Welcome to the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Counseling Psychology Program!

Mission Statement

The PsyD in Counseling Psychology program at Austin Peay State University prepares highly competent doctoral level generalist practitioners of health service psychology. APSU’s training philosophy adheres to Counseling Psychology’s asset-strength model and deep appreciation of the sociocultural and systemic contributors to well-being and distress across the lifespan as required by our accreditor.

APSU’s graduates are equipped with training and skills to ensure ethical and effective treatment of the full range and scope of psychological distress and disorder from life adjustment/developmental, career/vocational concerns to severe psychopathology with diverse multicultural and multi-age client populations. Further, APSU trains practitioners who are competent to provide services in a wide variety of therapeutic contexts and settings (e.g., military, medical, community mental health, educational, organizational, and community). In addition to preparing graduates to assess, diagnose, and treat psychological distress and disorders, APSU’s program prepares graduates to use their knowledge and skills to promote wellness through strategies of prevention, identification and enhancement of client strengths, potentials, and resiliencies.

APSU’s graduates are trained to utilize an integrative, holistic perspective in conceptualizing clients’ psychological well-being and distress. This means that graduates of our program are prepared to consider the complex and interactional biological, intrapsychic, interpersonal, family, and systemic factors that contribute to wellness and distress.

Graduates of this program are trained to employ evidenced-based approaches, to utilize practice-based evidence, and be skilled in feedback informed treatment. Therefore, graduates are not only well-versed in and capable of critically evaluating psychological theory, research methods, and strategies of intervention but they further understand these three areas as mutually informing and influential.

Program Values: Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion are core values of the Counseling Psychology PsyD program as consistent with expectations of our accrediting body and the profession. All members of the faculty are committed to a multicultural perspective, broadly defined. These values and perspectives are infused throughout the curriculum and discussion of cultural considerations also will be included in all courses. Students are also required to take CPSY 8050 Multicultural Counseling Psychology course and will have the opportunity to take other more focused courses related to working with diverse client populations. APSU’s location within a military community provides for diversity-rich practica experiences. The commitment to diversity is further evident in our Statement of Training Values Related to Diversity (see below).

Statement of Training Values Related to Diversity

Respect for diversity and for values different from one’s own is a central value of Counseling Psychology training programs. The valuing of diversity is also consistent with the profession of psychology as mandated by the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct (2002) and as discussed in the Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology (APA, 2017). More recently there has been a call for psychologists to actively work and advocate for social justice and prevent further oppression in society. Psychologists provide services, teach, and/or engage in research with or pertaining to members of social groups that have often been devalued, viewed as deficient, or otherwise marginalized in the larger society. Academic training programs in Counseling psychology exist within multicultural communities that contain people of diverse racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds; national origins; religious, spiritual and political beliefs; physical abilities; ages; genders; gender identities, sexual orientations, and physical appearance. Counseling psychologists believe that training communities are enriched by members’ openness to learning about others who are different than them as well as acceptance of others. Internship trainers, professors, practicum supervisors (herein “trainers”), and students and interns (herein “trainees”) agree to work together to create training environments that are characterized by respect, safety, and trust. Further, trainers and trainees are expected to be respectful and supportive of all individuals, including, but not limited to clients, staff, peers, and research participants.

Trainers recognize that no individual is completely free from all forms of bias and prejudice. Furthermore, it is expected that each training community will evidence a range of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Nonetheless, trainees and trainers in counseling psychology training programs are expected to be committed to the social values of respect for diversity, inclusion, and equity. Further, trainees and trainers are expected to be committed to critical thinking and the process of self-examination so that such prejudices or biases (and the assumptions on which they are based) may be evaluated in the light of available scientific data, standards of the profession, and traditions of cooperation and mutual respect. Thus, trainees and trainers are asked to demonstrate a genuine desire to examine their own attitudes, assumptions, behaviors, and values and to learn to work effectively with “cultural, individual, and role differences including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status” (APA Ethics Code, 2002, Principle E, p. 1063). Stated simply, both trainers and trainees are expected to demonstrate a willingness to examine their personal values, and to acquire and utilize professionally relevant knowledge and skills regardless of their beliefs, attitudes, and values.

Trainers will engage trainees in a manner inclusive and respectful of their multiple cultural identities. Trainers will examine their own biases and prejudices in the course of their interactions with trainees so as to model and facilitate this process for their trainees. Trainers will provide equal access, opportunity, and encouragement for trainees inclusive of their multiple cultural identities. Where appropriate, trainers will also model the processes of personal introspection in which they desire trainees to engage. As such, trainers will engage in and model appropriate self-disclosure and introspection with their trainees. This can include discussions about personal life experiences, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, feelings, and personal histories.Assuming no one is free from biases and prejudices, trainers will remain open to appropriate challenges from trainees to their held biases and prejudices. Trainers are committed to lifelong learning relative to multicultural competence.

Counseling psychology training programs believe providing experiences that call for trainees to self-disclose and personally introspect about personal life experiences is an essential component of the training program. Specifically, while in the program trainees will be expected to engage in self-reflection and introspection on their attitudes, beliefs, opinions, feelings and personal history. Trainees will be expected to examine and attempt to resolve any of the above to eliminate potential negative impact on their ability to perform the functions of a psychologist, including but not limited to providing effective services to individuals from cultures and with beliefs different from their own and in accordance with APA guidelines and principles. Members of the training community are committed to educating each other on the existence and effects of racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism, religious intolerance, and other forms of invidious prejudice. Evidence of bias, stereotyped thinking, and prejudicial beliefs and attitudes will not go unchallenged, even when such behavior is rationalized as being a function of ignorance, joking, cultural differences, or substance abuse. When these actions result in physical or psychological abuse, harassment, intimidation, substandard psychological services or research, or violence against persons or property, members of the training community will intervene appropriately.

In summary, all members of the APSU Counseling Psychology training community are 
committed to a training process that facilitates the development of professionally relevant knowledge and skills focused on working effectively with all individuals inclusive of demographics, beliefs, attitudes, and values. Members agree to engage in a mutually supportive process that examines the effects of one’s beliefs, attitudes, and values on one’s work with all clients. Such training processes are consistent with counseling psychology’s core values, respect for diversity and for values similar and different from one’s own. At Austin Peay State University, trainees’ attitudes and behavior regarding cultural diversity (broadly defined) will be included in part of the annual evaluation and overall review of student competence (as described in the accompanying document). Failure to be respectful, as determined by faculty evaluations, of diversity may result in negative evaluations.

Important documents that will be considered regarding these issues include, but are not limited to, the following:

American Psychological Association. (2017).

American Psychological Association. (2017).

American Psychological Association. (2003). American Psychologist, 58, 377-402.

American Psychological Association. (2014). . American Psychologist, 69(1), 34-65.

American Psychological Association. (2007).  American Psychologist, 62, 949-979.

American Psychological Association, Division 44/Committee on Lesbian, Gay, & Bisexual Concerns Task Force. (2012). Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients. American Psychologist, 67(1) 10-42.

American Psychological Association. (2015).  American Psychologist, 70(9), 832-864.

American Psychological Association.

American Psychological Association.