Psy.D. Clinical Psychology – Anaheim

Application to The Chicago School’s Clinical Psychology program at Anaheim is open to any person who has earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or a graduate GPA of 3.25 for consideration.

Students applying to the Psy.D. Clinical Psychology program must submit the following:

• Application
• Application fee: $50
• Personal/professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession
• Current Curriculum Vitae or résumé
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended where transfer credit is being requested
• Essay
• Admissions interview
• 15 semester hours of psychology credit including Introduction to Psychology or General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Psychopathology, or Maladaptive Behavior, Statistics, and two additional psychology courses

Send materials to:

Admissions Operations
c/o The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
203 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60601

Accreditation

The Clinical Psy.D. program at the Anaheim Campus is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

The American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
202.336.5979

Licensure

For information on whether a program at The Chicago School meets or does not meet licensure eligibility requirements for the state in which you wish to be licensed, please visit our licensure disclosures page.

The Clinical Psy.D. program in Anaheim offers a broad and general training to prepare students for practice in health service psychology. The APA Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology (COSPP) has developed a taxonomy to identify program offerings that prepare students for practice in recognized specialty areas in health service psychology. While the program design ensures broad and general preparation for practice as a clinical psychologist, students can elect to pursue advanced training and education in a specialty area.

Students in the Anaheim Campus Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program can choose from the following specialties:

• Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Major Area of Study)
• Clinical Neuropsychology (Major Area of Study)
• Forensic Psychology (Major Area of Study)

Students are not required to select an area of experience, emphasis, or major area of study. Rather, these options are available to students to pursue within the required curriculum if they desire such specialization. Specialization at the desired level in the COSPP level is not guaranteed as some required elements are beyond the control of the program (e.g., required practicum training experiences).

Program elective courses are subject to change from year to year. Their offering is based on identified student interest (as determined by periodic surveys). Additional courses related to a topic area may be developed in addition to or to replace previously offered courses Special topics (elective) courses including Study Abroad courses may also be offered.

Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Major Area of Study)

Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology is a specialty within clinical psychology that encompasses pediatric psychology. This field is dedicated to assessing, conceptualizing, and treating children and adolescents within a developmental and ecological framework. Clinical child and adolescent psychologists conduct research and provide psychological services to infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, and their families. Their work focuses on understanding, preventing, diagnosing, and treating psychological, cognitive, emotional, developmental, behavioral, and family-related challenges in youth.

A key component of this field involves studying children's fundamental psychological needs and examining how family dynamics and social environments influence their emotional well-being, cognitive development, behavioral adaptation, and overall health. There is a strong emphasis on empirical research to inform and enhance evidence-based assessment and intervention strategies.

Pediatric Psychology, a subfield within clinical child and adolescent psychology, explores the relationships between physical health, cognitive development, social interactions, and emotional well-being in children, adolescents, and their families. Pediatric psychologists primarily work in pediatric healthcare settings, aiming to promote both psychological and physical health. They adopt a developmental perspective and utilize evidence-based practices in clinical care, education, training, and advocacy.

Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologists are licensed professionals who practice in a variety of settings, including community-based clinics, public and private agencies, educational institutions, hospitals, medical clinics, and private practice. They hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, often with a specialization in child and adolescent psychology.

The Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology emphasis is designed to prepare students for internship and postdoctoral training in clinical child and adolescent psychology. Students who pursue this emphasis and work with a child and adolescent psychology faculty member for their dissertation must complete at least 12 course credits. This includes the required Child and Adolescent Psychopathology course, along with three additional electives in child and adolescent psychology (9 credit hours).

Students in this emphasis will complete three (3) assessments and therapy practica and conduct a dissertation on a topic relevant to child and adolescent psychology under the supervision of a child and adolescent psychologist. This training prepares students for clinical internships specializing in child and adolescent psychology or pediatric psychology, as well as postdoctoral work in various settings.

*Students will also have the opportunity to complete up to two of the three phases required to become credentialed play therapists by the Association for Play Therapy.

This course is taken as part of the core curriculum:

• PP7330 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (3 credits)

Students must choose the following electives from the Child and Adolescent electives list:

• PP7387 Psychological Assessment of Children and Adolescents (3 credits)
• PP8710 Child Therapy (3 credits)
• PP8712 Adolescent Psychotherapy (3 credits)

*Prior to graduation, students completing a Major Area of Study in Child and Adolescent Psychology will have their coursework, practicum experiences, and doctoral dissertation reviewed by the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program administration to ensure that they have completed all requirements.

Clinical Neuropsychology (Major Area of Study)

Clinical Neuropsychology is a major area of study within clinical psychology dedicated to understanding the relationship between brain function and behavior. This field applies neuropsychological principles to individuals across the lifespan who experience acquired brain injuries, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other central nervous system conditions. Clinical neuropsychologists assess cognitive and behavioral functioning to answer key diagnostic questions and provide evidence-based recommendations.

Clinical neuropsychologists are licensed psychologists, and in some states, they hold a specific license in neuropsychology. They practice in diverse settings, including hospitals, medical clinics, universities, and private practice. Typically, clinical neuropsychologists hold a doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a specialization in clinical neuropsychology.

The Clinical Neuropsychology Major Area of Study, organized according to Houston Conference Guidelines, is designed to prepare students for internship and postdoctoral training in neuropsychology. Students selecting this specialization and working with a neuropsychology faculty mentor must complete at least nine (9) course credits in neuropsychology, two (2) neuropsychology-focused assessment practicums, and a dissertation on a neuropsychology-related topic under the supervision of a neuropsychologist.

This specialization prepares students for clinical internships in neuropsychology and postdoctoral training. The curriculum provides a strong foundation, covering neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neuropathology, followed by lifespan neuropsychological assessment, ethical considerations, and neuropsychological interventions.

Students must choose the following electives from the Clinical Neuropsychology Major Area of Study electives list:

• PP7400 Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology (3 credits)
• PP7401 Clinical Neuropsychology: Adult Populations (2 credits)
• PP7402 Clinical Neuropsychology: Pediatric Populations (2 credits)
• PP7403 Ethics in Neuropsychology and Neuropsychological Interventions (2 credits)

*Prior to graduation, students completing a Major Area of Study in Clinical Neuropsychology will have their coursework, practicum experiences, and doctoral dissertation reviewed by the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program administration to ensure that they have completed all requirements.

Forensic Psychology (Major Area of Study)

Forensic psychology involves the application of psychological principles to legal and judicial matters and is broadly divided into criminal and civil law. Criminal forensic psychology focuses on assessing individuals accused of crimes, serving as expert witnesses in criminal trials, and providing treatment in correctional settings. In contrast, civil forensic psychology applies psychological expertise to non-criminal legal issues, such as personal injury cases, wrongful termination claims, child custody disputes, and legislative matters. Additional areas of forensic psychology may include law enforcement and military psychology.

The curriculum provides a strong foundation in forensic psychology, covering key areas such as the structure of the legal system, expert witness testimony, deposition and trial procedures, and legal standards for expert witnesses. It also includes the application of psychology in various legal contexts, such as child custody evaluations, intimate partner violence cases, workplace discrimination claims, and forensic assessments. Students gain expertise in employment law, fitness-for-duty evaluations, competency assessments (e.g., to stand trial, make medical or financial decisions), juvenile transfer to adult court, and workers’ compensation evaluations. Additionally, coursework explores criminal behavior, correctional psychology, forensic assessment, and report writing.

The Forensic Psychology Major Area of Study is designed to prepare students for internship, postdoctoral training, and future independent practice in forensic psychology. Students pursuing this major area of study will work with a faculty member specializing in forensic psychology, complete at least nine (9) forensic psychology course credits, participate in two (2) assessments/ therapy practica, and conduct a dissertation on a forensic psychology topic, chaired by a faculty member with relevant expertise.

Students must choose the following electives from the Forensic Psychology electives list:

• PP8624 Criminal Psychology (3 credits)
• PP8623 Correctional Psychology (3 credits)
• PP8626 Civil Psychology and Law (3 credits)

*Prior to graduation, students completing a Major Area of Study in Forensic Psychology will have their coursework, practicum experiences, and doctoral dissertation reviewed by the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program administration to ensure that they have completed all requirements.

Practicum Experience

The practicum is an integral component of clinical training. It provides a closely supervised clinical experience in which students use the knowledge obtained in the classroom to understand their clients and to develop skills in assessment, psychotherapy, and other discipline related areas. As such, the practicum serves to integrate the theoretical and practical aspects of the education of the professional psychologist. It allows students to become familiar with professional collaboration and consultation in a clinical setting.

Full-time students will normally be placed in a Diagnostic Practicum and Seminar during their second year of study, in a Therapy Practicum and Seminar during their third year of study, and in an Advanced Practicum during their fourth year of study. For each of the Diagnostic, Therapy, and Advanced Practicum years, the student will be required to spend a minimum of 600 hours in the practicum training experience.

Internship

All students are required to complete an internship—12-month full time or 24-month part time—following the completion of all coursework, practica, and dissertation requirements. On internship, students integrate academic knowledge with clinical skills and demonstrate the effective and ethical use of these skills in clinical practice. Through intensive supervised training, students gain direct experience in applying their knowledge to a clinical population. The internship is a vital component of the educational experience and is never waived or transferred.

Comprehensive Examination

Students are required to pass a comprehensive exam, which requires students to be able to integrate the material, demonstrating both mastery of the material and the ability to organize what they have learned in a coherent and logical manner.

Dissertation

Additionally, the dissertation is an essential aspect of a student’s academic experience and clinical education. It is a training experience designed to provide students with a guided opportunity to produce a scholarly paper in which they build upon and consolidate research skills learned in the statistics and research methods course sequence and prior empirical observations and components of courses in the basic curriculum. A broad range of quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry is permitted in the dissertation.

Lifespan Development

This course focuses on normal transitional aspects of development across the lifespan, including aspects of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Cross-cultural, gender, familial, and historical perspectives are emphasized. Applications to the practice of clinical psychology are considered throughout the course.

Clinical Interviewing

This course offers students the opportunity to learn basic listening and interviewing skills, as well as how to conduct a full clinical interview as part of an initial assessment. Students examine directive and nondirective approaches to interviewing and read and discuss theoretical and empirical literature. Through demonstrations, role-playing, and structured exercises, students practice and develop these skills.

Substance Abuse Treatment

This course reviews key concepts in Alcoholism/Chemical dependency detection and treatment as outlined in section 1832.3 of the California Board of Psychology code of regulations, including theoretical models for understanding and treating chemically dependent clients. Various screening and assessment tools, drug history, and interviewing skills are reviewed to help students assess the severity of addiction and develop an initial treatment plan. Treatment settings and interventions commonly used with chemically dependent clients are also reviewed. Cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing theories and techniques will be a significant area of focus.

The Chicago School’s Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at the Anaheim Campus equips graduates with the skills necessary to work in a variety of professional settings, such as:

• Clinics
• Private practice
• Hospitals
• Government agencies
• Nonprofit agencies
• Educational institutions

After completing the program, graduates will be able to:

• Offer evidence-based assessment and effective interventions at the individual, group, organization, and community level.
• Mentor future practitioners and teach responsibly.
• Serve diverse populations with skill and ample cultural competence.
• Adhere to legal, psychological, business, and personal ethical standards while building rapport with clients and peers alike.
• Critically create and evaluate knowledge and disseminate ideas beyond the field of psychology.

The Chicago School is dedicated to keeping our academic programs accessible to anyone, regardless of financial status. In addition to the scholarships that may be available, our Financial Aid Department will provide you with information to determine what financial arrangements are right for you.

Learn More