Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis

The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology program within The School of Health Sciences of Touro College, combines the academic, research, and clinical experiences necessary to prepare you to become a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of New York. With our health emphasis and the training provided, you will be ready to work as a psychologist in traditional mental health settings, in private practice, as well as in an increasingly integrated healthcare system with medical patients, and in collaboration with a variety of health care providers. The 114-credit full-time on-campus PsyD program in Clinical Psychology, Health Emphasis, requires a minimum of 4 full-time academic years of graduate study plus a full-year clinical internship prior to receiving the doctoral degree.

A Practitioner-Scholar Training Philosophy

Our teaching and training philosophy is consistent with the practitioner-scholar model of training. The bidirectional integration of the functions of the practitioner and scholar is critical in translating and implementing empirically-based assessment and treatment approaches to diverse settings and furthering the scientific foundations of clinical psychology.

The program's practitioner-scholar training philosophy is aimed at producing psychologists who are both clinically and academically prepared to work as clinicians and researchers in a wide variety of settings. This program design is based on the premise that psychologists working in mental and physical healthcare settings need a strong foundation of clinical and research skills and is specifically designed to graduate skilled clinicians and scholars.

Our expert faculty members bring knowledge gained from their professional career and their own specialized clinical practice and research interests.

By the Numbers

Only PsyD program in NY with a health emphasis.

Years to complete the PsyD program.

Number of available program slots each year.

Minimum number of externship fieldwork hours you'll clock.

Health Emphasis: How Psychology Fits into an Integrated Health System

Our PsyD degree prepares you to work as a general psychologist, but also provides the specialty training to work within a larger medical environment and on the frontlines of a healthcare system that is increasingly interdisciplinary and integrated. Through your course work and clinical experiences, you’ll be trained to address mental health issues in a medical, as well as behavioral health, setting. You’ll take specialized courses in healthcare and aging, the healthcare system, and neuropsychological assessment, and clinical health psychology/behavioral medicine in addition to general and advanced courses in assessment, treatment, consultation, ethics, and diversity.

As a practicing psychologist on an integrated healthcare team, your work might vary from a 1-2 session conversation with a patient who is mildly depressed, to a long-term intervention as a patient copes with trauma or chronic disease. You might work in a setting in which you have brief sessions with a diabetic patient who is not adhering to their medication regimen or proper diet, treat a patient whose anxiety is interfering with daily activities, help patients with debilitating eating disorders, or work at a cardiac rehabilitation unit and help patients with stress reduction and lifestyle modification.

Clinical psychologists have important roles at medical centers, VA hospitals, long-term COVID facilities, and helping allied health care professionals with pain management, obesity, addiction, and medication mismanagement. In many medical settings, including primary and specialty care facilities, and behavioral health facilities, psychological treatment is increasingly emphasized for overall health and well-being.

The pandemic and health disparities have created a great deal of stress, impacting both mental and physical well-being. In this new world, our program emphasizes creating 21st century psychologists to respond to new and challenging realities. — Jeff Gardere, PhD, ABPP, Associate Professor

Becoming a Licensed Clinical Psychologist

In our Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program, you’ll complete rigorous didactic coursework and earn the necessary pre-doctoral clinical experience for license eligibility in NYS.

After graduation, prior to receiving your NYS licensure, you’ll need to earn one year of additional experience practicing under the supervision of a professional psychologist and to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, which is the national licensing exam. In NYS you may choose to take your licensure exam right after graduation, or after completing your additional year of training.

All states and territories in the U.S. require licensure applicants to achieve a satisfactory score on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Many states also require a jurisprudence examination (i.e., an examination covering the laws and rules governing the practice of psychology in that jurisdiction) and/or an oral examination in addition to the EPPP. Information on which jurisdictions require supplemental examinations, as well as other licensure-related information, can be found at www.asppb.net/page/psybook

PsyD Program Curriculum

Our clinical psychology program is built on a foundation of psychological science and emphasizes cognitive-behavioral models of practice, and trains you in evidence-based therapies as well as other interventions with demonstrated empirical support. In this doctoral program, you’ll gain a wide range of clinical experience working with culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse populations across the life span. You’ll learn about healthcare disparities and how to bring this understanding into your clinical practice.

Didactic Coursework

During the first year of the program, you’ll take an intensive series of foundational courses in the psychological sciences that prepare you for later clinical training. Later in the program, you balance more advanced didactic courses with clinical training experiences and are engaged in scholarly activities throughout.

Learn more about academic coursework and externship on our PsyD Academics page.

Externship (Practicum)

Second, third, and fourth-year doctoral students take part in closely monitored externships at one of 50 respected training sites in the New York-New Jersey metro area. These externship opportunities are in outpatient, inpatient, medical, and local mental health facilities.

Dissertation

During the 3rd and 4th years in the program, you will work on your doctoral dissertation under the supervision of a program faculty member. The dissertation demonstrates your ability to think critically and address an area of clinical interest.

Internship

The 5th year is mainly focused on a full-time clinical internship in clinical psychology. In this position, you’ll apply what you’ve learned in your practicum and coursework and work under the supervision of licensed clinical psychologists. Finding an institution for your internship is competitive and involves a national match process.