum in clinical psychology with students from all emphasis areas. MCCP students build upon this basic curriculum by learning alternative theories and strategies for intervention with communities, institutional systems and specific multicultural groups. Faculty focuses on training clinical psychologists who are critical thinkers about the etiology of psychological distress and who can conceptualize multiple pathways to healing individuals, families, and communities.

MCCP students participate in professional field training experiences that emphasize clinical services to multicultural and under- or inadequately-served populations. Settings can range from hospitals and mental health clinics to community-based agencies or university counseling centers. Students are encouraged to develop Doctoral Dissertations that reflect an aspect of multicultural and/or community psychology.

Recent MCCP Clinical Electives:

• Community Psychology Interventions
• Ecopsychology
• Group Counseling in Community Settings
• Ethnic Minority Mental Health
• Psychology of Immigrants: Trauma and Treatment
• Multicultural Family Therapy
• African American Mental Health
• Multicultural Neuropsychology
• Multicultural Case Conceptualization

Multi-Interest Option (Non-Emphasis)

Some students and faculty decide to participate in the Multi-Interest Option (MIO) instead of selecting one of the three above-mentioned specific emphasis areas. The MIO faculty includes practitioners and researchers who have multiple professional interests and are involved in various aspects of clinical psychology. Instead of focusing on a particular clinical emphasis or expertise, MIO provides a solid base in the field of clinical psychology as well as flexibility for students who are interested in multiple facets of the profession.  From the diversity that it offers, MIO faculty members bring to students a broad spectrum of what clinical psychology offers and the various professional opportunities and potential career goals students can pursue as future psychologists. MIO offers students flexibility in their choice of elective courses and topics for their clinical dissertations and other scholarly and field training interests. The faculty and students affiliated with MIO provide colloquia and social gatherings that, like those sponsored by the emphasis areas, are open to all members of the Los Angeles campus community.  For example, MIO has sponsored presentations that promote awareness of diverse roles in professional psychology by MIO faculty sharing their clinical expertise (as lunch colloquia or formal workshop), enlisting alumni to discuss their career trajectories, an introduction to grant writing and publications, and hosting a panel discussion on professional consultation as a professional activity.  The MIO faculty seeks to encourage students’ scholarly and professional growth in a wide range of interest areas.

MIO faculty members specialize in a wide variety of clinical and research areas such as:

• child abuse and neglect                            
• crisis intervention
• grant writing                                     
• cult/ritual abuse
• psychological assessment            
• dissociation of identity
• geropsychology                                           
• trauma/PTSD
• child development                          
• women’s issues
• child/family issues                          
• environmental issues
• autism spectrum disorder              
• health/chronic illness
• Asian American issues                              
• disability issues
• research methodology                               
• chronic mental illness
• religion and spirituality                              
• international mental health
• mindfulness                                     
• multicultural mental health
• meditation/holistic practices                      
• sociocultural belief systems
• supervision/training issues
• diversity issues