Program Philosophy
Our program’s educational philosophy is based on the Scientist-Practitioner, or Boulder model. Since we believe that the Psy.D. is largely a practitioner degree, and most of our graduates obtain employment in practice settings, it may be more accurate to describe our program as following a “Practitioner-Scientist” model for training. The faculty view doctoral training as a developmental process in which, through course sequencing and mentoring relationships, students move from a “learner role” to one of increasing independence and responsibility.
Inherent in our training model is that a psychologist can best serve clients not only through the theoretical understanding and practical establishment of a therapeutic relationship, but also through the understanding and practical applications of research knowledge. Another assumption is that while psychologists may act as members of mental health teams, each practitioner must be adequately prepared to function independently, with a high level of expertise in the areas of psychotherapy, assessment, diagnosis, professional ethics, supervision, and evaluation services. Finally, psychologists will be working with individuals from many different backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles. Therefore, our training emphasizes the needs of diverse populations in order to produce graduates who are sensitive to cultural, minority, gender and lifestyle concerns in both language and action.