Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Concentration in Health Psychology

Health Psychology is a burgeoning area within the field of Clinical Psychology. Health Psychologists apply psychological theory and applications to assisting individuals and families living with chronic and life threatening illness, aiding individuals making life style changes to improve their health, health maintenance, health promotion, maintenance and primary prevention of illness. Health psychologists work with diverse patients and in diverse settings including psycho-oncology, cardiac health psychology, pain and rehabilitation settings, pediatrics including childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, sickle cell anemia, and asthma to name a few, geriatric health, smoking cessation and primary prevention of HIV/AIDS.

MSPP offers a pre-doctoral specialty concentration in Health Psychology. Students apply in the Fall semester of their second year of the program, and formally enter the program in the beginning of year three.

The Clinical Health Psychology concentration consists of seven pre-requisites and three core courses. In addition to participating in a sequence of three seminars in Clinical Health Psychology, students will complete a pre-doctoral internship in Health Psychology and conduct a doctoral project in Health Psychology.

Pre-requisite Courses

• Physiological Psychology
• Introduction to Cognitive Social and Learning Theory
• Advanced Cognitive, Social and Learning Therapies
• Introduction to Family Theory
• Fundamentals of Groups: Group Dynamics and either:
• Advanced Family Therapy or
• Advanced Theory of Groups: Practice and Therapy

Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Concentration Courses

• Theoretical Foundations in Clinical Health Psychology
• Applications in Clinical Health Psychology
• Advanced Topics in Clinical Health Psychology

Pre-doctoral Internship in Clinical Health Psychology

Internships will be at an approved Health Psychology setting. At least 51% of the training experience will be in Health Psychology and will include clinical work, supervision and seminar(s). MSPP students are currently placed at cancer hospitals, pediatric burn hospitals, and at neighborhood health centers.

Doctoral Project

Students are required to complete a Doctoral project in Clinical Health Psychology under the supervision of one of the Health Psychology faculty.
Upon completion of all requirements, the student will receive a certificate indicating achievement of the pre-doctoral training program in Clinical Health Psychology at MSPP.

Faculty

Stanley Berman, Ph.D., Director
Nicholas Covino, Psy.D.
Amaro Laria, Ph.D.
Frances Mervyn, Ph.D.
Brian Ott, Ph.D.

Updated 10/11/07