Program Overview

PhD in Counseling Psychology

Introduction

The PhD in Counseling Psychology is a nationally recognized, social justice-oriented, APA-approved program that focuses on breaking down barriers to equity in health and education. Upon graduation, students will possess the knowledge, skills, and professional values necessary to work as licensed psychologists, conducting research, teaching, and/or counseling in various settings.

Commitment to Students

The program is committed to providing students with the following:

• Discipline-specific knowledge in counseling psychology, including vocational psychology, prevention and outreach, and multicultural and international psychology
• Knowledge of the psychological sciences, measurement, research methods, and statistics
• Foundational knowledge in the history and philosophy of counseling psychology, current professional issues and trends, and major theories and research in vocational psychology, prevention and outreach, and multicultural and international psychology
• Emphasis on how social injustice affects human functioning

Skills

Students will:

• Engage in independent scholarship on questions important to counseling psychology
• Develop and evaluate interventions to promote positive human development
• Practice as health service psychologists with competencies in research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, consultation, and inter-professional/interdisciplinary knowledge and skills

Professional Values

The program is based on the scientist-practitioner model, committed to both research and its practical applications, with a focus on social justice and equality. Students will display effective communication and interpersonal skills, as well as professional behaviors, and apply the knowledge base of the discipline in a scientifically-based, theoretically-driven, ethical, and culturally-responsive manner.

Program Faculty

The dedicated Counseling Faculty are experts in their fields and will support students throughout each stage of the program.

Accreditation

Loyola's PhD in Counseling Psychology has been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1984.

Current Students

The program has a diverse group of current students, including:

• Aaron Graham, M.S. (enrolled 2022)
  • Hometown: Matteson, IL
  • Ethnicity: Black
  • Clinical Interests: Mindfulness-based therapies, vocational counseling, psychoeducation, mind & body integrative therapy, and general mental health wellness
  • Research interests: Stigma against mental health in underrepresented communities, community-based participatory research, workplace mental health, and counseling training
• Jiwon Lee, M.Ed. (enrolled 2022)
  • Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
  • Ethnicity: Asian
  • Clinical Interests: Trauma-informed therapy, cross-cultural counseling, self-acceptance/self-compassion, social anxiety
  • Research interests: Experiences of racism and microaggressions among Asians/Asian Americans, systemic interventions that target racism
• Claude Louis, M.S. (enrolled 2022)
  • Hometown: Norwalk, CT
  • Ethnicity: Black/Haitian American
  • Clinical Interests: Community-based counseling, integration of social justice in counseling for marginalized populations, LGBTQ-focused counseling, existential, humanistic, and person-centered counseling interventions
  • Research interests: LGBTQ, minority, and urban populations; development of humanistic, social justice interventions in community counseling settings
• Trayvon Truss, M.A. (enrolled 2022)
  • Hometown: Chicago, IL
  • Ethnicity: African American
  • Clinical and Research Interests: Stigma among mental health in African American men
• Kayla Horne, M.A.
  • Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
  • Ethnicity: African American/Black
  • Clinical Interests: Trauma-informed care, addictions counseling, person-centered interventions, and social justice and multiculturally competent counseling
  • Research Interests: Identity development in people who have become bilingual or multilingual after attending an International School
• Katharina Lippert, B.S.
  • Hometown: Miami, FL
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Clinical Interests: Mindfulness/positive psychology intervention techniques, self-identity, and purpose in life
  • Research Interests: Well-being and positive psychology methods to help identity development in youths and adults across cultures
• Kristin Woodlen, M.A.
  • Hometown: Harrisburg, PA
  • Ethnicity: Asian, Chinese American
  • Clinical Interests: Person-Centered therapy, Cross-cultural counseling, Racial/Ethnic Identity Development
  • Research Interests: Racial/Ethnic identity development and mental health of transracial adoptees

Length of Program

The program typically takes four to five years of study, including a full-time pre-doctoral internship. The time for degree completion, including the dissertation, is six years.

Continuous Enrollment

Doctoral students in counseling psychology are required to maintain continuous enrollment during their program of studies. This means that during each semester of each academic year (excluding Summer Sessions), each student must enroll in at least one course. A formal leave of absence may be granted upon request and with the approval of the Graduate School's Associate Dean.

Program Handbook

The AY2526 Doctoral Handbook provides more information about the program.

Admission Requirements

The PhD Counseling Psychology application requirements are available for interested applicants.

Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships

The School of Education and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the necessary financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable. More information is available on the Financial Assistance page.

Other Programs

The School of Education also offers other programs, including:

• PhD in Higher Education
• PhD in Research Methodology
• PhD in School Psychology
• Educational Leadership Superintendent Endorsement EdD Online
• Educational Leadership Principal Endorsement EdD Online
• EdD in Curriculum, Culture, and Communities (3Cs) - Hybrid & In-Person
• EdD in Higher Education
• EdD in School Psychology