What Makes CSPP Unique

Commitment to the Integration of Academics and Practical Experience

What distinguishes CSPP now is what distinguished it from the beginning: its seamless integration of academic rigor and the breath of its field placement. Throughout its history, CSPP has remained true to its innovative model: giving students extensive psychology education in the classroom and giving them the opportunity apply that knowledge in the world.

Mentored both in the classroom and in their field placements, students receive the personal attention they need to excel and become professional members of their field even before graduation.

Another benefit to having academics and practice side-by-side is that students are able to focus their study and their field experience in an “emphasis area.” Unusual among professional psychology schools, emphasis areas are a distinct benefit for CSPP students. Often evolving into a student's professional focus or specialty, the emphasis area gives a student a head start in his or her career. Due to the fact that CSPP is such a large and successful school, it attracts faculty who are well-known in their area of specialty. Combining these two advantages --  the ability to focus study and field placement and access to top experts in their chosen area of interest -- students have the opportunity to develop their own professional niche during their graduate work while being mentored by a well-known authority in the field. 

Extensive Field Placement Experience

Throughout their graduate education, students receive an extremely wide variety of valuable and diverse experience through their field placements. Placement sites for students include community mental health centers and clinics, inpatient mental health facilities, rehabilitation programs, medical settings, specialized service centers, residential/day care programs, forensic/correctional facilities, businesses, colleges, service and governmental agencies, and research organizations.

The extensive experience that students receive fully prepares them to deliver a wide range of services to extremely diverse client populations. Examples of 2004-5 placement sites include: California College of the Arts, Chinatown Child Development Center, Concord Veteran’s Center, New Leaf: Gay and Lesbian HIV Mental Health Services, Elder Abuse Prevention Program, Jail Psychiatric Services, Mobile Treatment Services, New Directions Adolescent Services, St. Helena Hospital, Oakes Children’s Center, Xanthos, Inc. Youth and Family Programs, just to name a few.

Multiculturalism

CSPP continues its tradition of innovation and timely response to community need by being one of the first professional psychology schools to integrate multiculturalism into its entire curriculum. CSPP’s MERIT Institute is one of the first of its kind to promote multiculturalism and monitor its implementation. It is also charged with being a model of institutional diversity to other schools and institutions.  

CSPP Clinical Psychology and Marital and Family Therapy programs have multicultural competencies woven into the syllabi of most required courses. CSPP Clinical Psychology programs also offer a multicultural emphasis area, which allows students to further focus their studies on this important area.