The Child & Adolescent Therapy (C&A) elective cluster introduces students to psychological practice with children and adolescents. The curriculum was designed to meet the ASPPB's recommendation of training in the domain of Clinical Child and Adolescent. Completion of 12 hours of cluster coursework meets the APA specialty training designation between "experience" and "emphasis" (APA, 2012). Students may choose to pursue the designation of "emphasis" by enrolling in two additional courses or practicum that offer clinical training with children and/or adolescents.

[1] American Psychological Association (2012). Education and training guidelines: A taxonomy for education and training in professional psychology health service specialties. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/taxonomy.pdf

Required Cluster Courses

Students in the C&A cluster must complete four courses. Among them, PSYC 5100, 5590, and 6410 are required for everyone whereas each student may choose one from (1) PSYC 5200 Psychology of Women and Gender; (2) PSYC 6560 Psychology of Race in the US; (3) PSYC 5670 Behavioral and Biopsychosocial Challenges within LBGT Communities; or (4) PSYC 6830 external practicum from a site which provides regular opportunities of working with child and/or adolescent clients to fulfill the 4th cluster-based required course.

PSYC 5100 Psychopathology of Childhood

Normal and psychopathological development in children, focusing on intellectual, emotional and behavioral deviations and their recognition, as well as background in their etiology, dynamics and prognoses.

PSYC 5590 Diverse Family Systems

This course examines various critical topics related to the development, diversity, and challenges of contemporary families in the U.S. with a particular focus on intersectionality and contextualization. In addition to reviewing traditional family psychology topics, e.g., family systems and subsystems, marital, parent-child, sibling interaction processes, and parenting a strong emphasis will be placed on how different contextual and identity factors interact with each other in influencing family dynamics and functioning.

PSYC 6410 Adolescent Psychotherapy

Intensive course, designed primarily for advanced students in clinical or counseling psychology, concerning the nature and causes of psychopathology in adolescents and young adults, with a focus on treatment strategies.