Latest News
All App State Psy.D. internship applicants have been matched to accredited training sites!
Our students will complete internship training at:
- Central Regional Hospital (Butner, NC)
- Appalachian State University Counseling Center (Boone, NC)
- Wichita Collaborative Psychology (Wichita, KS)
- Vanderbilt University Counseling Center (Nashville, TN)
- VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (Nashville, TN)
- Centra / Behavioral Health (Lynchburg, VA)
Tori Elliott and Shelby Holmes (project mentored by Dr. Cassidy Sandoval) co-presented an oral presentation titled “Financial Difficulty as a Predictor of Eating Behaviors During Pregnancy” at the Department of Nutrition and Health Care Management's 4th Annual Nutrition Summit. Among many wonderful presentations, they won first place in Lightning Oral Presentations (4 minutes, 3 slides maximum)!
Esther Killius, mentored by Dr. Katie Wolsiefer, was presented with this year's Zigli Graduate Student Research Award at the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 7. Esther will use the award to support her dissertation research entitled "Intentions of Mental Health Professionals to Provide Gender Affirming Care to Transgender Patients."
Appalachian State University's Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)
Appalachian State University’s Doctoral Program (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology is an applied practice degree in health service psychology. The goal of our training program is to develop psychologists who are well-rounded practitioners trained in and committed to evidence-based professional practice. In addition, graduates will demonstrate competency in scientific inquiry and evaluation.
Program Overview
The Psy.D. program at Appalachian State specifically aims to train students to serve rural and other underserved populations, an important mission given the state and national needs to provide care to this underserved group which coincides with our history and heritage as a leading university in Appalachia. Effective service provision to rural populations inherently requires substantial training in applied research skills, given that there is relatively poor guidance for culturally-appropriate interventions. Consultation and evaluation will be an integral part of both training and future professional pursuits. As such, the program follows a model of training that promotes application of the foundational knowledge of the science of psychology to clinical practice, and the development of interpersonal, applied clinical, and scientific skills for use in implementing evidence-based practice.
The Appalachian State Psy.D. program maintains a low student-faculty ratio so that students receive close individual mentoring from faculty members. Individual mentoring allows students to pursue clinical and research experience that best matches their interests and to pursue the career path they seek. We admit approximately six to eight students per year, and graduate stipend support is available for all incoming graduate students.
There are eight core faculty members of the Psy.D. program. In addition, the Department of Psychology includes 28 other full-time faculty, many of whom contribute to existing graduate programs in Psychological Science, School, and Industrial/Organizational-Human Resource Management Psychology, as well as the Psy.D. program. The graduate program has an established Psychology Clinic for therapy and assessment training, staffed by Clinical graduate students as well as a full-time Director and Assistant Director. The graduate program also has long-standing practicum sites arranged for graduate students including the Counseling and Psychological Services Center, several regional school mental health programs (Assessment, Support, & Counseling Centers), community health center (an integrated care placement), among other placement options. The graduate curriculum provides a strong blend of applied and scientific training, and requires a three-year sequence of supervised practicum training.
Accreditation
The Psy.D. program has been approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The Psy.D. program is accredited on contingency by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) effective February 2, 2024. Contingent status expires February 2, 2029.
For more information about APA accreditation, see: apa.org/ed/accreditation.
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First St, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Telephone: (202) 336-5979
TDD/TTY: (202) 336-6123
Fax: (202) 336-5978
The Psy.D. program will:
- Provide training in empirically supported and evidence-based practices for the direct and indirect delivery of behavioral health services.
- Address the demand for doctoral-level psychologists in the state of North Carolina, especially in underserved and rural areas.
- Support the North Carolina western region through building the capacity for mental and behavioral health services for the region as well as through outreach, research, and collaboration for economic development.
- Support the mission of the Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, and the University of North Carolina System.
Expected Career Outcomes
The program prepares graduates for a range of career paths in health service psychology, with particular emphasis on clinical practice in rural and other underserved settings. Consistent with the program’s generalist training model, graduates are prepared to provide psychological services in a broad range of settings, such as community mental health centers, integrated primary care and federally qualified health centers, hospital-based behavioral health programs, school- and community-based service settings, correctional settings, and independent practice. In addition to direct clinical practice, graduates are prepared for professional activities that may include consultation, supervision, applied research, needs assessment, program development, and program evaluation in organizations and systems serving rural and underserved communities.