Program Overview

Program Overview

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Adler University is designed to prepare students to become professional clinicians who can empower individuals and address acute and chronic social justice issues in society. The program is structured as a five-year, 107-credit hour program and is specifically designed to meet the requirements of Colleges or Boards of Psychologists in most jurisdictions in North America.

Student Outcomes

The program aims to prepare graduates to work with diverse populations, including children, adults, seniors, those with developmental disabilities, and the severely and chronically mentally ill. Graduates will be equipped to work in a variety of settings, such as private practice, hospitals, academia, schools, clinics, and government agencies.

Careers in Clinical Psychology

Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in a range of settings, including:

• Private practice
• Hospitals
• Academia
• Schools
• Clinics and outpatient care centers
• Military organizations
• Government agencies
• Nursing and residential care facilities
• Substance abuse and drug treatment centers

Curriculum

The program includes a range of courses, including:

• Group Psychotherapy and Psychopathology
• Introduction to Adlerian Psychology and Psychopathology
• Basic Intervention & Assessment Skills
• Psychometric Theory
• Applied Research Design in Clinical Psychology
• Community Psychology
• Statistics
• Trauma Assessment & Intervention
• Cognitive/Behavioural Approaches to Intervention
• Cognitive / Affective Bases of Behaviour
• History and Systems
• Biological Bases of Behaviour
• Social Psychology & Individual Diversity
• Biopsychosocial Bases of Health & Dysfunction - Adult
• Biopsychosocial Bases of Health and Dysfunction - Child
• Ethics & Professional Practice in Psychology
• Humanistic/Existential Approaches to Intervention
• Introduction to Child and Family Intervention
• Psychodynamic Approaches to Intervention
• Structural and Sociocultural Bases of Health and Disfunction
• Supervision and Consultation
• Psychopharmacology
• Doctoral Clinical Qualifying Exam - Intervention
• The Role of the Psychologist in Management, Administration, and Leadership
• Assessment Practicum I
• Assessment Practicum II
• Assessment Practicum III
• Therapy Practicum I
• Therapy Practicum II
• Therapy Practicum III
• Assessment Practicum Seminar I
• Assessment Practicum Seminar II
• Assessment Practicum Seminar III
• Therapy Practicum Seminar I
• Therapy Practicum Seminar II
• Therapy Practicum Seminar III
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminar: Proposal I
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminar: Proposal II
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminar I
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminar II
• Doctoral Dissertation Seminar III
• Doctoral CQE - Assessment
• Clinical Elective
• Doctoral Internship Full-Time
• Doctoral Internship Part-Time

Social Justice Practicum

The Social Justice Practicum is a required 200-hour internship that spans four courses. Students are given a number of civic-minded categories to choose from and are assigned a specific community outreach site where they will work 8 to 10 hours per week.

FAQs

• How is a Psy.D. different from a Ph.D.?
  • The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) program is comparable to a Ph.D. in that both can lead to eligibility to be registered or licensed as a Psychologist. Traditional Ph.D. programs are based on the scientist-practitioner model and put equal emphasis on training as a scientific researcher and as a clinician. In contrast, the Psy.D. is based on the scholar-practitioner or local clinical scientist-practitioner model where the primary goal is to prepare Practitioners of Clinical Psychology.
• What is clinical psychology?
  • Clinical psychology is a domain of professional psychology that focuses on the assessment and treatment of human functioning and impairments in human emotional and behavioral functioning.
• Can I be registered as a Psychologist in Canada after graduating?
  • The Psy.D. program at Adler University’s Vancouver campus is specifically designed to meet the requirements of Colleges or Boards of Psychologists in most jurisdictions in North America.
• Is Adler University’s Vancouver-based Psy.D. program CPA-accredited?
  • Not at this time. The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) has taken the approach of excluding independent universities in their eligibility criteria.
• Can the Adler Vancouver Psy.D. program apply for APA accreditation?
  • No, the program is not eligible to apply for American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation because we are a Canadian program.
• How big are the classes? What is the class size?
  • Each of our students enters with a cohort of a maximum of sixteen (16) other students.
• When is the application deadline, how do I apply, and what are the application requirements?
  • For the most current admissions information, please refer to our Admissions page.
• What does the Admissions committee consider when they are accepting students?
  • Our students are a diverse group and we define diversity broadly to include persons from visible (e.g., race/ethnicity) and non-visible minority groups (e.g., sexual orientation, geographical location).
• Do I need research and/or clinical experience in order to apply for the Psy.D. program?
  • The Admissions committee considers a range of experiences in an applicant’s background.
• Do I need to find a supervisor before applying to the program?
  • Applicants do not need to find a faculty supervisor in order to apply to the program.
• Can any of the practicum be paid?
  • Yes, Adler University permits practica to be paid opportunities as long as the positions retain the emphasis on fostering good training.
• What would the payment range be for the pre-doctoral internship?
  • The pre-doctoral internship is completed in the fifth year of studies as a degree requirement. Many pre-doctoral internships are paid and generally range between $18,000 and $40,000.
• The Psy.D. program is a member of the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC). What does this mean?
  • Students may apply for internship programs that are members of CAPIC (California Psychology Internship Council).
• How much does the Adler University Vancouver Campus Psy.D. program cost?
  • Students should refer to our Financial Aid webpage for the most up to date figure on tuition.
• Can I teach or do research while completing the program?
  • Yes, we anticipate that there will be opportunities to serve as a Teaching Assistant; students will also be able to participate in research opportunities that will emerge as the program develops.
• Likelihood of graduates finding employment after the program?
  • Service Canada projects continued strong employment growth for psychologists.
• Do I only learn about Adlerian Psychology?
  • While students of Adler University’s Psy.D. program will benefit from its unique coverage of Adlerian assessment and intervention, their training is best characterized as “generalist” as they will receive training and supervision in a broad range of contemporary and evidence-based clinical orientations and modalities.
• Who was Alfred Adler?
  • Alfred Adler was one of the founders of depth psychology, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the program must have:

• An honours baccalaureate degree in psychology or a substantial background in psychology.
• A grade point average of 3.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate or graduate coursework.
• Practicum or work experience in psychology or a related field is highly desirable and is considered in the evaluation of applicants.

Applicants are required to submit the following items to be considered for admission:

• Application and application fee
• Statement of Intent (2-3 pages double-spaced)
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended
• Three letters of Recommendation

Tuition & Fees

Tuition for Adler University’s programs is charged each term according to the number of registered academic credits. The number of credits a student will register for varies by academic program and by term.

Faculty

The faculty members of the Psy.D. program include:

• Manal Guirguis-Younger, Ph.D. Program Director, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Janelle Kwee, Psy.D., R.Psych Director of Clinical Training & Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Derrick Klaassen Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Christian Maile, Ph.D., R.Psych Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Jordan Maile, Ph.D., R. Psych. Associate Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Nicole Dorfan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Johnson Ma, Ph.D., R. Psych. Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Amir Sepehry, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)