Clinical Health Psychology

Overview

This two-year, 48-credit program trains mental health care providers to work in primary care settings, as well as more traditional clinical psychology settings. The curriculum of the program, in conjunction with 1 year of supervised postgraduate experience in an organized health care setting, is designed to fulfill the course requirements for the Michigan Limited License in Psychology.

The Clinical Health Psychology program of University of Michigan-Dearborn is designed for the full or part-time student who has an undergraduate degree and wishes to obtain a degree in the Behavioral Sciences leading to the Michigan Limited License in Psychology. Graduates of the program are prepared to provide evaluation, counseling and therapy services to clients in a variety of clinical settings with an emphasis on using psychological interventions in the treatment of medical problems.

Program Goals

• Psychotherapy Skills Acquisition: To train students in the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective and ethical psychotherapist. This includes the ability to treat a variety of psychopathologies employing a clear theoretical perspective, and apply behavioral medicine therapies for medical conditions.

• Assessment Skills Acquisition: To train students in the skills and knowledge necessary to accurately and efficiently determine a broad range of functioning and health including psychological assessment and diagnosing psychopathology. This includes assessing the role of psychological processes as contributing factors to traditional medical concerns.

• Testing Skills Acquisition: To train students in the application and use of personality and cognitive testing. This includes the administration, scoring, and interpretation of common psychological tests.

• Research Methods: To train students to understand and apply research on disease/disorder etiology and treatment to their clinical practice.

• Professional and Ethical Development: To indoctrinate students into their role and identity as professional healthcare providers.

• Professional Report Writing: To train students in professional communication and report writing including intake assessment reports and psychological testing reports.

• Knowledge of Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: Students will be able to demonstrate basic knowledge of the major concepts used in health psychology and behavioral medicine. This includes a general understanding of basic theories, research findings, and medical knowledge used within these disciplines.