Clinical Psychology (PsyD) Program at CIIS
California Institute of Integral Studies
Key Information
Campus location
San Francisco, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
5 years
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
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* 1st Priority deadline: Submit by February 15th at 11:59pm PT for guaranteed review. After this date, some programs may be full and only interview for waitlist spots or not be able to further review applications
Introduction
Become a Clinical Psychologist
The Psy.D. program at CIIS is carefully designed to prepare students for practice-focused careers in clinical psychology. Rooted in the practitioner-scholar model, our students engage in rigorous academic coursework and comprehensive clinical training, in addition to completing their dissertation.
Classes are grounded in the philosophical foundations of psychoanalytic thought, psychodynamic perspectives on the therapeutic relationship, personal and social dimensions of the unconscious, and radical and critical approaches in psychodynamic psychotherapy. These courses are taken simultaneously with professional seminars in which students are taught to link theory and practice through in-depth discussion of clinical cases. The program also actively cultivates a dialogue between Western psychology and other wisdom/spiritual traditions. Students take electives in areas such as Buddhism and psychotherapy, mindfulness and meditation, comparative mystical practice, psychedelic studies, dialectical-behavioral therapy and other third wave interventions.
As part of the program, students also have the opportunity to conduct their clinical practicum hours at the Psychological Services Center, one of the six award-winning clinics at CIIS. Under faculty supervision, students provide individual, couple, family, and group counseling and assessment to Bay Area residents.
Why a PsyD from CIIS?
The PsyD program prepares graduates to engage broadly in the ever-expanding field of clinical psychology: therapy and assessment, supervision, management, administration, consulting, research, advocacy, and public policy.
Commitment to holism, depth, and diversity
Since its founding in 1968, CIIS has been at the forefront of cutting-edge thought and social good—breaking down barriers, redefining boundaries, cultivating curiosity, and nurturing community. We promote an ethos of open inquiry. We give our students the freedom and flexibility to explore their own areas of scholarship and writing. We emphasize the centrality of relationships in people’s lives. And we respond to the needs of those locally, regionally, and globally.
Vanguard reputation
Our faculty are leaders in the field who conduct ground-breaking research. Our alumni are highly regarded; many have gone on to leadership and training positions within the U.S. and around the world. Our clinical training and field placement is best-in-class; the PsyD program maintains relationships with more than 70 agencies in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
About the Program
The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) was the first accredited university in North America to offer programs that synthesize the insights of Western psychology with Eastern spirituality. Alan Watts, a leading figure in that movement, described CIIS (then known as the American Academy of Asian Studies) as "one of the principal roots of what later came to be known, in the early sixties, as the San Francisco Renaissance." During that time, the Bay Area became synonymous with new currents in psychology—currents that continue to transform the field.
The Doctoral Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program was founded in 1991 with the aim of training mental health professionals who could think outside the box. We have since graduated over 500 professional psychologists. Our alumni have established a highly regarded presence in the San Francisco Bay Area, occupying many leadership and training positions. Many live and practice in other parts of the country and around the world, as well.
Like CIIS’ founders, our faculty and students continue to work at psychology’s cutting edge. Our curricular emphases on holism, depth, and diversity distinguish us from most other educational options in the field. We offer an advanced curriculum that is designed specifically for individuals who, having already obtained a master’s degree in counseling psychology (or closely related field), wish to deepen their training, as well as pursue professional opportunities (e.g., teaching, assessment, consultation) afforded by the doctoral degree.
Mission
The PsyD Program at CIIS provides advanced and specialized training in clinical psychology that combines the principles of integral education with the clinical efficacy of contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy. We promote an ethos of open and holistic inquiry and emphasize the centrality of relationships in people’s lives.
WASC Accreditation and Career Advancement
CIIS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WASC-WSCUC). Graduates of the PsyD Program are eligible for licensure as psychologists in the state of California, as well as many other states.