Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (PsyD) 

This program prepares practicing clinicians through coordinated ongoing academic and applied experience. Throughout the five-year program, coursework is coordinated with field placement experiences, providing a strong academic and experiential base for understanding and treating human problems. The curriculum is designed to provide broad and rigorous training in clinical knowledge and skills and is constructed in keeping with the requirements of the American Psychological Association (APA) and state licensing requirements.

“One of the many unique components of the Clinical Psychology, PsyD program, is the growing emphasis on training students to become psychologists who function as part of integrated behavioral health care teams.”

—Stacey Lambert, PsyD
    Chair, Clinical Psychology Department
    Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs

The integration of applied experience and knowledge is at the core of our education model. We actively engage the development of the “professional self” through integration at all levels—in the classroom, at practica and internships, and through self-observation and awareness. These are the essential elements that are necessary to cultivate and nurture thoughtful, sensitive, culturally competent and effective professional psychologists.

Several characteristics differentiate William James College’s Clinical Training from the traditional Ph.D. model:

• Courses content is designed to provide a foundation for professional practice,
• Courses are taught by practicing professionals.
• Students are in field placements at each level of the program, with most courses designed to integrate classroom work with clinical experience.
• The science of psychology is taught in the service of applied clinical skills.
• Students choose among a broad and creative range of research designs for their doctoral research projects, including quantitative analysis, phenomenological research, survey research, demonstration projects, theoretical analysis, or case studies.

“I fell in love with William James College when I first visited for an Open House.  It was the warmth of the community that initially drew me in and my decision to attend William James College is one of the best decisions I have ever made, certainly the best academic decision.  Staff, faculty and students care about your personal and professional development and it makes a difference.” 

–Larry Kelly, PsyD
    Clinical Psychology Program Graduate

If you are interested in a career in Professional Psychology and wish to work at the highest and most responsible level of professional practice, you have chosen well in considering the Doctoral Clinical Program at William James College for your graduate training.  For over forty years the Doctoral Program has been renowned as a unique integrative training program. As one of the earliest professional school programs in the country, and a flagship clinical training program in the region, William James College has been preparing practitioner scholars to become successful and effective clinicians, teachers, supervisors, administrators and scholars throughout the country.

Integration at William James College is more than concomitant course and field experience.  It is the experience of an active and personal participation in the building of a “professional self” in the midst of rigorous course work and challenging direct service.   Moreover, through our program’s commitment to meeting social need, respect for diversity, and multicultural perspective we help students develop professional competence at the highest level of training in applied psychology.  Our practitioner-faculty, a mature, talented and diverse student body and the opportunity for practicum and internship training in a region noted for it is training and health services ensure a rich and thorough preparation for career satisfaction and achievement as a Professional Psychologist in an increasingly complex world.

If you are the kind of individual who is committed to applying the science of psychology to help individuals, groups, families and systems, and wish to prepare for multi-dimensioned career serving in a variety of roles,  William James College may be the program for you.  We welcome your interest in our program and in a career that meets the human need.

Please contact our admissions department if we can assist you in considering William James College as part of your career preparation and aspirations.

Sincerely yours,

Stacey Lambert, PsyD
Chair, Clinical Psychology Department
Vice-President for Academic Affairs
Stacey_lambert@williamjames.edu

Every Fall William James College enrolls a class of approximately 100 students into the Clinical PsyD program. In educational achievement, life experience, age, interest, and cultural and socio-economic background, William James College students are a varied group. They range in age from early twenties to late fifties, from people holding masters degrees in psychology and related fields with years of professional experience to recent BA's. Some have made well-considered career changes from fields such as business or law. In the process of making these career changes, they have obtained relevant experience and have taken courses in preparation for the doctoral program. William James College prepares students from across the country and around the world. International students constitute  approximately 13% of the student population, representing over 25 countries.

The wealth of professional and life experience is reflected in the students' work in the classroom and in their fieldwork, enriching both in the process. Classroom interactions reflect this diversity with spirited, challenging, and supportive discussions. William James College students are mature, introspective, and dedicated to their own personal/professional development and to the amelioration of human problems, and to the application of psychological knowledge in a variety of settings and in a diverse and complex world.

In addition to excellence in academic preparation and self-awareness, William James College values the candidate who has shown a commitment to community service. Individuals who, throughout their formative years in high school, college and beyond, have demonstrated an interest in and a service to the community will already have created a foundation for further contributions as professionals in the field of Psychology. Training at William James College involves integrated supervised formal field training along with academic coursework. Through practica and internships, students at William James College in all programs provide professional services to individuals, agencies and communities in need. William James College's institutional commitment to community service goes beyond those clinical services rendered through training alone and includes consultation, education, assessment, and interventions generated by William James College service program initiatives: The Leon O. Brenner Assessment Center, The Richard and Joan Freedman Child Study Center, and the Dr. Cynthia Lucero Latino Mental Health Training Program, among others. Students who through personal commitment and social awareness prior to graduate training, have provided service to others will have evolved an even broader understanding of how to assess and meet the needs of others through a career in professional psychology. William James College has also made a commitment to improve access to Mental Health care for Veterans through Train Vets to Treat Vets ^® (TVTV) and to Children and Families of Adversity and Resilience (CFAR).

William James College values  a diverse student body reflecting the school's dedication to non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, Vietnam era veteran status, political belief, or disability unrelated to job requirements.

*This number represents the 2016 Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Program. The data is listed under our former name: Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

Graduates of our Clinical Doctorate Program are skilled in:

• Evaluating, ameliorating, and helping to prevent human psychosocial problems;
• Helping individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities function effectively and creatively
• Practical application of existing psychosocial knowledge with respect for diversity and with cultural competence.
• Developing new professional roles, service models, and service delivery systems capable of meeting the changing needs of society.

Graduates from our Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology are treating clinicians, supervisors, program directors, consultants, teachers and administrators in major health and mental health agencies throughout New England and throughout the country.  Doctors of Psychology with the PsyD degree from William James College are well represented in hospitals, community mental health centers, specialized treatment and service agencies, schools, independent practices, and in public service.

"The students from William James College are truly engaged learners, who value their profession and want to give their clients the best possible care."

-Robin Cook-Nobles, EdD
Field Site Supervisor at The Stone Center

The Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program at William James College is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), demonstrating their compliance with the APA Standards of Accreditation.

Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

William James College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.). For a full listing, please visit our William James College Accreditation/Approval page.

For questions, please contact our Admissions Office at 617-327-6777 x1506 or x1507 or email info@williamjames.edu.

Excellence through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

“Psychology should not reflect the ills of society, but rather, be a model for what society should be—a place where diversity is mainstreamed and where mutual appreciation exists for the contributions of all.”  —APA Presidential Task Force on Enhancing Diversity, 2005, p.11 

Our Clinical Psychology Department aims to achieve academic and professional excellence by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental values in the department. To achieve this goal, we are engaging in dedicated, multidimensional efforts (1) to diversify our student body and faculty, and (2) to increase our community members’ cultural humility. We are committed to fostering an interpersonally safe and culturally empowering community, which celebrates the richness of thought, perspective, and experience shaped by dimensions of identity such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. 

Diversity and Equity Matters 

Although, the United States is rapidly becoming more diverse, the field of psychology has not fully integrated multicultural perspectives and has been inadequately responsive to the needs of many underserved and marginalized groups. A critical contributing factor to these challenges is the paucity of clinical psychology graduate students and psychologists from diverse backgrounds (e.g., racial/ethnic, religious, geographical, socioeconomic). Therefore, our Department welcomes and actively recruits students and faculty who represent the country’s diversity to create a psychology workforce capable of providing competent, responsive, and compassionate care to all people. 

Inclusion Matters 

Limited cultural humility and unconscious biases among mental health professionals are significant contributing factors to mental health disparities disproportionately experienced by historically marginalized and underserved groups. Therefore, our Department has adopted a forward-looking curriculum guided by the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Multicultural Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity, and Intersectionality. Our systemic adoption of cultural competence standards enhances our students’ professional psychological practice and is a significant step toward a collaborative, empathic, and inclusive learning and working environment. 

Values Underlying Our Department’s Diversity Efforts 

1. Celebration: We believe that diversity and the richness of our multiple identities should be celebrated and wholly integrated into the fabric of our department through deliberate efforts. 
2. Complexity and Openness: We believe that our department is strengthened by complexity and that our community benefits from an openness to innovative ideas. 
3. Social Justice and Fairness: We are committed to dismantling institutionalized inequities and discrimination by encouraging our community’s engagement in difficult and courageous dialogue and civic action. 
4. Impact: We are committed to ensuring that future generations of clinical psychologists are capable of bravely examining their own beliefs and biases as well as effectively addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their professional practice. 

A Glimpse of Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts 

2015: Received award from APA's Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention and Training in Psychology to provide professional development training and consultation to the Clinical Psychology faculty on designing pedagogical activities that promote diversity and multicultural competency and enhance the learning environment for students. 

2016: Received award from APA's Commission on Ethnic Minority Recruitment, Retention and Training in Psychology, in recognition of innovative strategies for recruitment, retention, and graduation of racial/ethnic minority students in psychology. 

2018: Established Taskforce on Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment and Retention Practices to develop a systematic, 3-year plan to be adopted, implemented and, sustained over time for the recruitment and retention of students and faculty from diverse backgrounds. 

2019: Established Diversity and Inclusion Implementation Team established to annually monitor the progress of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. 

Reference: American Psychological Association. 2017. Multicultural Guidelines: An Ecological Approach to Context, Identity, and Intersectionality. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/about/policy/multicultural-guidelines.pdf