Our graduate programs in Counseling Psychology offer a concentration in Health Psychology that focuses on the application of psychological principles and techniques to the problems of health, especially in a clinical context of working with people whose primary problems are medical in nature. This concentration prepares students to gain an overall awareness of the role of mental health service providers as clinicians and patient-educators who work with patients with health-related problems. The focus of our health concentrated Counseling Psychology graduate programs will be on learning interventions and psychoeducative techniques aimed at helping people prevent illnesses, recover quickly, or live with chronic conditions in a way that maximizes their functional capacities for living.
Our practitioner-focused curriculum of theoretical in-classroom learning and real-world training is just one reason why The Chicago School is one of leading graduate schools for Counseling Psychology, Students choosing a concentration in health psychology will benefit from these outstanding out-of-classroom experiences because they will have the opportunity to interact with Chicago’s diverse populations in a dynamic urban environment. Students participating in these active learning experiences with real patients in need of health related psychological treatment will be able to use the knowledge they gain as a foundation for their Counseling Psychology expertise.
Students of our graduate programs in Counseling Psychology will learn the ethical and professional guidelines of the counseling profession and Clinical Psychology from our experienced faculty of working professionals. This knowledgeable faculty will help bridge the field of Clinical Psychology and the counseling profession to provide graduates with the proper skills they need in their professional careers, Health psychology students of our graduate programs in Counseling Psychology will learn the theoretical frameworks and scientific bases of master’s level clinical psychology. Students will learn valuable research methodologies and gain the ability to critically evaluate research as it pertains to clinical psychology. These research skills will allow graduates of our Counseling Psychology graduate programs to maintain a broad and current psychology knowledge base.
The Chicago School understands that diverse populations and cultural issues profoundly impact the field of Clinical Psychology. Our Counseling Psychology graduate programs work to instill this understanding and appreciation within graduates. For students specializing in health psychology, the courses that make up our graduate programs in Counseling Psychology will help develop the essential diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative skills necessary to work with populations afflicted with a variety of emotional and psychological conditions caused by health-related problems.
The following course work is required for this concentration:
- CC 656 Wellness, Health, and Prevention
- CC 660 Biopsychosocial Aspects of Medical Conditions
- CC 662 Psychology of Aging
