Counseling Program

Overview

The Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Texas Tech University offers training in the professional practice of psychology. Our primary objective is to prepare students for positions as counseling psychologists in a variety of applied, academic, and research settings. The program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1964, and is grounded in a science- practitioner model of training. The doctoral program affords students an opportunity to develop competencies in the following areas: 1) understanding and application of various models of psychological theory, 2) counseling and psychotherapy skills, 3) psychological assessment, 4) research and methodology, and 5) professional ethics. Both research and practice are considered important.

The program recognizes the importance of both personal and professional development as integral aspects of training counseling psychology students. Additionally, the program is generalist in nature -- i.e., while remaining anchored in the basic values of the discipline, enough breadth and flexibility is available for students to tailor training experiences to match their interests, as well as the demands of a changing marketplace. Finally, the program seeks to establish a training environment that is conducive to promoting a positive learning experience.

The Counseling Psychology program is committed to fostering both knowledge of and appreciation for diversity in ourselves and our professional activities. This commitment is expressed by our inclusion of multicultural topics throughout the training program, including counseling psychology core courses, practicum experiences, and courses which focus primarily on diversity. In addition, the counseling psychology program strongly encourages applications for admission from member of diverse groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, gays/lesbians/bisexuals, people with physical disabilities, non-traditional ages, all socioeconomic groups, and members of other traditionally under-represented groups.

Counseling Psychology doctoral students are required to successfully complete certain courses to fulfill both departmental core requirements as well as requirements specific to the Counseling Psychology program. In addition, each student will successfully complete a qualifying examination, a master's level research project (commonly called a second-year project), and a dissertation. Students participate in practicum experiences beginning in the spring semester of their first year and are required to complete a year-long, predoctoral internship before graduation. Completion of the program typically requires three to four years of full-time coursework, one year devoted to finishing qualifying examinations and working on a dissertation, and one year of predoctoral internship.

Students in this training program are urged to obtain applied experience in a variety of settings and to seek opportunities for teaching and research collaboration. Graduates of the program are employed in a variety of settings such as university counseling centers, VA hospitals, outpatient clinics, community mental health centers, psychiatric and medical hospitals, prisons, university or college academic departments, and independent practice.

The doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University is accredited by the American Psychological Association through the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation (750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, phone: 202-336-5979).

Philosophy

The basic philosophical tenets and core values of our training program are as follows:

• We believe in the importance and value in training our students to be scientist-practitioners in the fullest sense of the term.
• We believe in fostering a full appreciation of diversity in our students and in ourselves.
• We believe in fostering the professional and personal development of our students.
• We believe in maintaining a professional environment that is supportive, collaborative, and ethical.

From these program philosophies, the following basic training goals and associated objectives are derived:

• Students will be trained to become effective scientists and practitioners, and will understand how science and practice influence each other.
  
  
  • Students will learn scientific methods and statistics.
  • Students will learn counseling theories and methods.
  • Students will learn how science and practice can interact to benefit each other.
    
    
• Students will exit our program with an understanding of and appreciation for the myriad differences between people.
  
  
  • Students will experience an environment that values diversity in all people.
  • Students will gain knowledge, experience, and skills related to diversity.
    
    
• Students will develop a sense of themselves as counseling psychologists and will further their understanding of themselves as individuals.
  
  
  • Students will develop their own theoretical orientation.
  • Students will develop an understanding of the professional identity of counseling psychology.
  • Students will further their understanding of themselves as individuals, and gain an awareness of how this affects their work as a counseling psychologist.
    
    
• Students will experience a graduate training environment that is supportive of themselves and their work, that fosters collaboration among students and between students and faculty, and that teaches and models ethical behavior.
  
  
  • Students will experience a supportive atmosphere both with other students and with faculty.
  • Students will experience a collaborative learning environment both with other students and with faculty.
  • Students will learn and follow the ethical principles and guidelines of the profession in all areas of their scholarly, teaching, and applied activities.

Diversity

We have developed a model of training that provides a strong and relevant education in diversity issues. In our program, we balance courses that focus exclusively on diversity issues with those that include issues of diversity as they relate to other content areas throughout the curriculum. Training in diversity issues is also considered an integral part of practicum supervision. In practicum settings, students gain exposure to clients who are diverse with respect to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, age, religion, and gender. Diversity issues related to therapy are discussed both in group and individual supervision, and students also participate in two or more training experiences each semester that focus specifically on diversity issues.

Handbook

Download the 2008-2009 Counseling Psychology Graduate Student Handbook