Why Study Counseling Psychology
Counseling Psychology PsyD graduates are equipped with discipline-specific knowledge and profession-wide competencies to ensure ethical and effective treatment of the full range and scope of psychological distress and disorder with diverse multicultural and multi-age client populations. APSU trains practitioner-scholars 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. The need for psychologists is projected to grow more than 14% in Tennessee and 8% across the US within the next ten years.
APSU's PsyD in Counseling Psychology is unique as it trains practitioner-scholars and offers a military and military family track. The program is site visit authorized for accreditation by the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation.
All program faculty earned the Ph.D. with a focus in Counseling Psychology, possess significant clinical experiences, and most are licensed or license-eligible. Faculty research interests include military, veterans, and families, gender, treatment outcomes, men and masculinity, treatment and skill-building for neurodivergent individuals across the lifespan.
Potential doctoral students must have a masters's degree in counseling, or very closely related degree and an interest in the program's values.
Admission Requirements
A master’s degree in counseling, clinical or counseling psychology (or very closely related field) is required to be considered for admission to the PsyD in Counseling Psychology program. Within their master’s program, students should have completed successfully a counseling theories class and a counseling techniques class as well as have some documented counseling experience with real clients. Masters-level counselor education programs typically require the completion of 60 credit hours, however other related disciplines may require 48 credit hours, and in some cases as few as 30 credit hours. Students may be required to complete additional credit hours at the masters-level in order to be prepared for the Counseling Psychology PsyD curriculum. A resume, personal statement, a writing sample, and an interview are also required. Please note: Admissions requirements are minimum standards but do not guarantee admission to the program. Admission is highly selective as we admit very small cohorts.
For information related to admission requirements or to view the courses within each program.
What will I learn
- Students will be provided a foundation of discipline-specific knowledge and training in profession-wide competences as set forth by the APA's Commission on Accreditation.
- Students will continue to develop their clinical skills in the dedicated program clinic and in outside clinical settings in preparation to apply for and attend a year-long internship as is required as the capstone to a doctorate in counseling psychology.
Sample Degree Plan
Counseling Psychology: Serving Military, Veterans and their Families
Program Licensure Disclosure
Students should be aware that licensure requirements vary from state to change and are subject to change. Licensing boards also may have additional requirements above and beyond an earned degree and experience. APSU has not made a determination whether its programs will meet all licensure requirements in each US state or territory. APSU recommends that students who plan to seek licensure outside the state of Tennessee contact the appropriate licensing board before they enroll in an academic program designed to lead to licensure.
Please visit https://www.apsu.edu/program-licensure-disclosures/ to review specific licensure information for your state and academic program.