AULA Graduate Psychology

AULA Graduate Psychology

AULA’s graduate psychology department currently offers three distinct degrees (MAP, MAPS, and MPIC) and a growing number of specializations.

The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (MAP) degree program prepares students for licensure as California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and, with additional coursework, for licensure as California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors. Within the program, students specialize in their choice of

• Addiction and Recovery
• Applied Community Psychology
• Child Studies
• General Practice
• LGBT Affirmative Psychology
• Psychological Trauma Studies
• Spiritual and Depth Psychology

The Master of Arts in Psychological Studies (MAPS) program is a 48-unit program uniquely designed for students who are interested in non-clinical, master’s-level training in applied psychology (e.g., research, program evaluation) and want a more theory focused degree. It is also suitable for those interested in postponing licensure to their doctoral level training and who wish to obtain preparatory skills and knowledge. Information can be found on the MAPS (p.89) section of this catalog.

The Master of Arts in Psychology-Individualized Concentration (MPIC) degree program is an individualized, non-clinical program of study, which prepares students for non-clinical careers in psychology (e.g., research, program evaluation) or doctoral work in experimental psychology, applied (e.g., clinical, counseling, or school) psychology, or other domains of non-clinical psychology. It is not open to newly matriculating students. Information can be found on the MPIC (http://aulacatalog.antioch.edu/graduateprograms/mainpsychologywithindividualizedconcentrationmpic/) section of this catalog.

Mission

The graduate degrees in psychology combine a commitment to teaching and training in psychology with a dedication to social justice. This is accomplished in a program that emphasizes:

• the link between theory and practice through personal, clinical and societal applications of learning
• the highest personal & professional ethical standards
• experiential learning, collaborative learning and educational innovation
• support for creativity, personal meaning and pleasure in learning
• academic excellence

At AULA, learning is not confined to the classroom. Numerous noncredit lectures and workshops, along with informal conversations and discussions with instructors and peers offer opportunities for gaining knowledge. Similarly, assessment is not confined to the classroom. From the moment students are accepted into the psychology program and begin interacting with faculty, staff and peers, they are being assessed as to their potential as therapists, their readiness to engage in clinical training and professionalism.

Program Objectives

The faculty has organized the curriculum around the following five core areas of competence:

• Theoretical Learning: Describe, critique, and apply major theories in the field of psychology.
• Clinical and/or Community Applications: Apply a broad range of intervention skills to clinical and/or community practice with diverse populations.
• Professionalization: Conduct themselves as professionals in the field, with reasonable judgment, effective interpersonal skills, and adherence to legal and ethical guidelines/obligations of practice.
• Human Diversity and Social Justice: Demonstrate awareness, sensitivity, and skills in working with individuals, groups and communities from various cultural backgrounds and identities, and, in working to dismantle systems of marginalization, domination and oppression.
• Reflective Practice: Use self-awareness including self-analysis, observation, inquiry, and purposeful reflection to continually improve their own self- knowledge, interpersonal effectiveness, and professional skills.

The graduate psychology faculty continually works to develop criteria and processes to measure how well the program is able to represent its ideals. At various times in the program, students are asked to participate in this assessment process. For example, students evaluate faculty effectiveness in the classroom at the end of each learning activity. This information helps the program faculty continually revise and improve the program and their own work.

MAP, MAPS and MPIC Program Policies

The following are the MAP program policies for which students are held accountable, except under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Class Meetings

Quarterly classes are scheduled to meet each week of the 10-week term. Occasionally intervening holidays will result in a 9-week schedule for some classes. If for any reason a class does not meet a minimum of 9 times during a quarter, an additional class will be scheduled during the same day and time during week 11 of the quarter or some other equivalent activity will be included.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings, arrive on time, and stay for the entire class. Students who miss more than 20% of class meetings will not receive credit for the course.

Instructors may request appropriate documentation for missed classes and chronic lateness. In some courses, where class participation is a crucial part of the learning process, the instructor may allow only one absence.

Maximum Number of ‘Objectives Not Met’ on Narrative Evaluations

Students receiving more than two ‘objectives not met’ on a narrative evaluation will not receive credit for the course.

Maximum attempts at coursework and clinical training

Students may attempt a course a maximum of three times. If a student receives a no credit for a required course, after the third attempt, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Students can receive a no credit for PSY 6200 Clinical Training once. Upon receiving a second no credit evaluation, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Students may only attempt PSY 5450 Society and the Individual once. If a student receives a no credit evaluation in this course, the student will be withdrawn from the program.

Incomplete and No Credit Narrative Evaluations

Students who receive two or more incompletes during a quarter may be required to register for half time in the next quarters, until they have caught up on their work.

Students who receive no credit evaluations in two or more pre-clinical courses may be dismissed from the program.

Issues for All Degrees

Provisional Admission

Some students are admitted to the MAP Program provisionally. The student’s letter of acceptance states the reason(s) for the provision. All provisions must be satisfied by the end of the first quarter in order to receive full acceptance. The provision(s) may be cleared when all relevant materials have been submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Occasionally a student is admitted to the program with the provision that all first quarter work must be completely satisfactory (i.e., no incompletes and no “Credit not Awarded” for first-quarter classes). A student with this provision cannot register for the second quarter until a faculty advisor has spoken to the student’s instructors and approved the student for registration. This means that the student must normally wait until Late Registration to enroll.

Evaluation of Potential and Suitability

From the moment students apply to the program they are being evaluated as to their potential for the program and suitability for the profession. This evaluation includes academic, clinical, ethical and interpersonal domains. While only faculty have input on academic and clinical evaluations, Antioch staff and administrators have input on the ethical and interpersonal domains. A pattern that establishes a deficiency in one or more of these domains may result in students being asked to do remedial work, reduce their load to half time (and/or delay taking certain clinical courses), or leave the program for a time or permanently.

Declaration of Program Form

On entering the MA in Clinical Psychology Program, students must sign a Declaration of Program Form (available at New Student Registration and Orientation and in the Office of Integrated Student Services) confirming the particular program options for which they were admitted: MA in Clinical Psychology or MA in Psychology-Individualized Concentration; MFT or MFT/LPCC licensure pathway; Specialization (i.e., Child Studies, Applied Community Psychology, Spiritual and Depth Psychology, Conflict and Non-Conflict Related Trauma, LGBT Affirmative Psychology, or General Practice); and One-Day-a-Week Cohort, Downtown Cohort, or Flexible Schedule.

If students wish to change to a different program option, (e.g., from one specialization to another, from non-clinical to clinical psychology, in or out of a cohort) an advisor and/or other relevant faculty members must be consulted. A personal interview with a faculty member may be required. The student then obtains appropriate permission signatures on the Change of Program Form, which must then be filed with the University Registrar.

Residency Requirements

Each MA Psychology option (described above) has a ‘Residency Requirement.” This refers to the number of quarters (full, half-time or combination) students must be enrolled, while earning the units required for the degree.

Quarters in which students are enrolled less than half time, on Leave of Absence, on Enrollment Maintenance, or on Thesis Completion status do not count toward the fulfillment of the residency requirement. Given the potential consequences of these enrollment statuses, students should consult with their advisor before committing to them.

The degree must be finished within five calendar years of first admission (unless students withdraw and subsequently reapply and are readmitted, in which case the degree must be finished within five years of the second entry into the program unless otherwise specified). Students readmitted on this basis must complete degree requirements in force at the date of readmission.

Transfer of Credit from other Institutions

The MAP Program may accept in transfer up to 18-quarter units of graduate work in psychology from other regionally accredited institutions, if the coursework is equivalent to comparable AULA core or elective courses. Higher limits for transfer work may be allowed for students transferring from other Antioch University campuses (contact Department Chair for further information). Transfer courses must have been completed within five years immediately preceding admission to the AULA MAP Program, and the grade must be B or better.

In order to request transfer credit, students must fill out Form B, Permission to Transfer Units From Another Graduate Program, attaching copies of the relevant transcript(s), course descriptions and/or course syllabi, so that equivalencies to AULA courses can be determined. Form B is submitted to the Graduate Psychology Department Chair during students’ first quarter.

Acceptance of transfer units is at the Program’s discretion.

Our program follows the AULA transfer policy that directs programs to seek to ‘assure maximum utilization of credits earned previously and to encourage students to advance through their education toward the completion of their degree’ and ‘to provide equitable treatment for native and transfer students and to ensure that students will not be required to repeat course work completed at an acceptable level of performance at a previously attended institution.’

The program also follows the Joint Statement on the Transfer and Award of Credit that notes that transfers ‘increasingly involves transfer between dissimilar institutions’ and encourages ‘for reasons of social equity and educational effectiveness for all institutions to develop reasonable and definitive policies and procedures for acceptance of such learning experiences, as well as for the transfer of credits earned at another institution. Such policies and procedures should provide maximum consideration for the individual student who has changed institutions or objectives. Learn more… (http:// tcp.aacrao.org/misc/joint_statement.php)

In evaluating transfer units the program follows the industry practice that allows for taking a single incoming course and applying its credit among multiple courses. (‘Some schools will take the 5 semester hours and apply it to a 3 credit course and then apply the 2 remaining credits toward another elective.’) Learn more… (http://www.collegetransfer.net/AskCT/Howdoesthecoursecredittransferprocesswork/tabid/2411/default.aspx)

1. When, in the opinion of the transfer content evaluator, an incoming individual transfer course contains content that sufficiently covers content contained in multiple graduate psychology program courses and carries sufficient unit credit to do so then all appropriate coursework will be waived. This is to prevent the student from ‘being required to repeat course work completed at an acceptable level of performance at a previously attended institution’ as stipulated in our transfer credit policy.
2. When an incoming single transfer course has content that meets the requirements for a required psychology program course and also contains units in excess of that required by the psychology program, all excess units be offered as elective units in accordance with AULA transfer credit policy which assures ‘maximum utilization of credits earned previously and to encourage students to advance through their education toward the completion of their degree.’ For example: An incoming course with five quarter units that cover the content of Process I. Two units would be credited to Process I and the remaining three units would be treated as elective units.

Students who are granted transfer credit for 4-7 units may reduce their residency by one-half quarter. Students who are granted transfer credit for 8 or more units may reduce residency by a full quarter.

The Personal Psychotherapy Requirement

Students in the MA in Clinical Psychology Program (including all Specializations) are required to participate as clients in personal psychotherapy, once weekly or more, for a minimum period of two academic quarters (24 weeks).  Students must document their completion of this requirement through the completion of forms available from the MAP program office or the Office of Integrated Student Services. Individual, group, couples or family therapy may be used to meet this requirement. Students are encouraged to begin their personal therapy in advance and/or concurrently with beginning clinical training.

The two quarters of therapy need not be continuous. Students must work with a single therapist, and with a single modality of therapy (individual, group, couples or family therapy) during a quarter of enrollment, but may change therapists or change to a different modality for the second quarter of enrollment. The therapist must be a California licensed MFT, LCSW, LPCC, Psychologist or Board-certified Psychiatrist; interns and trainees are not acceptable as therapists. Telephone therapy and online therapy are not acceptable.

No units of credit are given for psychotherapy, and the requirement is not documented on the transcript. Students must contact the MAP Program Office or the Office of Integrated Student Services for information on how to document the personal psychotherapy requirement.  

Students may not work with someone who has ever been a therapist for them or for a member of their immediate family.

Guidelines for Psychotherapy with MAP Faculty Members

In conformity with the Antioch University Los Angeles policy on Dual Relationships, students may not be a client in therapy with a Core, Teaching or Affiliate Faculty Members during students’ enrollment in the program. Adjunct Faculty are expected to follow the ethical standards of their professional organization.

Confidentiality in MAP Classes

Because some class discussions at AULA involve disclosure of personal information, it is important to maintain confidentiality, particularly if this has been the agreement in a particular class. If students do not maintain confidentiality when it is appropriate to do so, it will be considered a conduct violation. As a related issue, it may not be appropriate to tape-record classes, even if only for personal review. Instructors should be asked if taping is permissible.

Progress Tracking Sheets

There is a Progress Tracking Sheet that lists program requirements for all students and requirements for each specialization, as well as for clinical training, provided to assist students in keeping track of their progress in meeting their particular degree requirements. Students should work with the tracking sheet throughout their time in the program to be sure that requirements for residency, core courses, electives, psychotherapy and clinical training are being met. Progress Tracking Sheets are distributed at New Student Registration and Orientation, and are available on the MAP Student Resources (https://sites.google.com/a/antioch.edu/map-program-resources/home/tracking-sheets/) Google Site.

Letter of Concern

Faculty may utilize a Letter of Concern when a serious problem arises with students’ work in a course or conduct. The Letter of Concern is a formal process that instructors use in order to state clearly their concerns and specify what students must do to receive credit for a course (or, in more serious cases, to inform students that credit is not going to be awarded). This letter does not replace a commitment to face-to-face discussions between students and instructors. When a Letter of Concern is written, it is sent to the student, the advisor, the Chair, and a copy is kept in the student’s file in the ISS office. Instructors are not required to use this Letter, but may do so if they feel that it will be helpful. Staff may also write Letters of Concern regarding students if they have had a significant negative experience with them.

The receipt of two letters of concern might result in slower entry into clinical training or affect current placement. The second letter received by a student will also trigger a remediation plan which may be the length of one quarter or more. If the concern is great enough or if the remediation plan is not completed successfully, then this may impact a student’s ability to begin clinical training. If the concerns indicate a lack of suitability for the profession, the student may be asked to leave the program.

Course Prerequisites

A number of core MA Psychology courses have prerequisites as noted in the course descriptions and in the quarterly Schedule of Classes. Some elective courses may have prerequisites as well. Requests to waive MAP course prerequisites

Occasionally, students wish to enroll in a given course before, or concurrently with, the prerequisite course(s), believing that they already possess sufficient academic preparation in the area of the prerequisite. In such cases, students may Petition for a Waiver of Academic Requirements. Students will be required to present evidence of earlier learning (e.g. syllabi of past courses at other schools, reading lists, writing in the area, etc.) and have the consent of their academic advisor, who will act in consultation with the course instructor. Advisors determine whether the background is sufficient to permit students to enroll directly into the more advanced course. The one exception to this process is that prerequisites for beginning clinical training may not be waived.

If the prerequisite course is part of the required curriculum, students must still take the prerequisite, due to the MFT licensing requirement that the entire curriculum be completed. If a student is overqualified for the prerequisite class, it is often possible to work with the instructor to request more advanced assignments.

Independent Studies in MAP

Instructor-student and student-student dialogue is highly valued at AULA. Because of this, taking courses offered by the program (both required and elective) in the classroom setting is the most appropriate and desirable means of completing them.

With the permission of the faculty advisor, students may be allowed to earn elective credit through independent studies in areas of special interest. An approved Form A is needed in order to register for any such independent study. Refer to the Instructions for Form A, available in the ISS office and to the Academic Policies and Procedures chapter of the Catalog.

Under unusual and extreme circumstances, the faculty may consider allowing a student to complete a required course as an independent study. This would be considered if the student has documented prior knowledge of the subject area and if taking the course via the classroom setting would produce significant hardship to the student. A faculty member (core, teaching or affiliate) who has taught the course content is the most appropriate choice for evaluator and that faculty member’s syllabus may be used. The student must complete the requirements of the course and include additional work to account for the usual classroom time. If permission is granted, a Form AA is completed in consultation with the evaluator of the learning activity and filed with the ISS office.

First Quarter Requirements

New Student Orientation

All students are required to attend New Student Orientation, where they learn basic information about the faculty, the program and the degree requirements. With assistance from program staff, students plan out and register for their first quarter of academic coursework. During the meeting, students also meet with representatives from the student services.

Students also receive more detailed information about AULA writing standards, American Psychological Association format for writing papers and plagiarism.

Post Orientation Activity

All students are required to attend a session of Campus Resource Day Training. At this session, students complete a writing assessment. Based on a review of this writing sample, students may be required to complete a first quarter writing workshop. The workshop includes information on academic writing that can be invaluable to new students. In addition, it provides students with training in how to write papers according to the format described by the American Psychological Association. Students will also receive access to and training in the use of the following AULA systems:

• Antioch email account including online conferencing
• Sakai - the online course management system and classroom
• OhioLink - an online library that contains numerous professional journals.
• AUView - Online registration and student accounts management system
• and other useful AULA resources

On the MAP Student Resources site or the AULA Sakai site, students can find draft course schedules for upcoming quarters, as well as syllabi for courses.

PSY-5450: Society and the Individual (3 units)

All MAP students must successfully complete PSY-5450 Society and the Individual in their first quarter of study . This foundation course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program. Students cannot receive an incomplete in this course except under the most unusual circumstances

In addition to course content, students must demonstrate specific basic computer competencies in order to receive credit.

The following processes pertain to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in PSY 5450. If, as the quarter proceeds, a student appears to be in danger of not passing, the student may be informed through the feedback provided on written work and/or through a Letter of Concern. However, it is possible that the instructor might reach the decision to award No Credit at the end of the quarter, based on final work turned in, or on class participation late in the course.

If a student does not receive credit for this course, the student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program. If there are extenuating circumstances, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program. The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

PSY-5000AA Clinical Training Readiness (0 units)

Students will complete PSY-5000AA Clinical Training Readiness as early as (but no sooner than) their third quarter of academic study. The PSY-5000AA Clinical Training Readiness course is designed to assist students in learning about and preparing for the various facets of applying to and securing a clinical training placement. This course is designed to assess students’ readiness to enter clinical training and serve as a bridge between introductory, didactic coursework, and applied experiences in clinical work.

PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice (0 units)

New students may also be required to complete PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice during or (at the student’s option) prior to the first quarter of study. If so, the course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program.

The following pertains to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in this course:

• If a student fails the final exam/final paper for PSY-5100: Introduction to Psychotherapy Theory and Practice, the student has one opportunity to redo it within the same quarter.

If the student does not pass the exam the second time the following consequence will occur:

• The student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program. The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

If a student receives a No Credit for some reason other than failure to successfully complete the final exam/final paper, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program.

Waiver of the PSY 5100 Requirement

Normally an incoming student would not be required to take this course if the student has recently taken and achieved a B or better on the following coursework at a regionally accredited college or university:

• ● Personality Theory
• ● Abnormal Psychology
• ● Developmental Psychology

If, however, in the opinion of the admissions team an incoming student needs the coursework to prepare him, her, or them for our program, the student may be required to take the course regardless of prior study in psychology.

PSY-5000W: Writing for Graduate School and Beyond (0 units)

New students may also be required to complete Graduate Writing and Beyond during or (at the student’s option) prior to the first quarter of study. If so, the course must be successfully completed in order to advance in the program.

The following pertains to a student who earns a No Credit evaluation in this course:

• If a student fails the final exam/final paper for PSY 5000W Graduate Writing and Beyond, the student has one opportunity to redo it within the same quarter.

If the student does not pass the second time the following consequence will occur:

• The student will be withdrawn from the MAP Program.
• The student’s registration may be voided, if necessary. The student, following procedures specified elsewhere in this catalog, may appeal the No Credit decision and its consequences.

If a student receives a No Credit for some reason other than failure to successfully complete the final exam/final paper, the student may appeal to the Psychology Department Chair to request a remediation that does not result in withdrawal from the program.

Waiver of the 500W Requirement

Incoming students can ‘test out’ of the 500W requirement during the Writing Workshop during Campus Resource Day.

Specialization Courses

A course should be designated and approved as a specialization course before it can be counted toward completion of the specialization. In most circumstances, non-specialization course cannot be switched to a specialization course after a student has taken it. While a course may be counted to satisfy two requirements, they cannot be double counted towards the total for the degree. Thus, it may be that a course could satisfy two different sets of requirements for the specialization, but not counted twice toward the total number of hours needed for a degree. An elective would be needed toward fulfilling the degree requirements.

Program Options and Degree Requirements

Each AULA graduate psychology student applies for and is accepted to either MAP or MAPS. MAP Students also choose a specialization. (Changes are sometimes possible in subsequent quarters, certified by the Change of Program Form, which must be filed with the OISS with appropriate permission signatures from the faculty. An additional interview may be required.)

MA in Clinical Psychology (MAP)

This is the degree for students seeking to be licensed in California as Marriage and Family Therapists and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (with additional coursework). For students beginning in Fall 2012 or later, the program consists of 90 units with a minimal completion time of 8 full time quarters.

The MA Program in Clinical Psychology (MAP):

●        Prepares students for MFT licensure in California

●        With some additional coursework, prepares students for licensure as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors in California

●        Prepares students for doctoral study in Psychology

●        Prepares eclectically trained students who are taught and expected to act with cultural humility

●        Promotes students’ personal growth and development

●        Provides students with practical clinical experience in a very wide range of community-based mental health settings

●        Challenges the profession toward greater relevance to the needs of Southern California’s diverse communities

Exposure to changing methods in the profession for a variety of career paths is at the core of the curriculum. Each student is supported in finding the professional approach most appropriate for him/her/them. AULA students are enriched by the opportunity to find and choose from the wide array of models available in the field, many of which are taught during their time in the program.

MAP-Low Residency Program

The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program prepares you to work in contemporary psychotherapy by introducing you to a wide range of theories and techniques. You are challenged to look inward and arrive at new psychological insights that will help you develop greater depth as a psychotherapist and socially-conscious citizen of the world.

The 90 unit program meets the educational requirements for licensure as a California Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and the PCC specialization as part of your degree program as a Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC). Our Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program is known for successful preparation of highly trained, multiculturally competent therapists.

Students in the low residency Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program can choose from one of our unique tracks in Addiction and Recovery, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor track, and General Practice track. The areas of focus were created to help you develop expertise in emerging areas of practice, enrich your professional experience, embrace cultural diversity, and develop a successful career path. Additional specializations are available in our on-campus program and other Antioch University locations.

You are encouraged to explore multiple perspectives and approaches and to engage instructors and peers in collaborative learning experiences. Beyond the courses, you have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills by practicing therapy under professional supervision at affiliated mental health services agencies. We will also identify and approve other sites for traineeship.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology degree is a 90 unit program, taken over 8 full-time quarters. The courses are organized to build a solid foundation for clinical training, professional specialization, and supervised experience after you graduate. You will complete courses in a sequence to enter your clinical traineeship and take specialized or elective coursework in your second year.

Program Sequence

Low Residency coursework will typically involve 2-3 courses that meet weekly on Zoom, an asynchronous (self-paced) online course, and an intensive workshop, scheduled for a few weekend sessions. The course load is manageable for those who wish to balance family, work, health, and recreation needs.

The sequence of courses includes core courses scheduled for the cohort; prerequisites for clinical training, which begins in the second year; and electives that help each student develop a niche or specialization. The courses build upon each other in a meaningful way to develop increasingly advanced knowledge, skills, and perspectives. Our program is intended to graduate highly skilled, reflective practitioners.
 

MAP Clinical Training and Licensure (MAP Students Only)

AULA’s MAP degree has been designed to meet and exceed the requirements established by the State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for academic preparation for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC). AULA’s combination of classroom learning, clinical training experience, and personal development provides strong preparation for meeting licensure requirements, and AULA graduates have experienced high pass rates on the licensing examinations. AULA is experienced in helping students move successfully into productive service as qualified professionals.

The path toward licensure begins while the student is in the MA in Clinical Psychology Program. The Clinical Training Orientation (PSY 5000) provides detailed information about AULA’s clinical training requirements and the California State licensing process. During this meeting a Clinical Training Handbook is distributed. Although the Clinical Training Director, staff, and faculty advisors can assist students to understand all BBS procedures, students should bear in mind that meeting the BBS requirements for licensure is solely the student’s personal responsibility. Students are responsible for reading the Clinical Training Handbook and adhering to all its procedures.

Students will complete PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness as early as (but no sooner than) their third quarter of academic study. The PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness course is designed to assist students in learning about and preparing for the various facets of applying to and securing a clinical training placement. This course is designed to assess students’ readiness to enter clinical training and serve as a bridge between introductory, didactic coursework, and applied experiences in clinical work.

In the quarter prior to registering for clinical training units, students must complete PSY 5000A Pre-Enrollment Requirements for Entering Clinical Training (PERFECT). This tutorial teaches students about the paperwork required to contract with a training site, how to register for clinical training academic units and how to track hours for AULA and the BBS. PERFECT is a self-paced, computer-based tutorial available online through the AULA Sakai system. Upon successful completion, students must submit a PERFECT Tutorial Proof of Completion form to the Clinical Training Office.

Students may start clinical training after successfully completing four quarters of enrollment, a minimum of 18 units of academic units, PSY 5000 Clinical Training Orientation, PERFECT, PSY 5000AA Clinical Training Readiness, PSY 5000A PERFECT, as well as completing and receiving credit for the courses, which are prerequisites for clinical training (i.e., PSY 5310A Personality Theories I, PSY 5010A Process of Interpersonal Psychotherapy I, PSY 5410F Assessment of Psychopathology, PSY 5410G Psychopathology and Treatment Planning, and PSY 5480 Professional Ethics and the Law). However, completing course and unit prerequisites does not guarantee permission to engage in clinical training. Students must also meet any additional readiness requirements outlined in the most current Clinical Training Handbook. Additionally, should the faculty determine that a student is not yet ready to begin clinical training, the student’s clinical training may be delayed and additional learning activities may be required.

After correctly completing and submitting the relevant forms (Form D and Clinical Training Agreement) to the Clinical Training Office, as described in the Clinical Training Handbook, students must register for clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques) during the Priority Registration period or during the Add-Drop period, using an Add/Drop Form for Non-Online Courses Requiring Extra Documentation Only in each quarter in which they plan to receive academic credit. Students may NOT register for clinical training until all evaluations for CT prerequisites have been reviewed by their advisor/appropriate faculty member, processed by the Office of the Registrar, and credit has been recorded in their credit report. Changes in clinical training supervisor(s) and/or hours must be communicated to the Clinical Training Office by submitting a correctly completed Form DD, and (in most cases) a new Clinical Training Agreement . Please see the Clinical Training Handbook for more information.

Students must be concurrently enrolled in PSY 6200 Clinical Practicum during any quarter while earning clinical training hours and units. Students must enroll in this zero unit course regardless of how many units they are completing in PSY 6200/Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques. This course is designed to be a connection point between classroom-based learning and clinical training experience. The course addresses issues of professional development, supervision utilization, and offers training in case documentation and case presentation. Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum cannot receive credit for their clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200) and cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

During the clinical training process, students perform some combination of individual psychotherapy, relationship counseling, family therapy, and/or group psychotherapy with clients under clinical supervision at one of AULA’s approved training sites as a Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee and/or a Professional Clinical Counselor Trainee. Clinical training can only take place with agencies approved by the AULA Clinical Training Office.

Students must complete a minimum of 9 units of clinical training to graduate from the program, but may enroll in up to 18 units as part of their degree plan. Students must complete a minimum of 297 hours of supervised clinical experience (but no more than 750 hours) as a trainee. As part of the 297-750 hours of experience, students completing the MFT requirements must accrue 150 hours of direct-client-contact counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups and 75 hours of client centered advocacy and/or additional direct-client-contact hours. Students completing the PCC requirements must accrue 280 hours of direct-client-contact counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups. For students completing the MFT requirements, these hours will be counted toward the 3000 hours needed to qualify to take the examinations for the MFT license. PCC licensure requires a clinical traineeship and an additional 3000 hours completed after graduation; to qualify for the PCC licensing examinations. Students completing the PCC requirements will begin earning the 3000 hours needed to qualify for PCC licensure after graduation from the MAP program.

Upon successful completion of the MA in Clinical Psychology, graduates apply to the BBS for registration as Marriage and Family Therapy Associate and/or Professional Clinical Counselor Associate. As Associates, graduates must work under appropriate supervision and may do so in a paid or unpaid positions at a community mental health centers, hospitals, schools, substance abuse treatment centers, or other appropriate agencies, or in a private-practice settings, in order to accumulate the balance of the 3000 hours of supervised clinical experience required for MFT licensure and/or to accumulate all 3000 hours of post-degree supervised clinical experience required for LPCC licensure.

After completing the 3000 hours of experience, applicants take the required examinations administered by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. When students pass these examinations successfully, they are eligible for licenses to practice independently as a Marriage and Family Therapists and/or Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors.

Students should be aware that, at this time, AULA’s MA Psychology programs are not structured to meet requirements for education and school counselor credentials, which are overseen by the California State Department of Education.

Evaluation of Readiness to Begin Clinical Training

As noted previously, despite completing all of the technical pre-clinical requirements, if, in the opinion of the faculty, students are not ready to begin clinical training due to identified issues with interpersonal effectiveness, student conduct, and/or other concerns, students may be required to undertake additional coursework and/or interpersonal skill-building activities before beginning the clinical portion of their degree.

Evaluation of Clinical Training

Each quarter in which students are registered for clinical training units, the Clinical Training Office sends Graduate Student Learning Assessments to their Clinical Supervisors. Students are responsible for confirming that the completed learning assessments have been received by the Clinical Training Office on time. Clinical training evaluations may NOT be delivered by students. For continuing students, the completed learning assessment must not be completed before the last week of the quarter and must be received by the Clinical Training Office in accordance with the stated deadlines. For graduating students registered for clinical training units in their final quarter, the learning assessment cannot include hours past the penultimate week of the term (see the Academic Calendar section at the back of the Catalog).

When the Clinical Supervisors have returned the Graduate Student Learning Assessments for a given quarter to the Clinical Training Office, the Clinical Training Office reviews the assessment technically. The AULA Director of Clinical Training then reviews the assessments to determine whether AULA credit is awarded. It should be noted that the AULA Director of Clinical Training, and not the students’ supervisors, has the authority to determine whether or not AULA credit is awarded. If credit is awarded, the Clinical Training Office enters the student’s total hours of experience and total face-to- face client hours into the clinical training database. The learning assessment is then forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for entry into the student’s official record. If the Director of Clinical Training denies credit, this decision may be appealed following the regular process for Appeal of Narrative Evaluations as detailed in the Academic Policies, Procedures, and Services section of this Catalog.

Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum during any quarter in which they are also enrolled in PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques cannot receive credit for their clinical training units (i.e., PSY 6200) and cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

Students may fail to receive credit for PSY 6200 Applied Psychotherapeutic Techniques, only once. Upon receiving a second no-credit evaluation, students will be withdrawn from the program.

Evaluation of Hours Earned when Students are not Registered for Clinical Training

In some cases, students earn hours at an AULA-approved clinical training site during a quarter for which they are not registered for PSY 6200 units. The standard Clinical Training Agreements and Form Ds are required. Instead of narrative evaluations, supervisors complete Supervisor’s Report on Trainee Hours When Student is Not Earning Antioch Credit forms at the end of the quarter. Details are provided in the Clinical Training Handbook. As is the case for clinical training credit, the AULA Director of Clinical Training has the authority to determine whether or not the hours will be accepted.

Note: Students earning only clinical training hours must be concurrently enrolled in PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum. Students who fail to enroll in or receive credit for PSY 6210 Clinical Practicum cannot count any of the hours accrued during the quarter toward licensure.

Ethical Standards in Clinical Training

Whenever AULA MAP students are earning hours at approved clinical training sites as MFT Trainees and/or LPCC Trainees, whether or not they are registered for academic credit for clinical training, they must conform to the ethical principles for professional practice. The Clinical Training Handbook provides detail on student ethical responsibilities in clinical training. Students found to be in violation of ethical principles may be subject to sanctions including but not limited to dismissal from the clinical training site; loss of credit for the term; loss of hours earned toward the MFT/LPCC license; and, in the most serious cases, suspension and/or dismissal from the program. Cases involving ethical violations will be considered first by the Director of Clinical Training, then by the Psychology Department Chair in consultation with the MAP faculty. Appeals of decisions may be made to the Psychology Department Chair, then to the Office of the Provost.

Traineeship at the Antioch University Counseling Center (AUCC)

The Antioch University Counseling Center is not only a community clinic, but also a training site for selected students in the MAP Program. Graduates of the program may also complete an associateship at the AUCC. Trainees and associates are involved in individual, couples and family therapy, co-lead therapy groups, and present psycho-educational workshops in the community. This rigorous clinical training is augmented by expert supervision, ongoing in- services and training sessions. For students able to counsel in languages other than English, The AUCC International Counseling Center provides experience with diverse clinical populations. For those interested in working with LGBT youth, the AUCC COLORS program provides LGBT-affirmative therapy, support and advocacy for underserved youth, young adults, and their families. Students may also earn hours in AUCC’s School-Based Counseling Program, working in area elementary, middle, and high schools. Counselors in training take responsibility for all aspects of Counseling Center operation, acquiring valuable experience in future roles. Students interested in training at the AUCC should contact the AUCC Associate Director.

Professional Clinical Counseling

In 2009, the Board of Behavioral Sciences in California differentiated Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Professional Clinical Counseling (PCC) as two distinct licenses that were available to mental health professionals at the master’s level. As such, Antioch University developed the opportunity for students in the MAP-Clinical program who designated the General Practice specialization to take coursework in their general practice elective coursework that would make them eligible for the PCC license in California.

The profession of counseling, governed by the American Counseling Association (ACA), holds a theoretical framework that is slightly different than that of marriage and family therapy. Historically, marriage and family therapists were trained in a diagnosis, medical-focused model (often trained to work in hospitals and clinics), whereas counselors were trained in a developmental, normative-stress model (often trained to work in schools and college counseling centers for people undergoing normative life stressors). After World War II, many counselors and therapists were trained and hired interchangeably to work with the massive increase of individuals needing a wide variety of services, including vocational guidance and job placement as well as comprehensive psychological treatment to aid in their suffering of PTSD symptoms. Thus, MFTs and PCCs are now often working in many of the same locations, although their scope of practice and theoretical framework of training are different. Specifically, PCCs often are focused on:

1. normative development across the lifespan (e.g. development throughout adulthood and midlife) at the master’s level; and,

2. career counseling theory and career-focused assessment techniques (e.g., development throughout adulthood and midlife) at the master’s level.

GATEWAY Course for the PCC Specialization: PSY-5010A (Process of Interpersonal Psychotherapy I). This is a co-requisite for PSY-5060E, meaning that students can take PSY-5010A and PSY-5060E concurrently.

17 units LPCC Specialization

Students can take PSY 5090 as their clinical skills elective (which can also fulfill one of their core course requirements). Students can also choose to take PSY 5360E (Research for Evidence-Based Practice) in lieu of PSY 5450E (Program Development and Evaluation) if desired.

PSY 5060E        Career Development I: Theories (3 quarter units)

PSY 5060F        Career Development II: Application and Techniques (2 quarter units)

PSY 5500E        Integrative Treatment of Addictive & Co-Occurring Disorders (3 quarter units)

PSY 5090          Brief Therapy (2 quarter units)

PSY 5450E OR        Program Development and Evaluation (3 quarter units) OR

PSY 5360E Research for Evidenced-Based Practices

The Professional Development Coursework Option

All courses offered in the graduate psychology program are designed to broaden and deepen the knowledge and skills necessary to provide psychological services at the highest professional level. Successful completion of any course in the department will increase skills and/or professional knowledge on the part of the student. Given this, in addition to their specialization(s), most students should consider adding the Professional Development Coursework Option (PDC) to their degree program. The PDC allows students to take additional theoretical, application, social justice, and reflective practice courses as part of their degree program. Doing so will increase both professional skills and employment readiness. Students must consult with their adviser and plan carefully when considering any PDC courses to ensure they are not overburdened during their studies.