PsyD Clinical Psychology

Saybrook’s specialty is humanistic psychology, and our faculty members are passionate about making sure that students go into the professional world able to do more than just read symptoms off a chart or send someone home with drugs.  

The College's Clinical Psychology PsyD program’s content is unique in emphasizing four key themes: 

• An integrative humanistic approach to the self as healer
• Identity development across the lifespan
• Multicultural perspectives
• A mind-body-community-spirit perspective

These themes address the whole person and provide the competencies that you can use, and which are sought after in today’s market.

Learn life-span development 
Psychology is obviously different for people at different stages of their lives – children need psychologists with a different approach than seniors, who need a different psychological approach than people in their 30s.  Most psychology programs don’t acknowledge this, and teach a “one-size-fits-all” approach.  Saybrook, on the other hand, focuses extensively on life-span development, so that you’ll understand the different psychological approaches that people require at different stages of their lives.  

Choose an area of specialization

You can choose a clinical specialization area as an option. A clinical specialization area is defined as taking three courses in a particular area over and above achieving the core competencies of the PsyD program. 

Specializations are available in:

• Adolescence
• Late adult life/Geropsychology
• Trauma and PTSD
• Jungian psychology
• Integrative health and mind-body medicine
• Integrative mindfulness and mindfulness-based therapies
• Others available in consultation with faculty
   

The freedom to choose your own focus
Saybrook believes the best education for you is one that works with your passions and interests. Saybrook’s PsyD program is therefore far more versatile than other programs, allowing you to focus your education on the areas in psychology that interest you most. Saybrook faculty with work with you, offering you resources and support, and help you find the career that fits your needs

Many students choose to specialize in including in established disciplines such as forensic psychology, while others are more interested in emerging disciplines such as integrative and complementary approaches to health. Saybrook’s program in Mind-Body Medicine gives students access to significant resources in this field.  But whatever your interest, faculty are committed to working with your to make sure that the program fits your professional goals and passions.

If you want to be a researcher who practices, than the PhD with a specialization in Clinical Psychology is a better degree for you.  But if you want to focus primarily on working with patients, than the PsyD is the best fit.