Philosophy and Training Model

The Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology Program is based on the scientist practitioner model. Our overriding programmatic goal is to prepare child clinical psychologists with an orientation that considers psychopathological processes and relevant diagnostic implications, while also incorporating a solid foundation in development, including the understanding of inherent strengths and resources that children, adolescents and families possess. Students are required to demonstrate thorough knowledge and skill with respect to research, clinical skills (assessment and diagnosis, intervention, clinical supervision), and ethics, standards, and professionalism. Explicit across all competency areas is the emphasis on enhancing students’ awareness, knowledge, and skills with respect to the understanding of self and others, including the macro- (e.g., work, national norms, etc.) and micro-environments (e.g., personal differences, family, culture, gender) that impact all aspects of students’ activities as psychologists in training.
 
A range of instructional experiences have been designed to operationalize our training model. Through formal courses and seminars, students are expected to acquire foundational knowledge and skills of the discipline. The relationship with the thesis supervisor and advisory committee serves to enhance their ability to undertake progressively independent research across the program. Topics in core clinical courses specifically address the developmental, academic, social, and emotional challenges that children and adolescents may face such that students are prepared to meet these challenges with relevant knowledge and skills on practica and internship. Equity, diversity, inclusion approaches, topics and assessments are integrated across CCAP courses and practica. Clinical skills are further developed within a broad array of structured training experiences, including ongoing open practica and a focused in-house Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) practicum, as well as external practicum placements, and predoctoral internship. Additional learning opportunities are available including monthly Clinical Program Meetings organized around clinical research, professional issues, and clinical issues, and special-topic workshops offered to the entire program. We purposefully cultivate a learning context to model and foster the highest professional standards in research, teaching, supervision, and clinical practice.