Building on basic information of the legal system and mental health law, students will gain a broad understanding of the ways in which psychologists interact with the legal system. This may include assessment, evaluation, treatment, testimony, and consultation.
This course focuses on the concepts of grief and loss in psychology. Major issues as established by the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC) will be covered including: Dying, End-of-Life Decision Making, Loss, Grief and Mourning, Assessment and Intervention, Traumatic Death and Death Education. Both didactic and experiential methods of instruction will be used to expose students to the vast body of knowledge covering this area.
Animal Assisted Psychotherapies (AAT), as well as their theoretical foundations, are reviewed in this course. Both canine assisted psychotherapy (CAP) and equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) approaches will be addressed as well as brief discussions of AAT with other animals. There is an emphasis on developing skills in case analysis and treatment, with special attention to the development and processing of treatment activities.
The purpose of this course is to provide the Clinical Psychology student with an introduction to human sexuality throughout the life-cycle. Sexual development and issues affecting individuals and couples will be examined and sexual dysfunctions will be reviewed along with treatment modalities for the most common disorders.
This course will introduce students to business principles as they apply to professional psychology. Students will be exposed to various business-of-practice issues and decisions, such as starting, managing, marketing, and diversifying a psychology practice, and will consider the related ethical, legal, and financial issues involved.
This course serves as a study of theory, research, and applications of health psychology including the psychological factors that influence physical health and illness and the application of behavioral principles to the prevention and treatment of illness and the promotion of health.
This course serves as a study of applications of health psychology including the psychological factors that influence physical health and illness and the application of specific behavioral principles to the prevention and treatment of illness and the promotion of health.
This course is for intermediate students in the neuropsychology concentration. This course provides an introduction to the assessment of brain-behavior relationships. A variety of neuropsychological tests will be introduced, covering the major cognitive domains in Human Neuropsychology, with an emphasis on the process by which such tests are interpreted, in light of all the data available, including historical, interview, observational, and test data.
The focus of this course is the gross anatomy of the human brain and spinal cord, and the functional organization of the central nervous system. The major neuroanatomic structures including the motor system, somatosensory system, cranial nerves, cerebellum, basal ganglia, limbic structures, ventricles, meninges, and the vascular supply of the brain will be discussed. The functionality of these systems as well as the consequences of damage to that system will be presented.
This advanced assessment course will use a case conference format to explore advanced topics in neuropsychological assessment including a more comprehensive understanding of functional neuroanatomy and central nervous system functioning, treatment and assessment of diverse populations, clinical ethics, clinical interventions for neuropsychological conditions and other special topics. Emphasis is on exploration of special topics using a single case format with each student presenter responsible for helping to guide discussion for that week.
This course will cover the neuroscience basis for important aspects of behavior. Neurobiological, genetic, and neurochemical etiology of neurological and psychological disorders will be discussed. Students will gain a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that underlie normal neurological functioning as well as diseases and disorder of the central nervous system.
This is a supervised field experience for students in the neuropsychology track, designed to integrate field training with course content. It focuses on the development of clinical inquiry skills, knowledge of interventions, assessment ability, knowledge of community resources, diversity issues, and consultation skills with an emphasis on neuropsychological assessment. The practicum is a supervised experience that may take place at hospitals, clinics, human service agencies, schools, or appropriate organizations. Students are under the direct supervision of a site supervisor and receive feedback from faculty and advanced students in the Program.
Students will become aware of the causes of violence, the impact on victims of violence, and programmatic attempts to reduce violence. Students will explore current research regarding violence and learn prevention and treatment strategies.
This course presents major theories and techniques of chronic pain management from the psychological perspective. Varying pain disorders, co-occurring disorders, treatment and management modalities, special populations, and relapse prevention will be explored.
This course surveys stress management, relaxation and other techniques across theoretical orientations and philosophies that may be useful and effective in interventions to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. Complementary and alternative medicine approaches, such as yoga and meditation, psychoneuroimmunology and its relationship to health, self-care skills, and health behavior change will be included.
This course covers assessment and conceptualization of traumatic stress reactions and provides empirically-supported treatments to those affected by trauma. Readings and discussion focus on the physiological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral impact of traumatic stress and provide instruction on the application of treatment techniques, such as relaxation training, biofeedback and exposure-based interventions. Students are exposed to principles of psychological first aid to trauma victims and early intervention in crisis situations. Course examines the cultural context in which trauma occurs.
This course covers principles and techniques of Humanistic and Experiential models of therapy with a focus on the work of Rogers, May, Bugental, Mahrer, Perls, Greenberg, and Gendlin. Humanistic psychotherapy is a broad classification that embraces a diverse ensemble of approaches including the philosophy of the existential perspective. This course includes both didactic and experiential approaches. Through video demonstrations, role-play, and structured exercises, students practice and further develop their intervention skills within an experiential framework.
This course provides exposure, practice, and research on therapeutic orientation and techniques with children and adolescents. Focus will be on how to incorporate developmental models into conceptualization, treatment planning, and treatment outcome, and on current evidence-based counseling and intervention methods. Additional areas of focus will include discussion about ethical issues in treatment with minors, involving family/caregivers/school-based systems, accessing community supports, and the impact of diversity on the child’s functioning and treatment.
This course permits the student to pursue individualized study in a relevant area of clinical psychology under the direct supervision of program faculty. A study plan is developed in consultation with program faculty and with the approval of the Program Director.
This course permits extensive exploration of an approved topic in clinical psychology. With the consultation of a program faculty member, a reading list is developed around a relevant issue. The readings focus on the interchange between theory, research, diversity issues, and clinical practice.
This elective practicum experience offers the opportunity to enhance the student's skills in a particular area of interest.
As a part of a four-quarter sequence, students meet on campus to discuss their training experiences and progress at their practicum training site placement during their third year of practicum training. Students receive feedback on cases with the primary goal of integrating theory with practice to supplement direct supervision received by site supervisors. Seminar discussion focuses on conceptualizing cases and treatment through peer review of cases. Administrative and organizational issues are also discussed to develop an effective professional attitude and capacity for pragmatic problem-solving.