Clinical and Research Training

Anna Jaffe, David DiLillo, and Michelle Haikalis stand in front of a board displaying a journal publication. All three are smiling and wearing business attire.Early in training, students gain exposure to clinical work primarily through courses in assessment, psychotherapy, and a clinical intervention sequence. Once students have successfully demonstrated basic therapy skills through an oral comprehensive examination at the conclusion of the clinical intervention sequence, they may be placed in various community agencies to further their clinical training. Research involvement is expected to begin during students’ first semester and to continue throughout their tenure in the program. Our program emphasizes both basic and applied research training relevant to clinical psychology. 


Tim Nelson, Alyssa Lundahl, and Katie Kidwell stand in front of a child's bed. The bed is illuminated by blue light and the people are lit by daylight. All three are smiling and wearing business casual attire.To accomplish our training goals, we emphasize students' individually supervised involvement in research and professional activities. Formal courses and seminars are supplemental to the individual student's research and professional activities. This approach requires a one-to-one relationship between faculty and students. Reflecting their high research productivity, CPTP students published in 20 journals (e.g., Child Abuse and Neglect, Pediatrics, Journal of Threat Assessment and Management) and presented their research at 19 conferences (e.g., Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Research Society on Alcoholism, American Psychology-Law Society) during 2021.