Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Depth Psychology

Our curriculum is designed to lead to licensure as a clinical psychologist (based on educational requirements for psychologists in the State of California). In order to receive the California Clinical Psychologist’s license, students must also have met the post-doctoral clinical services hours and examination requirements of the State. As part of receiving the degree from our program, students are required to complete pre-doctoral internship hours that meet requirements of the California Board of Psychology. The eligibility requirements for the formal internship programs in California are set by varied organizations, including the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC) which governs many clinical sites that embrace depth psychological treatment modalities. Pacifica is a graduate school member of CAPIC, and students will be guided through the formal process of application to all such sites. Following receipt of their degree from Pacifica, students must follow state’s requirements, which include post-doctoral supervised clinical hours and passing scores on the national and state exams (EPPP and CPLEE). Applicants and students are responsible for following and adhering to the licensure requirements of other states or countries, in which they wish to reside and practice, which may differ from California requirements.

Students attend classes in the Psy.D. program for four years during fall, winter, and spring quarters. Each year, classes are held on campus during nine, four (4)-day sessions (three per quarter). There is no on campus summer quarter. Students complete their dissertations within years three and four, along with coursework. There is an eight-year time limit for completion of the degree program. Please see the graph below for a visual overview of the Psy.D. program.

The classes are a combination of lecture and discussion formats and generally occur on Pacifica’s Lambert Road campus. While faculty present lecture material, time is set aside for discussions and question and answer periods. Some of the classes include presentations by experts, experiential activities (e.g., rituals, somatic exercises), as well as time for processing the information as a group. The cohort system at Pacifica encourages a process of in-depth collaborative learning that integrates the multiple personal and cultural contexts affecting learning and guiding discussions.

Class assignments consist of readings, posted reflections/discussions, exams, papers or projects. For every hour in class, at least three hours of academic work outside of class is expected. This time may include reading, reflections, research, and writing. Graduate study in general requires twenty (20) hours of study per week with an additional approximate 15 to 20 hours of practica per week in the second, third, and fourth years. The 1,500 internship hours are undertaken after the fourth year of study, when dissertation is complete and comprehensive exams have been passed.

Experiential clinical training at off campus clinical training sites is an essential part of the doctoral program. Students complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of practicum, 1,500 hours of internship, and 60 hours of personal therapy. The Director of Clinical Training works collaboratively with students so that they apply to placements in their first academic year and begin practica in the beginning of their second year of academic study. Students receive supervision and are given feedback at off-site locations as well as during campus coursework.

Once students complete their coursework and practica and pass a comprehensive exam, students enter off-campus internships where they are also given supervision and feedback. Internships are completed in a multidisciplinary setting offering a variety of training experiences. Students are eligible to apply for internships in their fourth year if they have met all of the program requirements and established internship readiness. Once accepted at an internship site, they may begin internship upon completion of coursework and practica. Training at culturally diverse sites is encouraged. There are variations among state boards of psychology in regard to licensure eligibility based on accreditation distinctions for doctoral programs. The doctoral program at Pacifica Graduate Institute is structured to meet California state board of psychology guidelines.

Each teaching faculty member holds office hours during the time that students are on campus as well as during specified hours during the week. These office hours schedules and sign-up sheets are made available during each learning session. In addition, there is ongoing and consistent communication between faculty members and students between residential sessions. Students are also assigned a core faculty advisor who connects with them regarding varied aspects of their academic and professional development. During the spring quarter, faculty advisors assess the progress that each student makes in the program as part of the student’s annual evaluations.

Doctoral programs in any field require a final doctoral project that reflects the scholarly nature of such an advanced degree.  In our practitioner-scholar, Psy.D. Clinical Psychology Program, this project involves a completion of the Psy.D. Dissertation.  Although it has similarities to dissertations in other academic disciplines or to dissertations in a clinical Ph.D. program, Pacifica’s Psy.D. Dissertation distinctly reflects the nature of our curriculum.

• The dissertation’s focus is on a clinically relevant topic
• The study must make a contribution to clinical work
• Dissertation privileges clinical psychology scholarly literature in its literature review
• These studies are typically more succinct, offering more singular focus on its topic
• The dissertation, if utilizing participants, may serve as a pilot study (i.e., include fewer participants)
• Psy.D. Dissertation may reflect students’ clinical practice experiences or goals

Another aspect that makes the Psy.D. Dissertation a distinct experience is when it occurs during training. To acknowledge our practitioner-scholar focus as well as encourage an active integration of practice and science, Psy.D. Dissertation writing is embedded within the four years of coursework. We offer several courses that specifically address dissertation development and writing (including supporting and mentoring students while they work on their dissertations). We also have an active process of advising, which includes regular meetings with dissertation chairs as well as research coordinators. It is structured so that the dissertation is completed upon conclusion of the four years of coursework.

At Pacifica, we affirm students’ own interests by inviting students’ passions as well as responsiveness to the needs of the world to inform their development of ideas. We also encourage an active integration of depth psychological lens and perspectives in their dissertation writing, which may include their attention to their dreams, inner reveries, imagination, or empathic relational responsiveness to human suffering.

As is the case for all dissertations, the Psy.D. Dissertation process at Pacifica is intense and intensive. It is also clinically relevant and draws on depth psychological clinical as well as research approaches. Lastly, we view the dissertation, as other parts of our training, as a meaningful and transformative journey, one that not only seeks to contribute to improving the lives of people or communities but also encouraging soulful growth for students themselves.

Students in the doctoral clinical program are required to accrue a total of 2,500 hours of approved and supervised clinical experience. These hours are obtained in two “tiers” of training: practicum (1000 hours required) and internship (1,500 hours required). Both levels of training are obtained at off-campus locations such as, but not limited to clinics, hospitals, treatment centers, or other agencies, in which psychologists provide services. Practicum training is a lower level of training with more intensive and directive supervision, and is obtained during the second, third, and fourth years of classes at Pacifica. The Clinical Training Handbook outlines the requirements for beginning clinical training. During the coursework on campus, the students participate in Thursday evening practicum seminars designed to ground their clinical training experience in small-group discussions, case conferences, and intensive supervision by faculty. In contrast to practicum training, internship training is a higher level of training with more independence and responsibility, and is undertaken after the student has completed all of the coursework and passed the comprehensive exams. The internship, in contrast to the practicum, is a summative and capstone training experience, in which the skills and the knowledge obtained through the coursework and the practicum experiences are exercised. All of the training activities described here are coordinated and supported by Pacifica’s Training Office, including the Training Coordinator and the Director of Clinical Training.

The personal therapy requirement is an integral part of the program, essential for the development of clinicians who utilize themselves as an instrument of healing of others. In addition, personal self-awareness is essential to other processes of being a student including conducting research studies with human participants or engaging in clinical and scholarly dialogues in the field that expand psychological knowledge. Therefore, the minimum of 60 hours of personal therapy must be completed while a student is enrolled in the program. These hours may be completed in individual, group, couple or family settings.