Become a Psychologist

The purpose of the Counseling Psychology Program (CPP) is to train professional psychologists within the broad context of the scientist-practitioner model. This is accomplished through structured requirements such as courses, practica, and research, but also through the multitude of informal learning opportunities that take place while working side by side with faculty and peers as a community of scientist-practitioners.

The model focuses on application of the principles of the science of psychology and the perspectives, values, and emphases of counseling psychology to:

(1) provide instruction in the range of scientific and practice activities within counseling psychology and the symbiotic relationship between them

(2) effectively serve as psychotherapeutic agents for persons with severe problems in personal adjustment, distressing psychological symptoms, and/or mental illness

(3) aid individuals who seek to identify and resolve more typical difficulties in life and/or promote growth to enhance their sense of self, relationships, work satisfaction, performance, or general well being

(4) train counseling psychologists as scientists, with the expertise that allows them to make independent contributions to the scientific community and think as scientist-practitioners no matter what the roles or settings of their career path

(5) increase understanding and appreciation of individual and cultural diversity and their fundamental relevance to the science and practice of psychology

Training emphasizes acquisition of counseling skills through exposure to specific educational experiences according to the positive developmental perspective held by the faculty. The program’s approach is based on a scientific framework that stresses commitment to empirical, objective, and typically nomothetic evaluations of theory and technique without devaluing the uniqueness of individuals, their experiences, or perspectives.