Adult Track | Clinical Psychology PsyD

The goal of the Adult Track within the School of Graduate Psychology is to train outstanding practitioner-scholars who can contribute to the psychological guild by delivering and/or developing cutting-edge empirically-driven and validated treatments for the general adult population that are culturally and contextually relevant.  The Adult Track combines academic and clinical training experiences designed to prepare students for work with general adult populations ranging from college students through gerontology clients. The track provides students with a way to cluster their training through defined curriculum, programs of research and program evaluation, and clinical practica that solidify core knowledge in the diagnosis, treatment, and assessment of adults. Adult track students typically go on to careers in community mental health, private practice, group practices, and university counseling centers.

Students in this track can also choose to develop skills specifically related to culturally and linguistically informed work with the Latinx community by participating in the Latino Bilingual Psychology experience.

Faculty areas of clinical and research specialization include but are not limited to the following:

  • College Counseling/Transitional-aged Youth
  • Community Mental Health
  • Private Practice
  • Hospital/VA (mental health departments)
  • Sport Psychology

Faculty

Curriculum

In addition to the regularly required courses within the general SGP curriculum, the following track-specific courses are required (for full course descriptions see the University Catalog):

  • Group Interventions
  • Trauma Theory and Practice
  • Brief Psychotherapies
  • At least one assessment elective 

Clinical Training

Practicum I

Students complete their Practicum I training experience conducting intake assessments and psychotherapy during their 2nd year in the program.  This training takes place at the Pacific Psychology and Comprehensive Health Clinics (our in-house training clinics located in Hillsboro and Portland) where Adult track students gain experience working with a wide range of presenting problems with adult clients.

Practicum II

Students complete their Practicum II training experience during their 3rd year in the program at a community training site where they gain experience in assessment and/or psychotherapy with adult clients. Many students also engage in part-time clinical work during their 3rd year to supplement the Practicum II training experience.

Advanced Practicum

During their 4th year in the program students continue their assessment and/or psychotherapy training with adult clients at a community training site or within our in-house clinics on assessment teams. 

Internship

During their 5th year in the program students complete Internship. This requires a national application process through the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC; https://www.appic.org/Match/About-The-APPIC-Match). Students often relocate during this year, as sites are located all across the country.  Sites are listed in the APPIC directory (https://www.appic.org/Directory).

Research

Students complete doctoral research projects that involve collection of original data, critical literature reviews, or other approved methodologies. Doctoral research project work begins in the 2nd year of training and should be completed prior to internship applications (fall of 4th year). In all cases, projects must be completed by the time the student starts Internship. The research topic will relate to an area of expertise of our faculty that impacts the general adult population.

Recent Adult Track student dissertations include the following:

  • Factors influencing ethnic identity development.
  • Factors in the retention and attrition of graduate ethnic minority students.
  • Bullying experiences and adult attachment.
  • Social functions of parasocial relationships.
  • A critical review of the biracial and multiracial identity development literature and research
  • University response to implementing the NCAA policy for Transgender student-athletes

Resources

American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/

American Psychological Foundation http://www.apa.org/apf/

Association for Applied Sport Psychology https://appliedsportpsych.org/

Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies http://www.abct.org/Home/

Journals of the American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/

Oregon Psychological Association http://www.opa.org/

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues https://www.spssi.org/