Health Psychology Emphasis | Spalding University Catalog

Health Psychology Emphasis

"Clinical health psychology is a specialty for the 21st century."
-Cynthia Belar, Ph.D. (APA Division of Health Psychology Presidential Address)

The School of Professional Psychology has been evolving to meet the changing psychological needs of the culture. One of these changes has been in the area of health delivery where psychology as a discipline and a profession has been contributing a field of research verifying the value of psychological services in the health delivery system. The field of health psychology has emerged from these research contributions. Graduates with the health psychology emphasis will be fully licensable as clinical psychologists.

Coursework is comprehensive and covers such areas as biological basis of health psychology, neuropsychology, health psychology assessment, and health care systems. In addition, each health psychology student will have a health psychology placement in the third or fourth practicum. Students are required to incorporate a health psychology orientation in their clinical skills portfolio. Special projects, such as research, dissertation, and program evaluations, will be conducted related to health psychology issues. Students are expected to seek internships that offer at least some experience in health psychology.

Program Sheet
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology: Health