Clinical Program

Our clinical program consists of two years of full-time study and leads to the M.S. degree. It combines firm grounding in research skills with training and supervised practice in cognitive and behavior therapy skills. The program is suited to people who wish to work in a supervised practice setting immediately after graduation, or students who wish to pursue doctoral study after receiving the M.S. Our empirical orientation stresses the integration of the concepts and procedures of the researcher with the clinical skills of the therapist. An emphasis is placed on the clear specification of problems, treatment and results. Although operant conditioning is an integral part of our program, we are more aligned with social learning and cognitive-behavioral approaches. Experiences and training are available in several sub areas including the following:

Behavioral Medicine/Health Psychology

The application of behavioral concepts and techniques to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of health-related problems (e.g., addictions, cancer, eating disorders, headache, hypertension, neuropsychology and pain management). Elective coursework in Health Psychology, practicum placements in health settings, and research with faculty on these topics supplements core requirements.

Psychopathology

Basic research methods are taken from the biological, cognitive, or social psychological sciences and applied to the study of psychological disorders. The purpose is to learn more about the nature of these disorders, including their etiology and course. Students can be involved in research on addictions, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and depression.

Psychotherapy/Intervention

Adult and child behavior therapy with general clinical populations. Specialized training is available through practical and clinical research programs (e.g. services for adult psychiatric patients, victims of rape and child abuse, assessment and treatment of depression).

Clinical Course Requirements

Clinical students are required to take a variety of clinical courses, courses in basic experimental psychology, and practica. The first year of the program is fairly structured and is intended to provide students with the basic skills and knowledge required of behavioral therapists. The second year of the program is much more flexible and allows the students to individually tailor their training through the selection of practicum placements, elective courses and thesis topics.

Clinical courses consist of a sequence of behavior therapy and behavioral assessment courses, Applied Research Methods, Advanced Psychological Assessment, Advanced Psychopathology, and Child Psychopathology and Therapy. Other specialized seminars are frequently available as electives (e.g,. Health Psychology, Emotion, Personality, Cognitive Neuroscience). Clinical courses are designed to provide knowledge of the current research literature in various areas and "hands on" experience and training in behavior therapy procedures through lab work and projects.

Core courses in psychology are intended to ensure that our graduates have a strong background in general psychology including, memory, psychobiology, perception, personality, social and developmental psychology. The orientation of the department is distinctly cognitive and behavioral and empirical. All students also take a one-hour seminar each term. As a part of this course, we bring in nationally-known speakers to present their research and stimulate thinking on current topics.

Practicum training begins immediately in the first term and increases in time, complexity and responsibility over the two years of study. Early training, supervised primarily by North Dakota State University faculty, includes didactic and experiential training in general clinical and interviewing skills and basic behavioral assessment and treatment techniques. Later practica involves expanding and practicing these basic skills in service settings primarily under the supervision of adjunct faculty and other mental health professionals working in those settings. Practicum settings include a regional human service center; community-based out-patient mental health facilities that provide counseling and psychological services to children, adults, couples and families; the public schools; two general medical hospitals; a neuropsychiatric institute; an inpatient psychiatric unit; a Veteran's Administration Hospital and two college counseling centers.