Clinical Psychology

Child & Adolescent

Purpose

The Child & Adolescent Psychology concentration prepares students to assess and treat a broad spectrum of emotional, developmental and neuropsychological issues.  The Child & Adolescent Concentration is informed by and is designed to develop clinical competency in the areas of  attachment, child development, play therapy and neuroscience that contribute to evidence-based understanding of approaches to assessment and treatment that foster healing, growth and change in children, adolescents and their parents. Emphasized are parent-child interactions as these support the development of secure attachment relationships.

Each participant in this concentration will develop a clinical project that is designed as an intervention or prevention program on a topic of their choice that can be implemented in a school, residential setting, hospital, community mental health center or private practice.  This project prepares students to create their own niche as a clinical psychologist and to make their unique contributions to the field.  Students are invited, but not required, to specialize in the following areas from which they will select their Intervention, Professional Practice and Diversity electives to meet APA requirements.

Areas of  Specialization:
            Attachment, Play Therapy, and Parent-Child Intervention
            Pediatric Health Psychology
            Youth Forensics Issues & Practice
            Pediatric Neuropsychology and Psychological Assessment
            Culturally Diverse Populations

Students who prefer to pursue generalized training as a child and adolescent psychologist are encouraged to select elective courses from those created for each specialization area. Theoretical orientations include psychodynamic and attachment theory and practice, cognitive behavioral and client centered models.

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Consideration

• The concentration emphasizes the value of integrating cultural, racial, gender and sexual orientation factors into understanding optimal adaptation and dysfunction.
• Students are encouraged to develop expertise in their particular areas of interest, and will be involved with coursework in prevention, pediatric, and early childhood development as well as intervention with adolescents. Additional coursework includes maltreatment, family systems, forensics, and treatment of diverse populations.

Course Requirements

The Child & Adolescent Psychology concentration requires the satisfactory completion of the Psy.D in Clinical Psychology program semester credit hour, Professionalization Group, Comprehensive Examination, five Clinical Competency tasks, and internship requirements listed under “Program Requirements” earlier in this section. Students in this concentration are required to fill the electives requirements portion of the program with the following courses:

Advanced Intervention Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP7374 Assessment: Advanced Rorschach  - 3 credits
• Advanced Intervention Elective Requirement - 3 credits

Diversity Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP8711 Child Maltreatment - 3 credits
• Diversity Elective Requirement - 3 credits

General Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP7330 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - 3 credits
• General Elective Requirement  - 3 credits

Intervention I Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP8050 Family and Couples Therapy - 3 credits
• Intervention I Elective Requirement - 3 credits

Intervention II Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP8401 Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy - 3 credits
• Intervention II Elective Requirement - 3 credits

Intervention III Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP8040 Psychoanalytic Theory and Therapy - 3 credits
• Intervention III Elective Requirement - 3 credits

Professional Practice Elective Requirement — Students Are Required to Take the Following

• PP7900 Intervention and Prevention Program Development - 3 credits
• Professional Practice Elective Requirement - 3 credits

Clinical Training:

Practicum

Students are encouraged to complete a Diagnostic Practicum in a setting that provides services to child and adolescent populations. Students are encouraged to enroll in Diagnostic and Therapy Seminar groups, where the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their parents is emphasized.

Internships

If possible, students are expected to intern at a site that involves experience working with a child and adolescent population.

Clinical Research Project

Students in this concentration are also expected to focus on some aspect of assessment, prevention and/or clinical intervention with this population.

Core Faculty	Adjunct Faculty
Myra Lawrence, Ph.D., Coordinator

***PLEASE CONTACT CONCENTRATION COORDINATOR at mlawrence@argosy.edu or 312-777-7689 with questions.