This course is designed to provide a foundation in multicultural competence, awareness, and sensitivity necessary for the delivery of psychological services, research, and teaching in clinical psychology. Students explore multicultural issues, intersectionality, and their impact on social justice and clinical psychology. Specific populations include those related to race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, social class, economic status, age, values and beliefs, and different abilities.

While each of us wants to believe we have freely chosen to become who we are, we may not fully acknowledge the influence of others in shaping our individual trajectories. Examining the myriad ways in which our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of others is the purview of Social Psychology. Through a social psychology lens, students in this course will consider the power of the situation to explain: the self and the pursuit of self-esteem; person perception and attribution; attitudes and why they may change; what compels conformity, compliance, and obedience; how the media mediate our understanding of the social world; how culture influences our understanding of other people; group influences on performance; relationships and attraction; why people help others; why people hurt others; and the sources and consequences of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Students will apply social psychology theory and concepts to explain real-world experiences and, in the process, will come to see the relevance of social psychology in both everyday life and as agents of positive social change.

This course examines the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. The guidelines for practice in specific psychological services and with identified populations are explored. The ethical decision-making process is studied in depth. Topics include informed consent, confidentiality, duty to warn, mandated reporting, record keeping, the limits of competency, and dual (multiple) relationships. The course also addresses issues of professional development such as supervision, peer consultation, and continuing education.

Students in this course examine the theoretical and conceptual foundations of psychotherapy. Students will apply psychotherapy theoretical orientations to the development of basic case conceptualizations. They will apply therapeutic skills and techniques from specific theoretical orientations to life problems and mental health disorders.

In this course, students learn about a variety of psychological assessment methods, focusing on diagnostic assessment, clinical interviewing, and other commonly assessment methods used in clinical practice. They engage in a comprehensive examination of functional and dysfunctional behaviors, within a context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process. Additionally, students will critically evaluate, select, and apply assessment methods relevant to diversity characteristics of the service recipient that draw from the best available empirical literature. The course will assist students in understanding and applying assessment results to treatment planning and communicating assessment results and implications to a variety of audiences. Ethical, legal, and sociocultural issues, including cultural bias and fairness, will be addressed alongside professional standards for psychological assessment.