The United States is facing a growing shortage of licensed psychologists at a time when anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions are on the rise. As demand accelerates, the number of clinical psychologists entering the field has not kept pace, leaving many communities with long waitlists and limited access to care.
“We were seeing escalating rates of anxiety and depression prior to the pandemic,” says Lance Garrison, Ph.D., dean of The Chicago School’s College of Professional Psychology. “When the pandemic hit, there was just a substantial increase, particularly in anxiety and depression. And that’s coming at a time when the number of clinical psychologists is actually going down.”
Across the country—particularly in rural and underserved areas—the gap between need and available providers continues to widen. Expanding the pipeline of well-trained psychologists has never been more critical.
For students considering psychology careers, this shortage represents both a challenge and an opportunity: a challenge to step into a workforce under pressure, and an opportunity to make an immediate and meaningful impact.
The Growing Demand for Licensed Psychologists and Counselors
Dr. Garrison has watched this gap widen in real time. From rising patient needs to workforce shifts happening behind the scenes, several forces have converged to create today’s shortage of licensed psychologists and counselors. Here’s a closer look at what’s driving the demand—and why it continues to grow.
Rising Rates of Anxiety and Depression
Even before 2020, rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions were steadily increasing. The pandemic intensified those challenges, leading to a substantial surge in demand for services.
As more individuals seek care for complex and long-term mental health needs, providers are managing higher caseloads and more intensive clinical presentations than in previous years.
An Aging Psychology Workforce
“As demand for mental health care is spiking, the number of psychologists available to meet that demand has not kept pace,” says Dr. Garrison. Waitlists are long, and access to high-level care is limited.
More licensed psychologists are retiring than entering the field, narrowing the pipeline of doctoral-trained providers. As experienced clinicians step away from practice, fewer new psychologists are available to replace them, which widens the gap between need and access.
Geographic Inequities in Access to Care
“There are vast swaths of the country where people simply don’t have access to psychologists close to where they live,” says Dr. Garrison, underscoring the geographic inequities in mental health care availability. In many states, psychologists are concentrated in major metropolitan areas, leaving rural and frontier communities with few—or no—licensed providers nearby.
As a result, many rural residents must choose between traveling long distances, relying on limited telehealth options, or foregoing care.
How The Chicago School’s Practitioner-Scholar Model Prepares Licensed Clinical Psychologists
In clinical psychology education, two primary models guide the preparation of students for clinical practice: the scientist-practitioner (or Boulder) model and the practitioner-scholar model.
What Is the Difference Between the Scientist-Practitioner and Practitioner-Scholar Models?
Dr. Garrison differentiates the two, explaining that the scientist-practitioner model’s “focus is heavy on the science and lighter on the practice side,” while the practitioner-scholar model “trains people to be practitioners who understand the evidence-based literature and can apply that to their practice.”
While both models value research and clinical skill, the emphasis differs. Traditional Ph.D. programs often prioritize academic research, whereas the practitioner-scholar model centers on clinical application, ensuring students are not only consumers of evidence but skilled psychologists ready to make a real impact from day one.
How Does The Chicago School Apply the Practitioner-Scholar Model in Its Psy.D. Program?
At The Chicago School, this practitioner-focused philosophy is embodied by faculty who actively blend clinical work with teaching.
For example, Braden Berkey, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Clinical Psy.D. program, bringing decades of experience in behavioral health and diversity-informed practice into the classroom.
Similarly, faculty such as Joyce Nugent-Hirschbeck, Psy.D., and Jessica Cerniak, Psy.D., maintain active clinical practices while teaching and supervising students across a range of diagnostic and treatment settings.
Is a Psy.D. Program Better for Clinical Practice Preparation?
For prospective students, the decision between a Ph.D. and a Psy.D. often depends on long-term career goals, interest in academic research versus direct clinical practice, and the type of professional setting they hope to enter.
For Dr. Garrison, the blend of clinical and academic engagement from a Psy.D. program is transformative.
Reflecting on his own experience supervising Chicago School students, he shares, “I found out very quickly that they were extraordinarily well prepared from a clinical practice perspective.” He adds that they received “better clinical training than I did at my very traditional, highly regarded Ph.D. program.”
That real-world preparation makes the practitioner-scholar model more than a pedagogical choice, but also a promise to students that they will be prepared to meet the needs of communities across the U.S.
“Our students are extraordinarily well prepared to provide high-quality services to the patients that they see,” Dr. Garrison says, “and that sets us apart.”
For aspiring clinical psychologists exploring clinical psychology graduate programs, this means graduating with the confidence and competence to serve clients effectively in a wide range of professional settings.
How Clinical Psychology Students Gain Supervised Practice Experience
Clinical training is woven into the fabric of the Psy.D. program at The Chicago School.
Students begin with rigorous coursework that builds foundational knowledge in assessment, diagnosis, ethics, and intervention. From there, they move into practicum placements where they apply what they’ve learned in real therapeutic settings under the supervision of licensed psychologists.
Dr. Garrison emphasizes that this integration of classroom learning and applied experience is essential. “There’s the standard classes, the didactic training,” he explains, “and then there’s the clinical training piece where the students go out and take the things that they learned in their didactic courses and apply them to developing their psychotherapy and psychological assessment skills.”
With hundreds of clinical training partners nationwide, students gain exposure to diverse populations and settings from hospitals and community mental health centers to private practices and specialized clinics.
By the time students reach their predoctoral internship, they are stepping into advanced clinical roles with a strong foundation of supervised experience behind them.
As the shortage of licensed psychologists continues, this preparation ensures graduates are ready to step into practice immediately after licensure: credentialed and clinically capable, prepared to build meaningful psychology careers.
Preparing Graduates for Licensure as Clinical Psychologists
At The Chicago School, preparation for licensure begins on day one, ensuring students are ready not only to serve clients but to meet professional standards nationwide.
What Is the EPPP and Why Is It Required for Psychology Licensure?
To become licensed, candidates must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), a comprehensive national exam. As Dr. Garrison explains, “It’s 220 or 225 multiple-choice questions. They’re really difficult.”
Preparing Competent, Ethical Psychologists Beyond Licensure
EPPP training is integrated throughout the Psy.D. program. “We give all of our students exposure to the types of exam questions that they’ll see on the EPPP,” says Dr. Garrison.
This ongoing exposure helps students build confidence, test-taking stamina, and a deeper understanding of core psychological concepts long before they sit for the exam.
Preparation also extends beyond passing a test. Throughout the program, students develop the professional judgment and responsibility required for independent practice through:
- Structured mentorship from experienced, licensed psychologists
- Data-informed exam readiness strategies that build long-term mastery of core concepts
- Sustained ethical training grounded in real-world clinical decision-making
How Cultural Competence Training Expands Access to Mental Health Care
Addressing the national mental health shortage calls for increasing the number of licensed psychologists while also preparing clinicians to work effectively across differences and support communities historically underserved by the mental health system.
At The Chicago School, students receive comprehensive training in diversity and cultural competence as a foundational part of their clinical education. Dr. Garrison emphasizes how essential this preparation is: “You don’t know who’s going to come through your door as a practitioner. We need to be ready to see whoever comes through our door.”
Beyond knowledge, the program emphasizes cultural humility and lifelong learning. “You’re never done learning,” says Dr. Garrison. “You have to have a really deeply instilled commitment to learning for the rest of your life.”
Through extensive clinical training partnerships nationwide, students graduate prepared to expand access by delivering high-quality care with cultural awareness and ethical integrity.
Training the Next Generation of Clinical Psychologists
The demand for licensed clinical psychologists is accelerating, and communities across the country need practitioners who are clinically trained, culturally responsive, and ready for independent practice.
The Chicago School’s Clinical Psy.D. program prepares students through rigorous coursework, extensive supervised practicum experiences, and structured licensure preparation designed to support success on the EPPP and beyond. Graduates enter the field ready to deliver evidence-based care in hospitals, community mental health centers, private practices, and other high-need settings nationwide.
If you are ready to pursue doctoral-level training grounded in real-world clinical practice, take the next step. Complete the brief form below to connect with an admissions representative and learn how The Chicago School’s Clinical Psy.D. program can support your path toward licensure and meaningful impact in the communities that need it most.