Tracks & Emphasis Areas: San Francisco Clinical Psychology PsyD Program

The San Francisco campus offers both Tracks and Emphasis Areas in order to provide advanced doctoral students with the opportunity to complete an additional focus in an area of interest or to take electives to enhance the required course offerings. This study option is offered and strongly encouraged, since it provides an entry to specialization which can continue at the post-doctoral level.

The PsyD program requires a solid foundation in the theory and practice of clinical psychology for all students. Therefore, the initial phases of the curriculum address the basic areas of clinical psychology consistent with the guidelines of the American Psychological Association. Building upon this strong foundation, students may select coursework from Tracks or Emphasis Areas to begin preparation for their future professional roles. Tracks and Emphasis Areas focus on one or more of the following variables: special populations, specific problems, identified theories and techniques, and special settings. As described below, Tracks involve a greater commitment and more specialized training than do Emphasis Areas.

Tracks Offered

The San Francisco campus offers two Tracks within the Clinical PsyD program:

• Child and Family Psychology
• Forensic Family/Child Psychology

Child and Family Track

The Child and Family Track is designed for PsyD students who specifically intend to dedicate their careers to working primarily or exclusively with children, adolescents and their families. In the Child and Family Track, about 50 percent of the student's coursework and field training focuses on child and family issues, with the remainder focusing on adult-clinical and general psychology.

Applicants interested in being considered for the PsyD Child and Family Track will indicate their interest at the time of application. Those unable to be accommodated in the track due to space limitations will be considered for the Family/Child Emphasis Area in the general PsyD program. Students start in the track during the first semester and commit to being in the track for their entire graduate program. If students' career goals change, they may formally petition to transfer out of the track.

Students in this track have the same graduation requirements as those for the Clinical PsyD program with the following modifications. In the first year, track students take designated sections with an enhanced focus on child and adolescent issues in Observation and Interviewing, Intellectual Assessment, Advanced Psychopathology, and a course focused on child development in the family life cycle (to meet the human development requirement).  Also, they must complete the first-year Practicum in a Child/Family setting.  In the second year, track students take designated sections of Clinical and Ethical Issues and Psychodiagnostic Assessment. To meet the first and second year Theory and Technique of Clinical Practice requirement, track students take a child therapy course in year one and a family therapy course in year two. 

In the third year, track students take specified sections of the Advanced Clinical Seminar and complete at least three units of the Advanced Clinical Skills requirement and at least two of the four units of the Supervision/Consultation/Management requirement from Child/Family selections. Either the second or third year practicum must be in a Child/Family setting involving families, children, or adolescents. The internship for Child/Family Track students must be in a setting where at 50 percent of clients served are children or families.  Also, the student's clinical dissertation must focus on a Child/Family topic.

Forensic Family/Child Track

The Forensic Family/Child Track is designed for PsyD students whose career goals are to specialize in forensic and clinical work with children, adolescents and their families. A substantial portion of the students' training will focus on psychological services to families and children and on the legal contexts in which these clients are involved, with the remainder focusing in adult-clinical and general psychology.

Applicants must indicate their interest in the PsyD Forensic Family/Child Track at the time of application. Space is limited, but those unable to be accommodated will be considered for the Family/Child Emphasis and can pursue forensic work through electives. The track begins in the first semester and students are committed to remain in it until completion of the program. If students' career goals change, they may formally petition to transfer out of the track. 

Students in this track have the same graduation requirements as other Clinical PsyD students, with the following modifications. In the first two years, track students take designated sections in Observation and Interviewing, Intellectual Assessment, Advanced Psychopathology, Clinical and Ethical Issues, and Psychodiagnostic Assessment. These designated sections offer track students an enhanced focus on forensic and family/child issues.  Track students complete the first-year practicum in a child-related setting. Track students must take a child therapy course in the first year and a family therapy course in the second year to meet the Theory and Technique of Clinical Intervention requirements. A course focused on children's development in the family life cycle must be taken in the first year to fulfill the human development requirement. Track students also take a two-unit course entitled "Clinical Psychology and Law."

In the third year, track students take designated sections of Advanced Clinical Seminar. They complete the advanced clinical skills and the supervision/management/consultation requirements through the following specific courses: Court Consultation and Expert Witnessing; Disability, Law and Families; Legal Competencies; Families and Violence; and Child Custody Evaluation and Mediation. Either the second or third year practicum must be in a forensic setting involving families, children, or adolescents. The fourth year internship for Forensic Family/Child Track students must be in a setting where at least 25 percent of the work is in a forensic context with families, children, or adolescents. The student's clinical dissertation must focus on a forensic family/child topic.

Emphasis Areas Offered

There are five emphasis areas within the Clinical PsyD:

• Family/Child Psychology 
• Gender Studies (Psychology of Women, Men, Gender Roles and Sexual Orientation) 
• Health Psychology 
• Multicultural and Community Psychology 
• Adult Psychotherapy

Students may affiliate with one or more emphasis areas, but are not required to do so. Approximately one-fifth of the students pursue a general program with no emphasis area affiliation. Students may also take electives from the organizational psychology program on a space-available basis.

Completion of an emphasis area includes an introductory class and specified sections of certain required courses in the first two years of the program, choices of emphasis area electives and electives in the later years of the program, a portion of the professional training experience (practicum/internship), and choice of dissertation topic. Students have the option of extending either doctoral program beyond the standard years to pursue additional emphasis area electives, clinical training, or research opportunities.

Family/Child Psychology Emphasis Area

The Family/Child Emphasis Area is designed for PsyD students who have significant career interests in working with families, couples, children and adolescents, but who do not intend to specialize primarily or exclusively in working with child or adolescent populations. In the emphasis area, about 20 percent of the student's coursework and field training typically focuses on family/child issues.

Students in the Family/Child Emphasis Area learn to provide a wide range of services including family therapy, child/adolescent therapy, child and family assessment, couples therapy and community consultation. Special offerings include training in child custody evaluation, treatment of family violence and treatment of diverse populations of couples and families. The general orientation of the faculty integrates family systems and life-span individual development in the multicultural context.

Some major interests of the faculty include: family interaction and child psychopathology; healthy/competent families; gender and interaction in couples and families; couples' transition to parenthood; family interaction and school achievement of African American and European American children; family and couples therapy process and outcome; Asian families; marital violence; child abuse; divorced and remarried families; teenage pregnancy and abortion decisions; family/law interface; interracial adoption; physical disability and family relations; lesbian/gay family issues; attachment throughout the life cycle; play therapy; narrative and solution-focused therapy; AIDS prevention among Latino youth; family and couples assessment; adults' caregiving of elderly parents; and families and health.

Gender Studies Emphasis Area
(Psychology of Women, Men, Gender Roles and Sexual Orientations)

The Gender Studies Emphasis unites students, faculty and other members of the mental health community who hold a common interest in the psychology of women, men, gender roles and lesbian/gay/bisexual/ transgender issues. This emphasis area sponsors courses, colloquia, forums, advisement, clinical field placements and research opportunities on these topics. The theoretical orientation of faculty members incorporates feminist, psychodynamic, family systems, and social psychological concepts.

One focus of this emphasis area is how gender role norms, socialization experiences and social inequality in work and family life shape the lives of adult women and girls, as well as men and boys, in contemporary society. We are particularly interested in the mental health consequences of these social forces (for example, in problem areas such as eating disorders, depression, substance abuse and domestic violence). Faculty members are involved in developing effective clinical services for women and men and producing psychological theory and research that accurately reflects women's and men's lives. Research interests of faculty include social construction of gender, women's lifespan development, teen pregnancy, role strain for working women and masculinity norms in different racial/ethnic/social class groups.

Another focus of this emphasis area is sexual orientation. Through curriculum, field placements and research students will learn about the lives and mental health needs of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people. Faculty have research interests in gay/lesbian couples, relationships to family of origin and family of choice, parenting, identity, effects of homophobia, and developmental issues across the lifespan. Faculty members are involved in creating gay affirmative clinical services and HIV prevention programs. The San Francisco Bay Area provides unique opportunities for clinical and research projects on these topics.

Health Psychology Emphasis Area

Health psychology is concerned with psychological factors related to health, illness, the health care system, health care policy, and health care providers. Students in the Health Psychology Emphasis are introduced to this emerging field which deals with the important psychological, behavioral and social concomitants of physical symptoms, chronic and life threatening illness and rehabilitation. Faculty have interests in behavioral medicine, family systems medicine, consultation-liaison psychology, psychology's role in primary care, psycho-neuroendocrinology, psychopharmacology and the role of psychology in prevention and treatment of specific illnesses (cardiac disease, AIDS, cancer), health care policy, rehabilitation and disability.

Students combine relevant core or elective coursework, professional training placements and research which develop knowledge, attitudes and skills in preparation for advanced specialized education and training in postdoctoral programs and/or entry level positions in health psychology. Examples of health psychology courses include Introduction to Health Psychology, Clinical Medicine, Medical Family Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches in Health Psychology, Consultation in Health Settings, Neuropsychology, Psychopharmacology, Managed Care, Gerontology, Psychosocial Oncology, Pediatric Psychology, Biofeedback, and Hypnosis.

Multicultural and Community Emphasis Area

The Multicultural and Community Emphasis provides course offerings that integrate knowledge, research, and intervention skills necessary for working with multicultural groups. Classes include core, elective, and independent study combined with multicultural professional training placements and internship training sites, as well as relevant research activities. Course offerings and areas of focus complement existing emphasis areas so that students can combine the multicultural and community emphasis with another emphasis area (e.g., ethnic minority families, substance abuse among ethnic minority adolescents, or health and mental health services utilization among Chinese Americans). Enrollment in research clusters and collaboration on dissertation research is encouraged. Students are also urged to develop skills in working with one or more multicultural groups, including the capability to use languages other than English, thereby enhancing the provision of psychological services and information.

Adult Psychotherapy Emphasis Area

Our special strength in the adult psychotherapy emphasis area is our respect for and dialogue among the major orientations in the field today: psychodynamic, family systems, and cognitive behavioral. Faculty are conversant in these three orientations, as reflected in their research, practice and teaching. In addition, many core and most adjunct faculty maintain a current psychotherapy practice and are able to bring immediacy to their teaching about psychotherapy.

Students choose this emphasis area because they want adult psychotherapy to be the major area of their professional identity and practice.  The curriculum includes basic and advanced courses in assessment, formulation, and treatment planning. Later in their program students can take more specialized courses in one theoretical orientation, which include the opportunity to present and discuss their current clinical work.   Field placements include opportunities for a wide variety of populations, problems, and settings in which adult psychotherapy is practiced.