Psychology: Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis, (Psy.D.)

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Program Overview

The Emphasis in Traumatic Stress Psychology is designed for students seeking specialized training to provide therapy and assessment services for individuals with symptoms of traumatic stress, including people who have experienced combat, disasters, accidents or life-threatening illness, or interpersonal violence. In the required courses, students will obtain the knowledge and skills to provide these individuals with research-supported clinical services and the support they need to improve their psychological, physical, social, and vocational functioning. An understanding of the broader structural and systemic factors that impact survivors’ well-being is also emphasized.

Minimum Acceptance Requirements

Admission to the emphasis after matriculating into the Psy.D. program requires the following:

Overall Adler grade point average of at least 3.25
Passing all Psy.D. program milestones up to the point of emphasis acceptance
An interview with the Emphasis Coordinator

The following requirements must also be met:

Students earning the Emphasis in Traumatic Stress Psychology must complete one of their doctoral practica at a site that offers significant experience in working with survivors of traumatic events.
Students earning the Emphasis in Traumatic Psychology must complete their dissertation on a topic relevant to traumatic stress or death, dying, bereavement, loss, or life-threatening illness.
If the Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis Coordinator is not a member of the student’s dissertation committee, the student must submit the dissertation to the Coordinator for review before the dissertation defense takes place.

Students should communicate with the Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis Coordinator to verify that these requirements are being met.

For additional information contact Janna A. Henning, J.D., Psy.D., F.T.Professor, Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis Coordinator, at [email protected].

Requirements

The Following Courses Are Necessary for Completion of the Emphasis:

In Addition, Two Electives Must Be Chosen From the Following Menus:

*Additional acceptable electives may from time to time be added to this Elective Menu; the Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis Coordinator will notify the Adler University community about such new included courses through Self-Service and will also inform the Office of the Registrar.

**If a student has taken a three-day formal training in cognitive and behavioral therapy at the Beck Institute, they may waive the requirement for a course from the Research-Supported Interventions menu above, and take two courses from the Special Populations menu instead, for a total of four emphasis courses. Proof of attendance must be submitted to the Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis Coordinator and the Office of the Registrar.

Note: It is expected that students will take the Traumatic Stress Psychology emphasis courses in the third or fourth year.

Elective Menu - Special Populations*

(choose one of the following):

Elective Menu - Research-Supported Interventions**

(choose one of the following):